5 things I’ve learnt as a newly qualified yoga teacher.
After nine months of training and seven (or is it eight?!) years of yoga, last month I officially qualified as a yoga teacher. And boy oh boy, has it been a journey.
I plan to write about my experience on YTT at some point, but I think I need more time to reflect and absorb. It constituted an enormous period of my life (enough time to birth a child!) and I’m still letting it wash over me. However, for now, I want to take a moment to jot down the incredible lessons that teaching has already delivered to me.
This is something I’ve been mulling over a lot; this past week especially. Yes, it is my job to teach my students… But I’d be lying if I said that it hasn’t already taught me a huge deal. I come out of every single class feeling different, somehow. Sometimes that equates to feeling lighter. Other times stronger. More inspired. There’s always something, and I love that.
So, while it’s still fresh in my brain, I wanted to note some core lessons down - the ones that have really stood out to me.
Things will go wrong. And that’s okay.
I remember being terrified of ‘messing up’. During our training, we had the privilege of delivering monthly classes to the community - and I would honestly feel awful if (cough - when) I got something wrong. In hindsight, every single mistake was teaching me something important. Now, when something goes ‘wrong’ I can just embrace it. The worst thing that can happen is you just laugh and start again. It’s no catastrophe.
2. Your intuition is your greatest teacher.
Early on in my teaching, I forgot my notebook - the one with my lesson scribbled in. And I was VERY stressed about it. I had no idea how I was going to manage the class. But lo and behold, I did. Rather than teaching from my head, I taught from my heart. I’ve been doing that every lesson since and it has completely changed my mindset and nerves. I tell my students that they are their body’s greatest teacher; it was time I started living by the same understanding.
3. Serve and then you’ll thrive.
This phrase ALWAYS stands out to me as one that my teacher Laura Green said during one of our final practices together on YTT. It’s something that I’ve kept close to my heart every day since. Building a yoga business is hard. It takes a lot of grit and resilience - it’s fairly rare that your first classes will be sellouts. But I strongly believe that by putting the effort and love in, you do start to see the benefits. For me, that doesn’t even have to be financial. Having a student start to open up and tell me what the classes have done for them is the greatest gift of all. Or take something that happened recently - a beautiful student gave me a handmade bauble with a crochet image inspired by a meditation I had delivered. The generosity and kindness of that act will forever stay with me.
4. A one person class is just as powerful as a ten person one.
Some of my most enjoyable and fulfilling classes have been my smallest ones. Your students are making a conscious choice to spend their precious time with you - and that’s huge. I’ve found that in these small classes, my students have indulged and allowed themselves to be held even more. It is therefore never a disappointment; it’s an absolute joy.
5. Teaching is a gift. Cherish it.
I have wanted to teach yoga for the longest time. It’s always been there - a dream nestled inside of me longing to be let out. Now it is here - not it is my reality - I cannot (and will not) take it for granted. I leave every class feeling enormously lucky and honoured that I get to guide those beautiful individuals through an hour of love and self care. I hope that this feeling never changes.
Amber is a yoga teacher based in Hampshire. She brings together her love of movement and words in creative, intuitive classes where all feelings, approaches and individuals are welcome. She teaches in Wickham, Lordshill, Upham, Hedge End and Nursling.
