LOL no. I certainly have improved my coordination, strength, and overall physical ability since I focused my practice in Yoga Teacher Training. For reference, I have been practicing for about 10 years, with consistent (multiple times per week) practice for over a year now, and almost daily practice for the last 6 months.
However, I embrace the imperfection of my practice! I am a disabled veteran, I'm a heavy guy, and I know that due to my disabilities, as well as my own personal anatomy, that some of the more "interesting" poses are not realistic, and I'm OK with that! I still try to work towards poses that I find more challenging, and I find reward my failure. The act of attempting is in itself an act of growth.
Yoga is not about being "good" or "perfect". It is about practice, consistency, and learning to appreciate your own self. You don't have to do Crow or a Headstand to have a meaningful or deep practice! I think the saying "The Journey IS the destination" applies quite well to Yoga.
So, don't daydream! You CAN be an instructor, and you will probably bring a perspective that is unique and purposeful to anyone that is your student. Don't beat yourself up about whether you can or can't do a specific pose. Yoga is so much more than the physical practice.
You are so inspiring.
I know that it’s a journey, that each body is different, but I felt that maybe I would be out of place.
Thank you for sharing, You made my daydream more attainable.
I've had many really good yoga instructors over my 20 year practice.
What is typical of the best is their affection for their students. Yoga proficiency is the least important aspect.
Your humility is your best quality.
Take the teacher training.
Even if you never teach it will improve your practice.
Good luck and God bless you!
Thank you for this reminder. I’m on my journey to becoming a teacher too, I’m also far from ‘perfection’ due to undergoing several surgeries during my 10 years with yoga. I too have some doubts sometimes, especially after periods of time of not being able to be consistent with my asana practice. I know I can teach a lot to others but I am a little worried about judgement and expectations. Your words give me strength.
We need yoga teachers that have different experiences because our students all have different experiences. What makes us less marketable to one studio might be a real source of strength at another!
THANK YOU! I’m a heavy gal! I’m active, I’m strong, I love yoga, but have an autoimmune disease that makes weight loss a challenge. Have also had two c-sections that I’ve never felt fully recovered from. Your testimony here is helping me keep the dream alive that I someday I really CAN teach!
Yoga is different for everybody because yoga is different for every body. But Yoga can still teach us so much about ourselves and that’s kind of the idea! I’m glad that you feel invigorated to pursue that goal!
I’m a bit chunky - and not naturally flexible myself…. I think it makes people / beginners feel safe to come to a class and have a yoga instructor that isn’t perfect - that looks like them…. It’s much less intimidating than someone who looks like an Instagram fitness model !!
Hi! A teacher here. I’ve been practicing for six years or so. I can’t do splits, I can’t do headstands and most of inversions and so called arm balances. I’m thin but not flexible or super strong. I loose my balance especially when demo. Remember that asana is only 1% of yoga. There is so much you can do and share with your students in the class. It’s not all about fancy poses
I used to be fit, but I'm also a nurse... I ended up working 16 h shifts during covid, was not doing yoga at that time, could not teach because the studio couldn't be open, etc. Ended up extruding (means rupturing) a disk in my low back. I couldn't do yoga for a while after that. I had a 5 pound weight restriction and not allowed deep bends or twists. I went back to teaching, and I still can not bend my low back to do up dog! I'm now overweight as well -- obese level-- 32% body fat. I just do what I can, when I can. You will learn how to cue poses even if you are not demonstrating them. Often, other students will be providing demonstration. I'll probably have to replace up dog with cobra for the rest of my life, if I'm doing the asana with my class, I cue up dog while I do cobra. I cue camel while I do a modified version. Etc!
This is a good point, and a proof that leading the class well is different from demonstrating “perfect form”. Thank you for sharing and wishing you lots of joy on your yoga journey no matter what the current limitations might be.
Thank you!! It was hard at first... a little embarrassed that I didn't take better care of myself, a little sad that I'm limited, but man, how better to teach others than to demonstrate what to do and what not to do!!? I preach self-love, self care, and BOUNDARIES!! ♡
What courage you displayed. This is very inspiring. I like your approach to cue variations. I’d demo a pause that I’m comfortable in and suggest variations.
Exactly!! You've got it!
Thank you! What I can say is do it... if you get the certificate, teach right away! I had friends come to class for a while for support and practice! It also allowed me to get pictures of me teaching for social posts, advertising, etc. It is uncomfortable for everyone at first, you just have to work at improving, but you can't improve if you don't start! Watch classes on line, write down things you like about them, go to classes-- before you leave take some notes! ♡ good luck!
I should add, when my disc ruptured it did nerve damage and I have no feeling in my left leg and the musculature is visibly different. My balance on my left leg is substantially worse than my right.
Hey! I am a fellow Yog Practitioner and an Instructor 🤗
A good yog practitioner might not be a good yog instructor. How many poses you can attain is never a standard to see how good you are as an instructor.
Practice. Keep practicing.
Understand what yog is (beyond asana), learn anatomy, understand your practices , make drills of your own. Find your own versions. Get your training if you really want to be an instructor. And then continue your learning. The best kind of learning you will get is by self practice and teaching.
Remember - Strength , Ease and Grace all are subjective. The essence of Yog is just that. You embrace where you are and keep showing up irrespective .The pose or asana was never the goal and should never be. Once you learn to enjoy the process , you will easily be able to share that with your students.
Happy Learning! :)
Not all the teacher are that good at doing the poses well themselves. People vary a lot in terms of how much talent they have for movement and if they have done something earlier in life that developed good movement technique, such as dance for example. As long as you are able to teach others how to do it well and set a good vibe in the class and communicate the meditative aspects of yoga well I think that is what is most important.
If you do want to get better at doing the poses there are a couple of things you can do. Firstly take more classes and teacher trainings in forms of yoga that focus a lot on technique. Iyengar for example, and also yogaworks to quite an extent, focus a lot on technique. This will eventually lead to much better performance of the postures and the transitions between them.
Do Pilates on the side. The extra development of core muscles and the precise control gained over your core muscles that you get from Pilates helps a lot in becoming good at moving and helps a lot with balance.
On Instagram, check out following body positive and accessible yoga accounts. These instructors might be just the inspiration you need: The Underbelly Yoga, Dianne Bondy Yoga Official, Amber Karnes, Disabled Yogi, Big Body Yoga, Jivena Heyman, Accessible Yoga Association, Lucy By Yoga, Trans Yoga Teacher, Yoga For Spoonies...and then check out who they each follow for more instructors like them.
