Sunday, September 2, 2018

5 Essential Qualities of a Great Yoga Teacher


As I prepare for the upcoming teacher training at Shree I’ve been reflecting on what I value most in my most beloved teachers. I’ve distilled it down to five qualities that are the top of the list:

Authenticity - I want to study with teachers who practice what they preach, who truly live their yoga in all aspects of their lives, not just for show in the front of a yoga class.  They have a love of what they do and desire to share it from their hearts with everyone they can.
Genuineness -  Great yoga teachers know who they are, and have a strong connection to something bigger than themselves.  They speak from their heart and their truth.
Groundedness - Great teachers stay connected to their own higher guiding principles and respond rather than react to any situation.
Creativity - A great teacher is creative in planning class themes and sequencing of asana (poses) that enhance those themes and weave them together harmoniously, not just for the sake of just trying something new, but from a deep love of the body and spirit and desire to help students bring these two aspects of themselves closer. These practices help enhance life both on and off the mat.   
Intuition - A great teacher is attuned to his or her students.  It seems that they always know what you need to hear that day, the way you need to be adjusted or left alone, the poses that will help you feel in your body and ultimately your heart the quality they are trying to evoke in the practice on any particular day.

 
Notice “doing dramatic poses” or “having an amazing body” didn’t make this list. There is a misconception that comes up each time we offer a training that you have to be able to do “advanced” asana to be a good yoga teacher.  I do believe that Yoga teachers should be advanced yoga practitioners, which for some does mean very deep asana, but for others means a strong meditation practice and ability to share their experience, for some a deep knowledge of anatomy of physical and subtle body, and others a love of scripture and gift of sharing the mythology of yoga to name just a few. Yoga teachers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, religions, lifestyles and life circumstances. Student of yoga want teachers who look and feel like they do, not like they are airbrushed on the cover of Yoga Journal or filtered on Instagram. 

If any of these aspects of yoga speak to you, our Teacher Training is for you. If you read this list and felt an urge to grow and develop one or two of these qualities in your own life, it means you are ready to take this step. Some of these qualities emerge quite naturally as a result of diving so deep into your own practice, but we also have real practical, methodical ways to work on these things throughout the training and help them to develop and emerge.

Although the shared goals of yoga are few, the paths are many.  One of the most amazing things about Teacher Training is that, in your desire to share a practice that you love, you learn to embody all the qualities you admire in your own teachers, and become your own inner guru. Join us to start your own journey of transformation. Your students are waiting for you. 

Upcoming information sessions: 
Saturday, September 8 4:30 – 5:30 pm at Chaya’s home for a cup of tea and chat.  Email Chaya to reserve and get the address: chaya@shreeyoga.com
Saturday, September 22 1:00-1:30 pm at Shree

For all information, including dates and fees, and application click here

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