| If you've been practicing yoga for some time now, you | | | | your arms relaxed at your sides to convey confidence, |
| may have become interested in teaching yoga to | | | | yet openness. |
| other people, or in deepening your own yoga practice. | | | | Know your material. The only way to truly feel |
| But, as you may have learned, teaching yoga to | | | | confident teaching yoga or to develop your own |
| others, or developing your own yoga practice, takes a | | | | practice is to know your material. This means |
| different set of skills than those of a yoga student. | | | | understanding the effects of the yoga poses and |
| So, what makes a good yoga teacher? When | | | | breathing exercises you teach and practice, and |
| students feel better about themselves after class than | | | | understanding how their benefits, as well as |
| before class, you can feel good about what you are | | | | understanding the philosophy and history behind yoga. |
| doing with them. On top of that, if you can help your | | | | Be a good communicator. |
| students become more aware of their own bodies | | | | Teaching a yoga class is different than speaking with |
| and emotions and more accepting of their body and | | | | a friend or teaching an individual. It's important to be |
| emotions, you've done your job. Besides being a skillful | | | | clear and concise - using too many words can break |
| teacher, a great yoga teacher is also an interested | | | | the flow of the class and cause more confusion than |
| yoga student. It's important to establish and maintain | | | | help for your students. |
| your own daily practice to become a better teacher. | | | | Help students develop their inner awareness (or |
| There are certain things that you can never learn from | | | | practice developing your own) |
| books or from teaching others, that you can only learn | | | | Remind students (or yourself) to focus on the feel of a |
| (and pass onto your students) from consistently doing | | | | movement, rather than how it looks or how it |
| your own yoga practice. | | | | compares to others. Encourage students to focus |
| No matter what style of yoga you teach, you can | | | | inward on the feeling of a pose and on their breath. |
| follow certain guidelines to create a wonderful practice | | | | This helps students (or you) stay present in the |
| for your students or for yourself. By incorporating | | | | moment and connect movement and breath. The goal |
| some of the following teaching strategies, you will | | | | of yoga is not to get into certain positions, it's to |
| improve the overall experience for your students and | | | | become more aware of the present moment and |
| yourself. | | | | more comfortable with our bodies and our |
| Set objectives and themes. Find out the needs of your | | | | movements, as well as to keep our bodies and minds |
| class by asking students what they are looking to gain | | | | healthy through movement and focus. Being a great |
| from yoga practice. This will help you determine if it's | | | | yogi means understanding and accepting your mind |
| more important to focus on certain themes, such as | | | | and body, and taking time to care for both properly. |
| stress relieve, improving energy levels, back pain, | | | | Experience your own yoga practice. Whether you |
| strength, flexibility, etc. Set themes for your own | | | | want to deepen your own practice or teach yoga to |
| practice, so you have a different focus each time and | | | | others, make a commitment to your own daily yoga |
| keep it interesting. | | | | practice, even if it's just for 20 minutes. It's the only |
| Learn and share the benefits of specific yoga | | | | way you will really understand your students and how |
| postures and breathing exercises. Studies have shown | | | | yoga can make a life better. I can tell you that in all my |
| that educating students about their bodies and the | | | | time of daily yoga practice, I always learn some new |
| effects of the exercises they are doing increases | | | | thing that I can then share with my students, or that |
| motivation and exercise compliance. Learning about | | | | benefits my own practice. In your own yoga |
| specific benefits will increase your motivation too. | | | | experience, you learn things that you could never find |
| Remind students (and yourself) to breath and to focus | | | | in a yoga book. |
| on their breath throughout their practice. When holding | | | | Experience the principles of yoga off the mat. This |
| a difficult pose, we all have a tendency to hold our | | | | means letting go of judgment against yourself and |
| breath. Remind your students (or yourself) to breathe | | | | others, letting go of competition. Letting go of |
| fully and deeply. Focusing on the breath also brings | | | | expectations, and making time to simply be, by listening |
| attention inward and can deepen a practice by stilling | | | | to your breath and being fully aware of the present |
| the mind and putting you more in touch with the | | | | moment, not caught up in something that has already |
| present moment. | | | | happened or something you are worried will happen. |
| Practice effective presentation skills. Okay, this one is | | | | When you are feeling stressed, learn to stop for a |
| just for those who are planning to teach others. | | | | few minutes and simply focus on your breath. You |
| Remember to make eye contact with individual | | | | usually find that there are no problems in this moment, |
| students throughout the class. Be sure to make eye | | | | only peace if you choose to accept it. |
| contact with all parts of the classroom. Stand tall with | | | | |