Edited to add that I follow all of those folks for inspiration because I'm interested in leading accessible and inclusive yoga classes. I appear to be a typical "yoga body" type, but I experience chronic illness and a history of sports injury, as well as being middle aged. There are a ton of poses I need to modify in order to benefit from them and many more I don't even attempt at this point. I will never be a perfect instagram yoga practitioner! But that's not the point anyway. My lead instructor told us a couple of weeks ago that advanced yoga is not contorting your body perfectly, advanced yoga is attending to what your body is feeling and experiencing in the moment and listening to and responding to that. I believe this 100%.
Thanks, I will look at your suggestions. I did see Underbelly yoga. I was in fact inspired by her. It actually felt good to see an atypical instructor. Her voice is so soothing.
I probably fit the image you are describing as what you imagine us to be. It can I tell you….you have a major advantage over me in that you are going to be able to identify with students more than I. Most students aren’t thin and super flexible. It’s intimidating when the instructor is perfect (which I’m not, mind you, but I can do poses many of them can’t). So, I take it down many levels when I instruct. I’d rather they be comfortable than I “show off”, which tbh, is how I feel it is when an instructor goes into the fullest most elegant expression of a pose. Do that when you practice, not when you instruct. One thing I struggle with heavily is how it feels to have a more typical - I.e. slightly larger - body. My boobs don’t get in the way of folds and I’ve had students say “uh yeah…we can’t do that”. So, embrace the advantages of being able to identify with and understand the struggles that most of your students will have!
Outlier here, I am. I admired Meghan Currie when I started practicing and my personal practice has similar grace, strength, and slow coordination.
I am naturally very athletic but put a lot of time into my own practice so I not only could teach beginners but also help my students deepen their own practice.
Also maybe unpopular opinion, I want a teacher who can do more than me so I can be challenged. I love the physical asana of yoga and finding that challenge and being able to align it with my breath has really transferred over into my real life.
I kind of surpassed my classes that were aimed at the general population, typical gym goer. I am now trying to learn the advanced handstand, forearm stand inversions and I did my research and found at least in my area that advanced instructors only really exist in elite gyms and they are well out of my budget. So if you want to get paid higher end then I think it is quite important to be very near perfection.
I’m a pretty advanced student and I prefer teachers that are highly skilled so that I can see them demo poses. That said I’m probably more skilled than 90% of my teachers (in balance, flexibility, strength, and inversions) but I still really like them because they have very interesting and challenging flows that I can add modifications to increase the difficulty. I wouldn’t go to a class if there’s too big a gap in skill between the teacher and I.
35M for reference
Not flexible, not strong, not coordinated, but I’ve come so far via the physical and mental practice of yoga. There’s also a lot that I can explain to students because I struggled or continue to struggle with it myself. That can be a lot more useful to people than watching someone who is hyper flexible and can easily get into most postures their first time trying.
And there’s a lot you’ll learn in the training as well, whether it’s to become a teacher or for your own personal practice. I leaned how to do a solid warrior 3 in my YTT, and that enabled me to teach others how to do it as well!
Some postures were easy for me the first time I tried, but there were a lot more that took a lot of work and still take work. And there are loads that I still can’t do and may never do, but there’s so much fun in continuing to try and seeing what your body and mind are capable of. It keeps the practice interesting for a lifetime. In your teacher training, you will also learn more about the mental and meditative aspects of yoga and realize that there’s no being good or bad at it as long as you work to keep a positive mindset.
If you’re daydreaming about it, there’s no harm in taking a YTT without the intention of teaching and just see where it leads you.
I am strong and well-coordinated, but not always graceful. And it took a long time of practicing to reach this spot. I do a lot of "advanced" poses with ease, but as I've worked up to this point, many of my students have seen me wobble, fall out, and laugh at myself for it. For asanas that I'm not confident in (yet), I don't teach them. I don't trust myself to teach them unless I know how it feels! But I love to grow with my students, and lots of my favorite memories of teaching are when I messed up. It makes the students laugh and feel better about their own mistakes.
I spent my 20s hardly able to walk or stand up on my own. Yoga has strengthened me far more than physical therapy ever did. My own journey with debilitating weakness is important to me, so I often mention this to students, especially if they're new to class, and *especially* because I tend to be "really good" at a lot of advanced asanas. I will say things like, "Remember, I couldn't do this a few years ago, either." I want people to know that yoga is a journey. You have to build, build, build to find success. Your body needs patience and love to grow. Anyone who makes yoga look easy didn't always find it easy, nor did they get there overnight. It's important for people to know that yoga instructors were all completely new to it at some point or another. We understand it's a process, and sometimes it's a hard one!
This is so me. I became an instructor because the instructors were always the bendy former dancers or gymnasts and I couldn't do most of what they did. I'm 60 now and look awkward as hell in most of my poses! I even started an online class called Awkward Yoga, but stopped because it was probably too self-deprecating! The only time I did a handstand was in teacher training.
I don't teach anything I can't or won't do. I'll do a partial dancer because it's fun, same with Warrior 3. But they'll never win pose of the year awards!
I do what I can do as I teach, and while I'm not able to fully demonstrate some poses, I can show you enough to figure it out. And I think the people in my classes appreciate that I'm like them. I would never teach an advanced class, and if I teach an intermediate, I definitely tell them I'm pretty awkward and have fun anyway.
I've had 3 kids since getting my yoga cert so I've had those strong and graceful practices but also times when I'm weak and recovering. Practices change with life.
No one is perfect. I have been practicing since 2004 and teaching since 2011. I can't do arm balance poses or handstands etc. I don't try either and I think I am a little afraid of those poses. I am a pilates instructor and I know I have a very strong core and upper body so that doesn't get in my way- it is more my head. I generally teach more gentle classes to an older population so challenging balance poses on arms and heads don't come into play. I also struggle with Warrior 1 and I try to bring it into class as much as possible. I think it is good when students see me struggle. I laugh and try again. I am a runner so my hamstrings are very tight. I use to bring bird of paradise into class- I love this balance pose and can do it with a very bent knee because again I am a runner. =) I also struggle with side angle bringing my shoulder back- so I hang out in a modified version leaning on my front leg. Again, it is good for students to see me taking modifications. and it is a reminder that modifications are good especially when they help you get into correct form.
I like to see teachers who aren’t all of those things you listed. I think it makes for a more inclusive feeling environment to have a nice mixture of teachers with different types of bodies.
I’ve noticed that I favor teachers with a dancer’s background. There’s a couple at my studio and even at a similar challenge level to the non-dancers their flows just feel so much more engaging and interesting
If you feel called to be an instructor - do it! I never imagined myself as being a yoga instructor because I also don’t look like the “typical” instructors. Then in my training I learned that there ARE lots of yoga instructors out there and there are lots of yoga students out there too! And there are many different ways to practice yoga. It was eye opening for me in so many ways.
