What makes a great yoga teacher?

March 31, 2021 Denise Davis-Gains

What makes yoga teachers good at what they do?

A long time ago, I decided that I was going to be committed and great at what ever I chose to do in life. To go the extra distance, to dive deeper into my why and find the best ways to accomplish the tasks before me. Fitness and Yoga collided in 1993, I was already on a path to teaching at some of the top elite fitness centres in the City of Toronto, where I lived at the time. After yoga teacher training I applied the same principles to teaching yoga. Learn as much as I could about the tradition, many years later, I am still learning.

Of course, there are a few things to consider when we are starting out—and some very practical “do’s and don’ts.” I often advise new yoga teachers to keep their sequences simple and incorporate more challenging asanas and trickier transitions eventually, as they gain experience and confidence. To always teach from a place of experience. Throughout a yoga teacher’s career, maintaining relevant and current technical knowledge of anatomy and alignment is necessary, the ability to guide students safely in and out of poses is imperative and a deep love of people. Clear, calm, confident and caring instruction is important

While the essence of what makes a yoga teacher a great teacher can be highly personal, there are some attributes that are under our control and we can work on improving.

Many in the yoga world feel that teachers need to understand anatomy and physiology in depth, and I do agree with this. Anatomy is a buzzword in yoga media today, it seems like anyone who's interested in yoga (whether they are a yoga teacher or not) is expected to be well informed about anatomy.

In reality, there are a number of things that inspire us to teach. Some chose this profession because they want to share yoga as a form of exercise, others teach because they’ve found yoga to be both physically, emotionally or spiritually therapeutic and want to share what that experience with others.

While there is a certain degree of self-exploration involved in teaching yoga (again, like asking yourself the question: “How can I move from being an okay teacher to a great teacher?”) For the most part, it is about our students in a student centred teaching style. While other styles of yoga are teacher centred - which is not wrong. Ultimately to be a great teacher a focus on students can be the game changer.

And learning to grow strong, healthy relationships with them is of utmost importance.

ATTRIBUTES OF A GREAT YOGA TEACHER

1. Great teachers checks in with students. At the beginning of each class, take a moment to touch base with students and ask them how they are doing, what is coming up for them today, and about possible new or grumpy old injuries.

This doesn’t mean that you have to ask students to announce their health histories to the entire class, but you can invite them to raise a hand, or to flag you over during warm-up exercises if they have any important information or concerns to share with you. Remind them that they can come a little early for class or stay after class if they would like a private conversation regarding anything that the client would like you to know about.

2. A great teacher enjoys and facilitates silent space. I like details so sometimes I have to remind myself to say less and observe more. Ask at the end of class, was there enough space to go inward?

Be brave, take a deep breath, and savour the silence. Let it be time for you to catch your breath, observe students and be of service.

Too much silence especially in the new online environment can make students start to wonder if the internet has dropped them. Watch for agitation, eyes opening or heads cranking to see the teacher and use words or breath to bring them back to an awareness of the posture/experience.

3. Great teachers are open to student suggestions, but not afraid to think outside the box. When we first begin teaching, just designing a yoga class can feel daunting, let alone trying to come up with modifications and alternative postures for specific students. Just give it time. Once we start teaching we begin to learn what students’ practice preferences are.

That said, it’s also important to think outside the box. In my general all-levels classes, if I have students who primarily want to work on hip opening, I try to change things up so that they continue to get broad exposure to different yoga styles, poses, and themes. I still teach the class plan that I arranged for that day, I just bring awareness to how the hips feel through out the practice and possible how releasing the neck and shoulders affect the hips and low back.

I’ve found that my more advanced students often get “tunnel vision” about how to progress in a certain pose or achieve something they are working toward. They can be so focused on particular poses that they start to neglect other areas of their practice. Be open to creating sequences based on students’ preferences, but also be aware that challenging them to break out of their practice comfort zone is important. Students appreciate being seen and coached.

4. They're the first to arrive to class and the last to leave. Great yoga teachers take time to build relationships with their students. Showing up early and sticking around after class can open up opportunities for dialogue and a sense of community.

Perhaps your students are wondering where else you teach, or maybe they’re interested in a weekend retreat. I’ve had conversations with students after class that have allowed me to gain a much greater understanding about what they want from practice, as well as how they’d like to integrate practice into their daily lives.

By engaging with your students and addressing their questions and needs, you will become a more successful teacher. That’s how you develop a “following” based on mutual trust and support. Most importantly, you’ll be able to offer students class experiences that can help them to feel more empowered and content, both in and out of the yoga studio.

5. Great yoga teachers are present, not "perfect." Whatever you take away from this article, remember one thing: Teaching yoga isn’t about trying to fit into a mold of what an ideal teacher “should” be. You’re teaching to a room full of students who have different needs and intentions for practice, which may require you to wear many hats. Sometimes students don’t want or need an anatomy lesson or tons of alignment cues in class. Sometimes they just want a fun sequence, less talk, and more space to feel and move and breathe. Be open to what the students in front of you require and desire, moment to moment.

What makes yoga teachers good at what they do?

