Tag Archives: Yoga Teacher Training

A Method To My Mat-ness – Part One

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The Yamas

How you do anything is how you do everything.

The tendencies and habits you have in life will often show up on your mat during your yoga practice.

If you always tend to hurry in life, slowing down on your mat might be difficult. If you don’t like to sit still and prefer to be constantly busy, it will likely be hard for you to remain still on your mat. If you are a very goal-oriented person, the idea of being process-oriented on your yoga mat will probably be a struggle. If you procrastinate to avoid discomfort or difficult situations, you might avoid the poses that you find uncomfortable. If you are easily distracted, always doing five things at once, then when you practice yoga, you might find it challenging to pay attention to details. The list goes on. 

Keep in mind. These are not negative judgments. Habits develop over time, we all have them, and our patterns make us who we are – the good and the not so good. What your yoga practice does, if you are open to it, is point out your habits and help you determine the ones that work for you and the ones that perhaps need to be adjusted – all in the interest of being your best self. 

And while there are 8 Limbs of Yoga, many jump right to the 3rd Limb, Asana (the physical practice), and stay there. And that’s ok. However, yoga at its core is a path, a set of principles to help us all reach our highest development as a human. And, if you are interested in that, guess what? It’s possible to do both simultaneously – engage in the physical practice of yoga while benefiting from the mental practices. And if you’ve taken my class, you are already practicing these principles on your mat – whether you realize it or not!

The 1st Limb, Yamas, and 2nd Limbs, Niyamas, are guidelines that help us find external and internal harmony. By applying the principles of the first two limbs during your yoga mat practice, you begin observing your habits and tendencies. In doing this, you initiate the first step to taking these practices with you off your mat – the true meaning of living your yoga and living a life of personal fulfillment that benefits society.

Read on for the 5 Yamas – what they are, why they are important, why I teach them, and how to apply them on your mat:

Do No Harm But Take No Shit 
Ahimsa/Non-Harming

Non-harming is, in obvious ways, self-explanatory. 

It applies to how we treat others and ourselves with our thoughts, words, and actions. 

However, it does not mean being neutral or not protecting ourselves. That in itself is harming. It means that when another hurts us, we learn to stand up for ourselves, but we let our response rise above the harmful action. When someone else is hurt, it also means not staying silent. 

I should also mention that non-harming trumps all the other principles. You cannot practice the others without applying this one first.

How To Practice Non-Harming On Your Mat:

There is a fine line between challenging yourself and being “violent” (using force or pushing too hard) when it comes to your mat practice. We call this “playing your edge.” The trick to knowing the difference? Your breath! If you find your breath becoming short and choppy, or you’re holding your breath, there’s a good chance that you’ve gone past healthily challenging yourself. This is what makes your yoga practice different than traditional exercise. When this happens, take child’s pose until you can get back to a steady, free-flowing breath. Take it a step further and observe your thoughts when you take a break – can you do it without negative judgment?

Take your focus away from how your pose looks and redirect it to how it feels and your response to how it feels. Try to find gratitude for what you can do and not what you can’t do.

Work From Where You Are, Not From Where You Want To Be
Satya/Truthfulness

Being honest does not mean that you get to use your words unfiltered and “tell it like it is.” (We all know that person, right?!) It does mean that before you speak, you ask yourself if your words are necessary, are they kind, and is it the right time? It also requires you to ask yourself the motivation for your words. When we have a difficult conversation, how we choose our words matters. Applying non-harming to our words helps avoid them from becoming weapons. 

How to Practice Truthfulness On Your Mat:

Try to assess each pose honestly. Your pose will only be as strong as the foundation you build for it. Find your alignment from the ground up and notice if there are particular times where you find yourself compromising the foundation of your pose to get to a place you think is “better.”

By being honest and building your practice step by step, you will discover a practice grounded in strength and compassion. 