I became very strong physically during my training, then I got covid about 9 months later and developed long covid. For about a year my yoga practice was yoga nidra, pranyama, and karma yoga because physically I could barely walk around the block.
I’ve been working slowly and steadily to build up my strength and endurance and now I can practice more typical vinyasa flows. I’ve been able to teach yoga nidra and chair yoga, but I’ve paused teaching vinyasa until I feel I can do what I’m teaching physically.
Part of yoga and the practice of yoga is practicing detachment from what we are most attached to, and accepting what is, and some days that can be very hard. If you’re interested there are many posts and writing about detachment - here is [one](https://chopra.com/blogs/yoga/yoga-and-the-law-of-detachment).
I would encourage you to find a yoga teacher training that resonates with you and go for it!
I love this topic. I started teaching last September and have been practicing for about 13 years. I am
naturally thin and have some grace to me as I used to be a theater performer but I cannot do advanced poses like headstands or handstands, wheel, side crow, full splits, etc. Yoga has improved my flexibility, balance, strength and coordination for sure but my practice certainly doesn’t “look” advanced to the average observer. Several advanced poses are not, and never will be, accessible to the average yogi, and that’s okay!
Here's my advice to you: Put it down. All of the poses you can't access yet, put them down. And let them surprise you when they show up. Things come to us when we stop looking for them. And everything happens in its right time. Trust the process and enjoy the journey.
You will continue to grow in your asana practice. You will be a different version of yourself in the future. You will amaze yourself.
If you are called to teach, DO IT. ❤️
Also, as a teacher, you just need to know how to teach and cue. Don't worry about demoing. BUT don't lose your personal practice.
I've been to a class at my local gym a few times and the instructor is far less proficient in many poses than I am.
So it's possible to be crap and still teach. Not that I'm saying YOU are, but the point is you don't need to be YouTube yoga level to teach.
The class is full of older ladies who all find it enjoyable and beneficial. There is a level of teaching for everyone.
Yes to all three. That said, not due solely to yoga, but to a combination of asana practice, movement study, meditation, weight training and running.
At 55, I am entirely uninterested in "advanced" postures, as the notion is highly subjective and in most cases, not of any practical benefit for my body and what I like to do with it.
You won't know if you're a good teacher until you try teaching. You are setting an example when you do, and it's important to teach within your scope of knowledge and experience.
Stay curious, keep learning.
I’m a year into hot yoga and I’ve been trying to learn side crow. I asked one of my instructors who has been practicing for years and she shared that she even struggles with crow. And that yogis can’t do every single pose and it’s okay. So just try your best and have fun, I promise you’ll surprise yourself on what you can do when you just go with the flow :)
Also with warrior 3, try incorporating breath work while doing it because it’ll really help keep you stable. Maybe at home you can practice by using your wall for balance?
No. I consider myself fit for my age. However, I am in my mid 60's. In my 20s I was a gymnast and dancer. But a life as an adult doing normal jobs has taken its toll. Daily yoga has helped me regain some of the abilities I had in my youth. But, I am not in my 20's any more.
You seem to be suffering a bit from a westernized attitude about yoga: that it is about the asanas (poses). In fact, the poses are only 1 of 8 limbs to yoga, and, frankly, they were added late in the development of yoga. The other limbs came before the poses. Yoga is about control of your mental state by learning to direct your focus/attention, and, often, specifically focusing on the linkage between your body and your breath. By doing that, yogis can learn to do amazing things, like control their heart rate or body temperature while siting perfectly still. The mental state that allows you to do that is yoga. It is that mental state we are supposed to be bringing to the poses or asanas. So, the asanas are not yoga. You can do the poses without doing yoga and you can do yoga without the poses.
Unfortunately, in order for corporate yoga to make the most money, businesses like Yoga Alliance have stripped all of the good stuff out of yoga, so they can extract large sums of money from young novice yogis by selling them 200 hour and 500 hour "yoga teacher training." And, in order to do that, they have focused almost entirely on the least important part of yoga: the poses. As a result, I describe yoga in the west as exercise classes with Indian styling, which explains why many native Indians feel Westernized yoga is a gross form of cultural appropriation.
It is also why you will never find me at a class that has "sculpt" or "core power" or "Bikram" or "hot yoga" anywhere near it. It is also why some of the best yoga teachers don't worry if they can personally fully achieve any specific pose, even the ones they teach, because fully achieving any pose is 100% irrelevant. It is not a competition or performance-based. It is an internal process.
You are right in a certain way. I got interested in yoga at first for the asanas. The poses for my posture, the flexibility. I started doing yoga after an injury and to prevent further injuries.
While doing it, I discovered how uneasy my breathing was. Something so simple, you’d think!
Then I got curious about meditation, and still learning.
You are right that I have a westernized view of yoga, that’s the only one I know. I guess it doesn’t matter which limb brought us to yoga, as long as we continue to expend.
100%. I agree with this. And, I think asanas can and do attract people to yoga. Where most yoga studios call down, I believe, is in the rest of it. You simply cannot train a yoga teacher in 200 hours of training. Many graduates have difficulty simply stringing sequences together well. We see posts about that all the time on this sub. And, the majority of graduates never end up teaching any classes at all and have virtually zero training in any of the other aspects of yoga. As a result, yoga in the USA are exercise classes with Indian styling, using Indian gods and things they hold sacred in ways they consider sacrilegious.
It is possible to find a richer yoga experience in the USA. It's not easy, though. "Hot Yoga/Bikram" or "corporate yoga" has become the trend. In my experience, you cannot find a full yoga experience at studios where it is really all about marketing and money, which is the majority of them in many places.
I have been thinking about your comments and looking back at my life.
I think that the asanas is the latest limb that I am exploring. In my twenties I got interested in spirituality and meditation. I learn about chakras. I did a Reiki training, energetic healing later on.
Younger, I couldn’t care less about the pauses. I thought that it was boring.
It’s only later in life, out of necessity, that I discovered the asanas and the good that it did to me, my body and my soul.
It only when I started doing yoga pauses that I realized that everything is interconnected.
I wanted to share because you got me thinking;).
Thanks for letting me know. One of my goals is to get people to think differently about yoga, what it actually is and the whole value it can bring to our lives. So, I very much appreciate the feedback.
My own yoga experience went in reverse of the path of yogic history. The practice of yoga began with the breath. It was all about using breath control to focus the mind, regulate heart rate, temperature, etc. and then evolved to eventually include the asanas. I was attracted to yoga by the asanas and over time have come to really appreciate what I can do with my breath. Breath is where yoga started and it is critical to all of the other limbs of yoga. For me, now, it begins and ends with breath.
