Authenticity as a Yoga Teacher: How to Be More Yourself with Byron and Michael

0:00 Welcome back to the going pro yoga podcast. My name is Michael and across the table from me. I have buyer who's on his phone. I'm looking at the definition of authenticity. You can't do that, that's cheating. No, I mean, I know I know what it is. People people can just do that.

0:16 They don't need to listen to us talk. They can just Google them. Do you want to see what pops up immediately? Okay, let's find out the quality of being authentic, that's it. And then it gives an example. The paper should have established the authenticity of the documents before publishing them.

0:29 Oh, that's terrible death, Russian. Yeah, use the word in the word of the definition. That's like a ground rule. Ooh, here's a good one. We just did Integrity in case you listen to it. Is that in basically the difference between integrity and authenticity is that Integrity is steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code while authenticity is the quality of being genuine or not corrupted from the original.

0:56 Boom. Welcome to the going pro yoga podcast, nugget series. My name is Michael Henry, and I'm Byron de Marseille in these short 15 minute episodes. We're going to be answering some of the most common questions in the yoga industry so that you can walk away with the answers in a short period of time. That's right.

1:13 Michael with each topic, that we choose will be discussing it from two different perspectives, the teacher, and the student. I'll be approaching these questions as a physiotherapist or physical therapist with over 10 years experience.

1:24 Treating some Common and complex injuries. And my guidance will be from the perspective of having taught 7000 classes, roughly 10,000 hours over 10 years. Welcome to our podcast. Hi guys. Welcome to podcast Michael. Just go ahead and dive in, you know, I mean, I have a lot of work today.

1:42 We're going to talk about authenticity, I really like this. And it's, oh, my God, there's so much we could say. But those definitions you kind of just read through. Like it's looking at the word and like, not just like from us. Us as people but just like all the authenticity of a document like the the closeness to its original form or to its original being or to you know it's it's certified truth if you will and original copy original copy.

2:12 But for some reason for mimo, maybe in the yoga space, more recently, just because I've been in it for a while now and maybe for some of our listeners and maybe not for some of our listeners that authenticity 's is relates back to us.

2:23 Are we being our authentic selves? Are we being A true copy of ourselves. The original copy of ourselves. Are we is it altered is there addendums? Is there, you know, as their masks or things getting in the way from us? Actually, you know, doing that. So it's, I mean, the definition still holds the same, but I think, in the context of this conversation, I'm more excited to talk about authenticity as people. Hmm, absolutely.

2:47 I mean that, but to understand it to its core, I think it's also important to go into the original copy of Of that absolutely baseball card or whatever it is that, you know. So you understand what it is that it's not just a word that means honesty or be who you are, but literally be as unique as you are. The only one in the world that is this way that you're the only copy of what you are, right?

3:15 You are that unique your as unique as a snowflake. So I mean, I'll just go into it because you know, one of us asked Dive in, right? Yeah, I'm excited to hear what you think about. Okay, so II love and I practice just like, you pride yourself on Integrity, I pride myself with authenticity. I've been told that a few times in my life, you know, it feels weird to say out loud and could give myself like credibility like that.

3:41 But those of you hopefully didn't know me will say that sounds accurate. Anyways, so here's the thing that comes up number one because I want to help people as well on the podcast. I don't just want to like talk about odds, awesome things and Arresting topics, and make them more interesting, that's great. But if we can help Point people in the direction of finding their own authentic nature and their original copy of themselves, then there is no copy. You know what I mean?

4:08 Hmm. Vulnerability is the number one thing that comes to mind because without vulnerability, there is no authenticity. The lack of being vulnerable blocks, your original copy. So if you're not willing to be somewhat like you said, take your mask off, put your guard down, and it's kind of a scary or risky in a way to be yourself, or like your kind of unsure of what people might react to people might think of you.

4:41 You're unsure of the may be perceived repercussions in the future. This decision And the judgments from family is Big. So we just kind of we don't let ourselves be vulnerable. So, what I'm getting at and when we do that, we allow An opportunity for our authentic self. We might not even know who that self is. It first is the thing.

