On a recent family trip to Jerusalem in the spring, we toured this complex city that has layers and layers of dynamic history. Not our first time here, but as our first time touring with all of our school age children, we decided to hire a tour guide for the day…an individual with an excellent reputation for his years of experience, and engaging personality.
We did this primarily because of our kids. My husband and I felt like we knew fairly well the overall history of the city, and our relationship to it, but thought this would be a treat for the whole family.
It certainly was a treat. But mostly for us, the parents, as it seems that our kids are still learning more on the periphery (and are more excited by ice cream than anything else).
As I felt more and more enriched with each hour of the day, I observed the following characteristics of our guide that made the city come alive for us, like never before.
What is a Guide?
A guide is an individual who separates the wheat from the chaff. In today’s day and age, we are so inundated with information, free and flowing, that we are buried in the masses of it. It is easy to aimlessly wander, having questions, seeing sites, but mostly just guessing, trying to string together an understanding.
A good guide will not only remove some of the stones from your path, but she will also light lampposts along the way. These lampposts feature or highlight that which might go unnoticed.
She draws you over to the highlighted areas, gives you context…history, geography, perhaps a little amusing tidbit, or anecdote. This imbues meaning to the area, giving it depth and nuance.
Then, she encourages you to walk the terrain. What does it feel like to you, being in this place and in this time? With suggestion of what to look out for, you notice charming characteristics that you discover for yourself.
Finally, as you grow bold in your own exploration, you are able to ask questions of your guide. Questions that you had never anticipated you would ask, but now are burning with desire to be answered.
Had you not traveled this particular path, your questions would have been of a different nature, but now can delve into the deeper layers of understanding. Now you have a starting point for your own explorations…all of that information that was swirling around you earlier can now begin to be dissected, categorized and digested.
The Five “IVEs”
In the past couple of years, I have been transitioning professionally from being a teacher to more of a guide.
Though I had not analyzed the process to this degree before, I have been noticing certain changes happening organically.
I’d like to share here what I’m calling the Five “IVEs” on the path of learning. We are on the receiving end of these “IVEs” first as children growing up, as students in the beginning of learning, and as travelers on the path of knowledge and wisdom.
Prescriptive Instructive Descriptive Suggestive Passive
PRESCRIPTIVE: We first need to just understand the black and white – the “what to do” and “what not to do.” This is the beginning stage of learning, a very prescribed stage, of right and wrong, with clear boundaries given to us by our parents, teachers, or guides.
INSTRUCTIVE: Next, we need to be instructed in the “how.” This is often the tactical approach, where we begin to learn a skill and start practicing it. We can and do learn a lot in this stage, and it has a lot to do with the basics.
DESCRIPTIVE: The descriptive stage is where nuance and flourishes are added. Our skill is proficient, so now we can layer on more details. This is where we go beyond just competency and develop some depth and breadth in our subject.
SUGGESTIVE: The suggestive stage for the guide is where she gives a level of creative freedom to the guided…the student begins to explore on her own, following new pathways, developing ideas, and expanding her sense of self in the art/history/skill. The guide offers suggestions, ideas as a launching point, but is no longer holding the hand of the student.
PASSIVE: Finally, the guide becomes passive. Still available for questions and as a resource, but this guide has given the ultimate gift of independence to her student. The guide may retreat from the center stage with the secure sense that her work is complete. The student however, is fully active in her own learning and continuing education.
Guiding You
This is the arc of parenting. It is the arc of the skilled craftsman and his apprentice, it is the arc of the master musician and her student, it is the arc of a tour guide, and it is the arc of a yoga teacher.
I guide women into a deeper knowing of themselves.
The landmarks I highlight are within, often bony, muscular or organic landmarks, with a clear picture of what to expect as you begin to move more consciously. Without the visual references and map, we are often lost.
The lampposts are lit with your own inner light. The experiences are yours, but I guide you to where those lamps are.
The power of suggestion is critical for emphasizing a heightened level of awareness that you can cultivate in your own body and mind.
After awareness comes meaning. Meaning in your body, in your life and in your experiences. This is nurtured, at times with humor and at times with depth, but there is a context for everything you are experiencing.
We are accustomed to projecting outwardly only…moving forward in space, with our thoughts racing ahead or stuck behind, and our bodies and senses neglected.
We become misaligned, structurally and energetically. We feel disconnected. Out of sorts, but we can’t put our finger on it.
What is at first experienced as physical or postural alignment, then has a carry-over effect on how we relate to ourselves in other ways. There is greater mental clarity, emotional stability, and even a sense of embodied spirituality.
As you gain confidence in your body, your abilities and your ever-expanding awareness, you develop the desire and understanding of the connectedness of this awareness. The impact it has on your relationships, your career and your place in the world at large.
Ultimately, you become your own guide, an expert of yourself on all levels.