Being a Dance Therapy Instructor is the Best

A gorgeous Wu Tao Dance Therapy Instructor sent me a lovely letter last week, to say how grateful she was for the opportunity to teach Wu Tao.  It made me reflect on why I do it and have been teaching it continually for the past 16 years. It’s because Wu Tao is a dance therapy that really does what it’s designed to do. It heals on every level, restores balance and keeps me energised, fit and healthy. Teaching it gives me the opportunity to do it regularly every week.

Of course, there are times when I have taken a break, the longest being 6 months when my daughter Belle made her transition.  During this time, I joined another teacher’s class, so I could be totally immersed in the Wu Tao process for myself without distraction.  Needless to say, it was very healing.

I’ve received more personal benefit from teaching Wu Tao than any other physical activity I have ever done in my life.  I continue to teach to keep receiving the benefits which I’d like to share with you now.

Here are my top 7 reasons for teaching Wu Tao:

1.  I get to dance

I love to dance! It’s my number one way to move my body. I love the feeling of moving my body to music, especially music that makes me feel something.  When I was a child I was quite shy.  I used to dance out my feelings instead of talking.  I didn’t know how to express my feelings so well and dance was a great outlet.  Now, Wu Tao offers me a space to feel and express what’s inside me.  A question for you. How do you express your feelings? Do you have a space where you can be yourself, feel what’s going on and express it safely?

2.  I get to teach what I need to learn

Wu Tao is essentially a spiritual practice.  It’s purpose is to bring us back into our natural state of flow, balance and peace.  To get here we have to let go of everything that’s NOT flow, balance and peace!  Teaching Wu Tao helps me to remember who I am,  where I want to be and do the practice of letting go and surrender.  How do you stay in the flow? Having a regular practice to bring us back to centre is vital to maintaining sanity in our busy world.  Wu Tao is the place where I bring my practice alive and find my zone of peace.

 3.  I get to surrender to a force greater than myself

Wu Tao came to me as a gift from spirit.  I am still amazed that I managed to open up enough to receive it.  I am a normal person. I eat meat. I swear. I have challenges like everyone else.  However, because of Wu Tao, and my commitment to teaching and sharing it, I get to surrender to Spirit each and every time I teach.  I get to be guided from within and teach from this space.  It’s a beautiful, peaceful, loving place inside me.  It feels wonderful to hang here!  I feel at home here.  I get to surrender to this place every time I teach. And I get to take it home.

 4. My body gets to stay healthy, toned and balanced

When my body is toned and healthy, I feel happier, balanced and have more energy.  The physical toning you get from dancing Wu Tao is not the same as a daily work-out at the gym.  It’s much gentler than that.  For a start, a class doesn’t leave you sore.  It shouldn’t be hard work on your muscles.  In saying that when I have had a break for longer than 2 weeks, I can feel any weakness or imbalance in my body more acutely.  The fitness that comes from doing Wu Tao regularly is subtle.  Muscles become toned and strong, but definitely not bulky.  Flexibility improves and most importantly energy levels and a profound sense of well-being increases.  So yes, I teach Wu Tao to keep physically fit and healthy!

5.  I get to learn humility

Witnessing other people’s healing and transformation directly is humbling.  I am reminded every time I teach, that of myself I can do nothing, BUT I can be a vehicle for change and healing just by showing up.  Teaching Wu Tao has helped me to get out of my own ego way.  I set my intention to teach a class.  I let go of all my expectations about how that should look.  I show up.  I let spirit guide me.  I bear witness to the peaceful smiles and glowing faces at the end of class.  I go home truly humbled and grateful to have this awesome job!

6.  I get to stay emotionally balanced

This is a big bonus.  Wu Tao works so well to keep me emotionally balanced and centred.  When I don’t dance regularly, I don’t feel as grounded and clear.  Wu Tao is a wonderful way to clear out all the toxic emotions such as fear, anger and grief.  These emotions play havoc with our physical and mental bodies. Holding onto them isn’t useful at all.  Wu Tao gives me a space to release emotional and mental patterns that don’t serve my growth.  Big Bonus!  Happy Days!

 7. I get to make an income from doing something I love

I am always grateful for this!  How many people do you know who LOVE what they do for a living?  I am one of them.  For many people this is not an option.  I am very grateful to my fellow human beings who do the jobs that I wouldn’t love to do.  (thinking garbage collection here!). Being self – employed works wonderfully for me.  I have been able to work my own hours around children and family priorities.  I get to be creative and think outside the box.  This challenges me to grow in many ways. I have learned to rely on myself, be organised and motivated and believe in myself.  There’s a lot of learning curves in self employment but the rewards are worth it.  I spend 4 hours a week teaching, 2 hours travel time and 2 hours a week promoting my classes. Total 8 hours for more than I make in a 2 days of nursing!

Have I piqued your interest to teach Wu Tao?  Good!

Watch the video below where Jessica Heiler and I discuss exactly what the training entails.

Come and join us at one of our trainings this year! Our regular Bali training intensive will be held in November and our next Germany training intensive happens in September 2020! To join one of these intensives you need to start your training now! Visit https://www.wutaodance.com/instructor to find out more or give me (Michelle) a call on 0417 989 397.