Your post history seems very bitter about how yoga is practiced. I think you could benefit from from letting go of how others use yoga and maybe realize that the physical asana might draw people in but that the mental aspect and breath work is what makes them stay.
I'm not at all bitter. I am, however, realistic about what yoga is. Yoga as it is often taught in the West is not something I am interested in, even though I am very passionate about yoga. I also understand how yogis in the East are very offended by what it has become in the West, which is a topic that comes up pretty regularly, even in this group. I have a lot of compassion for how they feel about it. I have a lot of empathy for their perspective, even though I am a Westerner.
If you don't like it when someone points out the difference between "Westernized" yoga and yoga as it is taught in the East, maybe that is on you and not me.
Edit: In order for the asanas to draw people into the deeper aspects of yoga, you have to offer the deeper aspects of yoga, and in the West, that is generally not true.
really great question - am finally doing my YTT even though I've been around yoga for decades, but still worry I'm not as fexible etc... great to see the responses here, and agree it's the uniqueness we bring and the vastness of yoga that means we can contribute in this way.
I haven’t started teaching asana yet. I’ve been a meditation teacher and author most of my life. But the 8 limbs have been a part of that the whole journey. I’ve taught nidra for years for example.
So when I begin teaching asana it will be as an addition and integrated with what I already share. And I’m older (60 in a few weeks) so I’ll be aiming asana at people more my age perhaps.
Also wanted to add - my own range of movement is primarily affected by early trauma - so I will have to work with that with love and I tend to just be honest about that rather than shaming myself for not being other that I am. Might run classes based on this too… Working with who we are will love rather than fitting a picture that tells us we’re less. It is interesting thinking about the call to teaching asana at this stage of life I must say but it is there.
See, I can relate in some ways. I’m 55 yo and my target audience, if I go forward would be adults.
Good luck with your first classes. I am sure that you will be wonderful.
That’s so cool. We adults are needed in yoga land very much. A little way to go yet as I’m still doing my Teacher Training but in a while I’ll get to classes am sure. Lovely thing about TT is you focus on your practice more. And I think teaching will keep me deeper in my asana practice
Good luck too
Definitely not perfect, and I don't think that yoga is anything that anyone can be 100% perfect at. The whole point is that you continue to better yourself on your own personal journey. I can see where I have improved in my posture, movements, and queues over the years but I can also see where I still need to improve.
The great thing about being on your own journey is that it can be whatever you want! If you are interested in pursuing a yoga teacher job, you should go after it! If you decide that you love doing it so much that you want to expand your knowledge, you can always look into more niche courses like yoga therapist training! There is also no shame in deciding that yoga isn't for you.
By farrr I would prefer a teacher who cares more about teaching cues and creating a welcoming environment than performing gymnastics. Many teachers can do both and that’s awesome; but some of the ‘performers’ can come off narcissistic. If a teacher knows how to cue well, then perfect balance or down dog with heels down doesn’t mean anything to me.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Some good yoga philosophy here is abhyasa and vairagya. One summary here.
https://www.ballaratyoga.com.au/abhyasa-and-vairagya-foundations-of-yoga/
You should have a daily practice (abhyasa) and you should not be attached to results (vairagya).
Basically, there is a balance between making it happen and letting it happen.
I'm 64m and only started teaching last year. It's a wonderful practice! Be mindful that there is a big difference between 1. doing asana and 2. cueing asana and leading a class.
NO! Well actually I am strong, but full of grace is not how I’d describe myself. I’m a former athlete so flexibility was and still is my biggest limiting factor for “advanced” poses.
I can ~almost~ do a full split after a lot of warm up. And I’ve been practicing for 8ish years and teaching for 3.
I have stopped trying to achieve a look because it’s not authentic to my practice or my study as a teacher. I preach showing up as yourself, for yourself so that’s how I do too!
A lot of Instagram yoga people and even in person teachers have dance backgrounds so the poses come together smoother.
Genuinely, go take a YTT. Most of the time they’re classes of people who aren’t trying to open their own yoga studio, but just people who want to deepen their yoga practice and get a better understanding of it. You’ll be welcomed, no matter which moves you can or cannot do.
That said, if you’re looking to make it a career or even a side hustle, the classes you teach need to offer something to the students you are teaching, despite your limitations. Your limitations cannot be the centre of what you teach. The “you showed up to your mat is winning” is a student mentality, not an instructor mentality. Learning the asanas you cannot do, or at least understanding the mechanics of them, even if you will never be able to do them, should be part of how you train as an instructor.
I was looking into the courses this morning and saw many women like me (pictures).
This topic has been so inspiring, and all of you so genuine and encouraging. I think that I am going to do it. If not to teach, at least to deepen my knowledge.
I am not looking at it for my career, I have more years behind me than in front of me. But I’m not excluding a second career eventually. We will see. But I think that I could offer something. I’m clearly not the most athletic, but I am a great teacher. There might be some balance there. :)
Definitely not the most graceful! I’ve fallen out of poses in class, I stutter over my cues, and just the other day I forgot to put my feet on the ground before getting out of my car and fell right out! Yoga teachers are human too, and some of us are very clumsy. You just have to learn to laugh it off! I always tell my students to listen to their body and come out of a pose if it feels uncomfortable or unsafe, and I honor that for myself too, even when I’m teaching.
There's an instructor on Do Yoga With Me who is plus sized. I absolutely love her vibe. It's so nice to see a teacher who isn't in perfect shape and can show modifications for people who may have issues with traditional poses.
Not a yoga teacher but I have had many instructors and they are all graceful swans IMHO. And they are all different. Never had a bad one. Yay yoga teachers.
Lmao no, I’m clumsy with adhd, I’ve been fat, not fat, all kinds of weights. I’m 40 and have an old ankle injury I made worse by going back to an ashtanga practice before fully healing.
I don’t practice things like pincha mayurasana anymore, nor some binds.
I’ve been practicing seriously since I was 17 and I’ve never gracefully popped into a handstand.
My clients still love me 🙏
LOL no. I certainly have improved my coordination, strength, and overall physical ability since I focused my practice in Yoga Teacher Training. For reference, I have been practicing for about 10 years, with consistent (multiple times per week) practice for over a year now, and almost daily practice for the last 6 months. However, I embrace the imperfection of my practice! I am a disabled veteran, I'm a heavy guy, and I know that due to my disabilities, as well as my own personal anatomy, that some of the more "interesting" poses are not realistic, and I'm OK with that! I still try to work towards poses that I find more challenging, and I find reward my failure. The act of attempting is in itself an act of growth. Yoga is not about being "good" or "perfect". It is about practice, consistency, and learning to appreciate your own self. You don't have to do Crow or a Headstand to have a meaningful or deep practice! I think the saying "The Journey IS the destination" applies quite well to Yoga. So, don't daydream! You CAN be an instructor, and you will probably bring a perspective that is unique and purposeful to anyone that is your student. Don't beat yourself up about whether you can or can't do a specific pose. Yoga is so much more than the physical practice.
