There’s been a lot of controversy in recent years over the role of the teacher in yoga and in other wellness modalities, and rightfully so. Too often we give ourselves over to a guru, eager to release ourselves from having to do the hard work of designing and committing to our own path to healing. With all our many responsibilities in modern life, it can feel great to surrender.
We have seen, however, the dangers that come with that kind of surrender, especially for trauma survivors, who need perhaps more than any of us to establish their own path to healing and be supported and affirmed in it. What is their route then? Can they or any of us take a teacher?
The truth is that teachers, guides, counselors, and maybe even gurus play strong roles along our path. Sometimes, as in the case with, Lama Rod Owens, my latest guest on the Beyond Trauma Podcast, just being in their presence is enough to make us feel calm. Other times, it’s their knowledge, charisma, or life experience that draws us to them. There are so many things that others have to teach us.
It’s the teachings, Lama Rod reminds us, that we should take refuge in and surrender to, not the fallible human!
The teacher is there to translate the teachings for us and, if they are truly in practice and living them, to show us that it is possible. They do not make it possible to skip the work of dealing with our own traumas and reactions as trauma survivors or however we identify as students and ever-growing humans.
That there is really hard work to do to liberate ourselves from conditioning and that it can be done are some of the core teachings I received from being in this conversation and some of the messages I also convey to my students.
In my life coaching, with folks, trauma survivors or not, for instance, I am always careful to be clear about what I can and can not do for my clients:
- I can ask questions that may point you towards inner knowledge and openings.
- I can not tell you what to do or make you do the things you need to do to make your life fuller.
- I can share my experiences, make suggestions, and reveal patterns of human nature.
- I can’t promise what works for me will always work for you.
I can’t promise anything really, because we don’t fit a single mode, but I have seen that in small groups, the sharing of common blocks and patterns can really allow realizations to occur for each member of the group. That’s why I love group coaching with small, confidential groups. We learn from each other, not just from me, and so many similarities are present.
My next group life coaching series starts Wednesday, October 12th, and runs online for six weeks from 7-8:15 pm. I’d love for you to be a part of it!
And to catch all the wise teachings I got to experience with Lama Rod, make sure to take a listen to the latest Beyond Trauma Podcast now available on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
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