Thinking back, what my teachers have taught me

Its hard to believe I've been living and teaching yoga in Los Angeles for 5 years.  Over that time I've done 2 teacher trainings and too many workshops and classes to count and I've learned so many things from everyone in the yoga community I've come into contact with.  While it is impossible to thank each person individually there are some lessons I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that have really stuck with me and I wanted to take a moment to write them down.  I think they apply to teaching yoga and to anything else that you love in life:

1) Trust the process. Nothing happens immediately- give things time to work out.
2) How you teach is just as important (and sometimes more so) than what you teach.
3) If you teach from your heart you can't go wrong.
4) We all have things that come easily to us and things we have work for, just keep practicing.
5) We are all in this together and can teach each other, this is a community.
6) Sometimes just knowing someone's name or giving them an extra little adjustment can make someone's day.
7) Not everything will be perfect, teaching is like your yoga practice, always changing.
8) If you are just teaching and not practicing you are cheating yourself and your students.
9) Never stop learning.
10) Try new teachers/ styles/ studios, you never know what kind of cool stuff you'll pick up.
11) MOST OF ALL: Let your love of what you do shine through.  Share what you are excited about.