Previous Episodes of Yoga Hero: Teachers Podcast

Episode 43: Should yoga teachers care about money?

Episode 42: Should yoga teachers demo while teaching?

Episode 41: Should yoga teachers use Sanskrit?

Episode 40: The business of teaching Yoga Nidra

Episode 39: How to develop a consistent Yoga Nidra practice (even with a busy life)

Episode 38: A Yoga Nidra for yoga teachers

Episode 37: Yoga Nidra: The art of sleeping to wake up

Episode 36:: How I Became a Full-Time Yoga Teacher

Episode 35: How to Become a Full-Time Yoga Teacher

Episode 34: Balancing having a job and teaching yoga

Episode 33: Balancing Parenting and Teaching Yoga

Episode 32: How to teach yoga workshops

Episode 31: How much to charge for your yoga classes

Episode 30: How to create your yoga brand

Episode 29: How to layer your asana classes with yoga philosophy

Episode 28: What’s your WHY as a yoga teacher

Episode 27: Setting up your own classes as a yoga teacher

Episode 26: How would you teach yoga if you weren’t afraid?

Episode 25: Do I need a yoga brand?

Episode 24: Tips for new yoga teachers

Episode 23: Define who you are as a yoga teacher

Episode 22: Yoga adjustments: Some important considerations

Episode 21: Tips for teaching yoga beginners

Episode 20: The joys of being a yoga teacher

Episode 19: Overcome imposter syndrome as a yoga teacher

Episode 18: Create your social media calendar

Episode 17: A complete guide to sequencing yoga classes

Episode 16: Do you need to teach a new yoga sequence each week?

Episode 15: Introducing yoga philosophy in to your asana classes

Tips for new yoga teachers – Transcript

Hello, and welcome to our Yoga Hero Teachers podcast. This podcast has been created to help yoga teachers teach with passion, avoid burn out and earn a fair living.

A little while ago, on our Yoga Hero Teachers Instagram account, we asked yoga teachers what tips they wish they’d known when starting out teaching. This podcast episode is a combination of those responses, plus the questions and advice we get asked most regularly.

As the episode title states, this episode is primarily aimed at new yoga teachers, but there’s bound to be some inspiration, and some food for thought, for experienced yoga teachers too, so if you’ve been teaching a little while, keep on listening! We all know that going back to basics and having a beginner’s mind is a really important part of crafting your teaching!

In this episode, we start off with sequencing tips – because nailing your sequencing and building confidence seem to take up most of a new yoga teacher’s time and mental bandwidth, and then we move on to some practical teaching tips and self-care tips too.

Above all, our biggest tip is to look after yourself. Never put your needs at the bottom of the pile; you know how you’re told to put your oxygen mask on before someone else’s, on a plane – well that. You’re able to give the most of yourself and the best of yourself, when you’re looking after yourself.

That said – let’s dive in to these tips!

1 You do not need a new sequence every week

We have a whole podcast episode about this, but this is still the question we get asked such a lot, by such a lot by yoga teachers, and it’s a concern that many have; setting aside time to plan, practice, modify and learn sequences is quite a big demand. Whilst your yogis might not want to do the same sequence week-in-week-out, year-in-year-out, they may not remember (no offence) what you taught last week or last month!

One advice is to have a few sequences in the bank, and adapt the focus, or the intention of the class, or change the length of time in Savasana, or change the starting asana to spice it all up a bit. Episode 16 is called ‘do I need a new sequence each week?’

– it’s linked to in the show notes, give it a listen after this one!

2 Nail your sequencing notes

Honestly, writing usable sequencing notes is half the battle for new yoga teachers! I’ve seen reams and reams of paper used, with every little instruction written out. I’ve seen stick people. I’ve seen various short codes for asana names, there’s so many options. In terms of writing out the entire sequence with lots of detail – a very strong word of warning on that – you’ll lose your place as soon as you look away from your note pad – so writing out every little detail is counter-intuitive. That said, especially when you’re newer to teaching and if you haven’t had much opportunity to practice, it can feel very nerve-wracking to not note down some prompts of what you’d like to say…

Experiment with different options and pay attention to what works for you. No one ever ever ever needs to see or understand your sequences, they’re for you only! We do have a free sequencing workbook – again that’s linked to in our shownotes.

