How to find a Spiritual Teacher
by Alexander Alich
Director of FoxFire Institute of Shamanic Studies


In spiritual work our focus usually begins with our teachers, who they are and what we are going to learn from them. A good teacher can open our minds and hearts and introduce us to new ways of working, seeing the world and seeing ourselves. These are important relationships for our growth and development but are also complex and don't always go as well as we would like. Over my years of work, I have realized that we don't have a model for spiritual teachers in the West. The closest most of us come is with what we experienced in our formal schooling, and unfortunately what we experience there doesn't prepare us well for working with spiritual teachers.

Without good and realistic models, we bring high expectations to our teachers: they will give me all the answers, help me grow up, be my best friend, never hurt me, and more. We can spend years searching for the perfect teacher, only to not find him or her. What do we want from a teacher, or what do we think we want? Are you ready for a spiritual teacher? How do you know that he or she is the right teacher for you? Through this article we will look at these topics and examine our attitudes and expectations of teachers.

You might say, "I am ready for a teacher right now," but are you? As with any relationship you want to enter, it is good to know where you stand today and what fears or concerns you have. I have my students work through these exercises:

Make a list of four disappointments or disillusionments you have experienced with teachers in the past. What did you learn from these experiences? How have they shaped the way you think about teachers today? Are you ready to risk making new experiences?

What do you expect from a teacher?

	I need a teacher because _____________.
	I want my teacher to __________________.
	I don't want my teacher to ______________.
	My biggest fear of working with a teacher is _________________.
	My ideal teacher is someone who ___________. Many times when we would like to begin our spiritual work, the first thing we do is look around for the right teacher and make a commitment to him or her. From my experience this never works well and sometimes can stall our growth. I work with four levels of making a commitment and feel that the commitment to a teacher should be the last.
	The first level is making a commitment to yourself and to your work. This is the best place to start. Look at what you are doing and why. What is your motivation and how committed are you to working with yourself?
	The second level is to extend that commitment to Great Spirit or however you perceive that higher power. In doing so, you ask for help and acknowledge that you are part of something bigger, even if you don't understand what that is yet.
	The third level is to find a path or form that is close to your heart. Today more than at any other point in history you can choose forms from all over the world. Once you have found a form that you can imagine doing every day, then and only then is it time to find a teacher.
	The forth level is to make a clear commitment to working with a teacher who can assist you in the next step of your growth. This might range from something as simple as taking an evening class to something as serious as an apprenticeship training. Are you ready?
	What do you fear most about change?
	What do you enjoy most about change?
	What does being a student or apprentice mean to you?
	What commitments have you already made to yourself and your work?
	Are you ready for your teacher to not look as you imagine?
	Are you willing to work on your next personal growth steps with a teacher who will likely challenge the unworkable parts of your life?