Growth Comes From When Things Are Hard, Not When Things Are Easy
Asteya/Non-Stealing

This Yama is about being generous with your thoughts, words, and actions. It is not only based on “things” – I’ll take a giant leap of faith and assume anyone reading this does not have a shoplifting problem – but on experiences and opportunities. We can steal from ourselves when we avoid opportunities to learn and grow by avoiding hard work for fear of failing. “Failing” has a negative connotation. In reality, it is through hard work that we grow. We learn from failing if we allow ourselves to see the lesson.

We can also steal from others when we constantly interrupt or shift conversations to be about ourselves. We can steal time from others if we are always late.

We can steal the future from all when we take from the earth but don’t give back. 

How To Practice Non-Stealing On Your Mat:

Practicing in a group requires mindfulness of our actions within this environment. Showing up late, leaving early, going noisily to the restroom during class, speaking out – all of these actions “steal” the intention of the experience from the other students. You are responsible for the energy you bring to a group class.

Also, notice times on your mat when you tend to hold back; whether it’s a fear of falling or perhaps a fear of looking silly, try to get out of your head and back to your breath. Bring your focus back to building your pose step-by-step. And allow your practice to unfold as it should. You are giving your practice the opportunity to grow. If you want to fly, you need to be willing to fall.

Not Working Too Hard And Not Working Too Easy
Brahmacharya/Non-Excess

Non-excess is the practice of learning not to waste our energy, whether it’s with thoughts, words, or actions. And we cultivate a sense of sacredness in everything we do. Moderation in all aspects of our life – including our thoughts! So while the obvious things would be work, food, sleep, etc. A big part of the practice is the energy put into specific thoughts. Think about all the time spent thinking about things you can’t change or have no control over. That’s wasted energy! 

How To Practice Non-Excess On Your Mat:

If your breath is loud, harsh, and heavy, there’s a good chance you are not in that perfect place between working too hard and working too easy. Not to mention how disruptive it is for the rest of the class. The act of applying the steadiness of ujjayi breathing is what helps you to find balance in your practice. Also, use your larger muscles rather than relying on smaller muscles to do the work – like keeping your lower abdominal muscles engaged (uddiyana bandha) or activating your upper back muscles while in plank or chaturanga. 

Next, pay attention to places in your body that you tense or grip – like your toes or jaw. I like to call this “energy that does not serve a purpose.” First, you have to notice the habit, and then you can take the next step of breaking the habit. Maybe if you can break the pattern on your mat, you can start breaking the habit of all those unproductive thoughts off your mat!

Let Go Or Be Dragged
Aparigraha/Non-Possessiveness

While this does apply to not accumulating more “stuff” than we need – no one likes a hoarder! It’s also about not coveting what isn’t ours – perhaps being jealous of another’s life and wanting it for ourselves. You know, the grass is always greener syndrome! It is the practice of looking inside ourselves and understanding who we are and what we are is already enough. 

It’s also about letting go. 

Non-attachment does not mean we do not care; it simply means we do not allow people, experiences, or things to own us. People and things will come in and out of our lives. Can we find gratitude and opportunity in change instead of clinging to how things once were? 

How To Practice Non-Possessiveness On Your Mat:

Try to be aware of “hoarding” space when you practice. 

Not just how you place your mat but how you set things around your mat – is your towel/sweatshirt thrown aside taking up space, or is it stored and out of the way? How do you move on your mat – are you “swan diving” your arms into another’s space or adjusting your movements to be more considerate?

At the same time, “other” awareness does not mean allowing yourself the become distracted from your practice. Even when practicing in a group, imagine you are practicing alone. Avoid letting your eyes wander. Try to set your gaze on a specific point – we call this Drishti. This will make it less likely for you to covet another’s practice and compare yourself. 

By setting your gaze and continuing to apply your breath, you will allow yourself an opportunity to “let go” and find gratitude that whatever the moment presents is enough. 

