Top Ten Mistakes of New Yoga Teachers

In my 22 years of practicing, 14 + years of teaching and 7 years of training yoga teachers, I have ten top things that you should beware of when you are a rookie yoga teacher.

1.    The number one mistake is trying to pack in everything they have learned into one class. Often new teachers are so super-inspired they have this evangelistic zeal to teach everyone in every class everything they know. They’ve spent hours studying and honing their craft. But remember you can’t convey it all in a one-hour asana class. It’s important to pare things down and have a focus. 

2.    You will make mistakes; don’t point them out or focus on them while teaching. Even experienced yoga teachers will make a mistake; there are a lot of moving parts in a yoga class. You’ll miss a pose on one side, or stumble over a word. Be sure to just smile and keep moving on. You don’t need to beat yourself up about it during class (or after!). No one wants to be the student in a class where you feel bad for the teacher. Another point here is if they think you only want perfection from yourself, they will expect you to want them to be perfect too. If you judge yourself harshly, they will assume you are judging them too. 

3.    Not starting or ending class on time. This sounds like a simple thing, but it’s really hard to do. There are times it is difficult to begin class on time as students are trickling in late; and then there will be classes when you realize you’re running out of time and have to edit your plan to fit in savasana. You need to do your best to stay on schedule. It is a sign of respect for your students. 

4.    Not looking at your students. It is only through actually looking at your students that you can see if they are hearing your cues and responding. If you have your back to them, or are busy performing the class, you cannot keep them safe. Don’t be up there in your perfect shoulderstand with no clue what your students are up to.

5.    Not “taking the seat of the teacher.” You are in charge of your room and your students. You are the teacher, the principal, the superintendent, the janitor and the hall monitor. If someone is disturbing other students, it is up to you to manage the room. If someone asks a question, answer them and if you don’t know the answer, tell them that you do not know and then do some research and get back to them. This command of the room creates the safe container for your students to focus on themselves.

6.    Rookie yoga teachers sometimes think the class is about them personally. Yoga teachers need to remember that it’s about the teachings, not the teacher. They are there to hold space, educate and offer love, assistance, and compassion. They are not there to be envied, admired or to perform. What you wear, how your hair looks are not important, except to the extent that those things help you to feel more confident. Be confident, but humble.

7.    Not managing the environment. You can have the most rocking playlist in the world but if your phone keeps dinging with notifications, that is all that anyone will remember. You can have a great sequence to teach and if you get to the gig and there is no clock, how are you going to keep track of the time? Have a checklist of items you bring with you when you teach and always have them on hand. If you are teaching at a new facility for the first time be sure to get there early to check out the environment and manage the technology, or check out the place ahead of time.

8.    Worrying that students will be “bored” with basic poses. Often new teachers want to offer lots of variations or try to teach something new and different to the students. What you will eventually figure out is that the more advanced students can geek out on basics, and that basics are never boring. If your students seem to be wanting more intensity, keep them in the pose longer. 

9.    Don’t compete with other yoga teachers. There is sometimes a lack mentality amongst yoga teachers. Remember that your students are YOUR students and they will find you. There are many flavors of yoga, and as your particular skills evolve your students will find you through the laws of vibration and resonance. Don’t doubt yourself or try to be anyone except yourself.

10. Last, but not least – don’t ever measure your success or skill as a yoga teacher based upon the number of students in the room. There are too many other factors that contribute to class attendance. The time of day, the location, the type of class – so many things can impact how many students show up for a class. Know that whoever is there, whether it is one student or thirty, you are there to serve them. Sometimes the Universe grants private classes or small group sessions. Don’t be disappointed, and don’t send the students away if it is a small group. And if no one shows up at all? Then it’s clearly time for you to spend on your mat with your own practice.

There is no greater way to learn, than to teach. Thank you for your service, fellow yoga teachers. We can indeed change the World.

What are your thoughts? Comment below!

Shanti,

Jill