So, you’ve decided to be a yoga teacher.
You’ve done all your homework in preparation for the big event.
You’ve prepared your sequences that’ll leave you’re students in awe.
You’ve put together the perfect playlist that’ll lull your students into a moving daydream.
You can’t wait to to teach a room full of beaming students that are clawing tooth and nail to see you.
You can’t wait for the feeling of overwhelming love and affection your students’ll give to you.
But, wait…there’s a problem….
You don’t have any students.
:::politely smirking at you now:::
We’ve all been there. We think we have the perfect plan for the perfect class on the perfect day at the perfect time.
And then that plan goes up in flames faster than an unchecked grease fire.
Yes, teaching yoga to students is great. But you HAVE TO have students first.
So what do you do to keep students coming back for more? (or coming in)
The Early Signs of a Superstar
So how can you tell if your class is ACTUALLY going to go anywhere?
New teachers have 2 main fears:
- No students will show up at all
- Their students secretly hate them
Let’s talk about the first one.
I know I know I know. You bite your nails all the way up until the last 20 seconds before class starts and finally, your first student walks in.
:::sighs:::
One is better than none, I suppose.
You have to start somewhere. You can’t start if no one shows up. Agree?
Now, let’s do everything you can to keep that student.
Stop Everything You’re Doing (including reading this) and Answer the Questions Below:
- Who is my ideal student?
- How old are they?
- What do they do for fun?
- Where do they hangout?
- What yoga poses do they have the most trouble with?
- What’s their athletic background?
- Are they married?
- What’s their income bracket?
- Are they a vegan or a carnivore?
- What do they eat for lunch?
- Do they put cream in their coffee?
- Do they prefer elephants or tigers?
- iPhone or Android?
- Manduka or Jade?
- Mac OS or Windows(or Linux)?
Write the answers down in a notebook. Don’t ever lose them.
That’s your avatar student. You want as many of those as possible.
If week after week, you constantly get brand new students, don’t get confused, that’s a bad thing if none of them are coming back.
Do you know how to tell if your class is healthy and growing?
Simple.
You start seeing the same students keep coming back.
Hey, that means that actually like you.
In the beginning, don’t focus on the numbers. It’s pointless.
Redefining Failure
Teaching yoga is different from taking a math test. Where anything less that 90% is a B and anything less than %80 is C and so on and so on. You get the point.
New teachers think they MUST PLEASE every single student that comes to class.
Not true. If you try to please everyone, no one’ll leave happy. Have you ever thought about it like this?
If you make just one student love you per class, you’re kicking ass. Seriously.
If they love you, they’ll comeback. It takes time to build a yoga class. Unfortunately, you can’t fill a yoga class over night. It takes a least a year to build a core group of students you love to teach.
Let’s step back.
I don’t care how many yoga classes you teach per week. If you can make just one student love you per month, by the end of year you’ll have 12 HIGHLY ENGAGED SUPER DEDICATED students.
And guess what?
They’ll be a blast to teach. Like practicing yoga, your classes will grow with consistency. As I’ve said here, decide what you want to teach.
If you’ve having a hard time deciding, envision your avatar again. What would she want? Remember? That avatar you created is your ideal student. Teach a class that your avatar likes and you’ll attract students like your avatar.
Don’t just cater to the room, it doesn’t build a following.
If you cater to the room, you’ll have different random people coming every week to a different random class YOU TEACH. Making sense? It pays to stick to your guns.
So how do you create an environment so that your “avatars” come back?
Show Up Early
Subtle things kill yoga classes.
Have you ever been to a yoga class where the teacher shows up right on time and not a second earlier?
You know the room vibe:
- Everyone sits silent
- It’s awkward
- Students sit in anticipation for the teacher wondering where she is
- Some students stare at their iPhone screens
- Other start practicing
Uckkk….it’s just weird. People feel uneasy and they ask themselves, “Why the hell am I even here?”
Students won’t come back. Believe it or not, every student is dying for just one personalized minute with you. And if you give it to them, you’ve won their heart forever.
So get to class at least 15 minutes early and talk to your avatars.
Ask them questions like:
- Have any injuries that you’re working with?
- What are you working on in your practice?
- What did you do last weekend for fun?
- What did you eat for lunch?
Seriously, just get to know them. Have a conversation with them. They’ll appreciate it.
Let me give you an example, here’s a sample conversation:
:::smile at avatar:::
:::avatar smiles back:::
“Ready for yoga tonight?”
“Yeah, been looking forward to it all day”
“Me too, I just ate a double bacon cheeseburger at Jo-Shmo’s Burgers and can’t wait to do core work”
“Haha, you like that place? I eat there all the time, didn’t know it was okay before yoga though.”
:::Laughs:::
“Eh, who knows, see you inside.”
Silly conversation, but guess what?
You’re connecting with your avatar. That’ll make them want to come back. Socializing with you students before class makes them feel comfortable. When they feel comfortable, they come back.
