The Fear of Making Mistakes
It’s been a while since I last updated my blog. The past year has been one of the most challenging periods of my life, and writing simply wasn’t there for me. As I take a short break from teaching to recover from a recent hip procedure, I finally have the time and space to reflect—and to share a few thoughts.
One of the biggest fears I had as a new yoga teacher was making mistakes.
And I made plenty of them😅
I have accidentally called students by the wrong name, mixed up the right and left sides, mispronounced words, messed up my cueing and sequencing, finished classes too early, gone over time, and even had a student walk out of class because I was chanting a Sanskrit mantra. There have also been times when students were injured or upset, which weighed heavily on my heart.
I am not proud of those mistakes. At the time, many of them felt embarrassing and discouraging. But looking back, I can honestly say that I learned something from every single one.
One of my Accessible Yoga teacher trainers once said,　”You’ll never become an experienced teacher if you don’t allow yourself to be a new teacher.”
That quote stayed with me. Experience does not come from being perfect. It comes from showing up, teaching, making mistakes, reflecting, and trying again.
English is not my first language. Even though I have lived in the United States for many years, I know I will never sound exactly like other teachers because I have a Japanese accent. For a long time, I felt self-conscious about that. I worried that my cueing was not smooth enough or that I was not speaking the “right” way.
What helped me was learning from other teachers. When I heard a cue or phrase that resonated with me, I wrote it down in my yoga journal. Over time, I adapted those ideas and expressed them in my own way.
My Hatha Yoga teacher, Swami Ashokananda, once said that when you naturally absorb and express another teacher’s ideas in your own voice, they become yours. They become part of who you are as a teacher.
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Sometimes our mistakes become our greatest teacher
Recently, my daughter went through a difficult period with her violin studies. She has been playing since kindergarten, but after entering middle school, she began experiencing anxiety about performing in front of others. Her fear of making a mistake in front of a large audience became so overwhelming that she developed panic attacks. Eventually, she decided to take a hiatus from lessons and performances for a few months so she could regroup and rediscover her love of music.
During that time, we talked often about mistakes. I shared stories about the many mistakes I have made as a yoga teacher—and even the mistakes I have made as a parent raising her. None of us go through life without making mistakes.
Today, I still make mistakes, and so does everyone else. The important thing is not to avoid mistakes altogether, but to learn from them, reflect on them, and transform them into wisdom. Sometimes our mistakes become our greatest teachers.
I am excited to share that I will begin offering a monthly yoga class at the Livingston Library from this summer!
I will be returning to teaching on June 19th after my recovery break. As I will also be traveling next month, please check the studio’s website for the most up-to-date schedule.
Please see the updated schedule below for details. I look forward to practicing with you soon!
Yuka,
It’s funny that you were worried about your accent because the first time I took your class I remember loving the sound of your voice and accent. They both made me feel extra relaxed. Don’t change a thing
you are one of my favorite teachers ever!
Rest up, feel better!
Now that my school year is over
I’ll need to take a class over the airways
Great content! Keep up the good work!