Let go of judgement. Let go of expectation. Simplify. Just Breathe.
It can be really difficult as an adult to stay open-minded. Before I became an adult, I was a kid. As a kid, I thought adults knew everything! Not true. Adults have more responsibility, and with this responsibility comes pressure. And with that pressure comes an inability to let oneself learn.
As an adult, it is easier to gravitate towards what we had exposure to learning and success learning as a child. For example, I started playing music at a young age. The teachers I had appealed to my style of auditory learning, and I associated myself as being “natural” at playing music.
On the other hand, I struggled in math and science classes. Even though I was interested in those subjects, they may not have been presented to cater to my learning style. Thus, not only did I not feel successful learning the material, but developed a mental block that those are not my “good” subjects.
In regards to teaching cardio dance classes and yoga, I will quite often have potential students say they aren’t “good” at dance or yoga. It is okay if these students prefer other avenues of activity, but often the vibe I feel is that they WANT to do it. They feel inadequate to try.
Here’s where you can begin to cultivate your beginner’s mind.
If you want to do something, do it! Flip your mindset. You have that power. Let go of doubt. Rather than feeling anxious or overwhelmed, close your eyes, take a deep breath and sigh it out. Stay open to the process of learning something new.
If it is a new choreography that you want to learn, don’t worry about the outcome. Don’t worry about when it will be ready to perform in class. Listen to the song while you drive, sing along. When you practice with the portal video, do it a few times and have fun. Imagine yourself as a kid and how you would learn it best for YOU.
We all learn in different ways ranging from passive to active. Generally, these learning styles can be placed in four categories: visual, auditory, read-write, and kinesthetic learners.
Keep in mind that we all learn differently, but we all learn best when we stay open and believe our possibilities are limitless.
About the Author: Rachel is passionate about teaching BollyX. It brings her joy to meet people from varied backgrounds, share the BollyX experience, and continue to learn and grow as a community!
Rachel holds degrees in trombone music performance from Oberlin Conservatory and the Depaul School of music. An AFAA group fitness certified instructor, Rachel is certified or is licensed in BollyX, Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, Zumba, Zumba Kids, Aqua Zumba, and Zumba toning.