do not have a medical degree, so avoid medical
opinions, unless you are a medical doctor. A wise Yoga teacher would tell
his, or her, Yoga students to seek medical advice from a physician. Yoga
students should also look into the value of a second opinion from a
qualified medical professional. Make sure your staff, and the person who
answers the phone, are very friendly. If this is not the case, find
replacements. A rude receptionist will scare off existing, and new, Yoga
students. Your receptionist is the
'keeper of the gateway' to learning Yoga from you, and gives the first impression of what you are all about. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Lastly, always return phone calls. At our North Providence wellness center, we constantly get calls from new, and eager, Yoga students who called another Yoga teacher first. However, the first call was not answered, and then, we get the second call. I cannot complain about this, it works to the advantage of my staff, but not answering phone calls, at any Yoga studio, gives all Yoga teachers a bad image.
If you follow these basic Yoga teacher guidelines, you will keep more of your existing Yoga students. New Yoga students will want to repeat a good experience, so you do not have to preach them about the value of long-term Yoga practice. They will eventually see it for themselves and will come to appreciate your teaching method. Always remember: Becoming a successful Yoga teacher is not luck, it is a formula that you must practice every day.
Many Yoga teachers are often asked what a typical working day is like.
This is a very broad question, as there are so many types of Yoga to study, practice, and teach. In India, there are nine popular styles of Yoga, but outside of India, only three of the main Indian Yoga styles have gained significant popularity - those three being Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Raja Yoga.
Most common are the many Hatha Yoga sub-styles. There are so many Hatha Yoga sub-styles, that it is easy for the public to be confused about which style of Yoga is most familiar to them.
Getting back to the Yoga issue at hand - this example of a typical working day is based upon
my experience, the experiences of my staff, and the experiences of Yoga
teachers who I come into contact with. Please bear in mind that many Yoga teachers work
part time, but there are many, like me, who work at teaching Yoga full time,
as well.
When you are teaching Yoga as a full time occupation, your day begins with a meditation. A Yoga teacher should be an example of good health, and meditation is good for mental, spiritual, and physical health. Many people do not see the connection between meditation and physical health.
Therefore, I will draw you a mental picture. Look at people who are stressed out, depressed, over anxious, angry, or in poor mental health. This is very taxing on the physical body, and many of these people are not in good physical health as a result. In fact, mental and spiritual health is linked to physical health.
Most people with mental health issues feel no connection with the physical body and may neglect their physical health as a consequence. How often do you hear,
I don't have time for meditation, Yoga, exercise, eating right, God, or praying? Unfortunately, we hear these things far too often. People deny their spiritual health for the sake of being
politically correct.
The public needs your help and if you are going to teach Yoga to anyone, drive through traffic, work with the public, and teach a healthy lifestyle, you must be an example of good holistic health. Yoga teachers spend time preparing each lesson plan. The particular lesson plan is designed for the needs, health, and age of the group. I have found book stores, libraries, and the office, to be the best places for concentrating on a Yoga lesson plan.
It is not advisable to mentally design a Yoga lesson plan during your commute.
After all, with all of the things some of us have seen people do while driving, designing a lesson plan would not be as spectacular. Many Yoga teachers do
listen to audio books in the car, but driving is living in the moment too.
As a side note: It is wise to avoid listening to meditation or self-hypnosis
CD's while driving.
Your first destination
for teaching Yoga may be a corporate fitness center, senior center, nursing home, church
group, private session, assisted living complex, or teaching Yoga at your
own studio. Some Yoga teachers have a studio in their home, so there is no commute to deal with. Personally, I would rather get out of the house, to avoid stagnation, but some Yoga teachers love their home based studios and that is fine. If you are a late riser, you may elect to work with the corporate
'lunch time' crowd or at any one of the previously mentioned options.
If you teach full time, at the end of a day, you have taught, at least five, groups, or private students. Yoga teachers often do quite a bit of research in relation to ailments concerning their students, so that is an unseen part of the day, which may take place at a library, book store, or on the Internet.
Also, during the course of your Yoga teacher day, you will have spaced your meals out. Some Yoga teachers keep small nutritional portions of balanced meals around for emergencies. For the most part you may eat healthy, but if you like chocolate it will still
'call out to you.'
The secret to enjoying a health
Yoga life is moderation. If you have a craving do what you must, but do not over indulge. There is no need to when the coffee, chocolate, or wine will be there tomorrow. Many Yoga teachers do not look their age due to moderate diet, drinking plenty of water, and making physical activity an effortless part of each day.
The demand for Yoga teachers has also created a part time niche for some. There are Yoga teachers who work a full time job and teach in the evening, at noon, or in the morning. I did the same for many years. In the case of teaching Yoga during the evenings, it was a much needed break from the work day.
There are some Yoga teachers who teach at the same company they work full time for. So, now you can clearly see, making Yoga a part of your life by teaching has a variety of approaches. The varieties of ways to fit Yoga into your daily life are as diverse as the people who teach it.
Would you like to know a formula for becoming an exceptional Yoga teacher?
What separates the exceptional yoga teacher from the
pack. Here is an itemized formula to become an exceptional and successful Yoga instructor.
Continuing education is part of a Yoga instructor's job description. Although you may teach Yoga, you must accept being a student of Yoga for life. Learn what you can, to benefit your Yoga student's ailments, and when you have time, learn a little bit more. With 5,000 years of documentation behind it, Yoga is like a great mountain where one lifetime will just not be enough to discover everything.
Patience is the next ingredient for a exceptional Yoga teacher. Be patient with yourself, your family, your friends, and your Yoga students. Do not put pressure on anyone unnecessarily. Some Yoga students have to grow into the practice. You might be unknowingly doing the same to yourself or your loved ones. The key is to become aware of it and always be mindful of others.
As a good Yoga teacher take action and understand the laws of cause and effect (Karma). Most of the world takes no action at all, but exceptional Yoga teachers do not sit on their hands. Just by taking action, you will be a success in life. Great ideas mean nothing without action, but your actions should always help others. It is fine to help yourself, just make sure you are not harming anything in the process.
Compassion is needed to become an exceptional Yoga teacher. You must show compassion for Yoga students and for mankind. Treat everyone possible with loving kindness. When this is impossible avoid negative people who seek pleasure through spreading pessimism, bigotry, hatred, greed, and envy.
Passion for Yoga and for helping other people can be found in most Yoga teachers. The Yoga teacher who just does it for the money, will not last. If you feel like that, you should find your real calling, passion, and true desires. Life is too short to waste time doing a job that you dread. Strangely, I have never met a Yoga teacher who regretted teaching Yoga. If I ever find one, I will let you know.
Courage is required to be a great Yoga teacher. To wake up each morning and go it alone, without someone over your shoulder is a Yoga teacher's life reward. Most of the masses like to be told what to do, but the Yoga teacher makes his or her own hours. There is some responsibility that goes with any business, but every Yoga teacher knows the responsibility is worth it.