38274932 Times If Necessary!
I’ve never understood why teachers don’t make an effort to learn all their students names.
One of my first teachers, Vinnie Marino, has about 100 students per class.
He knows everyones name………….
There’s no reason why you can’t learn the name of the 5 students who come to your class.
“But Brian, I’m embarrassed and bad with names. I can’t remember anyone.”
This is one of the LARGEST MISCONCEPTIONS out there. Don’t feel embarrassed and ashamed because you can’t remember someone’s name. Ask them. And keep asking them until you get it.
Do you know what the student thinks?
They’re not annoyed you keep asking, they’re happy that YOU CARE enough to keep asking. And trust me, students know when you don’t know their name. It gets more and more awkward every time. So just ask.
The Human Sacrificial Chamber
True story I’m about to tell you.
One evening, I walked into the room I teach in before class and saw something horrifying.
- The lights were dimmed to a dark purple-ish color
- The smell of leftover incense lingered
- The anatomy skeleton was left in the middle of the room
It felt like a sacrificial chamber in there. I wonder what my students would’ve thought if they saw that?
Who knows.
Set the vibe of the room.
Control the lights, the sound, the smell before the class starts so that your avatar is ready to practice yoga with you.
Not so they feel like they’re next on the sacrificial slate.
How to Handle Your Avatar During Class
Two things student’s don’t like during class:
- Being completely ignored
- Being picked on
But it’s a fine line balancing the two.
It might feel like it’s impossible to get it right. It’s not, it just takes being aware (again details).
Here’s what to do when you see a student doing something that could injure them:
Don’t just yell out, “Joe (owner of the burger place) that’s wrong, fix it!”
He’ll think you’re weird and probably get pissed off.
Not because you told him he was doing it wrong, because you didn’t give him a solution.
Now he’s doubly angry.
Good job.
This presents an opportune time to queue the class.
Say something like:
“Move your right knee to the left if you feel it collapsing in.”
Joe will feel his knee in the wrong place and move it.
Win win win for everyone.
Learn to Understand the Dynamic of the Classroom
Here’s the thing:
Anytime a student has a question or needs a correction, so does another. Make it a point to reach the ENTIRE class with your words. Rather than calling someone out, morph it into a queue. As I did above.
Another example:
Image a student is clenching their shoulders.
Rather than calling him out, “Joe, drop your shoulders.”
Say something like (this is to the entire class), “Drop your shoulders and lengthen your spine.” Or something to that effect. The entire class will take note.
Conversely, when you call someone by name and correct them, the rest of the students don’t think to make the same adjustment.
But there’s a way to correct individual students. It’s all in the method.
Steal This Method From Me
There’s a small portion of the class where I give my students 5 minutes to work on what they want. I use that 5 minutes strategically. During that time, I’ll talk to new students and students who I saw struggling with something.
They LOVE that. It’s a much safer environment (for the student) to get your point across. A student is more receptive to listening when they don’t feel like they’re singled out in front of a group.
And listen…
Remember how I said to get their early and talk to your students? Stay after class for 10-15 minutes and do the same. It’s a lot earlier for a student to absorb theory when they’re not wrapped in pretzel.
Some Teachers Fear Giving Their Students Freedom
Don’t.
It’s a great learning opportunity. Even 2 minutes of freedom goes a long way. When you give students free time, it empowers them. This is really when they explore their own body. It gives them time to reflect.
You don’t want robotic students that can’t lift an arm unless you tell them so. Freedom gives students a chance to grow.
The Golden Rule of Silence
Don’t be a chatter box during class. Save it for before or after. New teachers struggle with this. As did I for a long time.
I used to feel like something had to be said every second of the class. LOL.
Imagine all thees cues for Warrior 2:
- Squeeze your right hip in
- Stack your knee over your ankle
- Roll your right inner thigh up and out
- Press the edge of your back foot into the ground
- Keep the back leg straight
- Point your tailbone to the ground
- Keep your pelvis neutral
- Aim your frontal hip points to the side wall
That’s a lot huh?
Now imagine hearing all that in 10 seconds! Unbelievable. My head would head would explode. Slow down. There’s no rush. Your students need to time to absorb what you say.
If you’re like me, and your struggle with perfectionism, you’ll want to say every cue to ever pose in every class every time.
Your students’ll want to bash you over the head. Doh!
Don’t be afraid of silence.
Music or No Music?
Are we still having this debate?
If you’d told me 200 years you don’t play music in your class because it wrecks the sacredness of it, I’d believe you. If you told me today, “I don’t play music because my class is all about spirituality and self-awakening.”
I’d just think your lazy. Sorry.
Music enhances EVERYTHING. Imagine watching Transformers without the soundtrack. Now I’m not giving you free license to go out and blare Taylor Swift in your Restorative Class.
Pick something appropriate.
Image the lobby of the spa.
It’s a quiet, tranquil environment. But, there’s music in the background. It’s safe to say it’s not Led Zeppelin.
Get my drift?
