How to Find Your Voice as a Yoga Teacher
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I remember in the early days of teaching yoga, it felt like I was hiding.
It felt difficult to be at the front of the room— the center of attention— everyone staring at me, waiting for me to give directions about what to do next.
Over time, this began to shift.
I felt more comfortable, more confident, more open and vulnerable when I would teach.
There were a number of things that helped in this process. Here are a few ideas for how to ease into your teaching career and to find your voice.
Release expectations. Instead of showing up with preconceived notions about who would be in the class or how it “should” be, I gave myself permission to show up in the moment. To slow down, look around, and let my teaching be intuitively guided. Your students will show you what they need; you just have to quiet down and pay attention.
Commit to a meditation practice. Self-judgment and self-criticism are pretty common for me. As a recovering perfectionist, I always find it super helpful to spend time reflecting quietly. I like to do a combo of both silent seated meditations and also listen to guided audio tracks. Meditation helps so many things, and for me it definitely has a direct impact on my self-esteem. When I’m centered, I’m more confident :)
Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Teaching yoga can feel serious… but in the early days of teaching it’s just inevitable that you’re going to make mistakes. Let go of the pressure. Let yourself play around, try new things, and laugh when it doesn’t go as planned.
Keep up your own practice. It’s easy to become burned out thinking about which poses and sequences and flows to teach. Remember to take time to be a student. Practice at home or in the studio. Visit new studios. Listen to the different voices of different teachers. Try something out of your comfort zone and see how it inspires you. Be sure to nourish your body with your own practice.
Talk to other yoga teachers about your experiences and ask for support. Be mindful of when you ask for feedback— let it be on your terms. If you’re having a really hard day, that might not be the best time to receive feedback. Also, lean on your mentors and fellow trainees for support as you begin to teach more and as you decide whether teaching gigs are the right fit for you!
Take it slow. Be kind to yourself. Fall in love with the process and you can’t go wrong!
If you’re having trouble with memorization, I recommend checking out:
This Vinyasa Power Yoga script — a wonderful tool for getting your cues dialed in
This post on yoga teacher training and memorizing the Baptiste flow
You can also contact me any time with questions or concerns. Wishing you peace and growth on your journey as a yoga teacher… thank you for doing what you do! ;)
Calling all new yoga teachers! Are you ready to teach a badass power yoga class?! This script can help you improve your cues, build your confidence, and discover the sequencing and pacing that will define your unique style as a teacher. A great tool for transitioning from your yoga teacher training into any environment where you are leading classes, whether that’s a studio, gym, corporate setting, or private classes.
If you are struggling to remember what to say when you teach, or you’re having trouble guiding students from pose to pose, this script can help. The Power Yoga Script breaks down exactly what verbs and cue details to use as you teach. Are there fears or insecurities holding you back? Are you comparing yourself to other yoga teachers instead of letting your voice be heard? Explore the big questions behind how and why you teach using this helpful guide.
The sequencing follows the Baptiste methodology including the following sections: Integration, Awakening, Vitality, Equanimity, Grounding, Igniting, Stability, Opening, Release, Rejuvenation and Deep Rest.
This 48-page script includes:
Introductions
Warm ups
Sun salutations
Warrior poses
Balancing poses
Triangle series
Backbending
Abs and core work
Hips
Forward bending
Inversions
Cool down and shavasana
There’s also space for you to plan out a class and write out all the cues you’ll use to guide students safely through the poses, plus a list of questions to help you discover where you’re feeling stuck.
Precise cues, smart sequencing, and ideas for how to start and end the class in an engaging and authentic way. Walk into class feeling empowered and prepared to deliver a kick-ass yoga experience to your students.
Take your teaching from basic to badass with this power yoga script.
Here’s what yoga teachers are saying about the POWER YOGA SCRIPT:
“This definitely helped me improve my flow with teaching asana after my teacher training.” -Donita, Vinyasa yoga teacher
”I love how you laid this script out. I felt confused and scattered as I was working on my classes and this helped me save time in the process. Thank you!” -Keyla, yin yoga teacher
“I’ll be honest: when I got done with my 200-hour training, I felt totally lost. I mean, my trainers went over all the poses but as soon as I’d get in front of the room, the words just weren’t there. I felt so stuck. This book helped me build my confidence and doing some memorization so I wasn’t always so terrified to teach.” -Beth, power vinyasa teacher
Photos in this post by Jeremy Baker.
I’ve been feeling a shift in my yoga practice.