Tips to Maintain Your Practice as a Yoga Teacher

Despite the therapeutic nature of yoga, being an instructor is not without its challenges. With hours spent teaching multiple yoga classes at different yoga studios, events, and taking time to prepare for workshops, it can be really difficult to make time for a personal practice. It can be tough when you are feeling tired and burned out from external factors going on in life. However, maintaining your practice and continuing to learn are two of the best things you can do for yourself and your career.

Fuel Your Passion for Yoga

You cannot be an effective teacher and help your students if you don’t feel inspired or connected to your own practice. Your students show up for you and want to learn from you, so being able to relate to them is essential. If you’re feeling disengaged, take some time to think back to what it is that drew you to yoga and inspired you to become a teacher in the first place. Creating space for reflection will once again ignite your passion and rekindle your love for yoga.

Create a Home Practice

We all know life can get incredibly busy, but even if you can only make time for a daily 30-minute practice, that’s a great place to start. Here are a few tips to make things easier:

Prepare your space the night before: Set up your mat and props that you want to use so that you do not have to think about it in the morning. Everything you need is right there waiting for you.

Commit to a time to practice and make it consistent: This can be one of the most challenging things to schedule, but if you stick to a specific time each day, it will become an easy routine.

Remove distractions: Make this time about you. Leave electronic devices behind and relish in the peace and quiet of your own practice.

Keep a notebook close by: After your practice, jot down the sequence you did or any enlightening thoughts you had. Personal notes are great bits of information to share in your classes.

Put on Your Student Hat

Do you aspire to be a better teacher? The answer is easy: become a student. There are so many areas of yoga to explore and continuing your education will allow you to expand your horizons and give you an opportunity to practice with other experts in the field.

300-Hour Advanced Studies

Taking the next steps in your education shows that you’ve made a commitment to both personal growth and to your career. If you’re feeling stuck in your teaching, the 300-Hour Teacher Training Program will give you a broader scope of knowledge and exposure. You can learn how to teach yoga to children, elderly adults, or expand your expertise to include ashtanga, bhakti, restorative yoga, and so much more. The 300-Hour Program is designed to provide the opportunity to make choices in the areas of yoga that inspire you most while creating flexibility with your schedule. Learn more about AYC’s 300-Hour Program here.