Recently, as I was putting together a new yoga sequence for an upcoming class, it dawned on me that there is a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to answering this question, and even more room for interpretation when it comes to figuring out what makes a teacher not just “good,” but outstanding.

Of course, there are a few things to consider when you’re starting out—and some very practical “do’s and don’ts.” I often advise new yoga teachers to keep their sequences simple and incorporate more challenging asanas and trickier transitions eventually, as they gain experience and confidence. It’s also safe to say that throughout a yoga teacher’s career, maintaining relevant and current technical knowledge of anatomy and alignment will be necessary, and that the ability to guide students safely in and out of poses is imperative. Clear, calm, confident instruction is also important.

Some common sense “don’ts” include not being present with your students (like texting while you’re teaching—I’ve seen it happen!), picking on students for taking breaks when they need to, or using lots of “yoga jargon” without explaining what it means. The list could go on and on, but I think you get the idea!

But then what? What is the secret to going from “good” to “great”?

It depends on who you talk to.

Many in the yoga world feel that teachers need to understand anatomy and physiology in depth. Anatomy has become such a buzzword in yoga media these days, it seems like anyone who's interested in yoga (whether they are a yoga teacher or not) is expected to be an anatomy expert.

There’s also a long-held perspective among some yoga teachers that a person has to be extremely spiritual to teach yoga; that to be a “true” yoga teacher one would have studied at an ashram in India, practicing karma yoga all day before sitting in meditation for ten hours straight.

In reality, there are a number of things that inspire people to teach. Some chose this profession because they want to share yoga as a form of exercise, others teach because they’ve found yoga to be both physically and emotionally therapeutic and want to share what they’ve experienced with others.

So where am I going with this?

Perhaps by creating an increasing number of unnecessary yoga “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” we’re putting a lot more energy into our images and identities as teachers and a lot less energy into how we can show up most optimally for our students.

Regardless of where you fall along the “yoga teachers should/yoga teachers shouldn’t” spectrum, here’s one thing that we as yoga teachers need to remember:

And learning to grow strong, healthy relationships with them is of utmost importance.

5 TRAITS OF A GREAT YOGA TEACHER

1. Great teachers check in with their students. At the beginning of each class, take a moment to touch base with your students and ask them about possible injuries. It’s common for teachers to forget to do this. It can be easy for us to take checking in for granted, especially if we’ve been teaching a while and we have regular students. I know there have been times when I’ve forgotten.

New yoga teachers might also feel nervous enquiring about injuries. But it’s helpful to know beforehand which poses could be adjusted to enhance the class experience for students who want to avoid worsening any injury. This doesn’t mean that you have to ask students to announce their health histories to the entire class, but you can invite them to raise a hand, or to flag you over during warm-up exercises if they have any important information or concerns to share with you.

2. They enjoy the silent moments. Some yoga teachers, especially those who are fairly new, tend to be a bit scared of silence. As a result, they may overdo instruction, which can be distracting for students. I myself chattered on incessantly when I first started teaching, feeling like I had to share everything I knew about a pose each time I cued it, and that I had to fill every moment of class with information or “inspiration.” The silence totally intimidated me, that is, until I realized what creating silent moments could offer my students. Developing space for quiet moments in class will give your students the opportunity to listen to their bodies and to focus on their individual intentions for practice.

Be brave, take a deep breath, and savor the silence.

3. They're open to student suggestions, but not afraid to think outside the box When you first begin teaching, just designing a basic class can feel daunting, let alone trying to come up with something that’s satisfying for your students. Just give it time. Once you start teaching you’ll begin to learn what your students’ asana preferences are.

I’ve found that my more advanced students often get “tunnel vision” about how to progress in a certain pose or achieve something they are working toward. They can be so focused on particular poses that they start to neglect other areas of their practice. Be open to creating sequences based on students’ preferences, but also be aware that challenging them to break out of their asana comfort zones is important. And I’ve found it’s almost always welcomed.

6. Great teachers maintain the standards in certification. Most governing bodies require 20-30 hours of continuing education per year and that we teach a minimum of 20 classes per year to maintain our standard of certification. We are not required to register with these organizations to practice or teach, but great teachers are continually learning how to be a better teacher, how to deepen or expand their own practice and/or to deepen their knowledge base in regards to their niche in the yoga world.

Read, keep reading everyday. Read about yoga, the parts that excite you. We are more likely to share what we are reading and getting excited about than anything on the news or world events. Leave all of that for the coffee after class if necessary - let the class be a place of retreat, rejuvenation, relaxation.

7. Great teachers consider all aspects of class design. Class planning is about considering including many aspects of yoga so that we educate our participants and share from a place of non-attachment with students. Choosing consciously music or no music, where you teach from in the room or on zoom. What is the mood or Brava that you want to create - bright sunny light, airy music, quiet space or candle lit, moody, low light, heart-beat-drum rhythms… All of these things can leave students feeling “wow” that was an amazing experience.

8. Great teacher follow up with students. Following up with a student in an email, on social media or by telephone can be another game changer. When a student hasn’t been in class for a while, take the time to check in and see how they are doing. Often there has been a crisis, life change or other upset that they are happy to talk about and feel missed by their community.

What is it that you feel makes a great yoga teacher? We would love to hear your ideas?