Category: Yoga Teacher Affirmations
Affirmation: I Greet My Students by Name
Yoga teacher affirmation: I greet my students by name. I see my students. I acknowledge that students come to class to be seen. I show I see them by calling them by name. And I confirm I am pronouncing names correctly, so that everyone feels truly seen.
The Importance of Learning and Using Your Students’ Names in Yoga Class
One of the most powerful ways to foster connection in your yoga class is simple: learn your students’ names and use them—correctly.
Affirmation: I Am Not the Hero. I’m the Guide.
Yoga teacher affirmation: I center my students’ agency by recognizing that I am not the hero, I am the guide. Everything I offer is a suggestion designed to guide the hero on their journey. For lots more on this affirmation and why it will change every element of your class and your career:
Affirmation: I Know My Teaching Is Part of My Practice
Yoga teacher affirmation: I know my teaching is part of my practice. I learn from every class.
Affirmation: I Trust My Students
Affirmation: I trust my students to express their unique selves through their poses.
Affirmation: I Know That Teachers Come in All Forms
Yoga teacher affirmation: I know that teachers come in all forms, human/nonhuman, in and out of yoga, all ages, all shapes, all colors.
Affirmation: I Have a Sense of Humor
Affirmation: I have a sense of humor—it’s only yoga. If at the end of class, people feel better, it was a win.
Affirmation: I Celebrate My Colleagues
Affirmation: I celebrate my colleagues and support them. I go to my colleagues’ classes and welcome them in mine.
Affirmation: I Am in Conversation with My Students
Teaching yoga is a conversation, though it can sound like a monologue to you. Your students are providing nonverbal answers to your prompts.
Affirmation: A Calm Voice Is Not Always a Quiet Voice
A calm voice is not always a quiet voice. Speak in a way that is relaxing, but don’t make your students work too hard to hear you.
Affirmation: I Don’t Make the Decisions
Yoga teacher affirmation: I don’t make the decisions, my students do. What you offer in class is always a suggestion—not a command.
Affirmation: Feedback Is an Expression of Taste
Yoga teachers: recognize that each student will have their own likes, dislikes, and needs. Aim to appreciate feedback, take what is useful, and set down what is simply an expression of the giver’s taste.