3 Keep it simple

Keep it simple is quite excellent advice for all aspects of life! But here, we’re talking about it in relation to your sequencing. New yoga teachers often really dread boring their yogis; and so to keep the class fresh, or not boring, new yoga teachers sometimes over-complicate their sequences. Here’s my advice from my heart. Keep it simple. Let the nuances of your class come from thoughtful instruction, or layering in a philosophy concept, or a meaningful intention, rather than overly complex sequencing. The classes I’ve been to by trainee and new yoga teachers that have included huge mistakes and huge problems have always, always had complex sequencing. I’d recommend considering sticking to 2, 3, 4 asanas per sequence per side, with a vinyasa between sides, or a Balasana or a Tadasana or something, especially at first. Each vinyasa or each transition between sides, gives you a sly opportunity to collect yourself and check your notes while people aren’t looking at you. Whereas if you have 8 asanas or 10 or 12 asanas per side per sequence, you’re massively increasing the margin for error in terms of remembering the order, the names, the instructions and the transitions! Honestly, keep it simple. Start off by making it easier for yourself and well within your ability. As your confidence and ability and experience grows, which it will do, so too can the complexity of your sequence!

4 Layer your alignment cues

This is an art and a skill, especially when teaching open level classes, and it’s closely linked with our next point which is to move off your yoga mat. For layering your alignment cues, first of all aim your cues at the person in your class who’s newest to yoga. Ok I know at this point you’re probably thinking ‘argh more experienced yogis will get bored hearing where to put the feet for warrior 2’ but a) don’t underestimate how much they’re in their own experience – thinking how they should have practiced yesterday or wondering why they feel fatigued or wishing they hadn’t pressed send on an email that morning. B) often, more experienced yogis feel like it’s a stamp on their effort and their regular practice, that they know the alignment. And c) if they’re bored, well that’s on them. Only boring people get bored. You’re not there to entertain, not really, you’re there to guide and you need to guide everyone safely, especially the newbies.

Ok so back to layering your cues.

Look at your sequencing and see the poses that you repeat. All the asanas in a vinyasa probably. All the asanas in a sun salutation. Lunges? Warriors? Go through these asanas that you repeat and determine what cues are non-negotiable – these are usually cues for safety. And what cues are added extras, which are helping people get the most out of each pose and out of their practice, but if they don’t them, it’s not going to pose an injury risk. Now you’ve done that, you can use it in your teaching. The first time you visit a pose, use your non-negotiable cues for safety, and that’s it. Nice and clear, and concise. Then, the next time you get there, concisely re-iterate your safety cues then add on a nice to have. Third time you get there, add on another cue to help people get the most from it. If you haven’t taught like this, it might feel a bit sticky at first, be patient with yourself as you transition, but it really is such an incredible skill to be able to offer a safe, beneficial and enjoyable to all levels.

Ok but there’s a potential issue – this only works if you’re looking at, if you are observing your yogis. You cant assume that the non-negotiable, safety instructions have been understood and remembered, you need to see it in your yogis bodies who are practicing in front of you. But! You don’t want to be craning your neck in downward dog or child’s pose etc to see what people are up to! So this leads us on to…

5 Move off your yoga mat!

A little context might be useful here. In teacher trainings before COVID, our trainees would teach each other, I’d attend those classes and give feedback and I’d always say put effort in to moving off your mat. However, then as studios started to open up after lockdowns, teachers needed to stay on their mats, either because of the social distancing ruling or because they were being streamed for a hybrid online live class at the same time. Because of that, moving off the mat has seemingly become less of a priority for teachers, but I’d argue it isn’t  needed any less than it used to be.

For now, if you tend to teach quite stuck to your mat, just practice moving off your mat when people aren’t looking at you – it’s much easier I promise! For example when your yogis are in child’s pose, downward dog etc. Get up and look at their bodies and their alignment from the side of the room and the back of the room – it’s amazing what you learn!

