6 Things I wish I’d known when I first started teaching yoga - Yoga Teacher Mentoring Blog

Written by: Lauren Munday

It’s 10 years since I taught my first paid yoga class. I’ve been reflecting on how both myself and the yoga world has changed in that time.  

 Firstly there are obvious technological differences. Ten years ago I’m pretty sure I’d never heard of Instagram and was probably messaging my friends on BBM. Teaching yoga online would’ve seemed very far-fetched.  

 While I love in-person connections and would be happy if social media wasn’t so much a part of our lives, there are a lot of things were getting better at, even if there's still a way to go. Conversations around consent particularly in terms of adjustments and cultural appropriation are now part of mainstream yoga dialogue. Yoga teachers across all backgrounds and body types are now starting to get the recognition they deserve.

After taking time to think back over the last ten years I’ve put together 6 things I wish I’d known when I started teaching.

You don’t have to have all the answers

One of my biggest fears as a new teacher was someone would ask me a question I couldn’t answer and I’d be exposed as a fraud. Obviously, it’s impossible to have all the answers, and thinking you do is a problem in itself. These days when I don’t know an answer I’m honest about it and view it as an opportunity to learn something new rather than something to be afraid of.

 Much of what we learn comes from watching our students practice. Often if a student has a question about their practice we can work out the answer together by making suggestions and trying different things. 

Students know their body much better than we ever can so it’s important to listen to what they say. We can use our knowledge and experience to make suggestions and allow space for feedback rather than impose our ideas onto our students.

Maintain a strong community

Having a strong community is so important when it comes to learning and sharing knowledge. I’ve been very lucky to have a wonderful and supportive teacher in Hamish and a network of other teachers to share and discuss our experiences. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, but if you’re new to teaching continue studying with a more experienced teacher, and set up a peer support group with other newly qualified teachers so you can discuss your experiences.

Your practice is a wonderful teacher

Teaching comes from experience. That’s why I always say you need at least a solid three years of daily practice before you think about becoming a yoga teacher. Before you can teach something you have to truly embody it yourself, and this applies to both asana and yoga philosophy. It doesn’t mean you have to be able to do “advanced” asanas, but you have to come from a place of knowing how something feels in your body and a lived experience of incorporating yoga philosophy into your life.

Keep a side hustle going

When I first started teaching I had a couple of side jobs. None of them were particularly thrilling. One involved me spending hours in a windowless filing room another was travelling across London for a cleaning job.  

After a couple of years, I went full time with teaching and that wasn’t easy either. There was a lot of time spent counting my pennies and selling stuff I could do without luckily there was a lot of pawn (not porn) shops on my street. While I can make light of it now, it did affect my mental health and there were periods when I was depressed and suffered from anxiety and panic attacks over how I was going to pay my bills. That’s why my advice is if you have something else you can do alongside yoga teaching keep doing it while you grow your community. It will mean you’ll be fresh and enthusiastic as you’ll only take on the classes you really want to teach rather than burning yourself out.

Know your worth

Imposter syndrome is real and it was probably part of the reason I struggled to make a living for so long. It's important to figure out how much you think you should be paid for a class whether in a studio or a private client. Do your research, find out how much other teachers are charging and position yourself based on your own skills and experience. If you’re new to teaching you might start off charging a little less, but you still deserve to get paid. Make sure you join the Yoga Teachers Union. Coming together as a community will ensure we all get paid fairly for the work we do.

Teaching is hard on your body

Travelling to and from classes (when they are in person), demonstrating asanas, or giving adjustments (if you teach Mysore style) all take their toll on your body. 

This is another reason why I can’t stress enough the importance of maintaining your own practice. One of the reasons we practise yoga is to cultivate tapas or the ability to overcome adversity. Being grounded in your own practice will give you the mental and physical strength to face challenges and an increased understanding of your body, which will protect you from overdoing it.

So to summarise if you're just starting out on your teaching journey. Here are the three important things to think about.

 -Maintain your practice

- Watch and listen to your students, ask them questions and let their feedback guide you

- Surround yourself with community

- Be humble yet confident in your ability