Is Your Yoga Teacher Qualified? 3 Ways to Put Your Teacher to the Test!

So you’ve been hearing about the benefits of yoga and you’re ready to dive in and start saluting the sun.  But, what exactly is a sun salutation?  And just how the heck are you supposed to do one anyway? Perhaps the question you really should be asking as a beginner to yoga is, who can I find to help me and how do I know they’re any good? To really profit from a yoga class, it’s important to acquire the proper techniques and tools right from the start, and if you’re looking for a little something more than a good place to show off your new Lulu pants, then you might want to look for a place where your yoga teacher doesn’t double as a spin instructor in a local gym.  Even within a dedicated yoga space, however, the choices yoga rookies face in selecting lineages, studios, and classes can be daunting when each one seems to have its own unique culture and methods. So when it comes to the nitty-gritty of getting down to yoga itself, once you manage to find a beginners’ class and get your mat on the floor, it’s usually your teacher that can make or break the experience for you.

Considering how popular yoga has become, yoga teacher training programs are everywhere: in studios, on international retreats, and online! But as not all training programs are created equal, neither, of course, are yoga teachers, So how do you know what exactly it is that you’re getting when you register for Yoga 101? As you may have guessed, finding a great yoga teacher isn’t necessarily the easiest task around. With the absence of formal certification procedures or comprehensive regulations, finding a great yoga teacher who stands above the rest might seem as difficult as reaching a state of Zen enlightenment when you've got three deadlines to meet and you forgot to pick up the kids after soccer practice.  

Yoga is an investment—in your personal development and well-being, and of money and time—and it’s not one that should be taken lightly if you are serious about receiving quality instruction. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of tips for finding your best yoga teacher. But be sure to recognize, that even though your teacher will be the “face” of your yoga experience and the one who will guide you through a proper foundation, it's also up to you to be responsible for yourself when it comes to choosing where to invest. So, take your time, do your research, and you’ll be sure to find a teacher that will help you establish a yoga practice that will benefit you for years to come.

Qualifications

Despite the lack of mandatory regulations and certification standards, you can still ask your prospective yoga teacher about his or her “qualifications.” A teacher I know is not only knowledgeable about yoga’s philosophic, historic, and body-mind connections, but also returns to Mysore, India every 1-2 years to further her scholarship and maintain ties to her own teachers and lineage. Your instructor may not have ever set foot in India, but her training and dedication should reflect her capacity as a student and teacher.

• Where did she study yoga and for how long has she been practicing?
• What kind of yoga teacher training program did she enrol in?
• Why does she want to teach yoga?
• Does she participate in any extracurricular workshops or “yoga continuing education?
• Is your teacher significantly more advanced than you? (Should we expect this?)

Student-centred

It’s one thing for a teacher to stand at the front of the class and call out poses like a game of Yogi Simon Says, but it’s another altogether for him to actually involve himself in the practice of his students.  For beginners especially, teachers should take extra precautions when giving instruction in proper alignment while also taking into consideration individual bodies and issues.

• Does the teacher walk around the classroom and make adjustments?
• Does the teacher provide individual attention equally, or does he single out students unfairly?
• Does the teacher begin the class by asking if anyone has specific aches, pains, or disabilities that may require alternatives or adjustments in certain poses?
• Can the teacher adapt the class to his students’ needs easily?
• Does he encourage students who are ready to move forward to the next level of a pose, and does he spend time with those who may be experiencing particular difficulties?
• Does the teacher have an adequate enough understanding of anatomy to be able to assist students in avoiding injury or risk?

Communication

A beginner yoga student will likely encounter new vocabulary, ideas, and physical or mental practices which may seem obscure or which take time and careful explanation for thorough comprehension. In one yoga class I took years ago with a close friend, my teacher told us budding yogis to breathe deeply using “ujjayi” to release our “pent-up prana”. Ujjayi?  Pent-up prana? For weeks, my friend and I wondered how using a Ouija board would help release something we could only guess was some sort of frustrated inner demon within us. Yoga teachers, if you plan on using funny words when you instruct us, then please explain them!

• Does your yoga teacher know or use the real Sanskrit names for the asanas or breathwork, and can they adequately explain their meaning?
• Does your teacher have a sufficient knowledge of yoga philosophy and do they share their knowledge during classes?
• Does the teacher provide demonstrations or verbal descriptions?
• Is the teacher willing to hear any feedback or answer questions (at an appropriate time such as the end of a class)?

Last Thoughts

Nobody is perfect, and so you shouldn’t expect your teacher to remain on a pedestal should you choose to put him or her up there. That said, you should be comfortable with your teacher’s qualifications, experience, and teaching methods so that you will benefit from her classes and instruction. Remember that your teacher should:

1. Have a passion for yoga and possess the knowledge and experience to teach it.
2. Be proactive when addressing students’ needs and be able to make modifications or adjustments where necessary.
3. Communicate clearly and illustrate instructions in ways that will be understood by all students.

What's your experience with yoga teachers—the good or the bad?  What do you think makes a great teacher?