Categories
Community Tools and Tips

Why Do I Teach?

“Get on stage and give your very best. Follow your body; it knows what to do.” Carlos Castaneda said this to me just before I got on stage in 1996 for the first time to teach —there were 700 participants at his workshop. I felt unprepared and unfit for the occasion, and yet his words vividly resonating within, cleared the path for me to step onto that stage.

“The only way of knowing if you have learned something is by teaching it,” he said. “Share what you practice, share what you love to do.” And I did. That was 20 years ago, and I am still teaching and sharing. I still get butterflies before each class I teach or lecture I give. I review my notes, I prepare, I practice. Each class is a new experience, each person in front of me is unique. I can be guiding the same sequence of movements I taught to that audience back in January 1996, but I do it with wonder and awe.

What is the secret? And why do I do it?

I teach because I like to take risks, to put myself out there. I teach because it makes me vulnerable. I teach because it creates uncertainty within me. I teach because it awakens new resources within me that I didn’t know I had. I teach to learn to fail, to make mistakes, and to revamp myself. I teach to learn about success and to love with whoever is in front of me. I teach knowing that there is nothing to teach, and that whoever is in front of me has all the answers he or she needs. I teach to be reminded of my strengths and my weaknesses. I teach because I practice and because I breathe.

Why do others teach Being Energy? Some of our teachers share their experiences below. Maybe teaching will open up something in you, too? We are offer a comprehensive teacher training program. Learn more about that program.

Why become a Being Energy teacher?

The first question to ask yourself is: Is the practice Being Energy a path with heart for me? If it is, and you have committed yourself to the practice, then teaching others will help you along the path more than you can imagine. When we commit to teaching others, it brings out the best in us; something comes to our aid in spite of all the doubts and hesitations that inevitably arise. The decision and commitment to teach is truly magical. Something else takes over. Not all the time, but even when we find ourselves out of alignment, we learn something and continue working, confident that we are doing the right thing, following our path with heart. Come join us!

Pilar Soro, BE Teacher in Spain: 

“I offer the classes as a volunteer and teach Module 1 material. I leave the classes with a lot of energy, I can say that there is a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ with giving the BE classes. I have a new purpose for my projects, strong and sustained, as the fruit of these classes.

“Yesterday, a 65-year-old man who has had fibromyalgia for 15 years told me that he ended the class feeling so well that he went in the ocean for more than five hours, swimming and diving; that he had tried a lot a things before these classes, but this was the thing that worked best for him.

“In my school the other day, I also had two children who were very angry at each other. After talking a little, we did the movements that I called ‘A Shower of Energy’ to get rid of the bad vibes, to clean ourselves. They followed me for five minutes and then left the room laughing and very much friends; I really liked their smiles and loud laughter—they were very happy.”

Erika Gavin, BE Teacher in Mexico:

“Teaching helped me, among other things, to feel and convince myself that I am an instructor. I did not have enough confidence before. What made me change was the consistency, and trying to be there, as I have always been sure that this path is my path and I feel love and passion for it.

“After three years, I felt increasingly confident and creative in preparing a class and incorporate everything I need to do, movements, books, what pops into my life. I am very grateful and honored to share that with others.

“I want to tell you about a student called Thamara. A few years ago, she had pain throughout her body; she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Now since taking Being Energy classes since August, it is better. She is very attracted by the philosophy and is very motivated to generate a change in her life, especially regarding the relationship with her body.”

Crisólogo Chavez, BE Teacher in Mexico:

“After several years of thinking, in late September 2014, I decided to jump off to start teaching BE movements, with great excitement, even though I did not feel sufficiently prepared. Now I teach a regular group of 10 to 12 people each Saturday for about an hour and a half. It has been steady, constant. It seems incredible to look back—I gained confidence to do the movements; teaching has put greater demand on my personal practice and a result I perceive in my physical and energetic body. Most gratifying, however, are the comments I hear from student practitioners about their pleasure in doing the movements.”

Tom Reavley, BE Teacher in Mexico:

“When I guide Being Energy classes or teach it to others, my only option is to suspend my own story—which includes plenty of self doubts about handling something that can’t be reduced to logic or reason—and let the spirit channel through me, even if only for a while. Under the pressure of my commitment to present something, I have to relax at some point and let ideas flow—what to emphasize, how to express it, what sequences of movements to do—and then connect to the energetic feeling that the movements and practices create.

“By deciding to teach, you are committing yourself. You are choosing to put yourself on the line and rally your energy each time you lead others, even though you have no guarantees that you will succeed. When a class approaches and you feel lost, the commitment comes to your aid. It focuses your attention and activates your intent so that you can genuinely connect to the inexhaustible source of life and creativity. You stand before others not knowing exactly what you will say, but with a feeling of certainty that expresses itself in your voice, your eyes and your movements. And in that moment you have changed your story—you are someone or something else, an expression of the infinite.

“What a great gift is this opportunity to share beauty of spirit with others!”

Pavel Pavlov, BE Teacher in Bulgaria:

Pavel recounts how powerful it was to teach a Being Energy workshop recently in Bulgaria:

“At the end of the workshop we left some time for everyone to ask questions or just to say how he/she felt. Most people shared that they now had a new vision for their lives. One of the newcomers explained that she was expecting to practice yoga, since we also announced the event through our yoga teacher friends. At first the movements confused her. She was astonished when we spoke about Carlos Castaneda, as she had recently begun reading Castaneda’s books. Upon making that connection, between reading the books and this event, she realized that she was not here by chance.”

This is some of why we teach!