More Than The Physical?

I've been teaching yoga for almost two years. Within that time i've transitioned from working full time and teaching 2-4 classes per week. Through to today where I usually teach around 9-12 per week and work freelance. In my old job I used to have a weekly circuits class which I thoroughly enjoyed. The contrast of moving from my desk to sweating, jumping and moving always felt really welcome. As I've steadily become more focused on yoga; practising, researching, reading, teaching and so on I have become less focused on other sports I used to enjoy. I've had to get used to a change in how my practice feels. When I'd go to an evening class, before I taught, I could literally feel the anxiety melting away. Now I no longer have the luxury of practising most evenings as I am the one teaching the classes. Now don't get me wrong, I totally love it. I've had to trade a daily public class for my home practice. This is an essential part of my kit. If I don't offer what I practise then how can I teach from a place of embodied experience? Yet I've come to realise I'm expecting my practice to give me everything.....How can my practice give me all I need? Can it support me on a mental, spiritual, energetic, emotional and physical level? Well it can't. I've realised an incongruence between my thinking and my actions. I firmly believe that yoga is more than a physical practice. Yes quite a few of us come to it for a physical reason. Personally I wanted to be more flexible. But what kept my appetite satiated was the connection I felt to myself, which didn't have so much to do with my hamstrings feeling less rock solid. So how come the only other physical thing I do with any regularity is riding my bike from class to class? Hang on a second......doesn't that mean that I expect yoga to keep me physically fit? By this I REALLY don't mean how I look. I'm referring to feeling strong, to not feeling like my legs will fall off if I do another crescent lunge, to not wishing the teacher would NOT sequence so many postures standing on one leg. Guys if you teach a lot, and don't even demonstrate all the time you will still get physically tired. On my busier days of 3 classes, long cycles and small breaks I eat dinner and am asleep within 10 minutes on the sofa. I need more from this vessel.Last year Gerard, my boyfriend, and I would go to our regular calisthenics class at my home studio Stretch. We totally loved it. Not only was it really fun but we always felt stronger afterwards. Now I find myself pushing aside the fitness classes, deeming myself too busy. But I can't expect my practice to make me feel strong all the time. I do a lot of repetitive movements working certain muscles groups. Give me a minute of mountain climbers or burpees and the burn is so strong that familiar feelings of legs about to fall off returns. It's not how I want to feel. I want to feel strong, steady and vibrant. Above that I need to feel that way in order to teach. If i'm not nourishing myself I can soon start to feel my passion for teaching waning. I can almost envy the students, waaaa I want to practise without having to be the one at the front. If i'm not topping up my well then what do I expect?This past week i've been to two classes at Stretch; dynamic fitness with Matt, and calisthenics with Henry. I was a little sceptical about partner work in Matt's classes, I'm far too British for that frivolity, nope I bloody loved it. Matt is so energetic, creative and fun, I had a blast. I'm still aching from Henry's class yesterday, I felt bloody brilliant afterwards. Obviously I ache because I worked hard and I haven't done his class before. I know that the more I do the less sore I will be over the following days. So thanks guys for inspiring me. Now the weather is getting better I can get outside more with Gerard and swing around on our rings. It made me realise that I can't just rely on my yoga practice to keep me fit, and if I do do I get lost in the physicality of it? I'd sure like to think that what I practice moves beyond just creating shapes and achieving something physical. I'll keep plugging away, questioning, pondering, listening to my body and checking in to what I offer as a teacher.I'd be interested to hear your experiences on keeping fit and feeling strong both physically & mentally. Feel free to share below....