The Gift of Teaching Yoga
The Gift of Teaching Yoga
As a yoga teacher, it is essential to maintain your own personal practice so you can;
1.Teach with integrity
Honouring the intention of yoga, for the service of others. Teaching with integrity is adhering to a code of conduct that brings forward love, non-judgement, hope, compassion, and inclusivity. The first two limbs of Yoga which we will look at in the following modules, outline moral ethics of a yogi (Yamas) and the internal observances (niyamas) which will enhance one’s development toward a greater compassion and ultimately toward enlightenment.
Yoga Australia outlines the legal and ethical obligations we have as teachers. For more information please see the links below:
2.Develop awareness of the self through the practice
When you develop a regular daily practice, you begin to;
- learn more about your own body, how it moves, what feels right, how you can modify, extend or micro adjust the posture for better alignment.
- develop a deeper awareness of your own mind, your mental state.
- understand the correlation between your mind and how your body moves that day.
- be aware of the breath during the practice.
- become the observer whilst you practice.
- find spaces of stillness, spaces to unlock hidden potentials on all levels.
- develop patience, compassion, and discipline.
- build your knowledge and your intuition to assist others, and.
- access your higher self and enable you to build an inner strength that becomes your unwavering centre.
3.Give yourself the opportunity for new growth and development
Yoga is a continual journey of learning through; education, introspection, and kinaesthetic practice, so that we can empower and transform our body and mind.
The Dalai Lama encourages people to be grateful that they can study and raise their consciousness; to use each day with the intention of compassion for all living beings. Through our journey of Yoga, we uncover the veils of illusion and misperception and discover so much more about ourselves and the world around us.
4.Be the change, because it starts with you
‘be the change that you want to see in the world’ Gandhi
Our intention to teach Yoga is to provide students with the tools to ease their own suffering, resulting in a more peaceful world. To do this we must first cultivate our own inner strength to embody peace, reverberating that energy and creating a ripple effect of giving others the chance to do the same.
5.Be able to hold space for others while facilitating a class
It is important to put aside our own values, beliefs, and prejudices when we are working with others, to create a safe non-judgemental space. Holding space allows students to have their own introspection to unlock their self-healing potential and find the answers within themselves.
To ‘hold space’ for someone we must be completely present with the intention of compassion for each student, letting go of the idea that we need to “fix” or “solve” them. As Yoga teachers our role is to facilitate the class and allow the ancient spiritual practice to do the work, without ego intervention.
Working with Students
“Yoga will meet you where you are”
The aim of yoga is to harmonise our entire system, so that a unity is experienced between body, mind, and soul. It does not mean that we need to all have the exact same body, follow the exact same yoga sequence or that we have to be able to twist ourselves in knots or even touch our toes!
This course will teach you the foundation postures of Hatha Yoga. You will learn how to modify these poses and how to sequence them for a class. As you continue your practice and then begin to teach others, your teaching style will evolve to adapt and support each student or class that you teach. I encourage you to continue your practice in a studio environment, to be mentored by a Senior Yoga Teacher who can provide you with feedback about your alignment and your teaching style.
I have included a template of a letter that you can give to your teacher so that they can support you whilst you move through this course.
**If you live remotely and you do not have access to a mentor, I can assist you with our ‘online mentor program’ that will help to refine your teaching skills and build your hours of practical teaching required for registration as a Yoga Teacher.