6 Teach who’s in front of you

This leads nicely on to one that should be more obvious than it is – which is to teach who’s in front of you. The ability and the confidence to do this is down to the flexibility of your sequence, your confidence, your knowledge, especially your anatomical knowledge and your ability to watch your yogis as they practice. Be open and able to slow down or speed up your sequence, be open to missing chunks out of the sequence altogether – and if you’ve used our sequencing workbook, you’ll know how easy that can be to do. Be open to adding in options for more rest, or options like a sirsasana – headstand from prasarita paddottanasana – wide legged forward fold, for example.

Teaching who’s in front of you; responding to their facial expressions, the options they take when you give options, their alignment in different asanas, will allow you to deliver the class that they need. It really is a skill and it comes with time and experience, you can do it, I know you can do it! Keep working on all these tips and keep being patient with yourself.

7 Have a plan for when it hits the fan

You will, 100%, teach a class where you completely forget the words for left and right – not just which is which but the actual words themselves. You’ll forget what a leg is. You’ll forget the word ‘bend’ or ‘straighten’ or ‘breathe’. You’ll forget your entire sequence, and it’ll be on the one day you left your sequencing notebook at home. It’s going to happen, so make a plan for it now!

Your ‘when it hits the fan plan’ could be a back up sequence on your phone. It could be putting everyone in childs pose or downward puppy pose or savasana so you can collect your thoughts and get yourself together. It a pranayama technique so everyone’s eyes are closed. Your plan is your plan, and once it’s made it’s there for life, so you’ll never be completely stuck for what to do!

8 Get teaching experience

And here’s the most obvious one of them all! To get more and more and more teaching experience. The thing is, to get experience you need  confidence. but to increase your confidence, you need more experience, it’s a real chicken and egg situation!

So let’s look at gaining experience in pressure-free ways; consider teaching friends, family, colleagues – basically anyone that you trust to be kind, and honest, with you. Consider teaching for free, or ‘pay as you feel’ or for charity. Whilst we’re not recommending teaching for free, free, if you’re getting something in return like experience and feedback, you might feel that that is payment enough. Finally, look for feedback and mentoring schemes online, or at studios near you – we have a NQYT scheme at our studio and online if you want to have a look at that

9 Pause at the beginning of each and every class

New yoga teachers tend to say yes yes yes at the every opportunity, which is exciting, but can leave you running between classes like a bit of a mad thing. You know that feeling, the traffic is bad or the bus is late and your right on the last minute for your class. You dash in, roll out your matt and immediately it’s ‘hi yogis, how are you, ok we’re going to stat in savasana so come lie on your back….’ etc.

Well, in those classes, and indeed in all classes, force yourself to breathe with your yogis. Be still, take a deep inhale for your count of four and your deep exhale for your count of 6, a few times. Feel how you settle in to the moment.

10 Keep practicing

This doesn’t mean 90 minutes of vinyasa every  damn day. It means get on your mat and do a nidra or some yin or some pranayam or some sutra study or something. Something for you the person, not you the yoga teacher. Keep reminding yourself and experiencing the many, many benefits of this wonderful practice. Your practice keeps you connected and whole and helps your teachings be authentic.

11 Know why you’re teaching

We’ll do a whole episode on this soon. But for now, answer this question and hold the answer in your heart: why do you teach yoga?

12 Define who you are as a yoga teacher

The overwhelm of trying to be all things to all people is knackering. Knowing who you are, and who you want to teach helps you understand where to put your valuable resources of mental bandwidth, time and energy. Podcast episode 23 is all about defining who you are as a yoga teacher, and of course, it’s linked to in the shownotes.

Ok yoga teachers, there’s 12 top tips to help you be the best teacher you can be. We could have written 120 tips and still kept going, the idea is to give you some food for thought, get in good habits, and to remind you to keep being kind to yourself.

If you have a couple of minutes free, we’d be so so so so grateful if you could rate and review this podcast where ever you’re listening to it, and if you can share with a training, new or experienced yoga teacher too, well that would be just amazing.

We’d love to know how you’re finding these episodes, and if they’ve been helpful. Please do let me know by emailing hello@yogahero.co.uk or sending a DM to @yogahero_teachers on instagram.

And, as always, happy teaching.