As a full-time education consultant, Allison Zmuda works with educators to grow ideas on how to make learning for students challenging, possible and worthy of the attempt. Over the past 19 years, Zmuda has shared curricular, assessment, and instructional ideas, shown illustrative examples, and offered practical strategies of how to get started.
Here are three simple teachings that I continue to learn and relearn as part of my yoga practice. They are as inspiring in the yoga studio as they are in the classroom.
1. If you stay present in this moment, everything is simple.
When we worry about what’s to come or get stuck in past thoughts, it clouds our attention and focus on the task at hand.
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2. Continue to check in to see if you are moving mechanically (on auto pilot) or mindfully through your routines.
Regurgitation of past performance or past thinking doesn’t open you up for new ideas or deeper capacity. It also has an effect on the people around you that look to you for collaboration and inspiration.
3. Strive for a balance between effort and ease.
When you push too hard, it drains your energy, capacity for new ideas, and motivation to go on. When you go too easy on yourself, you become complacent and are more likely to be lethargic and uninspired.