{"id":6523,"date":"2019-05-01T19:31:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T17:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amelia.sandra-yoco.de\/2019\/05\/01\/on-teachers-coaches-and-the-search-for-meaning\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T15:42:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:42:10","slug":"on-teachers-coaches-and-the-search-for-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/2019\/05\/01\/on-teachers-coaches-and-the-search-for-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"On Teachers, Coaches, and the Search for Meaning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When we’re on social media, we encounter many people and opinions. There are people who promise to make us successful. People who ask if we want to earn more money. People who tell us they know how it’s done and hold the key to success. What’s the truth behind such claims? And do we even need teachers, coaches, or even a guru? <\/p>\n

I already grappled with this question a few years ago, but it seems more urgent now than ever. It seems there are an incredible number of experts who know how it’s done. How to become successful, rich, and enlightened. Forgive me if a hint of sarcasm seems to be lurking, but that’s not my intention. In fact, I don’t want to judge what someone thinks (of themselves). Primarily, I want to assume that everyone tries to act to the best of their knowledge and conscience. And certainly, people who benefit each other (in one way or another) attract each other. I like philosophical thoughts, and even if they are sometimes paradoxical, their deep meaning lies precisely in reflecting on them, again and again. Perhaps even changing one’s mind. Changing perspective. Doing\/thinking something crazy. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Meaning and Spirituality<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reason why more and more people feel drawn to yoga and spirituality is certainly due to how our society has developed. Many people realize and\/or have (unconsciously) recognized that we are not machines that function according to a specific pattern and expectations. We were endowed with a wonderful brain that enables us to think (sometimes even crazily). To question. To experiment. With a big heart, to love. Probably the most common question of humanity is about the meaning of life. It’s unlikely to be found in working until you drop or get sick, especially in a profession that doesn’t fulfill us or holds no meaning for us. So what then? Only each person can find that out for themselves, and for that, it is certainly a gift to have a teacher, coach, or even a guru by your side. <\/p>\n

What Makes a Teacher?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Albert Einstein already knew that we can never solve problems with the same mindset that created them. This means we need an external impulse. Someone who thinks differently than us. Someone who doesn’t operate with the same beliefs, the same patterns, and the perpetual repetitions (like, for example, strangely always encountering the same people who only exploit us, etc.). Someone who helps us change perspective, which is something we also like to do in yoga. And then there’s the matter of judgment. A teacher, coach, guru will not judge your patterns, behaviors, beliefs, because surely there’s a reason you have them. At least it once made sense; perhaps not anymore, which is why you want to change them, right?! Neale Donald Walsch writes in his book “Conversations with God”: “The true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but the one who inspires the most to acquire knowledge.” Now the question arises again, how can that work? For me, a true teacher is one who asks questions without expecting a specific answer. They are not afraid to be uncomfortable at times, because not all questions are comfortable. They see the person in their uniqueness, their beauty, and do not judge why the student did something one way and not another. For each individual, it’s about finding their own worth. The true self, the divine spark, the golden Buddha, whatever we want to call it. Isn’t it highly presumptuous to claim I know exactly what you need to do to find yourself? How would I know? What makes me believe that? Because I’ve gotten closer to mine? That was my path. Yours might look completely different. Isn’t it also a man-made and fear-based paradox to claim that if you do this and that, you’ll experience enlightenment, see the light at the end of the tunnel, or similar? Am I a better yoga teacher if I (because someone tells me to) give up something (certain foods, etc.) and this doesn’t come from my own intrinsic being? Isn’t something being confused there? For me, the paradox of undogmatic teaching applies. Certainly, one could say that having no dogmas is also a dogma. That may be so. But it opens up the space for me to see every person for what they are: a wonderful being, full of possibilities and competencies. Mostly, out of fear, not utilizing and unfolding their full potential. To quote Walsch once more: “What would love do?” A helpful question, I think. Because true love would not impose its own on another person, no matter how helpful that insight might have been for that person.<\/p>\n

Yes to the Teacher<\/strong><\/p>\n

So what does that mean? For me, it’s a clear yes to teachers, coaches, gurus. They can be a light for us when it’s dark. They can lure us out of our comfort zone without making promises. We are social beings and need each other. But always with the certainty that no one can fix it for you. No one can open the door for you. They can stand beside you and give you security, but only you can open it and walk through. That’s why true teachers don’t need to convince you of what they supposedly can do and how far they’ve come. You will find and receive the teacher you need, just as you will find the students you need. Ishvara Pranidhana \u2013 have trust and don’t believe everything you read. And not everything you think. I wish you an exciting journey through life. May many people accompany you. And finally, my answer to the question of the meaning of life: to (truly) live it! <\/p>\n