Now I Want To Hear From You, Answer One Of The Following Questions In The Comments Below:
- What’s the one thing you wish you were taught in teacher training but weren’t?
- What’s the one thing you’d like to get better as a yoga teacher?
- Currently, what’s your greatest struggle as a yoga teacher?
Hey Brian, love your post.
I do have to disagree with some things though. And how is a discussion interesting if we all agree right?
I teach at a main chain here in Arizona. Well known. A gym. There’s no way to pinpoint an avatar.
Would you consider writing about teaching at a gym? how is that so different from teaching at a studio? I also teach at a studio and agree is much easier to bond, to get to know names and have a following. Thanks so much, enjoy your posts and all else!
thanks!
Vanessa, major difference between a gym and a studio is that at a studio the students are paying directly for your class. They are choosing to pay money directly for yoga and not seeing yoga a “perk” to purchasing a gym membership. Think about building a yoga class similar to playing darts. Every time you throw a dart you aim for the bullseye and you still get points for being close. That’s your yoga class, you can define an ideal student, even students who don’t fit it exactly might enjoy your class.
For example, I teach yoga classes in the Silicon Valley (Palo Alto), my ideal student is a 37 year old male tech geek who discovers yoga on accident as a hobby to do after work, probably makes around $100,000, likes dubstep and chill trance type music, apple watches, and building his own hamburger at a place like The Counter. He’s interested in delving deep into the world of yoga but also wants to get “a workout” from the yoga class. From that alone, does that paint a picture of what my class is like? Also, just because that’s my avatar, it doesn’t mean the ONLY students in my class are 37 year old male tech geeks.
Also, from a business standpoint, lets say a marathon runner is interested in hiring a yoga teacher for private sessions. From simply looking at 2 business cards or 2 side-by-side advertisements, who would they choose, the yoga teacher that teaches “all styles and vinyasa flow” or the “yoga teacher that specializes in long distance runners”? 🙂
Hi Brian! Loving your website and the contribution it is making. I am on fifth day of your TVa awakening challenge and loving it.
I wish that I had learnt more about which poses need modification for common physical issues. We got the basics (eg bend knees in any extended leg work if you have lower back issues or watch the alignment of the knees where the knee is flexed) but I have lots of students show up with physical issues and I would like to feel more confident knowing what I am asking them to do is ok in their body. Hope that makes sense!
Glad you’re enjoying Rachael! And you’re so right and that’s something I’m going to cover, modifications for everyone. Because for most, yoga isn’t about doing poses, it’s simply about healing. 🙂
i wish we learned how to deal with stalker students or teacher hogger.. i have a student who waits me after ever class and creates any kind of talk just to stay until i run fast to change, other students do not approach me much because of it and one mentioned that she thought we have a special relation and now i decided to tell him that i need my personal space after class
Rasha, that case is simple. If you ever feel unsafe in your teaching environment, simply call and notify the police. Let them know what’s going on.
The thing I wish I’d been taught in teacher training is more poses and cues for each pose including the benefits along with the Sanskrit names I know “they “say its not about the pose but lets face it the reason a lot of us are there is to learn how to get into these postures
just to clarify we did learn a lot its just the main focus was the sutras kirtan and eating vegan which is fine but people don’t go to class to be told what to eat and don’t want to feel bad about their food choices
Gotcha, also, tell me if you agree with this. You want everything in the program taught to directly help you become a better teacher. You don’t like being lectured on philosophy and how to live your life, correct?
correct 🙂
Carolyn, totally understand this one!
I’m having fun with this so I thought I would answer the 2nd and 3rd questions #2 the thing about my practice as a teacher that I would like to improve is my confidence as an instructor. number 3 my greatest struggle as a teacher is getting my right and left confused:/
Carolyn, developing room presence and being able to speak with confidence to your students is critical. For a student in teacher training, passive learning doesn’t work, it has to be hands-on and active. Oh, and by the way, when I started I couldn’t remember my hand from my foot! 🙂
totally agree with the hands on and active hence my answer for #1 🙂
Hey Brian,
I enjoyed reading this post. After teaching for many years, I had never thought too much about how to build a following, but have a small one now anyway. For me, most of the suggestions you made have happened naturally, without me thinking about it too much. However, you are ‘spot on’ about getting to know the students, and their names, and this will definitely build a following. It is cliche to say, ‘be yourself’ but this is so true as a teacher of yoga. If I am aware of my avatar student; and if I teach the way I want to be taught; and if I focus on who is in my class rather than on me; and if we have fun; and if I teach what I like, mostly (strong engaged postures with lots of emphasis on breath and challenge) then everyone wins. Since you asked, I wished my yoga teacher training required me to teach the whole teacher trainee class. Not once did I get up in front of the whole class to teach a yoga lesson during my training. Which, when you think of it, is just a bit weird, because that is what we do: teach groups of students in every class. It would have been much more helpful for me and my students at the beginning of my yoga teaching to have had some experience actually teaching, rather than learning with the students. Enjoy your energetic and informative posts. Thanks.
