How to be an effective Yoga Teacher?

What is your first reaction when you experience bliss? I am certain most of you feel compelled to share this blissful feeling with your loved ones. And gradually, it spreads over to your friends, social circles and even strangers like a wave of happiness. When you are physically fit with a refreshed brain after a prolonged period of Yoga practice, you feel tempted to flaunt the new ‘you’ to your friends. And, teach them the essence of this amazing healer.

This happens spontaneously, as you start discovering the multiple ways in which Yoga has benefitted you. But, before you start teaching Yoga postures to others, you must be trained in this field in order to appear more credible to your students! Let us take a sneak peek at how you can be a Yoga teacher:

• Practice regularly: First of all, you must be willing to practice what you preach. Try to master every kind of Yoga ‘asana’ (posture) and practice it a number of times till you have achieved perfection in it. If you are an amateur you can join a Yoga training institute in your locality. Start with various types of breathing exercises or ‘pranayama’ before progressing to other more complex ones. You must know what type of Yoga appeals to you the most before you decide to be a Yoga teacher.

• Decide the place: Next, you must decide as to where you would like to offer your Yoga training services. Remember that a training in Yoga generally doesn’t come with any universal certification. Therefore, you must speak to the manager of a particular gym where you wish to teach Yoga, regarding what type of training they provide to gym instructors. This is because there are numerous Yoga institutes or clubs that require their instructors to obtain a certain Yoga course or training.

• Complete your training: As I have just mentioned, a certain amount of training is mandatory when you are about to impart your Yoga skills to a group of people. Make sure that you are well-acquainted with all the rules of the Yoga club you are planning to join. Opt for a Yoga center that trains its instructors on different Yoga postures along with injury prevention methods. Visit the website of Yoga Alliance that lays down the guidelines for completing your Yoga certification course. For instance, if you aim to teach Yoga to specialized groups like injured people, you require a training program spanning as much as 500 hours!

• Start applying for jobs: Once you complete the above steps, go ahead and start sending in your applications to different Yoga training classes or gyms, specifying what kind of Yoga you’re keen to teach. Visit the places where you’ve applied and observe the ambience at each place. You can share your Yoga training experience with the staff at these places and ask them about the kind of Yoga teaching style that is generally followed there. I would suggest you not to limit your options to the Yoga institutes in your locality but keep applying at several other organizations as well.

• Observe other trainers: Have you bagged a job already as a Yoga instructor, friends? If you have, you must give it your best shot. Observe the senior Yoga trainers at your gym and try to imbibe their training techniques. You must also find out what kind of teaching style is preferred by your students and customize your teaching process according to it. A smart tip: note the styles employed by different Yoga trainers in various Yoga clubs and choose the best technique, as per your choice.

• Introduce versatility: You must have heard of the belief that ‘variety is the spice of life’. Why not spice up your Yoga classes by introducing some interesting postures? For instance, if you are teaching kids you can make them learn some basic Yoga postures that involve proven techniques to make them taller. You can also teach them Yoga techniques like meditation that are extremely useful for students. Irrespective of their age, students love attending classes that offer them something new every time they take part in it.

• Develop optimism: A positive attitude is quite essential when you are determined to be successful, be it in your academics or anything else. You must inspire your students to have patience as they learn various Yoga processes, some of which might be challenging initially. Learners might tend to be frustrated when they find that they’re unable to master certain postures. Be calm with each student and tell them that you’re confident about their capabilities. Believe in your students and help them believe in themselves.

I am sure you can emerge as a successful Yoga teacher, if you bear in mind whatever I have mentioned. In short, you must be able to persuade your students about the utility of every Yoga technique you teach them. Wishing you all the very best for your first Yoga session!