Teaching with a Beginner's Mind
One of the true gifts I’ve noticed since creating A Balanced Glass are the discussions that happen about wine life beyond what is in the glass.
These conversations open up a space for people to consider what may be possible for their own practice. Seeing others take a risk, and observing their willingness to try something new despite not knowing the outcome, might give us just enough courage or inspiration to take a risk of our own.
On a recent trip to Italy, a colleague was concerned that he couldn’t meditate and didn’t know where to start. We discussed the concept of focusing on the breath as the first step, and he shared his daily routine of deep breathing when he went to bed as a way to get to sleep.
I smiled.
“You are meditating.”
“But how do I know if it works?” he enquired.
“Well, you fell asleep didn’t you?”
“Yes, but that is yoga?”
“It is all yoga.”
I saw the light in his mind switch on.
To me, anything done with mindfulness and consciousness, that connects mind and body, is yoga.
Aside from the branded clothing, the music or the wooden studio floors, yoga meets you exactly where you are. And that is where you begin. Sometimes you are the teacher, and sometimes the student.
Five days into our recent work trip to Europe, the onslaught of bus rides, trains, planes and walking vineyards had us feeling stiff, sore and needing to stretch it out.
One of my colleagues suggested that I lead a yoga class at our hotel, located seaside. I had been introduced to the hotel owner earlier that day, and sharing our mutual interest and yoga practice, she kindly offered up a location for a morning practice that she would happily join. She had the mats, props, space and insisted we take the opportunity.
So there I sat at midnight scrambling for a Wi-Fi hotspot to find a beginner sequence online that I could transcribe, follow and hopefully lead. Turning off the bedside lamp, the reality descended that I had to step up.
With a few hours of broken sleep, I ventured pre-dawn to teach whoever would show up. The hotel owner arrived, and as the sun started to break the horizon we lay down the mats and sat. Settling into my breath and focusing on the sunrise, my timer cued the time to start.
She spoke.
“I will follow you.”
Those simple words instantly had me filled with anxiety so I fixed my gaze on the ocean and we began. Under my vocal direction, we moved, breathed, shifted and shaped our way through a simple practice that came from a source of knowledge deeper than my own asana proficiency or the hand-scrawled notes before me.
As we moved and breathed, I found myself becoming more confident in the cues, the alignment, and guiding the breath cycles. I could hear every teacher over the course of my years of practice in my head, encouraging me, reminding me, leading me, as the sound of crashing waves on the beach below provided a sonorous soundtrack.
Within an hour we found ourselves seated back in meditation, and I opened my eyes to my new friend beaming like sunshine, and an Anjali mudra seal of gratitude.
Our host shared how her busy life establishing and managing a luxury small hotel had taken her away from her own practice, and her gratitude for the asana sequence that reminded her of her body’s own wisdom.
In summary, I am not “qualified” to teach. I had no profound words to share, but I was willing to take a chance. I had a willingness to show up and do my best.
Whether in wine studies, business learnings or a yoga practice, share your wisdom. There is always a student eager to learn.
Let me urge you to step outside your comfort zone and put aside your self-judgment, and step into the unknown place of moving from student to teacher. You invariably know much more than you think.
Namaste,
Beck
What We're Reading:
There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.
#FlyShame Era: Wellness Travel Industry Will be Held Especially Accountable -- Global Wellness Institute
"The no-fly movement is bound to grow."
How to Experience -- and Spread -- More Joy – Wellness Moonshot
”Moments of joy in our daily lives help us reduce stress and bounce back from adversities. Joy is linked to the wellness of our immune system, circulatory system and lifestyle overall as well as our longevity. Plus, joy slows the deterioration of our physical health."
Meet the Community:
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Jane Thomson, founder of The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society & Australian Women in Wine Awards (Aus)
Years in Industry:
I started working in the wine industry officially seven years ago when I started The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society in 2012. But prior to that had worked in the Hunter Valley for a couple of years in the early 2000’s running a cellar door based cooking school - my father is a grower there who had his own label for a while. So I’ve been around wine for a large part of my life. I started the Australian Women in Wine Awards in 2015 and it’s the thing I am most proud of. Working with Australia’s women in wine to lift their profile, tell their stories, celebrate their achievements and push for gender equality is by far and away the most satisfying work I’ve ever been involved in.
My Biggest Challenge to Wellness:
Is definitely balancing my time. In addition to running the FLWS and the AWIWA and all the travel and work that goes with that, I am married and have three daughters (including two who are teenagers. It’s like having toddlers again!!) and a working farm. We grow Pecan Nuts and organic beef cattle. Plus, I love to play competitive field hockey and to participate in my local community through various voluntary roles.
I am the most “me” when I am living a very full and busy life. I love it that way! (I’m not good at living quietly!) But of course the flipside to that is that sometimes I really struggle to keep on top of everything. When it feels like it’s too much, it’s then that I find myself eating badly, not exercising enough and generally feeling miserable within myself.
How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
It’s certainly not possible for most people, and it probably sounds a little weird, but one of my biggest strategies is to prioritise time with my horses! I am not naturally great at mindfulness and being in the moment, but when I’m with my horses (I currently have three) they give me that. They ground me and no matter how I’m feeling that day, or what’s going on for me, they help me find calm.
When I’m with them (whether riding or just hanging out), it’s pure joy for me. I am totally in the moment and can think of nothing else. I joke that horses are my yoga, but that’s exactly the sort of benefit they give me! Core physical exercise, mental calmness and a deep soothing of the spirit. And those benefits then transfer into everything else I do. I’ve also, in recent years, purposefully retrained myself to be less of a perfectionist. All perfectionists know that it’s EXHAUSTING being us! So I’ve learned – and practiced - to let go more and to be ok with whatever happens. This has had a big positive impact on how I live and manage my energy levels. It’s going to be a lifelong practice though I think!
Find Jane online at FLWS and AWIWA, and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Let’s Meet Up!
As work life has it, we are traveling over the next few months and would love to see you.
Emcee at Australia Decanted in Lake Tahoe, October 6 to 9 (Cathy)
Attendee at ProWine China in Shanghai, November 12 to 14 (Cathy)
Presenter at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, February 25 to 29 (Cathy)
Presenter at the Future Wine Expo in Santa Rosa, May 12 and 13 (Cathy)
Drop a line to rebecca@abalancedglass.com or cathy@enolytics.com if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together.