Stay tuned for the Niyamas, the 2nd Limb of Yoga, and how to apply them on your mat…

And remember, your real practice begins when you step off your mat.

How The Grinch Found Yoga (and then found it again!)

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Inspired by Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas

PART ONE

Every yogi in Yogaville liked yoga a lot….
But the Grinch, who lived just north of Yogaville, did not!
The Grinch hated yoga! The whole yoga culture!
Now, please don’t ask why. It would only be torture.
It could be his mind was closed a little too tight.
It could be, perhaps, that his breath was too slight.
But I think that the most likely reason could be,
He kept his heart protected, not allowing it to be free.

Whatever the reason, his heart or his mind.
He stood there that evening, not feeling very kind.

Staring into the studio, with the look of displease,
At the warm yoga bodies moving with such ease.
For he knew every yogi was perfecting their pose,
While looking their best in their fancy yoga clothes.
“And they’re standing on their hands,” he said with despair,
“Without a single strand moving, not one! In their hair!”

Their photos, their quotes, their Instagram postings!
The kale and kombucha, the juice cleanse hostings!
And soon, oh so soon, they would be yoga singing!
The sound of their OMs! Well, it would have his ears ringing!

Then he got an idea! A crazy idea!
This “unyogic” Grinch got a crazy idea!
The Grinch held his breath, not knowing what was in store.
He walked up to the studio, and opened the door…

The Grinch came from the outside and found his way in.
Which is often how many of us also begin.
He stepped onto a mat, without expectation.
The evolution was slow, but he found meditation.

And there on the mat, released of all drama.
The Grinch discovered more than only one of the yamas.
It just takes some presence, a trust in the self.
In mindful action, the Grinch found some wealth.

And the Grinch, with his grinch hands touching his toes,
looked around in amazement, thinking, “How could it be so?”

“It came without judgment! It came without goals!”
“It came without challenges, selfies or ‘no’s’!”
And he sat down a few moments, till his breath became longer.
His mind became quiet, his inner voice grew stronger.
“Maybe yoga,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a pose.”
“Maybe yoga… perhaps…is an exercise for the soul.”

And what happened then? Well…in Yogaville they say,
That the Grinch’s trapped heart broke open that day!
And the minute his heart didn’t feel quite such a mess,
His mind opened up too and he found yoga bliss.
And he stepped on his mat. Both feet firmly at home!
And he, he himself! The Grinch sang the last OM!

PART TWO

When last we left off in the Yogaville district,
The Grinch had found yoga; his heart optimistic.
Dedicated yogi he was, trekking to town every day.
Heading straight to the studio, never going astray.
One day in particular as he walked in with his mat,
A new flyer was posted, he stopped in his tracks.
With eyes growing wider, he lost his Grinch cool.
In bold letters, he read: Yoga Teacher School!

Then the teacher strolled in, the breathing started.
The practice began, his effort half-hearted.
His mind so distracted, excitement barely contained.
He remained calm on the outside. The inside he strained.
And the more the Grinch thought of this whole teaching thing,
The more the Grinch knew he must do this TRAINING!
And the longer he pondered, with wheels endlessly turning,
His head grew bigger, his ego mindlessly yearning.
“Why, for two years now I’ve come to this space!
I know I can do it, I can take over this place!
I will be the best teacher this town’s ever known.
From miles they will come, they will build me a throne!”

So with focus and agenda, his journey began.
He studied and practiced, fine-tuned his grinchy plan.
Bought all the books, memorized all the right words.
Practiced the sequence, his goal never deferred.
And the day finally came, his certificate arrived.
He gave his dog a sly smile, and then a high five.
Of course, first on his list, doing what all legit teachers do,
He opened a Twitter account and a Facebook page too.
He took a few selfies; upside down in the snow.
Posted on Instagram with requisite yogic style prose.
He filmed YouTube videos, with his dog Max as his pupil.
It took only one day, and his followers quadrupled!

