
Becoming a distinguished yoga (asana) teacher requires immense dedication and commitment to the skill of teaching. It takes years of self-practice and experience to establish your style, speak confidently, and teach with expertise. Enrolling in a Yoga Instructor Certification Bali can be your first step on this journey, where you will be provided with all the tools needed to become a yoga instructor. Whether you are a beginner or have already been teaching for a while, the following tips will help you in your teaching journey.
Be a student
“There is no end to education”- Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Learning is a life-long process, even after becoming a teacher. It is a mark of a good yoga teacher to constantly upgrade your knowledge and skills to keep up with the changing world and provide your students with the highest quality of teaching. Researching what’s new in your field, studying various subjects to deepen your understanding, and being curious will allow you never to stop growing. Also, learning doesn’t just happen through books and experts! Be open to what your students can teach you in class- about asanas and life. Take every circumstance on and off the mat as a value addition to your sadhana. Your attitude as a student will define your competence as a teacher.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Having a disciplined, consistent practice is very important for an Asana teacher. Your students will first watch and then take you seriously. This doesn’t mean you must master your handstands before considering taking a class. What it means is that you must first practice what you preach. Do you wake up early if you ask your students to do the same? Can you stay centred on your breath when you guide your students to have breath awareness?
You must teach from experience. When you know where and how an asana is felt, the challenges to practice, and how to overcome obstacles, you will be more equipped to guide your students through life. You won’t be an asana instructor but a yoga teacher. So, never miss your practice, no matter how busy life gets.
Start where you are
If you are a beginner, teach beginners. If you only know so much, teach only so much. Giving much information without personal application will not make you a good yoga teacher. Being knowledgeable is important, but don’t become impatient in its pursuit. Take your time to explore and comprehend. Trust that what you know right now is enough and is worth sharing. We want to give our students the best, but often, they are not ready for a lot of data. They would appreciate it if you would introduce them less but explain them in depth. This is encouraged seriously at the Yoga Instructor Course Bali to build confidence in new teachers so they can start their teaching journey without hesitation.
Don’t complicate
There is a common misconception that using complex jargon and technical terms is a mark of an educated yoga instructor. Learn concepts for your understanding, but when you teach, think of simplifying as much as possible. Deliver at the level of your students, and instruct with clarity. Practice instructing with precise, easy-to-follow cues like feet parallel to the short edge of the mat, armpits facing towards the floor, etc. If you are teaching beginners, always try to bring their awareness to the body, as it’s the easiest thing to focus on. Centring awareness on the subtle body takes time and can be confusing, but if you teach your students to follow the body’s rhythms, they will cultivate mindful practice. Learn to express depth through simplicity.
Be student-oriented
Your students will appreciate you if all your efforts are centred around them. As yoga teachers, we constantly think about our style, niche, and voice; indeed, all of these set us apart. Perhaps you prefer only certain styles or recommend only specific asanas. Still, the well-being and benefit of your students must be at the forefront of all your decisions.
Understanding individual anatomy and proper alignment helps keep your classes mindful and safe for the students. Using props like blocks or belts, or the lack thereof, and making modifications based on individual needs, like keeping the spine straight or knees bent in forward folds, personalises the practice and gives better results. The chances of injuries will be minimised, and your students will want to keep coming back because they know they are personally cared for.
Compassion
As a yoga teacher, always lead with your heart. Your Yoga Teacher Training and personal views will instil ideas in your mind about practical things like the aesthetics of asana, progression in practice, etc., but never forget that every student is different. Even with the right intention, what you expect from them might take patience or not work. Maybe you’re met with resistance, scepticism, and, at worst, judgment, but learn not to take that personally. Everyone is on their own journey, and as a guide, it is your responsibility to accommodate your students’ differences and disagreements. Gently meet them openly, push them with loving discipline and most importantly, accept them with compassion. Shine light on what you can help them see, but let them open their eyes in their own time.
Beyond asanas
What and how you teach on the mat is what your students will carry throughout their day. Asana is a very tiny but influential part of yoga. If you can lead your class with intentions of acceptance, introspection, awareness and presence, you will teach your students to embody these qualities in their day-to-day life. This is the actual effect of yoga: to make life calm and peaceful, to make humans kinder and loving, and to show up in life with complete involvement in the present moment. If this mindset becomes your motivation to become a yoga teacher, it will be the greatest gift you can give your students.
Be inspired to start your teaching adventure by enrolling in a Yoga Training Course Bali and fulfilling your passion and purpose towards teaching.