Always Stay a Student and Always Teach

Upon first look, this may seem like an oxymoron, but as I’ve aged out of the education system I realize the only thing that kept me from teaching or leading when I was younger is self confidence, and well, learning some things.

But as I’ve grown out of a 9–5 of being in school, I’ve had to find other ways to keep life interesting, challenge myself, and continue learning. Continuing to learn is the first most important lesson this story can teach you, but the second part is to share your knowledge as you are learning.

When I dive into a new subject area I nearly never find I’m a complete beginner. When I started my breath work education I was aware of it and a few of the practices, because I’d been involved in yoga for years. Yet I hadn’t honed in specifically on breath work or meditation. As I began learning I took many notes and they eventually played into the giant culmination of a project of the Exhale series that I’ve been working on for the past few years. But I took notes as a beginner, because I was still close to the feeling that meditation is hard. As I learned breath work I found the tools to unlock meditation for myself and now I simply practice one of two breathing exercises. But I went through learning and practicing many techniques that I put into my tool belt and I took note of them. When I had difficulty with an external retention, then finally started to have success with it, I wrote about why.

If I waited until I was an expert on the subject, I wouldn’t be able to remember…