Want to get better at teaching yoga? Use the tool in your hand—record yourself during class and watch the video. It’s a game-changer for identifying areas of improvement.
Yoga teachers: there’s one really quick way to get better RIGHT away, and it uses the very tool you’re probably holding right now.
It’s to record yourself and watch the video!
I suggest you do this every few months. Here’s how.
First, record yourself during a real class. This doesn’t have to be a professional-grade video; even five minutes captured on your phone will teach you loads. Be sure you let your students know that you are doing this solely for your self-improvement, and angle the camera so that your students aren’t on-screen—or obtain their permission before including them in the shot.
Once you’ve got the recording take a few deep breaths, settle down, and watch it. Here’s what to do:
Number 1. Be alone. Watch the video and allow yourself all the cringing you want. If your experience is like mine, you’ll think, in quick succession: “Do I really look like that?!?” “Do I really sound like that?!?” and “When did I turn into my mother?!?” (To be clear, in my case, that’s a good thing, if a little shocking.)
Number 2. Start over. Look for the good. Pinpoint at least three things you did well.
Number 3. Start over again. Listen for the filler. Hear your go-to words, and determine which could be cut. If you don’t hear any, try transcribing your own video, which will likely make them jump out. Even five minutes of typing a transcription will show you what could go. You will very quickly type and see every extraneous word. Even ten minutes of this task will help you immensely.
Number 4. Start over yet again. Use a timer to gauge whether you are offering a similar duration of hold on both sides of asymmetrical poses, and listen to hear whether you give students express permission to stay longer or move out of a pose early. If you like, follow along with the class and see how it feels.
Number 5. Repeat this exercise, making a new recording and reviewing it, again at regular intervals. Aim to do it a few times each year. It’s painful, I know, but self-review with video is one of the quickest tools to make you the best teacher you can be.
