INTRODUCING YOU - NAT ATKINS
The woman that first taught me how to teach.
Introducing… Nat Atkins
Hi! I’m Nat. I’m a Yoga teacher and teacher trainer in Melbourne Australia. I’m also studying Ayurveda and raising a young man. I started practicing Yoga in my teens when my mum became my first Yoga teacher and inspiration. However, I didn’t start teaching Yoga until 2014 when I was in my 30’s.
At around my 30th birthday I had a crisis of identity: realising I had been unconscious in creating a life working in the corporate sector and living in the city with material attachment and ego. I was so unhappy that I was on a cocktail of antidepressants and other pharmaceuticals to enable me to get up and grind the gears that offered my soul no meaning. I honestly woke up one day and didn’t recognise myself.
The realisation hit me like a cork block in the head and thus was the beginning of my unravelling (or maybe my awakening). Upon this I decided to break down all the structures in my life and pretty much start all over. It wasn’t pretty. Anxiety, depression, self doubt, weaning from habits of drugs and partying and the cutting off of all toxic relationships.
Yoga was a saving grace for me as I peeled back the layers and began to reconnect with my true nature again. The tools of Yoga helped me heal and conquer my long-term anxiety and depression and shape a life that I am now so deeply fulfilled with.
Through this personal transformation, I realised I had to share the ancient knowledge of Yoga and thus began studying Yoga in 2013 and Ayurveda in 2020. I am now on a mission to share Yoga and Ayurveda far and wide and have the incredible privilege of guiding the equally profound transformation in people’s life.
Nat shares…
My favourite self care practice
My number one self care practice its a daily yoga practice (including pranayama and meditation). If I don’t do it I lack energy, clarity and calm during the day which means I tend to have harder days. During this crazy times we don’t need life to be harder than it needs to be… Developing a daily practice actually takes a lot of commitment and discipline (Tapas) before it’s a habit. Here are my tips on developing a daily practice.
Be realistic about how much time you have available. Start with 10 minutes if you are really struggling then increase it to slowly toward at least 30-60 mins.
Go to bed before 10pm and get a good night’s sleep. When we are tired it’s easy to make excuses not to practice.
Put some thought into where you store your yoga mat and practice tools. The best spot for my mat is right near my bed by a window so that I literally step out of bed and onto the mat. If you can’t keep it unrolled, then store it at the location where you practice and always keep it together so that you can do a complete practice each day (not piecemeal).
Set up a little altar of flowers, crystals, pictures or whatever you are drawn to so that its a pleasure to come to.
Love what you do. Work out what you really need in the practice, design it with as much love for yourself as you do your students and do it lovingly each day knowing its specifically designed for you.
Adapt your practice as you need to but attempt to keep the practice consistent and directed toward a goal so that you progress and see results in whatever that goal is. This will help affirm the habit and encourage commitment.
Give yourself a day off (but eventually I bet you wont even want to take a day off because it feels so good).
My favourite yoga practice
I do the same practice almost every day. During our first lock down in Melbourne I studied online with a Tantric Hatha Yoga teacher who shared methods of practice that deeply resonated: practice tailored to my healing needs with the ultimate goal of physical and mental stability and grounding. I also combine this with an Ayurvedic morning routine. But I have to do it all before my son awakes - so it needs to be smart and snappy.
20 mins asana with a focus on twisting, forward folds and belly down back bends with my own vinyasa kramer.
10 minute breath practice for clearing stagnant energy and creating elevated calm.
5 minute breath awareness meditation.
10 minute mantra japa meditation.
I’m so ready to go after this!
Music I like to teach to
No lyrics. Ambient music that definitely doesn’t distract from the Yoga practice of going within. Sometimes music can help the student initially but I find it’s not needed when the student has been coming for a while. Definitely not music during savasana in my class.
A tip that helped me feel comfortable teaching in front of others
You will never please everyone. So stop trying. Some people will love what you teach and others will not. It doesn’t matter - just teach what you love and be yourself - your tribe will find you.
Thanks to my dear friend, teacher and colleague Alli Black. (Keep your eyes peeled for Alli’s feature coming up….)
A tip for feeling confident talking with students before/after class
If you are trying to build a business or a reputation, you really need to value the quality time you spend with your students before and after class. You will not only build rapport with students (an absolute necessity for repeat and referral business) but you will also make genuine connections with people expanding your community authentically. As a pretty serious introvert I initially found this really hard.
Here’s my approach:
Be organised so when students arrive you are completely available without thinking about your session plan, the candles, lights etc. Get there early, plan the class and be ready to look your students in the eyes with genuine interest in them.
You don’t have to be an extrovert to connect genuinely with people. In fact, the connection doesn’t even have to involve significant conversation. Just relax and be yourself.
Make the interaction meaningful by asking the student about their Yoga practice, injuries and lifestyle habits. It’s good to have a few questions ready to go as ice-breakers when you meet new students. Opened ended questions are great because then you get to listen and demonstrate to the student you care (which helps to build trust).
Remain professional and maintain boundaries with your students even if they do become part of your broad community. There is definitely a blurry line here. I have learnt to moderate my over-friendly approach and only share information about myself that is going to add value to the purpose of interaction. After all, the interaction should be more about the students than the teacher.
Where to find Nat…
Nat offers some free and donation-based Yoga and Ayurveda content digitally; group sessions in limited locations around her home; 800 hour teacher training facilitation (with adults education qualification); corporate yoga; family yoga in the park; etc, etc, etc. Hit Nat up for collaborations or check out her website for more details.
