10 Tips for Surviving, Thriving, and Finding Your Voice as a New Yoga Teacher

About two weeks ago, I received the following request in my inbox: 

Could you share your experiences as a new yoga teacher? I am finding that I am struggling with a few things now that I am starting teaching--finding time for my own practice, remembering sequences, projecting my voice, not being super nervous, and just generally getting over the fear that a bunch of people are staring at me, and when I demo something they look like they are going to die (ha!). I know we cover some of this in Teacher Training, but it is often brief/rushed, and I think some advice from outside could help. I also think the yoga community would love to hear how you dealt with some of these issues. 

My first thought after reading this email? 'How have I never discussed this before?!?' OMG, I must! 

So today, I'm sharing my 10 Tips for Surviving, Thriving, and Finding Your Voice as a New Yoga Teacher, based on both my own experiences and what I've observed over the past couple of years working with lots of new teachers (as a former Studio Director, Teacher Director, and Teacher Training instructor). Here goes!

1. Make time for your own practice.
Bottom line: you cannot teach what you are not experiencing/do not know. If you are not practicing regularly, you simply will not be as strong a teacher as you could be. Thus, making time for your own practice is a MUST when you become a yoga teacher. Similarly, the worst feeling ever is being jealous of your students (because they're on their mats, and you're not!), and I know many new yoga teachers who have voiced this feeling. 

If you have to turn down a teaching opportunity because it takes place on the evening of your favorite class to attend as a student--the one that keeps you sane (!)--do it. You will be a better teacher in the long run. Think of taking classes (or practicing at home, on your own) as your required Continuing Ed. Make it a priority! I suggest coming up with a regular class/practice schedule based around your weekly schedule, and sticking to it as you would classes that you teach or scheduled work meetings. Non-negotiable. 

2. When it comes to sequencing, stick to the basics, come up with a structure that works for you, and don't be afraid to reuse parts of a successful sequence.
One of the biggest mistakes that I see new teachers make is trying to be too original and creative early on. If coming up with original, creative sequences comes naturally to you and doesn't make you feel extra confused and nervous, then by all means, do it, but if it makes teaching more difficult for you, stick to the basics. When it comes down to it, a well-executed class with a more rudimentary, straightforward sequence is going to be a much better class than a super creative class that leaves the teacher flustered, confused, and/or extremely nervous the entire time.

Similarly, if you feel that a sequence is successful or you feel like you've gotten really good at teaching it, don't be afraid to reuse it! You DO NOT need to come up with a brand new, totally original sequence every time that you teach. In fact, as one of my teachers recently pointed out, there really aren't any "completely new" sequences out there, as there are only so many poses and so many ways to put them together, and there are thousands (millions?) of teachers in the world. 


Also, think about it--what's your favorite part of a yoga class? Many people would answer this question with sun salutations, or pigeon pose, or another very basic, commonly-taught-without-much-variation part of class (or pose). We human beings like repetition, so don't be afraid of it! Why do you think Bikram, Ashtanga, and Power Yoga are so popular? 

3. Practice your sequences before you teach.  
This REALLY helps with the nerves, with remembering the sequence, and with ensuring that your sequence is one that your students can actually do in their bodies. When I first started teaching, I would write out an entire class and then DO it in my body while talking aloud. I wouldn't do the full 75-min class, but a shortened, condensed version that let me at least experience what my students would be doing (takes about 15 mins, tops). 

Then, I would teach that sequence in my classes all week, and before every class, I would "practice" it again (shortened version, not breathing in each pose or doing both sides, but just a run-through). As I did this, I would stop and work out any parts of the class/poses that I had trouble teaching in the previous class. By the end of the week, the sequence would be super easy for me and I would gain a lot of confidence teaching it. Then, I could reuse it whenever I needed to, and would feel bery comfortable doing so! Easy peasy. 

4. Talk to the class as yourself (or, be authentic).
Do you dislike a pose? Do you struggle with something? Is everyone staring at you like they want to kill you? Say it! Let them know! Be yourself! The more that you can let down your "yoga teacher guard," the less nervous you will be. It's hard to play the role of the "yoga teacher;" it's much easier to just be yourself. Often, I find that when I make a stupid joke, or remind people not to glare at me while in a difficult pose, I immediately feel more comfortable. 

5. Combat the nerves with your own centering + pranayama.
First, let me make it clear that I still get nervous sometimes before teaching. Not before every class, but when I'm in a new situation, or I have a bigger group than usual, or a teacher who I look up to is in my class. After over 1,500 hours of teaching yoga, the nerves are still there (!).  For some of us, they never go away, and I think that's okay, as sometimes nerves are a good thing. That being said, when you're so nervous that you can hardly function, that isn't good.

