Ethics & Values
These values form the bedrock of how I teach and hold space in circle. As a leader in my community, integrity is my overarching principle.
I am sharing these values because I work deeply with people and want to be transparent about what guides me. Unfortunately, there have been examples of harm by yoga teachers in the past (see Uma Dinmore-Tuli’s excellent work in this area). Any teacher, circle facilitator or leader should be aware that they are in a position of power and to do their best to use that power to uplift others.
To bring balance to this serious sharing, I also offer a playlist of songs that bring alive the values that are important to me.
Taking Responsibility
When someone attends a class, workshop, retreat, circle, training or mentoring with me, I have a (reasonable) duty of care to them. This may involve signposting to further support elsewhere.
I also have a responsibility to maintain healthy boundaries for everyone’s benefit. It also means being aware of different needs and capacities, and being responsive to those where possible.
Compassion for Self & Others
In sharing these principles, I also remember that I am human and often don’t do things perfectly. I aim to be compassionate to myself when I fall short because I know that my intention has been to be fair and respectful in my relationships. Compassion and empathy are important values for me: to remember that you do not know what is happening in someone else’s life before you make any judgement. This is balanced with maintaining healthy boundaries and communicating clearly when someone else’s behaviour is not acceptable.
Feminine Leadership
This is a massive topic, but in short: feminine leadership for me means being orientated to process and outcome, attuning and responding to my own and others’ needs, following joy and pleasure as well as having the discipline to do what needs to be done and the courage to address challenges, and to include the body and intuition in decision-making.
Join the Circle Holders Journey to develop your own feminine leadership skills or join a Professional Reflective Circle to have space to reflect on your process.
Reflective Practice
Another responsibility I take seriously is my continued learning and inner growth. To this end, I undertake further training regularly and have supervision weekly. I am dedicated to reflecting on and learning from my professional and personal interactions with others. I invite constructive feedback and would rather that someone raised an issue than walk away from attending my offerings / working with me, but I acknowledge the bravery that takes. I hope I can listen. I have undertaken training in mediation and restorative practice with the Restorative Engagement Forum to understand better how to resolve conflict.
“When I stand in my integrity, grace and creativity flows, and my sense of wellbeing and joy increases. Join me!”
Thanks for reading and appreciating the importance of ethics & values.