Teaching Your First Yoga Class

Teaching your first yoga class can feel really overwhelming…but it’s all going to be okay; it really is. I PROMISE! The mountain in your head is a molehill on the mat; Every. Single. Time. We were all nervous, and then it went away. When you’ve taken the time to practice, study, and explore the expanse of teaching yoga, it’s natural to want to be good at actually teaching it. And you already are. You are already prepared, and it’s okay to be nervous, but just use your skills, get centered, and share your offering with the class. Even for the most seasoned yogi’s, there is no perfection, only progress.

I get it. You want to do a good job, make it perfect, and you know what; it’ll be exactly what it’s supposed to be. The only one even potentially expecting perfection, is you. Let that go, Momma… Most people won’t know any different if you forget a cue, mix up your sequence, or something completely different than what you’d planned. It’s true, sometimes students come to class for a specific teacher, but a lot of the time, students simply come into class for a space to embody their own practice. Trust me, the longer you teach, the more you realize that half the class tends to do their own thing anyway, no matter how many cues or modifications you offer. All you have to do is get up there,  create space for the experience, and let the hour flow in it’s unique and natural shuffle.

What I learned from teaching my first class:

  1. You’re not gonna run out of time. LOL. You’re really not.  Breathe. Slow your speech down. Be present.
  2.  Missteps are an opportunity for your own further practice. This is the natural evolution of yoga,“be aware, modify, move forward”.
  3. Applaud yourself! It takes a lot to lead a practice, and now that you’re a teacher, you know that first hand. Accept that you were great, even if you walk away with new ideas and strategies.
  4. Relax – The main thing that you’re bringing to the mat and offering to students is you. Just be you, up there, shining your light, creating space where others can do the same.

The First Year in Retrospect

I really hadn’t intended on ever teaching yoga when I started my 200-hr YTT. At that time, it was more about, deepening my own yoga practice and maybe subbing now and then after I finished, but guess what happened? I taught my practicums, subbed a little and then,  life played out in a totally unpredictable fashion like it often does. With changes in my schedule, I did in fact start teaching a few times a week. After a few months, I mindfully decided that I would continue to teach…and I discovered that I wanted to teach MORE. And then COVID closures swept across the globe and the option to teach anywhere publicly was temporarily suspended. My experience with this first year of teaching could be a poster child for why FLEXIBILITY is key (pun totally intended). So, what did I do? At first, I missed teaching SO MUCH! Then, I decided to invite 2 new very precious things into my life, 1) teaching classes privately to family & friends, and 2) I started a 300-hr YTT while waiting patiently for my studio to reopen (which all these months later is still an undecided mark on the calendar. It’s all okay.  The thing is, after the nerves of your first class, truly, you just sink into a flow. Looking back, I think that the hurdle of getting through teaching your first class without mass disaster or spontaneous combustion happening is all it takes to fully transition from student to teacher, who will always remain a student too.

10 of My Realest Pieces of Advice for New Teachers

  • Just practice, and teach. Whenever and however, and however often that you can.
  • The best classes that you will ever teach, are usually born in the reflection of your personal practices on the mat, and they play out in totally unplannable ways.
  • Planning your sequences and themes is important, but nothing makes or breaks a class like your honest ability to be present with the people in front of you. Create space and be present.
  • Students will show up to you class…and sometimes they won’t. Both are completely okay, and not a reflection of you. Let this be as it is.
  • Somedays you will rock it out above and beyond your self-inflicted standards, and some days it’ll feel like a ‘meh’ kinda performance. Your students’ perceptions of this may be opposite of your own.
  • You will be building from and expanding on everything you’ve learned from now on. Take it slowly, and deliberately. There is no rush.
  • The reality of people staring at you becomes so normal, you will quit thinking about it completely.
  • Students tend to push themselves farther than is necessary and safe. You will realize all the ways in which you do this too.
  • Moving mindfully through life is easier when you extend yourself that same thoughtful courtesy when transitioning from student to teacher.
  • Your life will shift and transform on every level as you teach, witness, and share over the weeks, months, and years that you choose to offer your practices in your community.

At The End Of The Day

Teaching your first yoga class is an incredible step on the journey of living life through your yogic lens. You already know everything that you need to know to begin, but if you’re still feeling a little jittery, let me be the first to reassure you; you’re going to do great! All that you have to do now is accept yourself exactly where you’re at and be open to allowing life to unfold as it will. Get out of your head and into your body. Everyone in the room is already aware that PRACTICE is the point. So do that.  Share in the unexpected, be willing to live the curious neutrality of your inner witness, and have fun with it! Sometimes, during the switch into the teacher’s seat, it can be easy to forget that we started this journey because it was so enjoyable. Keep the joy in your practice and flow with the fun!

Namaste.

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