Most yoga teachers seem to think they need to fill every moment of class with instructions. That’s completely wrong, and it’s exhausting to try.
In 20 years of teaching from professional athletes to complete beginners, from corporate boardrooms to college campuses, I’ve learned that experienced teachers aren’t the ones who say the most. They’re the ones who’ve mastered the art of saying just enough to get students safely into and out of poses, plus what’s needed to direct their attention during the experience.
The rest of the time? Silence.
The Blank Expression That Changed My Teaching
I’ll never forget teaching a group of college football players early in my career. I had this beautiful, detailed sequence planned with layers of alignment cues and philosophical insights about yoga and competition. Five minutes in, I looked out at 30 huge guys with completely blank expressions.
My first thought: They hate this. I’m bombing.
But here’s what I’ve learned since then. Those blank expressions weren’t boredom. They were concentration. These athletes were processing, working internally, doing exactly what yoga asks us to do.
My constant chatter was actually getting in their way.
You Aren’t Being Paid by the Word
When I first started teaching, I thought good instruction meant having something insightful to say about every pose, every transition, every breath. I’d spend hours crafting elaborate verbal explanations, worried that silence meant I wasn’t earning my paycheck.
I had a background in public radio where dead air is a big no-no and experience teaching college English, where I would talk, talk, and talk some more. So naturally, I brought all that verbal energy into the yoga room.
Here’s the thing most new yoga teachers don’t understand: teaching yoga isn’t like delivering the evening news, giving a TED Talk, or doing standup comedy. There’s no such thing as dead air.
When you don’t know what to say, say nothing.
The most experienced teachers I know—the ones students flock to, the ones who’ve been teaching for decades—are masters at keeping their mouths shut. They know just what to say to get students safely into poses and what to say to direct attention during the experience. The rest of the time, silence.
This creates space for students to turn inward, which is what yoga is really about.
The Three Cue Rule
When you bombard your students with multiple cues at once, you’re actually working against how the brain processes information.
Think about learning to drive. When you first sat behind the wheel, someone telling you to check your mirrors, signal, look over your shoulder, ease off the brake, gently press the gas, and watch for pedestrians all at once would’ve sent you into a panic.
But “put the car in drive” followed by “press gently on the gas”? That you could handle.
The same principle applies in yoga class. When I used to rattle off five or six alignment cues for Warrior II—ground through your feet, engage your front thigh, spin your back heel down, lift through the crown of your head, soften your shoulders, and breathe—I’d see that deer-in-headlights look. Students would freeze trying to process my laundry list instead of actually experiencing the pose.
Here’s the three cue rule: Give no more than three instructions on the first side of any pose. That’s it.
Here’s how this might look in Warrior II:
First side: “Step your right foot forward. Spin your left heel down. Bend your right knee.”
That’s three clear actions. Let them find the shape. Breathe. Stabilize.
Second side: Since they know the basic setup, you might add: “Warrior II on the left. This time, notice how you’re distributing weight between your feet. Can you find a bit more grounding through your back leg?”
See the difference? The first side establishes the foundation. The second side refines the experience.
If your initial three cues land well—if students look settled and focused rather than confused—they won’t need much direction for the second side. This frees you to be quiet, maybe add some imagery that connects to your class theme, or simply let them be present with the experience.
Here’s the key insight: your students don’t know exactly where your sequence is heading. Only you do. They’re not thinking, “She forgot to mention the shoulder action in Warrior II.” They’re trying to follow along, breathe, and stay present. Trust that they’re getting what they need.
Your Students Learn Differently
Your students learn in completely different ways, and reading these differences will transform your teaching.
Some students thrive on verbal cues alone. Others are visual learners who need to see what you’re doing before they can embody it themselves. You’ll quickly recognize the visual learners in your class—when you raise your arm to tuck your hair behind your ear, their arms will lift too. These mirror movements actually give you valuable insight into your own unconscious gestures and habits.
For poses where balance is key, like tree pose or warrior three, consider stepping out of visual students’ sight lines when you cue, rather than demonstrating. Your movement, even subtle weight shifts, can actually make it harder for them to find stability. Or if you need to stay visible for safety, try dropping into a squat once you’ve given your demonstration.
I also work with students who have hearing challenges, so I’ve learned to use my hands like a conductor. Let your arms describe the energetics of poses. Raise a finger to indicate an upcoming transition. Point to areas of your body where students might feel the work.
This visual language supports everyone, and it frees up your words. You’re not trying to fill time with the sound of your voice.
Then there are students who learn through feeling—they really need to experience resistance, weight, or support to understand a cue. These folks benefit from props, from using the wall, or from gentle physical assists, always with consent and where appropriate.
Silence Is Your Most Powerful Teaching Tool
Silence terrifies most new instructors. When I teach teachers, I often suggest this exercise: when it works in the flow of your class, give your students three clear cues to get into a pose, then stay quiet for a full minute.
