Yoga teacher affirmation: I don’t make the decisions, my students do. Recognize that everything you offer in class is a suggestion—not a command, and not a challenge. Allow students to make their own executive decisions about what to do with their bodies and how to...
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. It’s not about you. And no one gives feedback if they don’t...
Yoga teachers: you only have to be you. You don’t have to look like, sound like, or teach like your own teacher or the colleague you are subbing for. Don’t apologize for who you are. Your students can practice no matter who the teacher is, and you have something of...
Yoga teacher affirmations: It’s OK to be quiet. When in doubt, say nothing. Teaching yoga is not delivering a monologue, a speech, or a radio program. There is no “dead air.” In fact, silence is critical to giving your students time to connect with themselves....
Yoga teacher: your students don’t come to class to judge you. It’s not about you at all! They just want to feel better during and after class. When you start to think you need to make class harder, faster, more “sophisticated,” remember that it’s about your students’...
Yoga teachers (and really, any teachers): you don’t have to know it all—you couldn’t possibly ever know it all! You don’t even need to know more about yoga than your students do. You just need to know a little something about yoga. You only need to know one wise and...
