TIPS FOR NEW YOGA TEACHERS // Alo Yoga Teacher

Hi friends, welcome back to my channel. Today's video is all about becoming a new teacher. It's a little sit down chat with my upcoming training. It had me thinking about my first two training, it's had me thinking about my first two trainings and how I felt about teaching and beginning teaching and how nervous I was and how uncomfortable I was and how comfortable I am now and all of that stuff. And I get a lot of questions about becoming a teacher and tips for new teachers and I thought that this is a perfect time to make this video while I have the time today to sit down and chat with you. So if you're looking for some tips to becoming a yoga teacher then keep watching. I'm drinking this vegan mineral broth right now and it's so good. I'm doing a gut reset by Owl Venice and it is really really yummy. Where do I even start? Let me first just say this that before I started teaching, well no let me even rewind way way way way way back, when I first did my two yoga teacher trainings I had no desire to be a teacher. I really didn't. I did them to kind of put myself in like a yogi or spiritual boot camp of sorts. It was like I wanted to learn more, I wanted to completely immerse myself and like I said I had no desire to teach. With that being said, it was always in the back of my mind that if I ever needed something to, it was really my fallback plan, I was like if I ever need something to fall back on it's great that I have this certification. But in my mind I was like I'm not going to be a yoga teacher. I don't want to be a yoga teacher. The thought of teaching yoga makes me nervous and in my trainings I really did not like practice teaching. I didn't like that whole aspect of it. I really loved learning about the poses, learning about the history, learning about the spiritual aspects, the other seven limbs of yoga because there are eight limbs of yoga and the physical practice is just one of those eight. So I loved all of that but the thought of like teaching and talking and thinking and remembering all that stuff was really daunting to me, which is interesting because I've grown up or I grew up as a performer. I sing, play guitar, piano, act. I was always the child and I'm still as an adult that type of person where you put me in a room with people and I want to make everyone laugh and entertain people and I like to be the center of attention and I like being on stage but for some reason the thought of speaking and teaching yoga in front of people made me incredibly nervous and anxious and I was like no I'm not doing it and I kind of think that's because yoga became so important to me and so personal to me that I just didn't think I was worthy of sharing it. I'm like who am I to share it? I don't know everything. I don't want to guide someone. I don't have the authority to guide someone and sometimes I think that's what makes me a good teacher is because I'm not putting myself on a pedestal above my students. I'm just a student as well. We all are, right? Like we never stop being a student and I've definitely been to classes before where you just feel like the teacher puts themselves up here and it's like that just doesn't resonate with me. So I think that it's helped me as a teacher to stay humble but it's also hindered me because it really held me back from starting to teach because I just didn't feel worthy of teaching but once I accepted the fact that we are all students, we are all learning and where I felt confident where I knew enough then I was able to begin to teach but before that point I really had a hard time wrapping my mind around feeling ready and this is something that I'm going to touch on but anyway so if you are thinking about going to a teacher training or you've already done one and you're really worried about teaching just know that you are not alone and that it does get easier the more you do it like with anything it just takes practice. When I first started teaching or when I first started to explore the idea of teaching people a lot of times and even in my teacher trainings I would hear the phrase find your voice like your voice like my like Ariel from the Little Mermaid I've lost my voice like I don't get it find your voice it just didn't make sense to me and then I thought oh it means kind of you know find your I literally took it literally like find your teaching voice like okay like namaste it's like no no no no first of all if you're when you're teaching teach in your regular voice there's nothing worse than someone coming in with their yoga voice it's like yikes that's awkward don't do that don't come in or I don't think you should come in and teach in a way that you think a yoga teacher should teach just come in and be you and share what you know that's like the number one thing go back to finding your voice now that I teach what I understand that to mean and what that means to me is finding the words finding the flow of speaking that to me is finding your voice and that comes with doing it right you can practice all you want but finding the fluidity of speaking poses and talking about adjustments and alignment points that only really comes through practicing and actually teaching so finding your voice is like you know guiding someone through sun salutations a I would write it down and practice it and I would sound like a robot or I would you know get nervous oh man I miss that word it's like finding your voice is knowing you know how to guide people inhale reach the arms up above the head exhale forward fold it's like finding that flow of words that helps you uh you know guide people in their yoga practice so finding your voice that's what that means to me and how to do that because it's an important part of teaching is to just do it which brings me to my second tip just start you gotta just start I waited once I decided like I kind of think maybe maybe I might want to teach but then I waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited because I didn't feel ready and the thing is with a lot of things in life you may never feel completely ready but the way you get ready is by starting you have to just go for it it's funny because I remember toying with the idea thinking hmm yeah I think I kind of want to start teaching and I went to my teacher and friend Ashley Platz and I used to take her yoga class frequently and I said you know I'm thinking about teaching but I'm really nervous and somehow we came to the agreement that I would assist her in her classes I didn't say anything in class right I would just sit up in front of the room with her and do adjustments and at this time I had already done two teacher trainings the the amount of teachers that have just one training of 200 hours is insane like that's really all you need apparently to teach but that's like the minimum requirements and I had double that and I still was like I'm not ready I don't know enough I'm not worthy but yeah I remember assisting Ashley and then I remember before I started teaching at Playlist I was like I'm not ready to get on the schedule yet and my friend and teacher Nicole Shaka was like I'll work with you and I worked with her I almost just said after school but I'm not in school but it felt like after school but I'd get together with her during the week and talk about adjustments and alignment and how to say things and I'd practice teach with her and even after all that you know the two trainings the studying the practicing on my own practicing with Ashley and assisting her practicing with Nicole when it came down to me getting on the schedule to teach I was so nervous still and still dragging my heels the whole way thinking I'm not ready so long story short you just have to do it you just have to start and know that the first handful of classes is going to feel like a really bumpy road and it's going to feel uncomfortable I remember leaving being like oh I don't like that because I just felt so uncomfortable and as adults I think we don't really do a lot of things that we don't like that we feel like we're not good at and so it's it's uncomfortable no one wants to feel like they're bad at something I was like oh my gosh this is terrible but the only way to get good or get better or feel ready is to just start so teaching is what you really really want to do and you're really excited about it but you just don't feel ready push aside the excuses swallow the fear or spit it out get rid of it either way and just start you can only practice teach so much you can only pretend teach in your house so much you can only you know stress about it so much you just have to start with that being said I think it's really valuable to ask for support and reach out to other teachers so if you have a class that you really like to go to or a teacher that you really look up to don't be afraid to ask them for tips or support um that's what I did with Ashley and Nicole right I really respected them as teachers I loved their teaching style I felt like if I were teaching full-time I would have a similar style to them and I really trusted them and looked up to them as teachers and I asked for help and support can I assist you can I work with you can I book a private with you can you help me I want to teach but I'm scared and I feel like even though what really got me ready in the end was just like jumping in to the pool right and going for it those experiences with them were extremely valuable and I wouldn't have gotten the courage to jump in had I not had their support so that's another my third tip is to reach out to teachers that you respect and admire and ask for support as far as finding your first studio or getting your first teaching job I hear all the time like oh it's so saturated there's so many yoga teachers and yeah there are there are but there are a lot of people on this planet doing a lot of different jobs and it's a lot of things are saturated it's like okay so what like find what makes you you and let that be how you offer value to studios right no one is you and that is your power so while there are I'm sure millions of yoga teachers no one is going to teach yoga like you teach yoga so find a studio that you really love going to that you really vibe with and become part of their community start going to classes there start reaching out to the teachers start making friends with the other students chat with the studio managers before or after like become a part of their community and show them that you care about the community and share with them that you're interested in teaching and show that you are passionate about their studio I think it's really important to note that just because you love going to a studio that doesn't necessarily mean that you're gonna love teaching there I had that experience with one of the studios that I taught at which I still go and I still love the studio but it ended up teaching there just didn't vibe with me and that's totally okay so know that there's going to be a trial and error process of finding the right studio for you to teach at but I think the best way to get in with a studio is to become part of their community first and practice there and invest your time and energy and money into that studio and show them that you'd be a valuable part of their team and show them that you are interested in being a part of that community so when it comes down to actually teaching I have a couple of tips that have has really helped me and I remember in the beginning of teaching I would take a lot of time to write out my sequences and I'd have them on little tiny pieces of paper and I'd hide them and in my near my music or near my phone or my computer and I felt like so nervous and I was gonna on the whole way there I was like okay we're gonna do this and this and this and this and I honestly think that doing that caused me more stress because I would get in front of everyone and maybe freeze up or I'd miss one pose and then I'd think oh my gosh I messed up the whole thing and it was very stressful in the beginning so I think that it's good in the beginning to make a plan but then make a plan and then and this comes with practice though I mean now do I come in with a complete sequence in my head no I go in I read the room I come up with an area that we're going to focus on whether that's hips or working towards a peak pose like half moon or crow pose or something like that and I just from experience of doing it now for so long I can just kind of build a class around that which is so fun because it feels much more creative and not so strict and bogged down by these rules and this plan that I have to to follow but I think in the beginning it is it is really important to like have a plan but also just be okay with kind of letting go of that plan so just like loosen the grip I guess is this tip like don't be so fiercely cutthroat with yourself about hitting all these poses and this is the way it's gonna be it's like most of the time the people that are in the class they don't know that they don't know what flow you're doing they don't actually not most of the time none of them know what you're doing act confident and no one will question you like as long as you're creating safe sequences that make sense if you miss a pose out of your plan they're not gonna know also most of the people I mean you get like a couple of bad apples sprinkled in every now and then but most of the people that are coming to yoga are coming and coming to your class are coming because they like you they appreciate you they're they know you're human and it's nice to see teachers and people that are I hate to say like authority positions but I guess you are because you're like guiding the class it's nice to see them be human when my yoga teachers say the wrong word or miss a pose I'm not like um excuse me you suck get out of here I'm like oh whatever like it's not a big deal you know I think that we put this pressure on ourselves that we need to be perfect and that's just not realistic so don't be so hard on yourself remember that everybody messes up everything we're not perfect and it's okay like don't let it ruin the rest of your class oh see just like this anyway don't let it ruin the rest of your class don't let it throw you off don't beat yourself up over it it's okay and yeah make a plan and let it go let it flow just like be a little more relaxed about it I know that comes with practice but yeah I think being having too much of a strict sequence that I was going to follow just stressed me out more definitely sequence safely and make a sequence that makes sense anyway getting going off on a tangent now my next tip to help you do that and to help you stay on time is to use music create a playlist and don't just throw a bunch of songs together that don't make sense or don't go on in order like really curate a playlist that's gonna help you stay on track with your class there's nothing that more that I can't stand than someone being extremely late mostly in a workout but like usually in a yoga class as well for me as a student whether I'm in a workout or whether I'm in a yoga class I'm putting my phone away and trusting that you're gonna take me from the start to the finish in time so that I don't have to keep checking my clock because I'm parked at a meter or I have a meeting or whatever I'm trusting my teacher that they're gonna be on time and go within the times that the class is and it's so I don't know it's just like something that really irks me when people are like 5 10 15 minutes late ending the class it's just kind of rude like what if I got a ticket out on my car now you know so everybody's human and it happens but I really think it's important to try to stay on time with your classes and a way that I do that is I use my apple watch when I'm teaching which is really great for me it helps me stay on track and so that I don't have to keep checking my phone during class because I just think that that's kind of rude as well but the other way is by creating a playlist so I've specially created this playlist where I know my slower music is my warm-up music and then when I hear the music starts to pick up I know it's time to start to