John, totally agree with this. Authenticity is the most important thing, lots of new teachers are unnecessarily bound by the shackles of history when they first start out. And yes, passive learning doesn’t make for good teachers, conveying the knowledge is equally as important!
Cheers,
Brian
Funny post. I totally felt similar when I started teaching. It’s hard to find the right balance between teaching something meaningful and sounding like a jerk! In my first training I wish they’d taught The importance of staying authentic and to be creative. I also wish they’d taught how to sequence and to meditate.
Lara, above all else, authenticity if the most important thing!! 😀
First of all, I appreciate articles like this which remind me that “I have everything I need to teach, I don’t have to stand on my head for my class to “like me””. I am teaching 1 gym class and 2 hot yoga classes, finished training in November ’15 and loving teaching. To answer #1, I think a section on “what new teachers do and how to not do that” would be helpful-whenever my trainers would talk about common things new teachers tend to do, I was all ears and i did do most of those things (eg-filling space to not be silent, trying to be creative to not seem “new” or “boring/predictable”.
#2/#3-I’d like to get better at/current struggle is finding good online resources (every Google search leads me to yoga journal) and connecting with other like minded yoga teachers. Also, your 90 minute sequence addressed this-feeling like I have to come up with something new every week. I have no idea how people really liked my class but I like your point of, think of them, not me-as a student I’m thinking of my practice not how much time the teacher put into her sequence planning….great info, thank you!
Jill this is great info!! I’m in the early stages of putting together a very unique online interactive teacher training specifically for yoga teachers to sharpen all their skills. 🙂
Hi Brian,
This is a really solid post with lots of great information for new teachers! I might add that it is a good idea to take two 200hr trainings. The reason I suggest this is the first time through there is just so much information it can be really hard to absorb it all. Taking some time to integrate what is delivered both in the physical body and through actual teaching is important. If a person realizes the first training didn’t offer a substantial or important component, like Carolyn (above) had hoped for, the second 200hr training can be chosen more carefully specifically to fill in those gaps. Then move to the 500hr training when you are ready. I will also add the number one thing that makes a good, no a GREAT teacher, is to develop your own personal practice. Not one where you are just practicing the sequence you intend to offer, although that is better than nothing, but one where you are developing what is needed for you. I know this is hard, but I can surely tell when a yoga teacher is just speaking the practice or if they actually have a vibrant and alive personal practice. Thanks, Brian!
Tina, yes a PERSONAL PRACTICE!!! God, that is so important, teachers need to have that kind of discipline. It puts them in the mindset of “creating” versus “following” (when in a yoga class). Hope you’re well!
usually once a year a pregnant student comes in which usually puts me in a panic. haven’t had pre-natal yoga teacher training but know some simple counterindications – like some inversions and forward folds – duh! but wish my general teacher training had taken an hour to boil down some of the most beneficial poses and some of the most dangerous counterindicated poses for pregnant ladies for those teachers like myself – who haven’t had prenatal yoga nor a baby (male teacher here).
Sam, that’s a great point and I can see how a situation like that could make you uncomfortable!
Hi Brian. I am not an Yoga teacher, I teach Pilates – incorporating (stealing) things from other systems when I think that this could help my students. Sometimes my students bring me these elements. We are currently exploring a bit of Yin Yoga. The thing I wish I had learned when I started out, is that it is OK for a teacher to occasionally make a mistake or lose their balance themselves. It makes us human! Of course this is not an excuse to be unprepared. Students will know the difference.
Miranda, yes of course, students want to know you’re human and don’t float around on some cloud on some mountain top somewhere. It makes it much easier for them to connect with you. Cheers!
Hi Brian,
Some really good tips there, thanks! You’re totally right about how important it is to learn names and spend time with students if you want them to stick around – one of the points I also made in a guest blog I wrote for Yoga Trail, about how to deal with the yoga-teaching competition (http://www.yogatrail.com/blog/help-im-a-yoga-teacher-and-so-is-everyone-else/). And that business of turning up to your own classes – it’s so true (I learnt that one the hard way!).
I think one thing many yoga teachers could do with a bit of help with, is not just planning lessons, but whole terms. How to take a theme and run with it across a few weeks. This is a great way to hold onto students as they get the feeling they’re progressing with something, which is always a good incentive, but it’s easy to feel like you have to constantly offer something new and exciting – especially when you’re starting out.
Thanks!
Katy
Katy, yes exactly, that’s a great way to introduce newer students to inversions, give them step-by-step week-by-week and let them slowly build up to it. Not to mention its a great way to keep them coming back to class. 🙂
So I am sharing yoga with combat sports athletes. These are very goal-directed guys (with thick necks and ears like half-chewed pretzels!), who specifically want yoga as a type of cross training to improve their fighting. My biggest challenge is getting them to set aside an entire hour for a yoga class – when they’re already training four or five hours a day. I am working on a brief sequence that can improve functional flexibility for wrestling and kicking, etc. (20-30 min.) but I feel like it ends up being unbalanced (like, neglecting certain postures and positions).