5:04 So some people have mastered it. They can be themselves in many different environments and situations. Well, there's a process to get there and it needs to start with just tuning into your being okay? With not being perfect, I think is a big one.

5:20 Hmm, just letting yourself be you like, you don't have to be perfect. You don't to live up to anybody's expectations for a moment. Yeah. And in that way. Like what comes up? Yeah, that's a big one for me. Perfectionism, and probably for a lot of people actually listening as well. It's a big one.

5:36 I think it was for me is, you know, it's not as much of a battle anymore. Yeah, same. I'm still working on it, but it's, I used to be really bad. The point where like consuming I'd go into Old dark hole of like AB mistakes and all the stuff.

5:49 Yeah. Affecting my my original copy, your real wires get crossed and then you know breaking down and irritable and yeah. Yeah, all that stuff. Yeah so authentic City vulnerability and how important I have this thing. I call it the might have talked about this before but the Kevin cozner affect the Kevin cozner effect is something I've coined as getting familiar with somebody. So I'm talking about yoga teaching now why is, why is it called the Kevin Costner fuck?

6:25 So Kevin cozner for our listeners that are a little younger. They don't know who this is. He's an actor that was in every freakin movie a lot of good movies. Waterworld Waterworld was not a good movie, but Robin Hood Robin Hood prison.

6:36 These is an awesome movie. Yeah. Honestly like you just look him up and we could keep going on, but a lot of you do know who he is and the modern equivalent might be more like the rock or something. You know, like you can't help but like Kevin Costner in a way but maybe not immediately and you maybe not.

6:56 You may also say he's not necessarily a good. Doctor, you might not be a, he's kind of a neutral actor. Like is he a good actor? You have to think about that, but you don't have to think about. Do I like him? So why is that the reason this is happening? I think, is because of the familiar, it's what I call the Kevin Costner effect, which is the familiarity that happens when you are exposed to somebody more than, you know, and numerous times the first times a

7:23 greeting, the second time, you're a little more comfortable, third fourth, it by the eighth time, you're just comfortable. With them, but you're comfortable because they're authentic that's really where it comes ties in the authenticity because they're vulnerable and there the so themselves you trust them.

7:38 There's some part of your DNA that's wired to trust authenticity and to have your bullshit meter kind of beep a little bit. When it's someone's not being authentic. The thing is is that some of us are in a phase of Our Lives, where we don't want or need authenticity, it's not a core value.

7:58 You for us possibly like we value other things, maybe on the surface, the more like flashy things, you know, I can't talk about money and cars and things like that. But once, you know, the you start to teach yoga and that first few times, I don't think people like me.

8:16 It's not, because you're not being authentic, they just need to see it more. Hmm, it has to be consistent, right? When you touch points more opportunities to get to know you mmm to see, you know, his, are you consistently? You kind of thing or you know is that something that they resonate with as well?

8:31 And then yeah, that's where builds from there, right? Yeah, yeah I mean I'd that's just been my experience because I'll have a new crowd of people whether it's a new studio or I don't know like a festival type of situation where not a lot of these people are your people right now they're there and now you have an opportunity to share your experiences but there's a little more hesitancy or rigidity because they don't know you. There is no Kevin.

8:59 I've never seen it. Kevin Costner, but they've never seen prince of Thieves. Right? Amazing movie. Morgan Freeman. Oh my gosh. She has that member that which with the scary? White is one of my favorite movies as a kid. I should I watch it heaps Tommy to? Yeah I loved it.

9:13 Actually watched it like a couple months ago because I think I saw didn't like Disney posture something. Okay, so super interesting topic and the one thing that came up for me with was with re constricting so like you know that's the word I wrote down. But what I mean in the context of like, yoga teaching, for example, being authentic, and showing up and, you know, the people need multiple touch points to see you, but then the effect that it has on the, the

9:39 teachers themselves where they're like, you know, they're being their authentic, selves. They're working on it, they're just trying to be who they are. But they take it personally saying like I was being who I was and people aren't coming back after the first time or the second time or the third time.