This was still not enough for his yogi star scheme,
The final touch was added, a completion of his dream.
A new studio he began building on top of Mount Crumpit.
He called it Grinch Yoga. Well, that pretty much summed it.

As he stood on his mountain, looking down at the town.
His shifty eyes landed on his final takedown.
Watching the yogis, the tall and the small,
Bustling to class, this would not do at all!
So just for good measure in the middle of the night,
The Grinch snuck into his old studio and stole everything in sight!
He took all of the mats! The candles for lighting!
The sign on the outside! His emotions delighting!
All the pictures on the wall! All the cubbies in the hall!
All the lights that were hanging! He left nothing installed!
He stole all of the schedules and workshop brochures.
Then he snatched his teacher’s notes, just to be sure!
And then, just in case, all that wasn’t sufficient,
He tweeted cruel words. A clearly grinchish decision.

And before you could say #yogaeverydamnday,
His new home was completed; Grinch Yoga here to stay.
He bounded through the door, new clothes on display.
Prepared to teach his first class, without any delay.
His teacher’s words mastered, his yoga jam cued.
Exuberant and giddy to the utmost magnitude.
With great confidence and ease, he patiently waited.
His ego, of course, ten sizes inflated!

He waited, and waited and waited all day.
But not ONE yoga student came, not ONE,
Through the doorway!
And there the Grinch remained, puzzling for hours.
No sense to be made. Why he had even planted fake flowers!

As he sat on his mat in deep contemplation,
He heard a soft noise, a humming vibration.
He looked out of his window; eyes followed the sound.
He shook in surprise as he gazed down at the crowd.
And he shook, and he shuddered at this most disturbing of views!
In the yoga studio he had emptied, the yoga class grew!
They twisted and turned and chanted away.
Nothing the Grinch did had ruined their day!

“No, it can’t be! I’ve done everything right!
Photos and followers! Hashtags and websites!
New floors and fresh paint, in the perfect location.
Thousands I spent on this yoga education!”

And then what the Grinch did, without even thinking,
He packed up old Max, crept to town, his pride shrinking.
He walked into the studio, well, some would say slunk.
But all would agree his high hopes had been sunk.
He looked at his teacher, Yogi Lyn Lou,
With questioning eyes, heavy heart, feeling blue.

And she tilted her head, raised an eyebrow.
Told him to sit and to get rid of his frown.
And with a slight wink, she proceeded to speak:

You can’t steal yoga, within is what you seek.

It’s not a fancy pose. It’s not rhyming prose.
It’s not a personal platform, for a Cirque du Soleil show.
Not matters the location or the color of the walls.
The flowers planted. The track lights installed.

Doesn’t matter the words strategically placed.
What matters are actions executed with grace.
Followers will follow, and likers will like.
But none of this matters if you behave with dislike.

For students to emerge you must teach from your heart.
It’s inside of you too; it just needs a jumpstart.
The only way out is to go through, the only way through is to go in.
You must do the hard work, stop believing your own spin.
Some days will be easy; others will not.
(On those days two words: tequila shot!)
It’s an on ongoing process this self-study thing,
But in the end, will be discovered the best kind of bling.
The glow from the inside will be quite distinct,
When your intentions and actions are completely in sync.

And the knowledge you search for, you already possess.
At this moment it is there, it just needs to be accessed.
Your purpose discovered. Clearly defined.
It is here my Grinch friend, you will find peace of mind.

And this wisdom you have cannot be shanghaied.
No matter what happens. Though, some will surely try.
Oh, they will try! Oh yes! They will TRY, TRY, TRY, TRY!
But when they go low it will teach you instead how to FLY!
Keep the focus on you and others won’t matter.
Silence you will find, trumps the meaningless chatter.

And it won’t be about selfies or how many likes.
Your followers on Facebook or a playlist contrived.
It won’t be something learned in two hundred hours.
Your silent voice inside contains all your power.
And it won’t be what’s trendy or Instagram fame.
Or the RYT letters you attach to your name.
Find the teacher inside, and the students will appear.
Not always an easy task. Trust yourself and don’t compare.