Of course, this isn’t going to work in a flow class, but for the second half of class when you’re doing longer holds, try it out.
Most teachers can’t do it. They’ll make it about 15 seconds before they feel compelled to add something—anything—to fill the space.
But here’s what happens in that minute of silence: students stop looking to you for constant guidance and start tuning into their own experience. They notice their breath. Feel where they’re holding tension. Discover their edge.
This internal awareness is the real goal of asana practice.
The exception: online teaching, especially live streaming. Silence can make students think their connection has frozen. In these cases, preface longer holds by saying something like, “We’ll be holding this pose for about three minutes and I’ll get quiet except for a few check-ins to remind you we’re still here together.” Then every 30 seconds or so, drop in a simple cue: “Notice where you could soften,” “Stay with your breath,” or just “We’re still here.”
This teaches you to be intentional with every word. In person, embrace those quiet moments. Online, use minimal, purposeful language to maintain connection.
Finding Your Authentic Teaching Voice
Most new teachers need to slow down and speak up. When you’re excited or nervous, it’s natural to talk too fast and too quietly.
Here’s a technique I learned during my six years as a radio announcer: try tapping your foot very slowly while you teach. This simple action will naturally regulate your speaking pace. You can’t rush your words when your foot is keeping steady, slow time.
But be careful not to overcorrect into an artificially slow yoga voice—that breathy, overly melodic tone that doesn’t sound like you. There’s a big difference between a calm voice and a quiet voice. Speaking too quietly frustrates students who strain to hear you. Speaking in an affected tone distances you from them.
Your authentic voice is your greatest asset. If you naturally speak with energy and enthusiasm, don’t try to sound like a meditation teacher. If you’re more naturally calm and measured, don’t try to match someone else’s dynamic style.
Students are drawn to teachers who sound like themselves, not like they’re performing a role.
When it comes to volume, here’s the test: can the person in the back corner hear you clearly without straining? If your cues aren’t landing, you may need to project more. If students are wincing or seem tense, dial it back. When in doubt, ask. Have a student in the back row agree to point up if you need to be louder and down if you need to be quieter.
The Imagery You Use Matters (But Only If It’s Authentic)
If figurative language feels natural to you, great. Use it. If it doesn’t, it’s okay to skip it entirely.
Personally, I rely heavily on food analogies in my teaching. I use “spicy” and “sweet” instead of “hard” and “easy.” Or I might say “simmer” instead of “hold intensely.” This language feels authentic to me, probably because I think about food constantly.
But I’ve seen teachers force flowery metaphors that clearly don’t come naturally, and it creates distance rather than connection.
When you do use imagery, commit to it fully. Don’t say “press your palms into the earth” when you really mean “press into your mat.” But if you’re going for a metaphor, go all the way: “Press down as though you’re shooting roots deep into the earth, drawing up nourishment for your practice.”
The key is specificity. Instead of “reach your arms up,” try “reach your arms up like you’re placing something precious on a high shelf.” Instead of “twist deeper,” try “spiral from your core, like you’re wringing out a wet towel.”
Specific imagery gives students something concrete to work with.
Don’t Apologize Too Much
Julia Child famously said about cooking mistakes: “Never apologize. It only makes a bad situation worse by drawing attention to your shortcomings and prompting your guest to think, yes, you’re right, this really is an awful meal.”
A quick “whoops, I meant your left leg” demonstrates your humanity and gets everyone back on track. But avoid the constant “sorry, sorry” that some teachers fall into.
Your students don’t know everything you planned to say or do. They’re following your lead in the moment.
More than once, I have completely forgotten to do a pose in a sequence I planned—either entirely or on one side. Not once has a student mentioned it. They have no idea what I missed because they’re present with what’s actually happening, not with my internal script.
Here’s something crucial: perfectionism in your yoga teaching serves no one. Your students need a confident guide, but they don’t need a flawless performance. And if you get caught in your own head trying to be perfect, you’ll miss out on being present.
Try This in Your Next Class
Here’s your challenge: in your next class, try the three cue rule. Give three clear instructions to get students into a pose, then pause. Count to 10 slowly in your head before you say anything else.
Notice how this changes the energy in the room. Notice how it changes your own anxiety or your own need to control the experience.
The art of cueing isn’t about having perfect words for every moment. It’s about saying just enough to guide your students safely, then creating space for them to have their own experience.
Clarity builds confidence—both in your students and in yourself. And sometimes the most powerful cues are the ones you don’t say.
The best teachers aren’t the ones who talk the most. They’re the ones who know when to speak and when to let silence do the teaching.
Watch the full video breakdown of the 3-Cue Rule and hear real examples from my 20 years of teaching on my YouTube channel. I walk you through exactly how to implement this in different class formats and what to do when students have different learning styles.
Want ongoing support for your teaching? Join us in The Zone, my free community for yoga teachers. We have monthly calls where we dive into real teaching challenges, ongoing discussions, and a host of resources to help you teach with more confidence and ease.