Josh, that’s awesome. I think giving your students the “why” in this case is so important to keep them on track. This pose helps with this roundhouse kick and X pose helps make you more resilient to being taken down ect. ect. It’s great that you’re teaching yoga to students who also to various combat sports. Cheers!
Hi Josh! One great aid to employ when teaching a shorter practice is to use multitasking postures. I’ll use January Sirsasana / Single Leg Forward Fold as an example. Lengthening the hamstrings of the extended leg, external rotation in the hip of the leg that’s tucked, with extension along the obliques if engaging a bind, etc. Any number of postures are multi-functional, especially with careful planning. Even when teaching class with a focused objective, I always strive to make sure all planes of movement get some level of attention, strength is balanced with stretch, etc. With just 4-5 postures (maybe less), you can accomplish everything you need, even in a shorter class. This is how I’m encouraging my students to approach a home practice. There’s no golden rule which says that a practice must last 60 minutes. I hope you find my “two cents worth” helpful.
Great point, Teresa!
Thanks Brian for drilling it. I think most of us know this, but just dont do it. I do try to talk to people, but its really hard for me to build a following, because my schedule at my studio changes weekly so I dont see the same people everyday. I know a handful but 90% of the time, they are all strangers. I am not really sure how to build up my following, other than just talking to them after class. Never thought of talking before class, but will have to try that.
As a teacher, I wish to get better at reading people’s body and being able to speak to the white elephant in the room.
Sophie, that’s a great goal. Another thing you can do is at the beginning of class have the students introduce themselves to the people next to them. Great way to build community!
I missed yoga poses modifications a lot!!!! We had a bit of everything in 200TT + a lot of alignment and anatomy though. I made also 100hrs pre-post natal YTT and here we used quite a lot of blocks and bolsters for pregnant ladies to adapt the poses for them. Anyway I feel it’s a huge missing point in the yoga trainings.
Olga, agree, its great to know how to do the poses but it’s even better to have 5-6 modifications that you can pull out of your pocket at anytime. Super useful for teaching classes that accommodate all levels!
Hey Brian,
Thanks for your posts. They are great confirmations of what I am doing as an instructor. Teaching for a few years I started out having ideal student type/type of class I wanted to lead. In both the gym and studio I am currently teaching, I teach based on the needs of the clientele. So many of my classes are slower vinyasa which is fine with me. However, now I’m finding that my classes are starting to become mixed with both students that want more to offset running/biking (which was the audience originally planned to work with)and older middle age range adults who are not as flexible. So using modifications I have been making my classes comfortable for all levels. Any other advice for teaching to mixed levels would be great! Thanks again.
Melissa, just knowing modifications for everything you’re teaching is going to go a long way. Also, always encourage your students to modify and go to the wall if they have a hard balancing in anything. Making this explicit right at the beginning of class will help make everyone feel comfortable. Cheers!
Brian- love this article! So many great tips and points for teachers old and new! I’ve been teaching for eight years and am currently at a gym and a hot yoga studio. Learning your students’ names is such a great way to build that connection with them. I really wish my 200 hour training included more advanced poses- it was super basic and left me unprepared for the real yoga world! lol! However, it’s been a journey and I am constantly learning and continuing education helps! My class is unique and not for everyone, but for the students that vibe with it, I see such exponential growth! I’m just grateful to be able to make a connection and assist people on their journey in life.
Gin, totally agree. My class is just like yours, unique and definitely not for everyone. And yes, helping people is the best feeling in the world!
Thank you for the posts, I think having a theme for each term is a great idea, gives the students a focussed journey with perhaps a celebration of what they have achieved at end of each term. Keeps everyone engaged. I think music is super important and I would like assistance with playlists. cheers
Kirsten, ah music playlists, great idea!
Awesome post! I’m a new teacher as well since last fall and have been teaching one class weekly so far. One thing I wish we had learned in my YTT was more on adjustments – we did basic, safety adjustments for a few poses but didn’t spend too much time on them. I love hands-on adjustments in classes I take and would love to learn to offer them to my students in a safe, helpful way.
Lauren, so do I! When done correctly they can have a powerful effect on your students. 🙂
I really appreciated reading this. I so agree with the name thing. Easier in the studio, but it is difficult in the gym situation where I have my regulars plus at least 10 more random people on any given day. Add that to multiple locations and it can be really confusing. Thoughts?
Also, very much appreciated the over calling of alignment cues (Warrior 2 example). I have been practicing for about 13 years and teaching for 2. I feel a progression of over calling happening, both as a student and a teacher. Why is this? It did not used to be this way.
Thanks for all you do,
Darlene
Darlene, for students, it takes time to process cues, you can say them a lot quicker than your students can actually do them. It’s a classic case where less is more!
Brian, I am fortunate to have found a small studio to begin teaching, my question, am I “leading” the practice or teaching. It does not feel like teaching. I offer an hour before and after to individuals who want to work on certain poses, answer questions, etc., but I do not feel like I am “teaching” during the class, just leading the sequence. I have a good group of yogis, just wonder if I need to get off my mat and walk the room, instead of sharing my practice with them.
Debbie, yes, get comfortable walking around the room and watching your students and get in the habit of being able to instruct students into poses without having to do them yourself on your mat. It’ll start feeling a lot more like teaching versus simply leading students through a practice. Cheers!
This is a great article – thank you!
I’m a very new teacher, in fact after just one month TTC this time last year in Kerala I don’t really consider myself a fully fledged teacher. I have however found myself teaching in an informal fashion, both groups and privately. I LOVE it! And I learn like there’s no tomorrow, I learn how to teach and I my own practise grows simultaneously. I am now starting a two year, 500hr course here in the UK, intense practise, I can’t wait.
I think the biggest thing I was missing from my TTC was being taught how to love myself. I realise this is not something easily taught, but a little more self love, allowance, patience. That I have learnt through travel and some teaching in the past year, it’s an ongoing lesson, but crucial.
I would like to improve my confidence and you hit the nail right on the head in your article. As a perfectionist I too want to say everything all at once and fix it all. So patience with myself and my students as they grow and I I continue to surrender to what is. Om tat sat.
Faith. In myself. In my unique gift I have to offer. To know this and to know that what I don’t know I will learn, will be so empowering.
Om namah sivaya.
Tara, great point. Self sabotage is what holds a lot of new teachers back. 🙂
Indeed, I think it holds a lot of people back from being their best self. 🙂
My teacher training was focussed on fitting the practice to the person which I struggled with for ages as I wanted my class to be young fit people so we could explore all the exciting advanced asanas. There were 3 of us for a couple of years!!!! It wasn’t until I started offering much more variety and adapting the class, listening to the students that my class filled. I accept you can’t please everyone every week but I think in the theme of non-attachment students (and teachers?) maybe shouldn’t always attach to a ‘style’.
Laura, good point or also adapting to the general crowd of the studio if that’s where you want to teach.
Before physically adjusting students tell them how and where you are going to touch them. It’s important to not assume they want to be touched. Make sure and ask for their permission before following through with the adjustment.
Great point Mike!
Great article. Reading everyone’s comments made me feel even better about my 230 hr YTT. It was very comprehensive and we had lots of hands on teaching opportunities. While I still struggle sometimes with verbiage(“now we’re gonna” or saying “ok” frequently) I don’t think my students are that aware of it because I focus on being authentic. I’m building a following after only 3 months teaching. Maybe it’s my Gemini nature but my avatars are kids, seniors, and vinyasa lovers. I find the similarities between all of them and try to meet them where they’re at. I do wish I had more modifications for plus size yogis though. I’ve done some research but everyone’s body is so different and so are their limitations, it’s been trial and error. I have a solid home practice and I really think it’s made a huge difference. I guess intuitively, I’ve discovered many of the things you mention. I find that it’s not as obvious to everyone though, so I appreciate how articulate you are at sharing it. Just the other day, I took a class from a seasoned teacher who had even ran a studio. She came late and sipped her Starbucks as we held poses. SMH.
Doris, you make some great points! And sometimes, its the obvious that people overlook!
Great information, Brian. I really liked the part about not trying to please everybody, which is something I have tried to do, so I’m going to teach to my avatar. Thanks for that!
I do have to say though, that I think your stance on no music is a little harsh. I teach at a Baptiste affiliate studio and we don’t play music until savasana. Music before and after class, yes, but not during. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE music, but I have personally practiced with and without music and feel my practice is far more calming and meditative without it. I listen to music when I’m running because I want a distraction to carry me through the monotony, but I don’t feel like yoga is monotonous and I want to actually feel into my body fully. I don’t want or need a distraction. And maybe it isn’t distracting to you and that’s great, but we’re not all the same, so I thought calling people lazy for not using music was a bit uncalled for. It really has nothing to do with laziness. Not to mention that it’s not part of the Baptiste methodology, so it’s not even an option for me at the studio where I teach. I do, however, think that practicing with music is FUN! So, if I want fun (and I do like fun) I will go to a studio that does play music or a special event with music. 😉 Namaste, Brian.
I understand your point, but music doesn’t have to be a distraction. A little ambient music goes a long way. Glad you enjoyed the article. 🙂
Awesomely helpful article, Brian. I do have a nice following of students and my classes continue to grow, so: yay! The thing I struggle with lately is how to stay with my intuition and keep ego out of my teaching. For example, I have a student who occasionally takes my classes and about half way through starts doing their own thing. (Yet they will listen to some teachers verbatim). Their ego is saying; look at me, look how advanced I am at this particular pose and my ego is saying; why are you here if you hate my class so much! Students will be in bird of paradise and this student decides peacock instead (okay, I get it, both are birds). When they start doing their own thing I immediately question my capability as a teacher and it throws me off… I feel I unravel and get a bit sloppy from there. So, struggling at times with feeling inadequate over one or two people who seem to dislike my class versus the twenty who love it.
