Yoga & Ayurveda Blog

Reflecting recently about my first 4 months as a “real” yoga teacher, I discovered that I have some valuable advice to pass on to other new teachers. These top 4 tips might seem pretty basic, but as we all know: simple is usually best.

1. Keep up your sadhana – Hopefully you established a regularly scheduled daily practice either before or during your teacher training program. Don’t let this beneficial habit slip by the wayside. It’s of utmost importance that we “walk the talk” so our students trust us, but allow your personal practice to organically fit in to your schedule if you’re busy. Also, if your sadhana is too long or complicated for your current time allotment, maybe you need to simplify something. Personal practice also gives us an opportunity to experiment with ideas for students before their classes & keeps us in a beginner’s frame of mind.

2. Meditate – Really a part of #1, but meditation truly deserves our attention because it helps in observable ways. We all know how powerful this yoga tool can be. Once again, make sure to carve out the time & observe without judgment.

3. Listen more, talk less – Honestly, I’m still working on this one. I danced semi-professionally & I was a ham and a stage hog! After one of my first classes teaching, a dear friend & student made the comment that I needed to leave more silence during my teaching. I took this to heart & I think about it every class. Once you’ve used the right words to cue the students into the āsana & guided them to their own breath awareness, let them go inside on their own mindful yoga journey. Plus, being quiet helps you really listen to people.

4. Trust yourself – Let go of the notion of perfection & trust that you’ve prepared yourself to teach to the best of your ability. Then remember, all teachers make mistakes. The trick is being able to honestly laugh it off. This is pretty easy for me (again because of my dance improvisation & performance background), but I know it can be tough for many. Yoga students are like dogs & horses; they can smell fear. When you laugh off your own mistakes & accept that you’re not perfect, you might even create an opportunity to address & bring more awareness of this universal fear to your students.

As I travel on my yoga teaching journey, I know these simple yet valuable ideas & tools will help me continue to experience smooth sailing in the classroom.

Aloha & Namaste, Pamela