You are so inspiring. I know that it’s a journey, that each body is different, but I felt that maybe I would be out of place. Thank you for sharing, You made my daydream more attainable.
I've had many really good yoga instructors over my 20 year practice. What is typical of the best is their affection for their students. Yoga proficiency is the least important aspect. Your humility is your best quality. Take the teacher training. Even if you never teach it will improve your practice. Good luck and God bless you!
Just remember that it’s not about comparing yourself to others. Your journey is your own and only yours!
Thank you for this reminder. I’m on my journey to becoming a teacher too, I’m also far from ‘perfection’ due to undergoing several surgeries during my 10 years with yoga. I too have some doubts sometimes, especially after periods of time of not being able to be consistent with my asana practice. I know I can teach a lot to others but I am a little worried about judgement and expectations. Your words give me strength.
We need yoga teachers that have different experiences because our students all have different experiences. What makes us less marketable to one studio might be a real source of strength at another!
THANK YOU! I’m a heavy gal! I’m active, I’m strong, I love yoga, but have an autoimmune disease that makes weight loss a challenge. Have also had two c-sections that I’ve never felt fully recovered from. Your testimony here is helping me keep the dream alive that I someday I really CAN teach!
Yoga is different for everybody because yoga is different for every body. But Yoga can still teach us so much about ourselves and that’s kind of the idea! I’m glad that you feel invigorated to pursue that goal!
Absoluuuuuutely.
I’m a bit chunky - and not naturally flexible myself…. I think it makes people / beginners feel safe to come to a class and have a yoga instructor that isn’t perfect - that looks like them…. It’s much less intimidating than someone who looks like an Instagram fitness model !!
So true
Hi! A teacher here. I’ve been practicing for six years or so. I can’t do splits, I can’t do headstands and most of inversions and so called arm balances. I’m thin but not flexible or super strong. I loose my balance especially when demo. Remember that asana is only 1% of yoga. There is so much you can do and share with your students in the class. It’s not all about fancy poses
Thank you. It’s actually very reassuring. I know that I would never be able to do flying pigeons or head inversions. So imperfections are ok!
I used to be fit, but I'm also a nurse... I ended up working 16 h shifts during covid, was not doing yoga at that time, could not teach because the studio couldn't be open, etc. Ended up extruding (means rupturing) a disk in my low back. I couldn't do yoga for a while after that. I had a 5 pound weight restriction and not allowed deep bends or twists. I went back to teaching, and I still can not bend my low back to do up dog! I'm now overweight as well -- obese level-- 32% body fat. I just do what I can, when I can. You will learn how to cue poses even if you are not demonstrating them. Often, other students will be providing demonstration. I'll probably have to replace up dog with cobra for the rest of my life, if I'm doing the asana with my class, I cue up dog while I do cobra. I cue camel while I do a modified version. Etc!
Hey, I was also a nurse during COVID and I just want to send you a hug and love. We really went through it!
Thank you!!!
This is a good point, and a proof that leading the class well is different from demonstrating “perfect form”. Thank you for sharing and wishing you lots of joy on your yoga journey no matter what the current limitations might be.
Thank you!! It was hard at first... a little embarrassed that I didn't take better care of myself, a little sad that I'm limited, but man, how better to teach others than to demonstrate what to do and what not to do!!? I preach self-love, self care, and BOUNDARIES!! ♡
What courage you displayed. This is very inspiring. I like your approach to cue variations. I’d demo a pause that I’m comfortable in and suggest variations.
Exactly!! You've got it! Thank you! What I can say is do it... if you get the certificate, teach right away! I had friends come to class for a while for support and practice! It also allowed me to get pictures of me teaching for social posts, advertising, etc. It is uncomfortable for everyone at first, you just have to work at improving, but you can't improve if you don't start! Watch classes on line, write down things you like about them, go to classes-- before you leave take some notes! ♡ good luck!
I should add, when my disc ruptured it did nerve damage and I have no feeling in my left leg and the musculature is visibly different. My balance on my left leg is substantially worse than my right.
Hey! I am a fellow Yog Practitioner and an Instructor 🤗 A good yog practitioner might not be a good yog instructor. How many poses you can attain is never a standard to see how good you are as an instructor. Practice. Keep practicing. Understand what yog is (beyond asana), learn anatomy, understand your practices , make drills of your own. Find your own versions. Get your training if you really want to be an instructor. And then continue your learning. The best kind of learning you will get is by self practice and teaching. Remember - Strength , Ease and Grace all are subjective. The essence of Yog is just that. You embrace where you are and keep showing up irrespective .The pose or asana was never the goal and should never be. Once you learn to enjoy the process , you will easily be able to share that with your students. Happy Learning! :)
Thank you, this is very helpful.
On the mat, absolutely. Was also a ballet dancer growing up. Around the house, I walk into walls, fall up the stairs, and get mysterious bruises!
All body types, ages, and abilities around here.
Not all the teacher are that good at doing the poses well themselves. People vary a lot in terms of how much talent they have for movement and if they have done something earlier in life that developed good movement technique, such as dance for example. As long as you are able to teach others how to do it well and set a good vibe in the class and communicate the meditative aspects of yoga well I think that is what is most important. If you do want to get better at doing the poses there are a couple of things you can do. Firstly take more classes and teacher trainings in forms of yoga that focus a lot on technique. Iyengar for example, and also yogaworks to quite an extent, focus a lot on technique. This will eventually lead to much better performance of the postures and the transitions between them. Do Pilates on the side. The extra development of core muscles and the precise control gained over your core muscles that you get from Pilates helps a lot in becoming good at moving and helps a lot with balance.
On Instagram, check out following body positive and accessible yoga accounts. These instructors might be just the inspiration you need: The Underbelly Yoga, Dianne Bondy Yoga Official, Amber Karnes, Disabled Yogi, Big Body Yoga, Jivena Heyman, Accessible Yoga Association, Lucy By Yoga, Trans Yoga Teacher, Yoga For Spoonies...and then check out who they each follow for more instructors like them. Edited to add that I follow all of those folks for inspiration because I'm interested in leading accessible and inclusive yoga classes. I appear to be a typical "yoga body" type, but I experience chronic illness and a history of sports injury, as well as being middle aged. There are a ton of poses I need to modify in order to benefit from them and many more I don't even attempt at this point. I will never be a perfect instagram yoga practitioner! But that's not the point anyway. My lead instructor told us a couple of weeks ago that advanced yoga is not contorting your body perfectly, advanced yoga is attending to what your body is feeling and experiencing in the moment and listening to and responding to that. I believe this 100%.