Jenny, great point you make but don’t let students like that bother you at all. In fact, if they deviate a little it really is okay. However, if they are just completely doing there own thing, it’s okay to let them know it’s not okay. I always give my students around 10 minutes to work on whatever they want for that very reason. But whatever, you decide to do, don’t let it affect you as a teacher, it has nothing to do with you. 🙂
I’m in the UK and currently in the middle of teacher training. Infact, I am just about to enter the nitty-gritty i.e. running a class, and we were given a lesson “plan” that is basically the same as the one you have got as a free download (maybe it’s a generic thing). Anyway, there any several things that are causing me some “concern” :
– yoga seems to be full of contradictions in terms of what different teachers and different styles say about postures. This is good as it shows variety and debate and development, but it does not help someone who wants a clear path as they begin their journey. How does one choose which way is “right” (and I think any reply that says “do what feels good for you” is a cop out!).
– Somone above posted “If I am aware of my avatar student; and if I teach the way I want to be taught; and if I focus on who is in my class rather than on me; and if we have fun; and if I teach what I like, mostly (strong engaged postures with lots of emphasis on breath and challenge) then everyone wins” – surely these are too many things to think about at the beginning ?
– how to give direct and clear instructions and not talk too much
– what style (this relates to the first one) I should teach. On the course, we are taught in a fairly general way – it lends itself more towards Ashtanga but isn’t fixed. However, much as I like sun salutations, students don’t want to them in each class. So, on the one hand I want to be “original” but at the moment I am too green to do this, so maybe it is best to stay “safe” at the start, walk before you can run etc. ? Also, do I need a “style” ?? If someone hasn’t been specifically trained in Ashtanga, Iyengar etc. then they can’t call themselves that particular type of teacher, so maybe it is better to just build themes ?? Arggggggh !! I don’t know !
– Lastly, I like your site, but could we move away from focussing on handstands please 🙂 ?
Neil, all very valid questions and concerns. The bad news is that there isn’t a clear cut “right way” to teach and if you were to do multiple teacher trainings you’d see that each of them teaches a completely different method, unfortunately. But let let me tackle some of them the best I can.
1. You shouldn’t teach what just feels good, but teach something that feels authentic. Don’t try and “act” like a typical yoga teacher if that’s not you. For example, in my classes, I play a variety of music from dubstep to classic rock (sometimes loud) and I speak in a highly conversational tone with my students and they love it. While I’m sure there are plenty of students who want the exact opposite. 😀
2.When it comes to choosing your avatar student. It’s boils down to a couple of things, are you teaching yoga for fun or are you wanting to do it for a living? Taking the approach of “I’ll invite everyone and see what happens” tends to make an extremely difficult class to teacher because of all the different levels. Initially, your class doesn’t have to be super intricate, but you want a focus or goal for your teaching. Eventually, you want students to know you as “the teacher that teaches X”, whatever that is. You’ll see that yoga teachers that specialize tend to get gigs far beyond teaching in studios like consulting opportunities, seminars/workshops, and private clients.
3. Talking is ok, but rambling is what students find annoying. Two things here, one, practice finding the most concise way of saying something. And two, speak directly versus passively, for example “Now we are going to move are right foot to the left” versus “move your right foot to the left”.
4. I would encourage you to teach a “mixed styles” class. Pick and choose from all the different styles to make a completely custom class, however this assumes your TT is teaching you all the different styles.
5. The focus won’t always be handstands, but at the moment I’m getting ready to launch a course specifically geared toward those people. Next up will be a Teacher Training and then you’ll see a ton of that information! 😀
Thanks for the reply. Of course, a reply yields more questions lol! In relation to how to market yourself, say I have my first ever class. On the blurb, would I just say “yoga”, “beginner’s yoga” or..? You want people to turn up, so you don’t want to be too narrow, but then again people have different ideas of what a”beginner’s” class would entail – beginner in the sense of completely new? Rusty? Knows a bit? Many classes I’ve seen use a vague title which distinguishes them but tells me nothing about what to expect either. Maybe it’s just best to just call it “yoga” and see what happens.
Vague class titles will get people in the door and that’s, most of the time, out of your control. But, as long as your teaching is consistent you’ll build a following. As you get more comfortable with teaching you can tweak from there!
I just think this is just great. Too many thing that weren’t covered in my teacher training to mention here or perhaps I didn’t hear (15 years ago). Much of my advancement is from my own exploration… really listening to my body but boy would all this information been handy at the time. You are doing a great service! You are single handedly increasing the quality of modern yoga. Thank you!