9:52 And they're like, oh maybe. I need to be someone different for them to want to keep coming back. I think that's the story that starts to play in people's heads because they start to question themselves. But in reality, it has a lot to do with those touch points, right? You could still fake to be someone else and it, you may still require those touch points. And, you know, we could go down the path of talking about burnout and trying to pretend to

10:13 be someone. You're not And how that destroys your energy. But I was just thinking of like having a little empathy for the teacher, who's like? Yeah, I'm always I'm trying to be my authentic self but like, I'm struggling to build my classes.

10:24 I'm struggling to get more people or, you know, I have a hard time, not taking it personally and then I must be doing something wrong I constrict and I need to exactly doing something wrong. Yeah. And I think more often, what happens is that people go into the yoga platform teaching Arena Trying to be somebody else already, right? Which is also an Avenue to become who you are. So it's not bad, it's not bad at all. It's all, you know, at that point. You've never taught yoga.

10:58 So, here you are your favorite teachers, any past experiences that stand out in your mind, these sequences that you throw together these stories. These quotes, it's all coming from somewhere else. It's not like you were just born into without any with with All of that information dropping quote. Their most Army.

11:18 I'm channeling this in here but you I love you know, and you can learn how to channel totally, you know. And so yeah, I think the the authenticity will to me, it's a healing experience, to be able to be who you are to give zero fucks but in a way get Fox to like you're not inconsiderate but like it's not going to take a hit on your ego.

11:43 Go or your self-esteem, let's call it that because he goes a very tricky topic. We should do a podcast on ego. He's writing that dog has. We're going to do one room and you go it's gonna be good leggo. My eggo like, what you go.

11:58 Alright, so back to the authenticity. Yeah. Just the, it's tough. It's tough to explore that vulnerability for yourself internally. And not allow the outside world to kind of affect you. And I know you're, we're talking about this little bit with the yoga to so that I'm just thinking to myself, in certain situations, different situation, talking about courage or public speaking, which is kind of similar, with yoga teaching, you know, getting up and in front of

12:32 an open mic and just start talking, not having a plan, not having a schedule, or what I'm going to do. Just literally walking up. There have no thought at all grabbing the mic and just talking into the mic, And how uncomfortable that is for a probably almost everyone listening to this podcast, right?

12:50 Like how do you, how do you how do you get through that? Do you just do it? I think you just got to, you got to go and yeah, they're being being in a safe. Space is obviously super helpful because if they were to just destroy the person on the microphone, then they be crushed traumatically probably. And I think, generally speaking at least a couple of the open mics that I've been to is they do a really good job of allowing that space to be established

13:10 before hand giving opportunity for be able to for people Able to find their authentic voice, a little bit at least here in Ubud. Hmm, maybe here, no. But it's a lot more open to that, but I thought it was really cool, but in my mind, I was the first time I was going to this mic or open microwave. It is sitting in the back and like watching people go up and I'm just like all you can see the authenticity come through and then some people it's like the first time they've ever done it and you can tell they're just

13:34 really having a hard time and they're really uncomfortable and but like, everyone's just holding space and it's totally fine and you know, there's no like laughing or none of that stuff in there just allowing it to happen.

13:44 And for me being first exposed to that, I was just like, wow. Like this is awesome. But it's like so unfamiliar to me that it made me uncomfortable but I could see everyone else in the room is being like, yeah, this is totally cool.

13:55 Like you be you like, you know, share what's on your mind, like will totally listen, you know, there's we're not you're not here to entertain us, you're not here to tell us a story. You're just here to say what's on your mind.

14:03 Yeah man. It's like a therapy. It's freaking crazy. Yeah. Yeah. That's really crazy. Sharing circles therapy, all that stuff is, is an opportunity to be authentic. Yeah. So You know we call it those those things a a for instance you know but it's just an opportunity to be vulnerable and you know it's more of an opportunity to be vulnerable but then through that you become you kind of hone your ability to be authentic mean being authentic. It's not like you went to that

14:32 should be your goal, your goal should be to be vulnerable more. If that if if your goal is related to this and through that you'll build your anticipate. Yeah, you're awesome. Anticipate East or or reclaim your authenticity, you have reclaimed refined your copy. Your original copy.

14:50 Yeah. And I had some other thoughts that kind of like, spaced out on me. Well, the thing, one of the things that came up for me is when you said like, you know, sharing circles and doing the training right now, with Paul for the yin-yang 100-hour, we've had to sharing circles and it's been two weeks, we had one each week. One was very focused on the the masculine energy. Not to say it was a men's Circle there was mostly I'm in there and only a few men, but it was

15:16 like a two-hour session where there was a lot of that just allowing people to share what's on their mind and everyone just supporting them and We did it twice in two weeks in this training and I was just like, man, this is fantastic and on Zoom nonetheless but part of me is also like I feel like it's more comfortable for people. Some people on Zoom because they're in there, they're already in their home, they're already in their safe space and now they have, you know, there's

15:40 computer, it's not as intimidating and they can turn it off if they wanted to. But then they have, you know, 20 other faces little squares that are also holding space and like holding their hard and like you could feel you can That they're like, they're listening to you and they're hearing you out in the of empathy for your situation or for holding space really well through this computer, and it's freaking magical, like it's fantastic for people to be able to explore

16:03 that as like almost a stepping stone to exploring your vulnerability as opposed to doing it in like a group setting with Tony people in the same room. Like that's harder to do. Absolutely. And you're still getting the experience of the community at proving you or at least accepting you and you see that.

16:19 Oh wait a second. This is actually good. Not only. Is it actually good to them? But it feels fantastic. Yeah, and it's that feeling that sticks with us and that is why, you know, when we teach teach yoga like being authentic it just feels good and it tends to connect with people on an emotional level.

16:42 Yep. So what comes up when you have an emotional connection with somebody is you feel inspired to take action in your life. So Ultimately you're a selfish, son of a bitch. If you're not being authentic, that's that's Byron's authentic with thoughts on the whole topic. You give me right?

17:02 Yeah. It's like if you're holding space for people and you're not being or so, this is, these are the tools that I use to help me with my moral, whatever calling these series characteristics, core value, or values. Yes, it helps me to connect more with my aunt intensity, realizing that when I do that, I'll connect with more people.

17:22 And deeper, not just more. But deeper with the connections that I do make, thus affecting more lives positively to help more people. That's what inspires me to actually to be on it, right? That's great. And there's the added benefit of the healing that it provides for you. Absolutely.

17:40 Yeah. And it's not like you have to. I'm me. So I mean don't be me you know I'm saying like you be you. Yeah I think I think I got a lot of the value out of the The therapy of it and then also knowing that it inspires people like that's the lead for me.

17:56 So we're you said it and it kind of gets you going to me. It's like I'm sharing because I know it's going to be good for me and if I'm like one of the first people to share or I share because I've done this a couple times that will inspire someone else to share, which is what I did in the last training, you know. Actually, no, I didn't even do.

18:13 It was Nico that did it. Oh yeah, Nico went up there. Big friggin six-foot-six, dude! Huge beard, super intimidating. Italian guy. Sweet is heart in the world like sweetest guy. Guy, but quiet, you know, the first part of the training and then he just goes up in this little sharing authentic exercise that we were doing.

18:29 You just poured, his little heart out. You big heart, big heart. Yeah. Portage big heart out. So it was just like, wow, and it was like, everyone in the room, like immediately. I felt like compelled as like, I need to share my truth.

18:40 I need to share what's on my mind? Well really opened up me hearing him talk, and I remember that it was very, it was an emotional share for sure. Everybody was shaking up in a way. It's not even said very much. He just froze, his English wasn't even You know, clear but we got we could feel it.

18:55 Yeah, well it makes me think of something. So entertain this for a second question. So we're in your day. Are the challenges of people not being authentic. You know, like when is someone not being authentic in your day that you interact on a daily basis every single day, it's not, you can't go through a day where there's this. This is taking place with all interactions. All day long.

19:20 So either your, your end or the other end and what comes to mind. I don't know if you have any thoughts, but what comes to mind for me is just? Hi, how are you? All right, I think about it. Every time someone says how you doing?

19:33 And I always respond the traditional, I'm good. I'm fine. And I'm like that. I mean, he's like, but that's not true, right? It's not unlike, but they also. They also don't truly want to hear, what's going, you know what I mean?

19:45 Sometimes they do something, they don't ya. And every time I love having this conversation, so it's like, it's been brought into it, the awareness and the field of awareness in the universe that this this exists. And it's like what is there a better way to say it?

19:57 Because other languages they have just a super simple greeting or salutation as well. Yeah. And in a way and I've come to I've come to an acceptance point with this. How are you shit? Because it's bothered me for a long time because it's not genuine Babylon. I get in my head and I'm coming to Mormon acceptance because it is an opportunity for me to feel authentic when I say it like, I really care.

20:20 Even if it is a simple in passing, it's what we chose is a society at one point it's evolved. I'm sure instead of saying how art thou, which actually means something different, but, you know, like, it's evolved into right, how are you? Yeah, yeah.

20:35 And so we'll see seeing that the the true value of The interaction connection. It's like a bridge to possibly more. How are you? So like okay, well this is actually how it's going on but you can't do it on the first two looks like, well, it's like it's like as hating Instagram which you've talked about your like, you know, it's like wait a second, can I let go of that hate and see the positivity and in social media and just realize that maybe it's not the way I want to operate, you know,

21:02 right. So yeah, how are you? What's up? How are you? How is your heart, right? Let's go on. On. I mean, how are you really supposed to address somebody anyways? But it happens every day and there's a way to say, how are you Michael I'm doing okay, I'm doing okay.

21:20 Yeah you are. Yeah I'm managing them. Figure it out but everything's getting super happy. Nice, man. Nice. I'm glad to hear that. Really happy to hear that. Yeah. Where you're actually like genuine about the interaction. Yeah, I said it.

21:33 Ask me. Hey man, how's it going? I'm fine. So we can chat fuck off, right. Clothes, little more closed in the ass. All right, well, we went over, of course we did. But you know what? I just don't care. Yeah, I got them typically, just don't care.

21:53 Yeah, good. Because that's, that's the whole thing that we just talked about. I got great because I think it was a good episode. So it was worth every minute. Every second, Another Second, and another son. Okay, cool. Anything else to add?

22:04 Or should we just wrap this up authentic? Anticipatory is the recipe. Four. I get things. I'm gonna run to the Krispy Kreme, Doughnuts is all, I can think of, that's the last thing I would have thought you were gonna say.

22:26 Yeah. Alright, so much for listening and we'll see you next time. Actually, do I before you go I want to know what you think authenticity is, or what it means to you. You know, share it with us. Send us a DM, send us an email, all the stuffs in the show notes because I kind of like hearing from The Listener.

22:40 So anything that comes up for you. Please share it with us. Otherwise have a beautiful day and we'll see you next time. All right. Listen up everyone, Paul Byron and myself have been working so hard on putting together a platform dedicated specifically to yoga teachers and the good news is it's almost ready for you soon. This platform is going to be publicly released but we want to actually make a special offer to those who have been dedicated to following us since the

23:11 beginning. So that's a lot of you listeners right now we want to make a special offer for you. If you are interested in being one of the founding members of this going pro platform, then you're going to have an opportunity to do. So, all you need to do is just go into any of the description of any episode and you'll be able to sign up to the waitlist for this going pro platform.

23:31 So that you can take advantage of this offer will hope to see you there.