Day 2: Three Things to Remember as a Yoga Teacher (John)

1) Always remain a student
Keep your ego in check. Be open minded

2) Keep Practicing
This is the source of your creativity. Teaching class doesn't count; you have to practice for yourself. You need to keep teaching from your own experience. Practice with a journal nearby to jot down any ideas.

3) Lead as a Role Model
Know what it means to be a yoga teacher, what people associate with you. Yoga is a physical practice infused with spiritual philosophy, so people might look to you for guidance in more than just asanas. It's your responsibility to realize that and live up to that role.

And another thing that isn't something to do so much as it is a reality you may or may not notice - you will attract people who like you and who are like you. There will always be people who like you and people who don't. So whatever your teaching style, keep it yours.


We each taught for the first time today. Nothing big. John just asked us lead a couple of sun salutations, but it's surprisingly difficult. What is very easy to see and do can be really difficult to describe. Particularly when it comes to moving the body, verbal description is cumbersome and useless without a visual demonstration. There are so many ways to say "raise your hands upwards" or "sweep your hands up towards the ceiling" or "reach towards the sky." It all depends on your focus and the amount of detail you think you need. All the same, you need to keep an even pacing, so it's probably best to just get the gross movement and the "inhale, exhale" cues.

I learned all the yoga I know by simply copying people, so I'd want my verbal instruction to be as succinct as possible so as not to fill the room with needless talking. My main concern would be remembering moves and transitions, and thinking ahead. The moment we were told we'd lead the class through sun salutations, my mind went blank and I for a second I doubted I could do it. I've done a million sun salutations, but someone else was always keeping count. I know we're supposed to be mindful in our practice and all that, but during class I'm in the passenger seat - I don't pay attention to what roads we passed or how far we've traveled, I just enjoy the ride.That's how it's supposed to be for the student, but for the teacher it's the exact opposite. So I guess now I need to learn how to drive.