Teaching Tips for Teachers: 5 Unique Ways to Uplift Your Yoga Classes

Teaching yoga is a form of art. The studio is your canvas. Your voice, props, incense, essential oils, and melodies are your tools. As the artist, you have the creative freedom to design your canvas as you feel divinely inspired – and have the pleasure to share your art with willing students eager to learn.

Developing a successful yoga class requires methodical steps, conscious action, and genuine attention. You are crafting and leading a healing experience for eager yogis to expand their consciousness and deepen the mind-to-body connection.  It is imperative to teach with intention, prioritize professionalism, and lead with authenticity. Below are five tips for yoga teachers to lead fulfilling, anatomically strong, inspirational classes that will leave all students, from beginners to advanced, in a peaceful state – keeping them returning to their mats, and your artwork.

1. Set the space and keep it.

Prior to students entering the studio, organize your space to align with the intention of the class. Set the temperature to the designated temperature, play meditative music to add to the ambiance, and prepare any necessary props for class. The moment students walk into the studio, the healing begins, and distractions should be limited. It is imperative to prepare this before students enter. Fidgeting with blocks, checking your phone to change the playlist or volume, and adjusting the thermostat during class can cause interferences for students and disrupt the healing art you’re creating.

2. Roam the room.

Establish a strong presence in the room by teaching from various spots throughout the studio. Students are intended to stay on their mats, not teachers. Teaching your class, not taking it, will establish a strong sense of guidance in the room. Your leadership throughout the class will be pronounced if you demonstrate various poses from each angle, ensuring each row of students feels properly guided. Throughout each class, make it a point to teach from each corner of the room, at least twice.

3. Refine your prose and reduce filler words.

When cueing positions and guiding transitions between poses, avoid speaking with “t” words. The “t” words are “the, those, this, that and them”. Replacing these words with “your” will amplify your teaching and make it more personal for the student.

Examples:

“Lift the right leg.” ---> “Lift your right leg.”

“Embrace those cores.” ---> “Embrace your core.”

“Engage that left quadricep.” ---> “Engage your left quadricep.”

Your sequence can be lost and disengage students’ attention if transitional words over power the postures. State the asana, before describing the to transition to it.  

Examples:

“Lift the right leg and place the foot at the front of the mat, on the right side. We’re moving into high crescent lunge.” ---> “High crescent lunge. Move your right foot to the front, keeping adequate space between both legs.”

“Move your hips to the ceiling, pull your shoulders in, and rotate the upper arms to the back of the mat. We’re moving into a downward facing dog.” ---> “Downward facing dog. Straighten your legs to lift your hips, lengthening your spine, while rotating your triceps to face your quads.”

“Open the hips and move the back hand in line with the front, bringing the shoulders on top of the hips. It’s warrior II pose.” ---> “Warrior II pose. Open your chest and hips, set shoulders above your pelvis, and align your arms.”

Yoga philosophy affirms the belief less is more. Embody this philosophy in your teaching by choosing your words with quality, speaking with eloquence, and avoid quantity. When teaching, leave appropriate segments of s i l e n c e for students’ self-reflection, speak concisely, and guide with refined prose.

4. Teach to the next level of the room.

An attribute yoga students crave – keeping them inquisitive of the healing properties – is the mental and physical challenge experienced on their mats.

When your class is filled with intermediate yogis, teach them an advanced sequence with asanas they may not typically practice in a class designed for beginners.

If your class is filled with advanced yogis, challenge them to hold asanas longer, explore various additions to an asana (i.e. binds, eyes closed, creative options), offer challenging sequencing, and teach numerous balancing and inversion asanas.

For beginner yogis, teaching alternatives to simplify an asana for their current ability could look like placing hands on hips for balancing poses, dropping one or both knees when needed, and resetting in child’s pose.

Adjustments are always available for those who need them, but challenging students will ignite their physical and energetic bodies – and keep them craving more. Assessing the current skill level of a group of students and teaching to their next level conjures engagement, minimizes boredom, and reduces stagnation – encouraging growth on and off the mat.

5.Share the philosophy, not just the postures.

Educate yourself on the philosophy of yoga and integrate elements of it within every class. Enlighten your students on the Eight Limbs of Yoga, share Patanjali's sutras that resonate with you, and teach the process of awakening consciousness that transpires from the practice. Begin or conclude your classes with a few pieces of yogic literature, quotes from yoga masters, or education from ancient spiritual texts to add elements of purpose and meaning towards the experience. This integration honors the philosophy of yoga, separates it from fitness culture, and captures students’ attention – keeping them intrigued for continued education and inquisition.

Teaching yoga is a cherished experience that transcends far beyond guiding postures and stretching. It is the art of combining philosophy and consciousness with movement of the physical body. When teaching with authenticity, conscientiousness, and artistry, you cultivate a space to invite students into a journey of self-discovery and healing. When setting the space with intention, upholding professionalism, establishing a presence of leadership, meeting the students at their next level, and weaving in philosophy that underpins the practice, you create classes that resonate far beyond the mat. Continue to remain a student of the practice and incorporate your learnings into your classes, and you will awaken the light in others.

Are there any tips that resonated with you? The comments section is a safe, judgement-free space. Please feel free to share below.

With love –

The Jim