Questions to Help You Find the Most Suitable Yoga Teacher for You.
What is my main reason for finding a yoga teacher?
The answer to this question may seem obvious: "I want to find a Yoga teacher to learn Yoga!" However, there are as many reasons to practice yoga as there are yoga students. Some people practice yoga to reduce stress and anxiety while some practice yoga to lose weight and gain strength and flexibility, and still others come to yoga instruction to become more spiritual or gain self-awareness. Being honest with yourself about what you'd like to get out of your yoga instruction is the first step to finding the most suitable yoga instructor for you.
Will the yoga teacher understand my needs and have my safety in mind?
Many yoga students have special needs that they must keep in mind when selecting a yoga instructor. Older students (40, 50, and 60+), should keep in mind that a very young teacher (18-25) may not understand the complexities of an aging body, unless that yoga instructor specializes or is very experienced in teaching older adults.
Some students cannot stand for very long periods of time, in which case they should ask the potential teacher about his or her experience with chair yoga. Others may have medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or thyroid issues (among other illnesses) which the teacher should not only be aware of but should also be qualified and experienced enough to address before, during, and after yoga instruction takes place. Yoga students' safety should always come first, and that includes the yoga classroom as well as the qualifications of the yoga instructor.
Yoga teachers should definitely be certified by a reputable agency, such as the Yoga Alliance or the American Council of Exercise, or at least be able to prove that they have taken classes or studied to a good degree such relevant subjects as anatomy, exercise physiology, metabolism, and pulmonary physiology.
There is no formal or legal certification for yoga instructors, but the Yoga Alliance will only place its stamp of approval on teachers who have completed 200 or 500+ hours of training and teaching. Seeing the "RYT" or "E-RYT" certification behind a teacher's name does not necessarily indicate a quality yoga instructor, but it does narrow the field a little.
Just to clarify, though, there are also wonderfully trained, knowledgeable, and very qualified teachers who do not pay the Yoga Alliance to use its seal of approval, so do interview, ask questions about experience and educational background, and use your intuition when choosing your teacher.
For more information about the Yoga Alliance, please go to: http://www.yogaalliance.org
Does the yoga teacher share my values?
This may seem like an odd question, but it is a very important one. Teachers' core values affect how they conduct themselves as professionals, how they conduct their yoga class, how they treat their yoga students, and how willing they are to listen and answer questions during yoga instruction. It may come as a surprise, but there are teachers who frown on questions being asked during class; indeed, some even refuse to interact with their yoga students at all.
Some teachers focus much more heavily on the spiritual aspect of yoga instruction than on the athletic or vice versa. Some yoga instructors are much more nurturing than others, and some are extremely ego-centric and coerce their yoga students to push themselves into yoga poses for which they may not be ready, simply because "this is the class where (insert yoga pose) is taught."
Though there are those yoga students who prefer to be taught in a stricter manner than others and even challenged to work harder, yoga is by nature a practice which brings out vulnerabilities in its yoga students, and most teachers are very good at reminding their yoga students to go at their own pace and with what makes them feel comfortable.
Does the yoga teacher touch yoga students?
If you know that you have an aversion to being touched by strangers, even your own yoga instructor, then make sure you ask this question. Some yoga instruction, in iyengar or kripalu yoga for example, is by nature extremely hands-on and so should probably be avoided.
However, even yoga instructors of other hatha yoga styles, such as kundalini yoga, anusara yoga, or bikram yoga may feel the need to perform slight adjustments or use their entire body to press the yoga student's body into a deeper pose. Again, use your intuition and if you feel uncomfortable, let the teacher know right away if his or her style of yoga instruction isn't right for you.
Additional recources on Finding a Yoga Teacher:
http://yogafinder.com - claims to be "the largest yoga directory on the internet"; find classes, events, retreat centers, products, etc.
http://yogasite.com - informative site to locate yoga teachers, yoga poses, information on kids' yoga, products, etc.
http://www.santosha.com - description of yoga types, yoga accessories, meditation supplies, yoga poses, etc.
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