Yoga is a set of spiritual, body-related, and mind-related disciplines or practices that one must follow in order to have a healthy mind and body. It is believed to have originated in ancient India. Yoga is widely practiced by people who follow Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Nowadays, though, people all over the world, irrespective of religion, practice Yoga. They have understood the importance of Yoga. Being a Yoga teacher is not at all straightforward. You must know plenty of things when teaching Yoga to all those people who seek good health. A few tips for yoga teachers, who are new to this field,have been mentioned in this article.
- Getting to Know Your Students – A good teacher always speaks to a student before and after class hours, sometimes even on a personal level. The students find it really comforting speaking to an experienced teacher who is ready to listen to them.
- Speak Loudly, Tersely, and Clearly – You might want to impress your students by using anatomical words pertaining to Yoga, but always remember that the students are still in the primary stages. They might find it hard to understand what you are trying to say. Try to teach the students using simple words and phrases, and they are bound to understand better.
- Speak with Utter Confidence and Pick Your Words with Caution – Always choose your words very carefully, do not be harsh. Do not always keep speaking. Students want their peace sometimes, try to respect that. A good teacher always performs and shows, does not just talk. When a student is performing poorly, be kind and try to teach them how to do the exercise.
- Do Not Use Foul Language – Well, there is no explanation for this. Again, use your words carefully and do not swear.
- Take a Video of Your Lecture – Ask one of the faculty or staff to take a video of you teaching. This is useful since you will be able to figure out where you are going wrong and where you can improve.
- Having a commanding and distinctive voice – Having a loud, clear, unique voice is what students look for. In the beginning, you might find it challenging to bring out that perfect voice, but with confidence and experience, your students are bound to enjoy your voice. A loud, confident, energetic voice will undoubtedly make your students perform better.
- Creating Reliabilityand Uniformity in Teaching – Do not go against your words, always maintain the same ideals even while teaching. Students will be able to understand you better and connect with you better if your teaching is consistent.
- Using a lot of Yoga Terms Might Not Be a Great Idea – Yes, you read that right. Using a lot of Sanskrit terms might confuse the student. It can also overwhelm and frustrate the students. Wait till the students grasp the knowledge, let them get used to your teaching. Then you could perhaps use such terms.
- Timings – Try not to be late for class. Another critical thing most good teachers do is ending the class on time. If you try to extend, the student might lose his concentration.
- Do Not Keep Speaking Only About Yourself – Yes, students do love it when you can relate yourself to them; the same goes the other way round. You should not overdo it since this class is not about you. Telling them a lot of your personal stories might create a negative impact on the students’ mind
Do your best as a new yoga teacher, understand your students better, and be the best teacher out there!
Author’s bio: Devakar Sandhu, yoga expert, and avid blogger, reaches out to his disciples and the public in general for spreading awareness to bring about change using Yoga. He is also Founder of Ekam Yogashala, A Yoga Teacher Training School Based in Rishikesh. EKam Yogashala offers 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training India (Rishikesh, Kerala, Nepal and Dharamsala)
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