Thanks for reading!<\/p>\n

Namaste<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sandra<\/p><\/div>More <\/a> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we’re on social media, we encounter many people and opinions. There are people who promise to make us successful. People who ask if we want to earn more money. People who tell us they know how it’s done and hold the key to success. What’s the truth behind such claims? And do we even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6524,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nicht-kategorisiert","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":"

When we're on social media, we encounter many people and opinions. There are people who promise to make us successful. People who ask if we want to earn more money. People who tell us they know how it's done and hold the key to success. What's the truth behind such claims? And do we even need teachers, coaches, or even a guru? <\/p>

I already grappled with this question a few years ago, but it seems more urgent now than ever. It seems there are an incredible number of experts who know how it's done. How to become successful, rich, and enlightened. Forgive me if a hint of sarcasm seems to be lurking, but that's not my intention. In fact, I don't want to judge what someone thinks (of themselves). Primarily, I want to assume that everyone tries to act to the best of their knowledge and conscience. And certainly, people who benefit each other (in one way or another) attract each other. I like philosophical thoughts, and even if they are sometimes paradoxical, their deep meaning lies precisely in reflecting on them, again and again. Perhaps even changing one's mind. Changing perspective. Doing\/thinking something crazy. <\/p>\n

<\/p>

Meaning and Spirituality<\/strong><\/p>

The reason why more and more people feel drawn to yoga and spirituality is certainly due to how our society has developed. Many people realize and\/or have (unconsciously) recognized that we are not machines that function according to a specific pattern and expectations. We were endowed with a wonderful brain that enables us to think (sometimes even crazily). To question. To experiment. With a big heart, to love. Probably the most common question of humanity is about the meaning of life. It's unlikely to be found in working until you drop or get sick, especially in a profession that doesn't fulfill us or holds no meaning for us. So what then? Only each person can find that out for themselves, and for that, it is certainly a gift to have a teacher, coach, or even a guru by your side. <\/p>

What Makes a Teacher?<\/strong><\/p>

Albert Einstein already knew that we can never solve problems with the same mindset that created them. This means we need an external impulse. Someone who thinks differently than us. Someone who doesn't operate with the same beliefs, the same patterns, and the perpetual repetitions (like, for example, strangely always encountering the same people who only exploit us, etc.). Someone who helps us change perspective, which is something we also like to do in yoga. And then there's the matter of judgment. A teacher, coach, guru will not judge your patterns, behaviors, beliefs, because surely there's a reason you have them. At least it once made sense; perhaps not anymore, which is why you want to change them, right?! Neale Donald Walsch writes in his book \"Conversations with God\": \"The true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but the one who inspires the most to acquire knowledge.\" Now the question arises again, how can that work? For me, a true teacher is one who asks questions without expecting a specific answer. They are not afraid to be uncomfortable at times, because not all questions are comfortable. They see the person in their uniqueness, their beauty, and do not judge why the student did something one way and not another. For each individual, it's about finding their own worth. The true self, the divine spark, the golden Buddha, whatever we want to call it. Isn't it highly presumptuous to claim I know exactly what you need to do to find yourself? How would I know? What makes me believe that? Because I've gotten closer to mine? That was my path. Yours might look completely different. Isn't it also a man-made and fear-based paradox to claim that if you do this and that, you'll experience enlightenment, see the light at the end of the tunnel, or similar? Am I a better yoga teacher if I (because someone tells me to) give up something (certain foods, etc.) and this doesn't come from my own intrinsic being? Isn't something being confused there? For me, the paradox of undogmatic teaching applies. Certainly, one could say that having no dogmas is also a dogma. That may be so. But it opens up the space for me to see every person for what they are: a wonderful being, full of possibilities and competencies. Mostly, out of fear, not utilizing and unfolding their full potential. To quote Walsch once more: \"What would love do?\" A helpful question, I think. Because true love would not impose its own on another person, no matter how helpful that insight might have been for that person.<\/p>

Yes to the Teacher<\/strong><\/p>

So what does that mean? For me, it's a clear yes to teachers, coaches, gurus. They can be a light for us when it's dark. They can lure us out of our comfort zone without making promises. We are social beings and need each other. But always with the certainty that no one can fix it for you. No one can open the door for you. They can stand beside you and give you security, but only you can open it and walk through. That's why true teachers don't need to convince you of what they supposedly can do and how far they've come. You will find and receive the teacher you need, just as you will find the students you need. Ishvara Pranidhana \u2013 have trust and don't believe everything you read. And not everything you think. I wish you an exciting journey through life. May many people accompany you. And finally, my answer to the question of the meaning of life: to (truly) live it! <\/p>

Thanks for reading!<\/p>

Namaste<\/strong><\/p>

Sandra<\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6523"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6537,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6523\/revisions\/6537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandra-yoco.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}