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Finding the right Yoga teacher for you as an Individual.
When looking for the most suitable Yoga teacher for you, it is essential to consider what you would like from your practice. Many teachers have great diversity, and others want to focus on something more specific, so it is essential to find the right teacher for you as an individual.
“A great Yoga teacher will open the door to your awareness of what it means to integrate the practice of Yoga into your daily life encompassing your whole being, Mind, Body and Soul”.
A Safe Practice
First and foremost, you want to consider a safe Yoga practice free from potential injury. With many crash Yoga teacher trainings and four-week online teacher training courses, finding someone who understands the importance of safe Yoga practice is essential. This requires a deeper understanding of the importance of correct alignment and anatomy. A good Yoga teacher pays attention to detail and won’t let you slip into too many bad habits. Many teachers use props such as bolsters, blocks and belts to help facilitate a safer, more specific, more modified practice, which is a good sign, especially if you have an injury.
Note it is essential to check with your Doctor before starting Yoga if you have any health concerns that may affect your practice. If you get the go-ahead, don’t be afraid to let your teacher know, so he or she can modify your practice where necessary. As a teacher, I have a lot of respect for Doctors. Although Yoga and a healthy lifestyle can be healing and preventative, I don’t believe it’s a substitute for other forms of often necessary treatment.
Intuition
Every body is different making it essential for a teacher try to intuitively understand you the student, to notice when something’s not right and correct it with kindness.
Find a teacher who pays attention to you as an individual and can work with you while expressing a willingness to listen to your needs, physically, mentally and spiritually, whilst guiding you towards the practice that best suits you and your lifestyle. A good teacher isn’t afraid to push you but knows when to hold back, happily adapting poses to suit your needs.
Empathy
Yoga can be a scary thing to start for the first time, which is why I believe a good teacher doesn’t intimidate the student; they make an effort to help them feel comfortable. You will notice a good teacher will let you know what you’re doing something well, as well as make corrections where necessary. You should never leave a class feeling like you’ve failed! This is not what Yoga is about. Yoga can also bring many things to the surface, including deep-rooted feelings and emotions. Being very sensitive, I personally prefer to work with a teacher who’s not afraid of a few tears or some accidental laughter.
Patience
Unless you’re a rapid learner, I recommend working with someone with patience and compassion. A teacher who can guide you while allowing you to learn at your own pace. Everyone knows differently and at a different rate. Best to find a teacher who will patiently work with you at your own speed yet not be afraid to challenge you when the time is right.
A Deep Personal Understanding Of Yoga
A deep personal understanding of Yoga as a whole, through their own prolonged practice and experience, honouring the reasons behind Yoga while understanding the eight Limbs of Yoga. This is not to say different teachers don’t have different views; they absolutely do. It might take trying a few other classes before you find the suitable course for you Individually. One of my favourite things about the Yoga Journey is that there’s always something new to learn and discover. Every book, student and teacher can teach us something new.
Confident Communication
Try to find a confident communicator who can guide you through each pose with assured guidance, correcting students’ alignment while ensuring you’re practising safely. As a teacher, getting around to everyone can be challenging, especially in a large group class. I always recommend a few private lessons before joining a group class.
Provide Guidance
A good teacher will get you into a pose, but a more experienced teacher will know how to explain poses properly and break them down, so that you can follow them with guided direction. Most established teachers will know at least the basic poses in Sanskrit and have some knowledge of the philosophy behind Yoga, as well as a deeper understanding of the correct physical alignment, which can differ slightly from person to person. This is not to say the whole class should be in Sanskrit, especially when most of the students are beginners. That would just be mean!
Mutual Student Teacher Respect
It is essential for there to be mutual student-teacher respect, where no one is made to feel uncomfortable or like they have to do something just because the teacher said so. We have all heard of the “Guru culture”, not just in the Yoga community but in many industries. Just because they are teaching you doesn’t mean you have to take on everything they say. Listen to your inner voice; if something doesn’t feel right, you’re probably right.
On the other hand, many teachers work long hours on and off the mat, so try not to cancel lessons last minute. Your teacher needs to be able to make a living and have time to rest just like everybody else; it is essential to understand this as a student so that we can give you the best Yoga lessons we can. When booking lessons, we enter an agreement, so once you are booked in for a specific time, we cannot book anyone else in for that time slot. If you cancel, we lose necessary wages that usually go towards a roof over our heads, alongside the running of our business.
Teaching for free is not an option for most teachers unless they have a trust fund. This is not to say I don’t think it’s good to give something back. Teaching for a local charity, for example, or offering free lessons to someone in a time of need, Is a gift we can give.
It’s more to do with the many enquiries teachers receive from students looking for a free trial with no intention of continuing lessons. Many of these enquiries come through on booking websites, where the teacher is charged for the contact, so we would end up paying to teach someone for free. Most of us don’t have time for our practice some days, let alone the time or physical energy, to conduct free private lessons to time wasters. Harsh but true, sorry! This is also because many don’t understand the nature of the business at no fault of their own. Many beginner teachers offer free lessons to gain experience, which can be misleading.
Book A Trial Lesson First
When booking new students, I tend to set a trial lesson first to make sure I am the right teacher for that particular student. I ask myself, How can I help this student? Or Would this student benefit more from someone who specialises? Etc. Or, in rare cases, when a student makes me uncomfortable, I listen to that voice within that tells me “no”. As teachers, we are often expected to say yes to everyone, but unfortunately, especially as young women, this can become unsafe. This is very important for new teachers, as we often start teaching with few boundaries and learn the hard way.
Most students and teachers are lovely, but I cannot stress enough, “It’s perfectly ok to put your safety first!” Even if you’ve chosen a job that requires empathy and understanding. This works both ways. As students or teachers, we have the right to feel safe and should never feel pressured into a situation where we don’t. Walking away is perfectly ok!
Openness and Authenticity
I love a teacher who radiates from their true self and teaches straight from the heart. We all have our good and bad habits teachers included. In my opinion the best teachers provide a safe environment, which allows you to be open and embrace who you truly are “Mind body and Soul”. My favourite Yoga teachers are generally open and confident in who they really are, radiating authenticity. They often have a great sense of humour too.
I hope this helps when finding the best Yoga teacher for you and I wish you luck on your Yoga journey…
Love From Jen
www.jensyoga.com 