 My teacher would often say that it was his job to fill my cup. He told me that in the beginning, you start off with a small cup. It is easy to get overwhelmed and lost in what you are learning because it is so new. You may feel that it is too much to learn or that you will never understand. However, over time your cup gets bigger and you understand a little more as your knowledge grows deeper and deeper.
The analogy was comforting, but I thought for a long time about one simple question, how do I get that bigger cup? The answer is patience, consistency, and mindfulness. You need patience to allow the time needed for significant change to take place. Patience with yourself to not give up or get frustrated when you don’t know how to do something or when you feel overwhelmed. Patience with the process, to slow down and enjoy it. You need consistent practice for change to happen. Make yourself and your well-being a priority. Be consistent in what you practice. The greatest improvements come from the repetition of your core practice. And maybe most importantly, be mindful in what you do. Don’t turn off your brain, don’t distract yourself in your practice. Be present and think. Pay attention to your body and what it is telling you. Listen to your teachers and try to apply what they tell you to your own practice. By being mindful, you add depth to everything that you do. As teachers, we are on the same journey as you, but it is also our job to help you fill your cup. We are continually working to deepen our practice and understanding so that we can keep our own well of knowledge alive and evolving. We share it with our students openly and as we get to know them and their needs better, we can give them the support that they need to fill their cup.
2 Comments
 Opening a school started off as a daydream, molded by conversations over coffee while sitting outdoors under an often hazy gray sky in Beijing, China, the place we called home from 2007 to 2015. We would throw about different names for fun, until Sonny came up with Sequoia Kung Fu & Yoga. More ideas took shape and I started to sketch out different possible logos. However, it was all still a daydream we enjoyed during our off-hours. We went about our work week, teaching English by day and practicing our respective disciplines by night.
From 5:00PM to 8:00PM, five to six days a week, we dedicated that block of time to martial arts and yoga. Sonny had his teacher and a core group of students who practiced outdoors, regardless of humidity, dropping temperatures, or rain. After several years of training, under his teacher’s supervision, Sonny often took the helm and did most of the direct instruction. I had my teacher and a core group as well. We practiced in my apartment, often fitting as many as eight of us across the living room floor. Eventually my teacher left, and I took over instruction. Five to eight in the evening became a priority and the part of our day we looked forward to most. After eight years abroad, we decided to move back to the States. The daydream of Sequoia Kung Fu & Yoga floated to the forefront, becoming a question: Should we open our own school? The answer seemed clear, yet fuzzy, easy, but difficult, exciting AND scary all at the same time. In the end, fear was not a good enough reason not to try. The biggest step to an unequivocal “yes” was truly believing in ourselves and that we have something special to offer. Our excitement and passion to teach and impact lives drove our steps forward. Born out of the love and need for practice, a simple daydream materialized into the space we have created today. We continue to open our doors to Sequoia Kung Fu & Yoga, welcoming and meeting faces in our community. As an extension of our own learning process, there is a genuine love and desire to teach. We want to cultivate an environment that encourages practice. Building a community of people who all want to feel good, be healthy, and discover something that broadens the mind and impacts our experience, Sequoia Kung Fu & Yoga is a place for all who want to learn and practice. |
Sequoia Kung Fu & YogaCo-Owners & Head Instructors Sonny Mannon and Maya Rodriguez Archives
July 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed