Most people today end up teaching yoga because they “love” yoga. This is a big and unique problem in the yoga industry. Not many people recognize its impact. But first, let’s look at some examples here – if you have a few restaurants you like, you’d make it a point to dine there when you can. You probably don’t choose to become a chef quickly, learn parts of the cuisine or a few dishes and start a restaurant yourself, do you? You can extend this question to your local favorite coffee shop, gym, reading a book, or any activity you enjoy. But then why is it that we quickly choose to become yoga teachers when we love or know only parts of yoga? So the real question I’m addressing here is when or who should be teaching yoga.
What is needed is a paradigm shift in this context. Try replacing the word “teach” with “study” yoga. This is a very powerful shift in dynamics. Because, at the root, teaching yoga isn’t easy, not everyone should be doing it. Simply because they lack authentic knowledge, expertise, and understanding of cultural nuances. What most people teach is asana, aka physical practice or poses. But hardly anyone teaches or is capable of teaching all of the yoga because that is not humanly possible because of how vast yoga is as a spiritual & cultural practice & lifestyle.
When you start teaching yoga too soon…
You end up focusing too much on the commercial aspects of yoga. Not enough on the studentship of yoga itself. This problem is particularly prevalent in the Western hemisphere, like the US, Canada & some parts of Europe. Where yoga is often treated as nothing more than a business. Creating a 17 billion-dollar industry or so. It’s probably more now, but I haven’t been actively tracking it. Chances are that if you’re born and raised in places outside of India and parts of Asia. You’ve been knowingly or unknowingly conditioned to see yoga a certain way. This is undeniable.
What is often lost in context, is that yoga is a vast, ancient, deep spiritual practice from India. It’s deeply ingrained in Hinduism and is a cultural practice for millions of people on a daily basis. Yoga is woven into the very fabric of Indian society and culture. The people of this culture view yoga with the deepest reverence. And largely practice it in private and in non-demonstrable ways (more on this later). In contrast to the West, where yoga is often associated with fitness and, if you’re lucky – wellness. The two aren’t the same. Fitness can be part of wellness, but wellness need not necessarily be part of fitness. But what really happens in western yoga is that the student gets taken down the wrong path. If you’re reasonably skillful at asana or if you show some interest in the subject of yoga – the studio starts selling you yoga teacher training.
Yoga teacher trainings need a whole blog post by themselves. But know this, there are great ones but there are more below-average ones right now. The system of 200-hour yoga teacher training, 500 hours, etc… is flawed but also has potential. Think of it as a double-edged sword. When you get fueled into these trainings & if you end up in a below-average one (because chances are high) you’ll end up learning a very watered-down form of yoga. If it’s even yoga. Because many teach things that are beyond the scope of yoga. What makes this worse, is the caliber of your lead trainer or teacher and the quality of yoga education they’ve received. Or haven’t received. The caliber of your yoga teacher is central to learning yoga. Because the teacher is an undeniable part of your yoga journey.
“Yoga was never meant to be a do-it-yourself project”
Spotting a high-caliber teacher can be challenging, especially if you’ve gotten accustomed to consuming yoga content on social media like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Because we’ve assumed popularity on social media equals authentic source. While sometimes this can be true. I’ve surveyed a lot of accounts over the years and can tell you this.
When it comes to yoga – this isn’t true. Not even in the least bit. In fact, I would argue that the best teachers are in fact offline. And have never been on social media or, honestly, don’t care to be. They can teach you more yoga in 5 minutes than you’ll learn in 5 years on social media. But social media are a slippery slope. Because you end up seeing only numbers as a metric for high-caliber content. The creators often play to the gallery (if you’re familiar with cricket you’ll get the reference). While this works for products and other service-based industries. Yoga is neither. It’s a spiritual discipline that leads you to go more inwards. So you have to be very careful as to what you consume as “authentic” yoga online.
Remember it’s very easy to sound like an authority on anything online. Especially in the short-form content that’s being generated on reels and TikTok. So be a smarter consumer and seeker.
What are the signs you’re ready to learn more about yoga?
There are a few telltale signs. As you go through this list, remember that not all will apply to you.
– You have established a clear interest in yoga beyond asana. This means you’re curious about exploring other practices that go beyond poses. Examples of this are – pranayama, shatkarmas, dhyana (meditation), yoga Nidra, different approaches to asana, and so on.
– You’re keen to understand the lifestyle and philosophical approach to yoga. This means you’re willing to read books, listen to podcasts like this, and read blogs like this one & others. But you’re reading with a quest to apply this in your life. And to elevate your spirituality in some form.
– You’re keen to find teachers rooted in authentic wisdom. You’re willing to listen, learn, unlearn, contemplate, apply and allow for time on this journey to become a true seeker
– You’re able to expand your thinking beyond yoga as just poses. Integrating this into everyday life.
– You’re keen to become a better person through yoga. Values like kindness, respect, and compassion become part of your inner nature.
– Your decisions aren’t ego-driven but from the heart of a seeker. You develop an ability over time to “check” your ego in situations.
– You’re deeply respectful of the roots, culture, tradition, and teachers of yoga. You honor this through your work as a yoga teacher. In some shape or form.
– You continue to learn under the mentorship of a yoga teacher
– And even this, it doesn’t mean you need to teach…
You can study yoga your entire lifetime and never teach it. Remember that. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Teaching yoga is more involved than you’ll realize and not everyone has the capacity, interest, desire, or sometimes the authority to teach it. You may enjoy teaching asana in some capacity, but know that you’re teaching a fragment of yoga. It’s okay to call that out often and loudly to people who practice with you. This will only help you and your students realize how much more there is to yoga. This will also serve as a reminder for you so you don’t get lost in asana alone.
But where to study yoga?
Let me first answer this by telling you where not to study yoga. You don’t need to study yoga exclusively at yoga teacher trainings. That worked 10 years ago. And maybe in some contexts today. But there are so many factors here at play. Instead of investing thousands of dollars in yoga training. First, explore these options, some of which are free and have very little to no cost associated with them,
Listen to yoga podcasts but be aware of this – many yoga podcasts today focus on the people teaching yoga. The successful lives of careers of yoga teachers and their lives. You don’t want to learn about yoga teacher careers. You want to focus on podcasts that take the focus back to yoga. Like the Let’s Talk Yoga podcast that showcases topic after topic and authentic guests. This will lead you to other exemplary yoga teachers.
Read yoga blogs instead of learning yoga social media content. There are many yoga blogs that contain great information. You can pick a myriad of topics to read about. But it’s a very important sign to recognize if you’re disinterested in reading blogs or listening to podcasts. This means that you’re not ready for yoga teacher training yet. And you probably identify more with asana and should remain in asana classes as a student. It is not possible to teach yoga without going deeper into all aspects of the study. Reading, listening, contemplation, doing assignments, etc are all part of being a student. But if you prefer asana excitement (I say that respectfully & without judgment), then don’t take yourself to teacher training.
Read yoga books by high-caliber authors. With the world moving towards short-form content, I feel it’s important to remind you that there is a real treasure in reading great yoga books. While yes, it’s hard to figure out “which” yoga book is the one to read. I would start by identifying what topics in yoga interest you. Don’t start with what challenges you. Pick something that intrigues you. Then find an author/s who has written works on them. Depending on the topic you’ve chosen you chose your author. For example, if it’s anatomy you can reply on Google, Amazon etc to give you a list of the most popular reads.
Whereas if its yoga philosophy, the sutras, Bhagavad Gita, or other Sanskrit works, then I would look for an Indian author or someone who has first-hand knowledge of the language and culture of yoga. This is an important distinction to remember. You can also ask your trusted yoga teachers for recommendations.
Journal often. When you take the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. You end up enhancing clarity in thought. This is especially valuable when you’re learning something new. For example, when you listen to a podcast, take a moment to write down your takeaways. Or if you read a chapter, spend a minute afterward just going over what the gist was. This will help improve focus. Memory too. It will over time help you absorb better. Assimilate more easily.
The only advice I would give you here is to write a journal in one place. Or in some disciplined form. That way you have access to your observations over time. They can serve as teaching moments too over time.
Connect with authentic yoga teachers. You can do this in many ways. There is a wide range of opportunities. Social media is the easiest one, but won’t really go a long way. What I would encourage you to do is get mentored, or do mini-training with the teachers you resonate with. Learn in small bits. Being in constant interaction with an authentic yoga teacher. Just being in their presence, virtually or otherwise, will bring you a sense of community, deeper wisdom, and clarity. If you don’t know where to start, consider my monthly mentorship community.
As you wrap up here, know this…
Teaching yoga is less important compared to studying yoga.
Studying yoga is only significant if you apply what you’re learning in your life.
Segregate physical yoga and mental yoga
Yoga is not about you
Teaching is a deep act of service.
Invest in a lifetime of constant study and seeking
If you keep these in mind, You will find your way through teaching yoga in a way that is deeply fulfilling. If you have questions, comments, or observations you’d like to share in our next session.
- Arundhati
