Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/918051
EDUCATION INSPIRATION Q&A You have an eclectic background. Which facets of your training have proven to be the most helpful? I'm interested in a lot of things, and that, in itself, is probably the most helpful thing. Every past job, skill, or training helps my hands-on work and my teaching. Being a preschool teacher taught me that clear, loving boundaries, combined with basic joy, will go a long way. As a high-school teacher, I learned that what I taught not only had to hold water, it had to be scrupulously relevant—high schoolers are experts at spotting BS, hypocrisy, or boring content. I was a college professor at a very unusual school (Naropa University) that combined high-level learning with lived experience; there, and when I was an Outward Bound instructor here in the Rockies, I learned how to gently take people to their growing edge, and then give them the choice to take the next step. Fifteen years as a psychotherapist, and then the years since as a professional coach, keep helping me get better at connecting, listening, and following my clients. Teaching more than 20 years at the Rolf Institute, I got to dive into a cool and unique view of the body. From five years as a corporate management consultant, I learned how to help discouraged people take responsibility for their own happiness. And there's a lot more: martial arts, marriage, meditation, improvisational theater, and parenting all come in too. And now, writing for Massage & Bodywork, I get to dive into researching and learning new things about this fascinating field we work in. The hardest part is honing it down so that the most important parts fit into just a few pages. Was there a pivotal moment in your career when you decided to become an instructor? Not really. Both my parents were school teachers, as were all four of my grandparents, plus siblings, aunts, and uncles. I grew up understanding the value of learning and sharing what we learned. How do you best inspire "aha" moments in your students? At least once per workshop, I want to blow my students' minds with ideas, experiences, information, and examples that don't fit their usual ways of looking at things. That's what I look for in my own learning: not just new content, but radically new ways of thinking and being that jolt me out of my habits and old ideas. You've recruited an impressive team at Advanced-Trainings.com. Are there any commonalities among those individuals? Besides the usual teacher traits of excellence, experience, and a certain understated charisma, I'd guess that everyone on our teaching team values the human element first: how we work with people is often even more important than what we do, even though we teach technique classes. This might be the main thing that makes a difference in hands-on work too: how, not what. Also, as a team, we have a great time working with each other. You travel and teach internationally. What calls you to do so? Working in different cultures is how I keep my own mind blown. I love the United States, but getting out regularly helps me keep it all in a much bigger perspective. And no matter where we live, it's easy to forget that this everyday existence is not all there is; travel helps me remember. Til Luchau Author, Educator sponsored by "How we work with people is often even more important than what we do, even though we teach technique classes." SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION