What makes a good yoga teacher?

Image: Lululemon Athletica

Some thoughts:

• Receptivity and responsiveness to where their students are
• One who teaches to all levels of a class
• Compassion for their students
• Enthusiasm for transmitting the subject
• Technical knowledge and experience
• Flexibility to alter a class when necessary
• Skill and thought behind their explanations and teaching
• Creativity in their lesson plan to excite learning
• Constant growth and building of knowledge in the subject area
• Attention to when a student is out of alignment or just needs a loving touch

We discussed this question in small groups on the opening day of Yoga Teacher Training Level 2 at Tranquil Space. It was unanimously agreed that while some yoga teachers can have enviable technical knowledge, their classes can at times lack heart - that special "fairy dust" a great teacher knows how to sprinkle throughout the class which contributes to you leaving on cloud nine, and feeling in love with the world. John Friend, in his Anusara Yoga Teacher Training Manual, puts it this way:

"... it is possible for a teacher to have minimal yoga experience or knowledge of postural technique and still be effective in inspiring students about their divine greatness."

He further describes the three interpersonal qualities he feels are essential in a great yoga teacher: soft heart, sharp mind, and vibrant body.

"The teacher's soft heart quality encompasses compassion, sensitivity to others' feelings, friendliness, kindness, patience, and respect. Sharp mind includes being articulate, creative and innovative, while vibrant body includes being enthusiastic, charismatic, positive, humorous, and inspiring. These three categories represent the most important qualities of a good yoga teacher - they form the soil in which the seeds of technical knowledge and teaching experience can root and grow vigorously, bearing fruit for a lifetime."

An encouraging idea to contemplate as we begin our journey as yoga teachers-in-training - the notion that the vast amount of theory and philosophy we don't yet know isn't as important as the qualities we intrinsically bring to teaching.

Siobhan also shared a few thoughts of note:

• You can teach a pose even if you can't do it (a relief for those of us who thought we needed a stronger practice before entering teacher training)
• Think of all the skills and jobs you have done throughout your life; you bring all of those to yoga teaching
• You can still weave yoga philosophy into your classes without using the Sanskrit words and frightening students off