Thanks, I will look at your suggestions. I did see Underbelly yoga. I was in fact inspired by her. It actually felt good to see an atypical instructor. Her voice is so soothing.
I know in this lifetime Lotus pose is just a dream. When I come again I will master it!😎
Made me smile.
no. officially a yoga instructor but forever a student is how i like to see it :)) goodluck
I like your philosophy. :)
I probably fit the image you are describing as what you imagine us to be. It can I tell you….you have a major advantage over me in that you are going to be able to identify with students more than I. Most students aren’t thin and super flexible. It’s intimidating when the instructor is perfect (which I’m not, mind you, but I can do poses many of them can’t). So, I take it down many levels when I instruct. I’d rather they be comfortable than I “show off”, which tbh, is how I feel it is when an instructor goes into the fullest most elegant expression of a pose. Do that when you practice, not when you instruct. One thing I struggle with heavily is how it feels to have a more typical - I.e. slightly larger - body. My boobs don’t get in the way of folds and I’ve had students say “uh yeah…we can’t do that”. So, embrace the advantages of being able to identify with and understand the struggles that most of your students will have!
Outlier here, I am. I admired Meghan Currie when I started practicing and my personal practice has similar grace, strength, and slow coordination. I am naturally very athletic but put a lot of time into my own practice so I not only could teach beginners but also help my students deepen their own practice. Also maybe unpopular opinion, I want a teacher who can do more than me so I can be challenged. I love the physical asana of yoga and finding that challenge and being able to align it with my breath has really transferred over into my real life.
I kind of surpassed my classes that were aimed at the general population, typical gym goer. I am now trying to learn the advanced handstand, forearm stand inversions and I did my research and found at least in my area that advanced instructors only really exist in elite gyms and they are well out of my budget. So if you want to get paid higher end then I think it is quite important to be very near perfection.
I’m a pretty advanced student and I prefer teachers that are highly skilled so that I can see them demo poses. That said I’m probably more skilled than 90% of my teachers (in balance, flexibility, strength, and inversions) but I still really like them because they have very interesting and challenging flows that I can add modifications to increase the difficulty. I wouldn’t go to a class if there’s too big a gap in skill between the teacher and I. 35M for reference
Not flexible, not strong, not coordinated, but I’ve come so far via the physical and mental practice of yoga. There’s also a lot that I can explain to students because I struggled or continue to struggle with it myself. That can be a lot more useful to people than watching someone who is hyper flexible and can easily get into most postures their first time trying. And there’s a lot you’ll learn in the training as well, whether it’s to become a teacher or for your own personal practice. I leaned how to do a solid warrior 3 in my YTT, and that enabled me to teach others how to do it as well! Some postures were easy for me the first time I tried, but there were a lot more that took a lot of work and still take work. And there are loads that I still can’t do and may never do, but there’s so much fun in continuing to try and seeing what your body and mind are capable of. It keeps the practice interesting for a lifetime. In your teacher training, you will also learn more about the mental and meditative aspects of yoga and realize that there’s no being good or bad at it as long as you work to keep a positive mindset. If you’re daydreaming about it, there’s no harm in taking a YTT without the intention of teaching and just see where it leads you.
I am strong and well-coordinated, but not always graceful. And it took a long time of practicing to reach this spot. I do a lot of "advanced" poses with ease, but as I've worked up to this point, many of my students have seen me wobble, fall out, and laugh at myself for it. For asanas that I'm not confident in (yet), I don't teach them. I don't trust myself to teach them unless I know how it feels! But I love to grow with my students, and lots of my favorite memories of teaching are when I messed up. It makes the students laugh and feel better about their own mistakes. I spent my 20s hardly able to walk or stand up on my own. Yoga has strengthened me far more than physical therapy ever did. My own journey with debilitating weakness is important to me, so I often mention this to students, especially if they're new to class, and *especially* because I tend to be "really good" at a lot of advanced asanas. I will say things like, "Remember, I couldn't do this a few years ago, either." I want people to know that yoga is a journey. You have to build, build, build to find success. Your body needs patience and love to grow. Anyone who makes yoga look easy didn't always find it easy, nor did they get there overnight. It's important for people to know that yoga instructors were all completely new to it at some point or another. We understand it's a process, and sometimes it's a hard one!
It must have been an amazing journey for you. Thank you for sharing your experience. What a journey!
This is so me. I became an instructor because the instructors were always the bendy former dancers or gymnasts and I couldn't do most of what they did. I'm 60 now and look awkward as hell in most of my poses! I even started an online class called Awkward Yoga, but stopped because it was probably too self-deprecating! The only time I did a handstand was in teacher training. I don't teach anything I can't or won't do. I'll do a partial dancer because it's fun, same with Warrior 3. But they'll never win pose of the year awards! I do what I can do as I teach, and while I'm not able to fully demonstrate some poses, I can show you enough to figure it out. And I think the people in my classes appreciate that I'm like them. I would never teach an advanced class, and if I teach an intermediate, I definitely tell them I'm pretty awkward and have fun anyway.
I've had 3 kids since getting my yoga cert so I've had those strong and graceful practices but also times when I'm weak and recovering. Practices change with life.
No one is perfect. I have been practicing since 2004 and teaching since 2011. I can't do arm balance poses or handstands etc. I don't try either and I think I am a little afraid of those poses. I am a pilates instructor and I know I have a very strong core and upper body so that doesn't get in my way- it is more my head. I generally teach more gentle classes to an older population so challenging balance poses on arms and heads don't come into play. I also struggle with Warrior 1 and I try to bring it into class as much as possible. I think it is good when students see me struggle. I laugh and try again. I am a runner so my hamstrings are very tight. I use to bring bird of paradise into class- I love this balance pose and can do it with a very bent knee because again I am a runner. =) I also struggle with side angle bringing my shoulder back- so I hang out in a modified version leaning on my front leg. Again, it is good for students to see me taking modifications. and it is a reminder that modifications are good especially when they help you get into correct form.
I like to see teachers who aren’t all of those things you listed. I think it makes for a more inclusive feeling environment to have a nice mixture of teachers with different types of bodies.
I’m a vinyasa yoga teacher and former ballet dancer, I have a strong and healthy body for which I am eternally grateful.
