Years ago, I felt the fear of rejection quite intensely. I had just started teaching meditation at a local yoga studio. I was teaching in my own style, which integrated Reiki, inner journeys, mantras and movement. 

I'm sure I wasn't the first teacher to include similar elements, but still it was my way of doing it. It felt very personal, like an extension of me. It was, in essence, part of my Soul's medicine even if I didn't understand that at the time. 

One of my fears was that no one would show up to my class. I imagined the embarrassment I'd feel as students attending the other classes saw that my room was empty.  

My second fear was that people would show up and question my style of teaching meditation. I had frightening visions of students probing me about my training and so-called expertise. 

At the core of both of these scenarios was the fear of feeling rejected. If no one showed up to my class, I'd interpret that to mean that nobody valued my offerings, my expertise, ME. 

If students questioned my teaching style, I'd make that mean that I didn't know what I was doing. That something was wrong with my teaching methods and with ME.

In both instances, I'd feel a sense of intense rejection and I HATED that feeling.