Here are a few things that I do when I'm feeling nervous:

• Start my class in child's pose. Sometimes, seeing only a sea of backs can help with the nerves. That way, if someone has their eyes open, you can't see, you're not looking out at a bunch of empty faces, and no one can see you, so you can compose yourself or handle anything you need to handle without being watched. I wouldn't always do this, but it's a nice little trick that I use when I'm feeling less-than-calm ;) 
• Use centering as a time to center yourself. Breathe with the students. If it makes you feel less nervous, sit on your mat and close your eyes as you talk. Practice what you preach and use the first 5 minutes or so of class to slow down, calm down, and come into the room. If you prefer a silent centering period, just be quiet and breathe in a seated meditation! It will definitely help. 
• If you're someone who struggles with having people looking at you (so many faces staring RIGHT AT YOU!), start teaching/assisting in the back of the room and work your way forward as you get more comfortable. I almost always do this, and find it very helpful. 
• Give an assist. Assisting makes me feel more grounded, so I find that touching people in down dog and child's at the beginning of class always makes me feel a lot less nervous. 

6. Teach a lot, but not too much.
When I first started teaching, I went a little insane. Within a few months of graduating from Teacher Training, I was teaching 17 classes per week. I thought, 'The more I teach, the better I'll be, right?' Actually, wrong.

If you teach *too* much when you start out, you'll be too exhausted to do a good job. You won't be able to give 100% in each class, and you won't be able to remember if you just taught this pose on this side, or if that was in yesterday's class, or this morning's class, or...? Plus, if you teach too much, you'll probably burn out. I have watched countless (countless!) new teachers go through this.

They start out excited, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they take everything that comes their way, offer to sub for every request, and suddenly, they're resenting yoga, their role as a teacher, and worst of all, their students. They're tired, overwhelmed, overworked, and often, feeling injured, and it's no bueno. Trust me on this one! I've been there. Be mindful about which opportunities you accept, and which ones you politely turn down. 

7. Go easy on yourself. 
Your classes are not going to be perfect. Ever. Sure, you may teach a really good one every once in a while, in which you make very few mistakes, but you'll always make mistakes. You'll always say stupid things (just yesterday I said "fart rolling" instead of "start rolling"), and you'll never stop being human. 

So, the earlier that you can learn to let go and move on, the better. Your students don't care if you say something dumb, or if you forget a pose on a side, as long as the class as a whole isn't a hot mess. And honestly, even if it is, you'll live. And so will your students. The world will keep turning! 

8. If you teach multiple classes in a week, do not feel the need to reinvent the wheel every time.
You DO NOT need to come up with a new sequence for every single class. Some senior teachers create a new sequence and teach it in every class for a month, just adding on, tweaking it, changing it for the class level they're teaching, etc. Some schools of yoga always teach the same sequence (as mentioned above). I personally come up with 1-2 sequences per week (depending on when/where I'm teaching), and recycle/reuse them and tweak them as necessary. I also keep all of my old sequences written down, and often go back to them and recycle them when I'm feeling stuck or uninspired. 

9. If you get completely lost, or things get out of hand, put people in child's pose. {Always come back to child's pose!} 
If you get flustered, if you get confused, if a student needs you, or something really crazy happens while you're teaching, put people in child's pose or leave them in down dog and tell them to "take a few breaths here." Usually, people are fine with doing this (they welcome the break!) and it gives you the time you need to get it together. Never underestimate the power of child's pose for helping you to get your bearings. It's a life-saver ;) 

10. Remember why you became (or, are becoming) a teacher!!!
Just as we often invite our students to set an intention, you should set an intention for teaching. Why are you teaching? Why do you want to be a teacher? What is your motivation behind challenging yourself in this way? If you're coming from a good place, that's what matters. Mirroring while you demo is great (and is a must, in my book!), but if you mess up and forget to mirror in your first class, it doesn't matter.

What matters is whether or not you're teaching from a place of love, compassion, and/or passion. Often, new teachers can get very lost in all of the logistics of teaching, applying to teaching jobs, auditioning, obsessing over class numbers, and schedules, and sequences, but it's important to keep perspective on why all of this matters, and usually, that comes back to your initial reason for wanting to be a teacher. Try not to forget about this! 

Fellow teachers, do you have any additional tips? What do you do to combat nerves or what do you recommend for new teachers? Newer teachers, have any additional questions? Feel free to post to comments and I'll do my best to answer them...

As you all probably know by now, deciding to become a yoga teacher was one of the most life-changing decisions I've ever made, so I never tire of talking about it ;)  

{JULY 2015 UPDATE} Want to learn more about this topic? I've written an eBook all about the business of yoga:

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Learn more about the book {HERE} or place your order below!

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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions :)