{"id":125005,"date":"2019-06-07T11:09:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T15:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=125005\/"},"modified":"2020-01-21T13:08:28","modified_gmt":"2020-01-21T18:08:28","slug":"britta-rael-importance-of-mentorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/journal\/britta-rael-importance-of-mentorship\/","title":{"rendered":"Britta Rael: Why You Should Seek Out a Mentor\u2014and Tips to Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s early morning and the air is still cool as you head to your first session of the day. It\u2019s not your first time at Wanderlust<\/a>, but it is your first time to attend since you finished teacher training. Everyone has been unrelentingly kind, but\u2014you can\u2019t help it\u2014a smidge of imposter syndrome tugs at the back of your mind. You slowly fill your lungs and close your eyes, breathing out the doubt and refocusing on the here and now, like where to set your mat. That\u2019s when you see them\u2014a couple of teachers you remember seeing at other festivals. And while everyone has their own struggles, they seem to have a confidence in the general direction they\u2019re going. You admire that so much. In fact, you\u2019d like a little more of that for yourself.<\/p>\n

The session starts and you were right: a gentle word of encouragement, a well-timed piece of advice\u2014they do seem to know what you need to get to the next step.<\/p>\n

Later, you\u2019re grabbing an iced tea when you run into one of them again. She shares some of her own journey and you can totally relate. Maybe it\u2019s the jolt of caffeine from your matcha or maybe it\u2019s fate, but the words tumble out: \u201cI\u2019m new at teaching. Could you mentor me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Mentorship? Britta Rael Explains<\/h3>\n

Finding a mentor who can encourage and challenge you can help take your own practice and teaching to the next level more quickly than you could on your own. The right mentor will come alongside you wherever you are in your journey and stimulate growth in the direction you want to go by fostering introspection and self-analysis.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s been the case for Britta Rael<\/a>, a Wanderlust presenter who has taught yoga and meditation for over a decade, including practices like Acro yoga and and slacklining.<\/p>\n

\u201cMentorship for me has to do with finding someone you admire either for their skillset or their personal development or achievements that you\u2019re interested in replicating,\u201d says Britta.<\/p>\n

The relationship between mentor and mentee is a co-created experience, a dance, she continued. It\u2019s up to the mentor to sus out internal motivators and help the mentee clarify their personal vision. What do they want to share? How do they want to show up? With the vision in place, they turn their attention to what business strategies and personal development can close the gap to get there.<\/p>\n

Britta\u2019s early mentors helped her increase technical skills and methodology, crystalize her philosophy, and set the bar higher for her to bring a spiritual awareness to her teaching.<\/p>\n

Sculpting Experience<\/h3>\n

The experience reminds her of the quote by Michelangelo, the 15th-century sculptor: \u201cThe sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there; I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.\u201d<\/p>\n

Britta believes that people are capable of doing much mor<\/a>e<\/a> than they\u2019re aware of. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to shape someone into something I want them to become,” she says, „I\u2019m just giving them the tools to carve away what\u2019s not necessary, to maximize their own benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not essential to have a mentor, of course, but those interested in evolving their practice can increase their impact by learning from someone who has already been there, who made mistakes and can help apply their wisdom and successes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving someone that bridges the gap between intimate friend and formal advisor has been a really sweet place for me,\u201d Britta said of the four or five people she considers mentors. \u201cThose people have been deep friends, but they also have the wherewithal professionally to hold me at a distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentorship\u00a0\u2260 Friendship (Not Necessarily, Anyway)<\/h3>\n

A mentor should not a best buddy. Britta\u2019s mentor Jason understands how she works and operates. He has more experience than her and gives her guidance in the areas where she needs growth. Hiring a business strategist wouldn\u2019t fill that need; she needs to trust and value her mentors\u2019 hardships and successes<\/a>. The mentorship aspect goes beyond pure strategy or business and puts someone in her corner when she needs them most. Sam and Raquel with Yoga Slackers are two more mentors she turns to for advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s given me someone to confide in my deepest, darkest moments of struggle, and someone to celebrate with at the touchdown zone,\u201dBritta says. \u201cIt\u2019s really been a support system that\u2019s not just all butterflies and rainbows.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mentors in her\u00a0 life were so impactful that Britta now offers a 12 week one-on-one coaching program as well as an eight week online coaching course to offer mentorship to others.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy clients are able to then bring a bit more professionalism, a bit more integrity, and a lot more gusto to whatever they\u2019re doing,\u201d Britta said. \u201cI get so much joy from slowing down at their pace and having compassion for where they\u2019re at in their life, being able to empathize with them. I get so much joy and, really, glee from problem solving with them and alongside them. It\u2019s the most fulfilling experience to help someone see their potential\u2014and actualize their potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to find a mentor:<\/h3>\n