pick up the sequence and then there's a peak pose where I have like a really intense song and then I have slower music that's just to slow the class down so I know okay it's time to start to cool down the class and then I have a song that signifies like okay start to put them down on their backs get them prepared for their final resting pose and then I hear that shavasana song come on and I go okay it's time to put them into shavasana and the class is over having that music that starts slow builds and then slows down again really helps me be able to stay on track with my time with my class and also helps me know where I'm at within the hour of my class so that I can either continue to create continue to build on the flows that I've already had or whether it's time to like okay finish up this sequence and let's start to cool down if that makes sense so use music to your advantage it's not you know kosher for lack of a better word to like stand up with your postcards and be like okay and the next flow is you know so you to find that element of element of ease and relaxation up there while you're creating sequences in the moment use music that's a great way it's like almost like invisible post cards right it's invisible index cards to help you stay on track and create your sequence so that it makes sense and so that you stay on time my final tip is to stay a student what I mean by that is I know that for most of us if not all of us we become teachers because we love yoga but once it becomes our source of survival you know generally when people finish work they want to go home and then decompress and do something else so it's interesting because when you take your passion slash hobby and make it your job there those lines get blurred a little bit and I've definitely gone through stages in my life where I don't know I just lose the desire to practice or I don't lose the desire I just I'm like I'm tired and I've just been at the studio all day or teaching clients all day and then I get home I'm like the last thing I want to do is get on my mat because I'm just wiped out but it's really really really important to continue your personal practice because I think if you stop then you lose that passion you lose that connection and that's what yoga is all about is connecting with people and I think that you've got to prioritize your personal practice above teaching so I went through a phase where I wasn't really practicing that much and then teaching wasn't really that fun for me I don't know what happened I lost the excitement and the inspiration and teaching and that's because I wasn't practicing and I almost kind of became I mean resentful is a really extreme and dramatic word to use because I wasn't like in class being like like seething but there was this sort of resentment of being like I want to be on the mat I want to be the one on the mat and no one was stopping me from doing that I just wasn't prioritizing my personal practice and that's why once I caught myself kind of getting into this mode of not making time for practice and feeling kind of almost this weird jealousy towards the people that I was teaching that's again a very extreme word because it wasn't like oh my god I'm jealous but I just felt this feeling just didn't feel good and the reason is because I wasn't prioritizing my practice so I think it's really important to stay a student and to always be seeking more knowledge which is why I'm going on a third teacher training because it's been a few years and yes I'm teaching at my dream studio and yes my classes are growing and yes I'm getting feedback that lets me know that people think that I'm a good teacher but there's no end to me learning and I want to be better I want to give more I want to keep learning that truck outside's really annoying you're messing up my inspirational speech thank you anyway that's why I'm going on my teacher training because it's been a few years since I've been in training and I'm looking for some new inspiration I'm looking for some new knowledge I'm looking for a refresher those are my tips for today I really hope that those help if I think of any more maybe I'll compile another list and make a follow-up video to this if you liked this video please give it a thumbs up because it really supports my channel and if you feel like you want me to elaborate on a certain topic that I touched on or if I didn't cover something that you want to know about leave me a comment below and let me know and I'll include it in the follow-up video also make sure you're subscribed to my channel I'm going to Bali y'all I'm gonna be vlogging I don't know why I say y'all I'm not I'm from here I'm from California I don't have any right to say y'all but anyway I'm going to Bali and I'm gonna be vlogging and I'm gonna be sharing my experience at a yoga teacher training and I'm going to be taking you around Bali with me and showing and sharing my adventures so make sure you're subscribed I'm gonna try to stick to my upload schedule of Monday and Thursday we'll see once I get to Bali if that changes but I will be planning or I am planning on uploading two videos every single week still so make sure you're subscribed also make sure you're following me on Instagram at Shayla Quinn because I will be sharing on there on the daily as well otherwise I'll see you in my next video thanks for watching and I hope this helped namaste