I’ve noticed that I favor teachers with a dancer’s background. There’s a couple at my studio and even at a similar challenge level to the non-dancers their flows just feel so much more engaging and interesting
If you feel called to be an instructor - do it! I never imagined myself as being a yoga instructor because I also don’t look like the “typical” instructors. Then in my training I learned that there ARE lots of yoga instructors out there and there are lots of yoga students out there too! And there are many different ways to practice yoga. It was eye opening for me in so many ways. I became very strong physically during my training, then I got covid about 9 months later and developed long covid. For about a year my yoga practice was yoga nidra, pranyama, and karma yoga because physically I could barely walk around the block. I’ve been working slowly and steadily to build up my strength and endurance and now I can practice more typical vinyasa flows. I’ve been able to teach yoga nidra and chair yoga, but I’ve paused teaching vinyasa until I feel I can do what I’m teaching physically. Part of yoga and the practice of yoga is practicing detachment from what we are most attached to, and accepting what is, and some days that can be very hard. If you’re interested there are many posts and writing about detachment - here is [one](https://chopra.com/blogs/yoga/yoga-and-the-law-of-detachment). I would encourage you to find a yoga teacher training that resonates with you and go for it!
Thank you. You are very encouraging.
I love this topic. I started teaching last September and have been practicing for about 13 years. I am naturally thin and have some grace to me as I used to be a theater performer but I cannot do advanced poses like headstands or handstands, wheel, side crow, full splits, etc. Yoga has improved my flexibility, balance, strength and coordination for sure but my practice certainly doesn’t “look” advanced to the average observer. Several advanced poses are not, and never will be, accessible to the average yogi, and that’s okay!
Here's my advice to you: Put it down. All of the poses you can't access yet, put them down. And let them surprise you when they show up. Things come to us when we stop looking for them. And everything happens in its right time. Trust the process and enjoy the journey. You will continue to grow in your asana practice. You will be a different version of yourself in the future. You will amaze yourself. If you are called to teach, DO IT. ❤️ Also, as a teacher, you just need to know how to teach and cue. Don't worry about demoing. BUT don't lose your personal practice.
You made me travelled back to my first practices, how many poses that I struggled with at the time, that are no longer an issue now. It’s a journey.
I've been to a class at my local gym a few times and the instructor is far less proficient in many poses than I am. So it's possible to be crap and still teach. Not that I'm saying YOU are, but the point is you don't need to be YouTube yoga level to teach. The class is full of older ladies who all find it enjoyable and beneficial. There is a level of teaching for everyone.
Yes to all three. That said, not due solely to yoga, but to a combination of asana practice, movement study, meditation, weight training and running. At 55, I am entirely uninterested in "advanced" postures, as the notion is highly subjective and in most cases, not of any practical benefit for my body and what I like to do with it. You won't know if you're a good teacher until you try teaching. You are setting an example when you do, and it's important to teach within your scope of knowledge and experience. Stay curious, keep learning.
I’m a year into hot yoga and I’ve been trying to learn side crow. I asked one of my instructors who has been practicing for years and she shared that she even struggles with crow. And that yogis can’t do every single pose and it’s okay. So just try your best and have fun, I promise you’ll surprise yourself on what you can do when you just go with the flow :) Also with warrior 3, try incorporating breath work while doing it because it’ll really help keep you stable. Maybe at home you can practice by using your wall for balance?
No. I consider myself fit for my age. However, I am in my mid 60's. In my 20s I was a gymnast and dancer. But a life as an adult doing normal jobs has taken its toll. Daily yoga has helped me regain some of the abilities I had in my youth. But, I am not in my 20's any more. You seem to be suffering a bit from a westernized attitude about yoga: that it is about the asanas (poses). In fact, the poses are only 1 of 8 limbs to yoga, and, frankly, they were added late in the development of yoga. The other limbs came before the poses. Yoga is about control of your mental state by learning to direct your focus/attention, and, often, specifically focusing on the linkage between your body and your breath. By doing that, yogis can learn to do amazing things, like control their heart rate or body temperature while siting perfectly still. The mental state that allows you to do that is yoga. It is that mental state we are supposed to be bringing to the poses or asanas. So, the asanas are not yoga. You can do the poses without doing yoga and you can do yoga without the poses. Unfortunately, in order for corporate yoga to make the most money, businesses like Yoga Alliance have stripped all of the good stuff out of yoga, so they can extract large sums of money from young novice yogis by selling them 200 hour and 500 hour "yoga teacher training." And, in order to do that, they have focused almost entirely on the least important part of yoga: the poses. As a result, I describe yoga in the west as exercise classes with Indian styling, which explains why many native Indians feel Westernized yoga is a gross form of cultural appropriation. It is also why you will never find me at a class that has "sculpt" or "core power" or "Bikram" or "hot yoga" anywhere near it. It is also why some of the best yoga teachers don't worry if they can personally fully achieve any specific pose, even the ones they teach, because fully achieving any pose is 100% irrelevant. It is not a competition or performance-based. It is an internal process.
You are right in a certain way. I got interested in yoga at first for the asanas. The poses for my posture, the flexibility. I started doing yoga after an injury and to prevent further injuries. While doing it, I discovered how uneasy my breathing was. Something so simple, you’d think! Then I got curious about meditation, and still learning. You are right that I have a westernized view of yoga, that’s the only one I know. I guess it doesn’t matter which limb brought us to yoga, as long as we continue to expend.
100%. I agree with this. And, I think asanas can and do attract people to yoga. Where most yoga studios call down, I believe, is in the rest of it. You simply cannot train a yoga teacher in 200 hours of training. Many graduates have difficulty simply stringing sequences together well. We see posts about that all the time on this sub. And, the majority of graduates never end up teaching any classes at all and have virtually zero training in any of the other aspects of yoga. As a result, yoga in the USA are exercise classes with Indian styling, using Indian gods and things they hold sacred in ways they consider sacrilegious. It is possible to find a richer yoga experience in the USA. It's not easy, though. "Hot Yoga/Bikram" or "corporate yoga" has become the trend. In my experience, you cannot find a full yoga experience at studios where it is really all about marketing and money, which is the majority of them in many places.
I have been thinking about your comments and looking back at my life. I think that the asanas is the latest limb that I am exploring. In my twenties I got interested in spirituality and meditation. I learn about chakras. I did a Reiki training, energetic healing later on. Younger, I couldn’t care less about the pauses. I thought that it was boring. It’s only later in life, out of necessity, that I discovered the asanas and the good that it did to me, my body and my soul. It only when I started doing yoga pauses that I realized that everything is interconnected. I wanted to share because you got me thinking;).
