The Must-Have Qualities Of A Yoga Teacher

Every yoga teacher knows how important their role is in the yoga life of their students. It is not just about being the guide that their students need, but more importantly, about how the yoga coach can bring about a considerable change in their students' lives. 

Every yoga enthusiast has a unique style. Each teacher provides a kind of personal touch to their teaching of yoga. It is the flair that makes them distinct from all the other yoga practitioners in the world. 

It is because of this difference that a yoga practitioner becomes a good teacher. It has the power to affect others and make something out of them. While it may not be something often thought of, a yoga teacher's characteristics are highly important.

Understanding The Role Of The Yoga Teacher

What best describes your yoga teacher? What is it about her that makes you think she's the best teacher for you? Every person who wants to become a yoga teacher should know the importance of their role. 

Teaching yoga is not just about teaching students how to make poses. It is more than just giving instructions and checking whether they did it right or not. Rather, it is about serving as the guide to those who want to learn more about themselves. 

The practice of yoga may be thought of as a practice that helps people find their focus. But it also helps people find inner clarity and confidence. It is a process of learning more about how you feel and what you want. 

Yoga is a lifestyle, and your yoga teacher is your life guide. They serve a purpose in your life, and they come with a multitude of benefits too. The yoga teacher stands out above the rest, not because they are unique. 

Primarily, you like your yoga teacher because they have all the basic qualities that you want from a teacher. 

What Should A Yoga Teacher Be Like?

What should you be looking for in a yoga teacher? Here is a list of qualities that they should possess:

A yoga teacher must have a personal approach to teaching

Who doesn't want to have a yoga teacher who's greeting is always warm and friendly? If you are a student who is on the verge of a breakdown or is suffering from an anxiety attack, the person you want to talk to is someone who can make you feel welcome. 

If you are attending yoga classes for the first time, you want to have a teacher who makes you feel like it isn't your first. They should be able to make you feel comfortable with yourself. A kind, genuine teacher and willing to talk to you about yoga should be the right teacher for you. 

Every good teacher knows the value of having good relations with their students. And the experience all begins with how the teacher makes you feel on the first day of class.

A yoga teacher must be flexible in many different ways

A yoga teacher could very well use flexibility in their classes, but it is not just physical flexibility that's required. While it can be quite impressive to show or perform a particular pose, a yoga teacher must be mentally flexible too. 

This kind of flexibility is what's needed to make sure they are able to attend to their student's needs. They have to be able to address the needs of every student as well as that of the whole class in general. 

The flexibility of a yoga teacher is also checked during class, depending on how they respond to verbal and non-verbal cues and how they are able to adapt their poses depending on the capacity of their students. 

A great yoga teacher also needs a good practice of flexibility in understanding movement, bridging the gap between yoga and their students. 

A yoga teacher keeps an open mind

Every student who walks into a yoga studio has his or her own intentions. Each has its own expectation with different capacities to understand. A yoga teacher who keeps an open mind and accepts this reality is someone who is able to adjust his or her style to fit every student. '

An open mind makes a person flexible, understanding, and alert. The goal should always be to provide support to his student. 

A yoga teacher must be willing to learn

How do you know if a yoga teacher is good enough to teach? They may be practicing yoga for years and do it for hours in a day, but this does not mean that they are good at it. 

However, you can tell a good yoga teacher from a not-so-good one by joining their class. First, they must be knowledgeable about the practice. They have to know what they are doing, emphasizing how you could improve your skills with great practice. 

A good yoga teacher should also be able to discuss a wide range of topics about yoga with you, from the philosophy that serves as the guide to the techniques of every pose. The teacher should also be able to give you tips on how you can be better at achieving a pose.

With their honesty and hard work, a good yoga teacher can earn for herself, not just the skills set to become a teacher. More importantly, they learn how to become a good guide to people who are just starting out in yoga. 

What's Your Takeaway?

Any yoga teacher is good in their own right. They have the knowledge and the skills they can share with you. However, yoga is a very personal practice that taps deep within you. The best choice is to be under someone who understands your intent to learn yoga and put its principles into practice.

Every yoga teacher is different. They have been through different experiences, which made them who they are today. While each one may offer the same schedule of practices, each one's experience will always be different.

It's not because one is better than the other. Rather, it is because they make you feel good about the practice and yourself. That's how you know you made the right choice.