Running an effective yoga class might take several years of experience.
Establish boundaries for the class by reminding students what level the class is and that you are happy to help anyone learning a new pose. Give everyone the "easy out" by resting during practice or even leaving early if anyone is really in over her head.
Every environment is different, and your students' expectations also will vary. Always make safety a priority.
Step 1
Start each class by asking if there are any beginners, anyone with any injuries or if anyone is pregnant. This is standard practice to identify students who might need more attention or physical help in moving into certain poses than other students. Such vigilance will keep you attuned to those who are most at risk for neck, back and joint injuries.
By asking these questions, you also can identify which students might need less-challenging, beginner-friendly versions of poses.
Any pregnant woman should get more of your attention, and it's important to ask her to not overdo it or get overheated, and to refrain from certain yoga poses while pregnant.
Step 2
Provide instruction on basic breathing patterns appropriate for the level of class you are teaching. Beginners usually do not know how to do ujjayi, or "victorious breath," which is commonly practiced during sun salutations, a series of linked yoga poses.
Changing breathing patterns can be difficult for beginners, so you can simplify it by asking them to breathe evenly through the nose with the mouth closed. In a more advanced class, you might include pranayama, meaning "breath control," which includes many specific patterns of breathing done prior to a sitting meditation.
Step 3
Provide options so that students are comfortable, writes Melissa Garvey in website Yoga Journal, about creating an accessible class environment. For example, ask each student to set individual goals.
In a yoga studio, it would be commonplace to start with a collective chanting of "om" or a short mantra that sets a tone for the practice. Gauge the level of interest and maturity of your students as to whether this is appropriate for them.
Step 4
Begin each class with movements that will allow all the major muscle groups and joints to move in a full range of movement to loosen them up and prevent injuries.
Each teacher will have a different way of working, but generally, a well-balanced yoga class will include warm-up movements, specific movements to help students move into "peak poses" that are more advanced or require two or more preparation poses to execute well.
For example, a sample class that peaks with a variation of Bharadavada in half lotus might include lunges in the beginning, followed by sun salutations, "dancing warrior" sequences and eventually ending with the malasana, or garland pose. The lunges open the hip joints. The sun salutations provide heat for all the large muscles and joints. The other poses are what are called externally rotated poses in the hip---necessary for the peak pose of half lotus in a twist.
Step 5
Work back down from your peak poses to poses that allow the central nervous system to calm down. Seated forward bends such as Pascimottonasana and Janu Sirsasana allow the heat to be lowered toward the chest to slow heart rate.
Shoulder stands, or restoratives, against a wall provide the same benefits of elevations, or poses in which the feet are above the head -- often done near the end of practice.
According to Judith Hanson Lasater, a yoga teacher since 1971 and founder of website Yoga Journal and the California Yoga Teacher Association, it is important to always include the resting pose, or Svanansa, in every class. This allows the heart rate to drop even further for deeper rest. Some might prefer sitting cross-legged on a folded blanket or bolster-propped by the wall with eyes closed. The idea is to provide quiet time for people to complete their session before they return to their busy lives.
Tips and Warnings
- Teach to the class. Most yoga studios have clearly categorized classes, such as levels 1, 2 or 3, or gradients of ½ or 2/3, to accommodate students transitioning to more advanced levels. An all-levels class might be the most difficult to teach for some teachers, as you must incorporate basics and more advanced variations.
- The greatest challenge for newer yoga teachers is to spot students who are at high risk for injury. Furthermore, those who attempt advanced poses they cannot safely execute might physically fall on another student. Do not teach above the level of the class or who is in the room. Often, many beginners will attend a class that is above their skill set. Adjust your teaching so they can learn basic yoga poses first. Keep your boundaries and maintain your authority over the class in a friendly and firm way. You have the right to ask any student who is disruptive or behaving inappropriately to leave the class immediately. The idea is to teach a class that is safe, enjoyable, challenging, and largely accessible and useful.
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