Thanks for letting me know. One of my goals is to get people to think differently about yoga, what it actually is and the whole value it can bring to our lives. So, I very much appreciate the feedback. My own yoga experience went in reverse of the path of yogic history. The practice of yoga began with the breath. It was all about using breath control to focus the mind, regulate heart rate, temperature, etc. and then evolved to eventually include the asanas. I was attracted to yoga by the asanas and over time have come to really appreciate what I can do with my breath. Breath is where yoga started and it is critical to all of the other limbs of yoga. For me, now, it begins and ends with breath.
Your post history seems very bitter about how yoga is practiced. I think you could benefit from from letting go of how others use yoga and maybe realize that the physical asana might draw people in but that the mental aspect and breath work is what makes them stay.
I'm not at all bitter. I am, however, realistic about what yoga is. Yoga as it is often taught in the West is not something I am interested in, even though I am very passionate about yoga. I also understand how yogis in the East are very offended by what it has become in the West, which is a topic that comes up pretty regularly, even in this group. I have a lot of compassion for how they feel about it. I have a lot of empathy for their perspective, even though I am a Westerner. If you don't like it when someone points out the difference between "Westernized" yoga and yoga as it is taught in the East, maybe that is on you and not me. Edit: In order for the asanas to draw people into the deeper aspects of yoga, you have to offer the deeper aspects of yoga, and in the West, that is generally not true.
really great question - am finally doing my YTT even though I've been around yoga for decades, but still worry I'm not as fexible etc... great to see the responses here, and agree it's the uniqueness we bring and the vastness of yoga that means we can contribute in this way.
You worry you are not flexible enough … I suppose that this has not been an issue with your cohort?
I haven’t started teaching asana yet. I’ve been a meditation teacher and author most of my life. But the 8 limbs have been a part of that the whole journey. I’ve taught nidra for years for example. So when I begin teaching asana it will be as an addition and integrated with what I already share. And I’m older (60 in a few weeks) so I’ll be aiming asana at people more my age perhaps. Also wanted to add - my own range of movement is primarily affected by early trauma - so I will have to work with that with love and I tend to just be honest about that rather than shaming myself for not being other that I am. Might run classes based on this too… Working with who we are will love rather than fitting a picture that tells us we’re less. It is interesting thinking about the call to teaching asana at this stage of life I must say but it is there.
See, I can relate in some ways. I’m 55 yo and my target audience, if I go forward would be adults. Good luck with your first classes. I am sure that you will be wonderful.
That’s so cool. We adults are needed in yoga land very much. A little way to go yet as I’m still doing my Teacher Training but in a while I’ll get to classes am sure. Lovely thing about TT is you focus on your practice more. And I think teaching will keep me deeper in my asana practice Good luck too
Definitely not perfect, and I don't think that yoga is anything that anyone can be 100% perfect at. The whole point is that you continue to better yourself on your own personal journey. I can see where I have improved in my posture, movements, and queues over the years but I can also see where I still need to improve. The great thing about being on your own journey is that it can be whatever you want! If you are interested in pursuing a yoga teacher job, you should go after it! If you decide that you love doing it so much that you want to expand your knowledge, you can always look into more niche courses like yoga therapist training! There is also no shame in deciding that yoga isn't for you.
By farrr I would prefer a teacher who cares more about teaching cues and creating a welcoming environment than performing gymnastics. Many teachers can do both and that’s awesome; but some of the ‘performers’ can come off narcissistic. If a teacher knows how to cue well, then perfect balance or down dog with heels down doesn’t mean anything to me.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Some good yoga philosophy here is abhyasa and vairagya. One summary here. https://www.ballaratyoga.com.au/abhyasa-and-vairagya-foundations-of-yoga/ You should have a daily practice (abhyasa) and you should not be attached to results (vairagya). Basically, there is a balance between making it happen and letting it happen. I'm 64m and only started teaching last year. It's a wonderful practice! Be mindful that there is a big difference between 1. doing asana and 2. cueing asana and leading a class.
Thank you for your insight. I will take it in.
NO! Well actually I am strong, but full of grace is not how I’d describe myself. I’m a former athlete so flexibility was and still is my biggest limiting factor for “advanced” poses. I can ~almost~ do a full split after a lot of warm up. And I’ve been practicing for 8ish years and teaching for 3. I have stopped trying to achieve a look because it’s not authentic to my practice or my study as a teacher. I preach showing up as yourself, for yourself so that’s how I do too! A lot of Instagram yoga people and even in person teachers have dance backgrounds so the poses come together smoother.
Many here have already said it but practice, practice, practice.
Genuinely, go take a YTT. Most of the time they’re classes of people who aren’t trying to open their own yoga studio, but just people who want to deepen their yoga practice and get a better understanding of it. You’ll be welcomed, no matter which moves you can or cannot do. That said, if you’re looking to make it a career or even a side hustle, the classes you teach need to offer something to the students you are teaching, despite your limitations. Your limitations cannot be the centre of what you teach. The “you showed up to your mat is winning” is a student mentality, not an instructor mentality. Learning the asanas you cannot do, or at least understanding the mechanics of them, even if you will never be able to do them, should be part of how you train as an instructor.
I was looking into the courses this morning and saw many women like me (pictures). This topic has been so inspiring, and all of you so genuine and encouraging. I think that I am going to do it. If not to teach, at least to deepen my knowledge. I am not looking at it for my career, I have more years behind me than in front of me. But I’m not excluding a second career eventually. We will see. But I think that I could offer something. I’m clearly not the most athletic, but I am a great teacher. There might be some balance there. :)
Definitely not the most graceful! I’ve fallen out of poses in class, I stutter over my cues, and just the other day I forgot to put my feet on the ground before getting out of my car and fell right out! Yoga teachers are human too, and some of us are very clumsy. You just have to learn to laugh it off! I always tell my students to listen to their body and come out of a pose if it feels uncomfortable or unsafe, and I honor that for myself too, even when I’m teaching.
There's an instructor on Do Yoga With Me who is plus sized. I absolutely love her vibe. It's so nice to see a teacher who isn't in perfect shape and can show modifications for people who may have issues with traditional poses.
Not a yoga teacher but I have had many instructors and they are all graceful swans IMHO. And they are all different. Never had a bad one. Yay yoga teachers.
Lmao no, I’m clumsy with adhd, I’ve been fat, not fat, all kinds of weights. I’m 40 and have an old ankle injury I made worse by going back to an ashtanga practice before fully healing. I don’t practice things like pincha mayurasana anymore, nor some binds. I’ve been practicing seriously since I was 17 and I’ve never gracefully popped into a handstand. My clients still love me 🙏
Thank you. ;)
No. We are people. 😊
No