Advice for yoga teachers starting out

 Advice for yoga teachers starting out

You graduated from your first Yoga Teacher Training! Congratulations! That is an amazing accomplishment and the things you learned will now help you build a strong foundation as a Yoga Teacher. 

Here is my best advice to any yoga teacher who is recently starting out: 

Start teacher as soon as possible 

Right now you have all the knowledge and practice from your teacher training fresh in your mind. The longer you wait the less confidence and motivation you will have to start teaching. This is a big step for you now but it is much better to jump right in and get yourself out there. You can start out by giving classes to your friends, family and loved ones. After the class, reflect on your mistakes and always aim to improve for the next one. 

Practice your classes

Plan a sequence and practice by yourself before teaching it. Pretend that you are giving a class, talk out loud and record yourself. Then watch the recording and take notes on where you made mistakes and things you can improve. Make sure the sequence flows naturally, speeding up or slowing down the pace depending on the style of yoga you are teaching. 

It’s ok to bring your notes to class

Remember that students are not there for you, they are there for them. They are in your class because they believe that you can enrich their lives through the teachings and practice of yoga. So whether you bring notes, can do a certain asana, demonstrate each pose flawlessly or give a perfect class is not important to them at all. 

Don’t stop at just asana

Alignment cues and breath work are the foundation of a yoga class, but they are not everything. Give your students some of the knowledge you acquired during your teacher training. Your class will be enriched if you share something new to them. 

A great way of doing this is preparing your students at the beginning of class. Talk about setting an intention, being in the present moment, or anything that feels natural to you. This will allow the students to steady the mind before working on the body. 

Become known for something

Let your creativity shine! Your teaching style is directly influenced by your own teachers. It is very important that you use them as inspiration instead of trying to copy them. Students can sense when you are not being you and just repeating the words of other teachers. 

Love sound healing? Include some at the beginning of class or during Savasana. Are you known for being funny? Let that shine through in your classes. Allow your students to get to know the real you. 

Over time, teaching authentically will keep your students coming back to your classes for YOU not only for yoga. The yoga community is extremely saturated, it is very important that you find your niche and get known for something that keeps your students coming back. Authenticity sells better than anything. 

Written by Pamela Villarreal Morales