Chad Friel is a Canmore-based yoga teacher and massage therapist. This is his story of becoming a yoga teacher and overcoming his fear of public speaking. 

“I never liked being the centre of attention.”

High school was very tough for me. It took me over a year just to get used to all the people, and once I was used to everyone, I was still shy. It wasn’t until eleventh grade that I could finally tell myself I was comfortable in high school.

I never really minded doing group projects, but I didn’t enjoy when it came time to present them. My palms would sweat and I would feel jittery with nerves, sweat dripping down my back and my face often blushing. I hated having all eyes on me. It was always easier to be up there with my group by my side. It took the pressure off a little bit. Not everyone was staring at me.

I felt I was an introvert, and later came to the conclusion that I had social anxiety.

“A lot of people have it”, my doctor told me.

Knowing this was comforting, but I felt still felt shy. I felt anxious in groups of people, even my with my close friends sometimes.

Years later, I decided to pursue a career in yoga. I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training certificate, and wanted to start teaching shortly after. But, how does a guy with social anxiety, who hates having people look at him become a yoga teacher? I studied more yoga, taking a Yoga Therapy course, but I was still fearful of teaching.

I realized I needed to overcome this life long fear. But how? And when?

Hugh Laurie said it best: “It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.”

One day a friend told me about Toastmasters. A place where anyone can go and practice their public speaking skills. I began to attend the club meetings once a week to practice my public speaking skills. Each time I attended, I pushed myself a little further. Baby steps, I thought. Step outside that comfort zone just a little, I would tell myself.  After weeks of attending I prepared a speech that was 5 minutes long. I stood up and presented it.

The guy who hated crowds, speaking in front of an audience for five minutes!

My five minute presentations turned to seven minute presentations. Sometimes I would read from a script, and sometimes I spoke using just notes. I was expanding.

I realized I would still feel nervous up there, I still got anxious, I still felt my body shake and vibrate. But I did it anyway.

My first yoga teaching job was at a beer brewery, teaching the staff. They paid me with gift cards. I didn’t feel too much pressure there. What a great place to practice teaching! The first time I stood in front of the group of expectant students, hanging on my every word, I was terrified.

For my first ten classes, I wrote my yoga sequence out and practiced the sequence beforehand.  I rehearsed my words just like I learned in Toastmasters. Those first few months I would spend three or more hours just preparing for one 45 minute class. Even though I had rehearsed over and over again, I would show up to teach with my notes by my side. I would keep them close by, just in case I needed them, for security.

Then, one day, I showed up to teach without my notes. Baby steps, right? I didn’t mess up. I taught the class just fine.

Then, one day, I didn’t prepare a written sequence. I had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish in the class, the poses, and how to connect them. I began getting more comfortable asking students what they wanted to work on. I was able to add poses into the class, unplanned, and I felt like I was finally able to meet the needs of my students. This was getting fun! I felt like I had conquered my fear of public speaking and teaching yoga.

I have finally landed a regular spot teaching in a yoga studio, and I know that I have earned this. After years of practice and hard work, I have finally become a confident yoga teacher.

I still mess up sometimes.

But so does everyone. I just don’t let it bother me. The more I speak at Toastmasters or while teaching yoga classes, the more I have realized that it doesn’t matter if I mess up. Everyone messes up occasionally. And we aren’t here to be perfect. We are all practicing, both teachers and students.

Pattabhi Jois says that yoga is 99% practice, and 1% theory. You can read all the books you want and attend all the workshops you can afford. But if you want to teach, you have to practice teaching.

I still get nervous before I teach. I feel the familiar tug of anxiety, a little bit of fear, only now I embrace it, like it’s my friend.

To learn more about Chad Friel you can visit his massage site here, or his personal yoga site here.