Kathleen Ames
Kathleen, thank you for the kind words! Please let me know if you ever have any questions, more than happy to help! 🙂
Wish I would have learned even more about anatomy and yoga ..a more througho breakdown of basic poses. I would like to find more flow and ease when I teach, I think sometimes I go to fast or too slow. And right now I am struggling with doing my own daily personal practice, which is important to keep up with as a teacher
Tara, I agree with you on this. There isn’t enough time taken to really go into detail on the basics!
Brian, I’ve been teaching hot vinyasa practice at one studio for three years. I have a great following, my classes are pretty full and I know that particular clients seek out my classes. I try to get to know them & this summer I’m taking “requests” – asking them what they want to work on, etc. and I’ve got four requests to plan next week’s class. Now that’s fun! On the flip side, I’ve been teaching for about 6 months at another studio, and I have about 4 loyal students, and then a bunch who have come once and that’s it. I’m teaching the same things, my classes are a little more “athletic” than the other classes at this studio, but here’s one thing. I PRACTICE IN PUBLIC CLASSES at the first studio where I have big numbers. I think this is pretty important. Community. My students see me struggle, they see me fall down & I just think it’s great that they can see their teacher is in it with them. The same fears, the same struggles, the same breakthroughs. I would say if you want to build a community, you need to practice what and where you teach. And… I think I answered my own question about how to build bigger numbers at studio #2. LOL!
Michele, great point, your students would prefer to see you as a human instead of a “guru”, you’re more relatable to them that way. 🙂
Hi Brain,
I ve been practicing yoga for 20+yrs sadly to say never in west coast usa, but wish I could. In truth its been lazy yoga, I’ve never really pushed myself to what it is capable. I’ve been teaching half heartedly for 8yrs and only now after a pretty nasty marital separation am I digging deep finding out I am capable of more physically and mentally. I found you on facebook and last night started some preparation for pike. In all of my yoga years no one has ever offered advanced teaching, I guess I started with an Iyenger teacher then a little ashtanga then some vinyasa flow. I did my 500hr hatha yoga in india 8yrs ago and have been teaching since. I just wanted to say thanks for sharing all this amazing guidance you are putting out there. I actually feel like I am just getting it, how sad is that after 20years. Last night when practicing some of your suggestions I felt I was really pushing myself, for a moment I thought maybe these are not for women, I stopped my self and thought hang on I was in labour for 12 hours …shit I can do this LOL!! so I am really working on some self limiting beliefs !! thanks so much I will be following and improving myself and my teaching style. Keep sharing your stuff is amazing!! I wish I could have seen some of this way back, but I’m not looking back…p.s. I am 43 but that’s just a number.
Sadie, glad you’re enjoying it! And it sounds like you’re on the right path now, keep me updated! 😉
Hi Brian,
So glad I stumbled across this! I am a relatively new yoga teacher, but a previous Personal Trainer. Most people expect me to teach quite a fast paced flow but I find it quite hard and most of my students have been beginners so I’ve had to adapt the pace anyway. How would you a. deal with the dynamics in a class when a few want it to be quicker than others? b. I enjoy a fast paced flow in my personal practice but actually I am enjoying a slower with more awareness style, but struggling to deal with the ‘label’ of being quite a fitness person so people expect a sweatier flow… don’t know if that made sense! basically just how to deal with different dynamics in the class and also to how you personally like to practice.
Thx! Amy
Amy, the best thing you can do is decide how YOU want to teach! Over time, the people who like what you teach will stick around and ones who don’t will take off. The most difficult thing is try to cater to everyone, it leaves no one happy! Whatever it is you decide, be consistent! 🙂
Great post, very helpful 🙂
What’s the one thing you wish you were taught in teacher training but weren’t?
I wanted to learn more about business side of yoga. How much should I expect to make as a new yoga teacher? How can I apply for yoga teaching job as a new teacher? Do I walk in and apply or apply online? Is it only word of mouth? What do I wear to my first meeting with studio owner, yoga pants or professional outfit?
What’s the one thing you’d like to get better as a yoga teacher?
I would like to get better at giving hands-on adjustment to my students. I would like to give more hands-on adjustment with kindness and compassion. I also would like to be able to teach more verbally and less doing it in front of my students. I would like to get better at mirroring my student as I teach without getting my left and right confused. I would like to get rid of filler words as I teach. More direct and simple cues.
Currently, what’s your greatest struggle as a yoga teacher?
My current struggle as a yoga teacher is how do I balance becoming better teacher but also keeping up with my own yoga practice to better myself. How do I move on from teaching at gyms and small non-yoga focused studios to more well known, reputable, yoga studios.
Reika, great responses! Thank you.
Thanks for this article Brian, opened my own small studio just under a year ago, have about a dozen never-miss-a-class avatar students and enough occasional and new just-checking- it-out students that classes are no longer awkward for the one or two that show up. Good to see that I’m on track ?
Just one thing I would like to comment on – regarding your comment about LED Zeppelin – Bron- Yr-Aur ??
Julie, glad to hear! It’s important to establish your own identity AND glad to see we share the same taste with Led Zeppelin. 🙂