So, back to his mat went the Grinch and his Self.
Old Max snoozing soundly in his bed on the shelf.
His playlist deleted, his pride feeling cheated.
But the worst part of it all, his spirit depleted.
He got out of his head and started to work in.
It didn’t take long for the transformation to begin.
He found his way back to where he began.
And slowly let go of his grinchy yoga plan.
His ego grew weaker, his monkey mind meager.
His compassion expanded, mindfulness was eager.
His goals disappeared, replaced with intention.
And in this still space, he found his connection.

And what happened then? A revelation some say.
The door opened up, students walked in and stayed.
They laid down their mats, spaced barely an inch.
They all stood together, surrounding the Grinch.
And the Grinch looked around, not believing his eyes.
They finally opened up as he slowly realized…
“This teaching it seems doesn’t come from a book,
Not words that are mimicked or how a studio looks.
It’s not perfect alignment or music that rocks.
Not mastering poses or using five different props.
It’s not how you speak, or the way that you walk.
It’s in owning your truth and walking the talk.”

Then, the Grinch found his voice, and also his heart.
(A bit shaky at first, but an impressive good start.)
He guided the practice; they breathed and they flowed.
Compassion and honesty always in tow.

In unison, they moved. Together sang the last OM….
And there in his Self, the Grinch finally found home.

Love Dr. Seuss? Love yoga? Buy Lyn’s book, Om, the Poses You’ll Do!
Version 2
Available on Amazon.com

Yoga Teachers and Studio Owners: Let’s be sure to practice asteya, when sharing please give credit to the author.

Featured on Elephant Journal:
Read Part One and Part Two

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How The Grinch Found Yoga (Again!)

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How The Grinch Found Yoga (Again!)

Inspired by Dr. Seuss, a true yogi.
Featured on elephant journal.

When last we left off in the Yogaville district,
The Grinch had found yoga; his heart optimistic.
Dedicated yogi he was, trekking to town every day.
Heading straight to the studio, never going astray.
One day in particular as he walked in with his mat,
A new flyer was posted, he stopped in his tracks.
With eyes growing wider, he lost his Grinch cool.
In bold letters, he read: Yoga Teacher School!

Then the teacher strolled in, the breathing started.
The practice began, his effort half-hearted.
His mind so distracted, excitement barely contained.
He remained calm on the outside. The inside he strained.
And the more the Grinch thought of this whole teaching thing,
The more the Grinch knew he must do this TRAINING!
And the longer he pondered, with wheels endlessly turning,
His head grew bigger, his ego mindlessly yearning.
“Why, for two years now I’ve come to this space!
I know I can do it, I can take over this place!
I will be the best teacher this town’s ever known.
From miles they will come, they will build me a throne!”

So with focus and agenda, his journey began.
He studied and practiced, fine-tuned his grinchy plan.
Bought all the books, memorized all the right words.
Practiced the sequence, his goal never deferred.
And the day finally came, his certificate arrived.
He gave his dog a sly smile, and then a high five.
Of course, first on his list, doing what all legit teachers do,
He opened a Twitter account and a Facebook page too.
He took a few selfies; upside down in the snow.
Posted on Instagram with requisite yogic style prose.
He filmed YouTube videos, with his dog Max as his pupil.
It took only one day, and his followers quadrupled!

This was still not enough for his yogi star scheme,
The final touch was added, a completion of his dream.
A new studio he began building on top of Mount Crumpit.
He called it Grinch Yoga. Well, that pretty much summed it.

As he stood on his mountain, looking down at the town.
His shifty eyes landed on his final takedown.
Watching the yogis, the tall and the small,
Bustling to class, this would not do at all!
So just for good measure in the middle of the night,
The Grinch snuck into his old studio and stole everything in sight!
He took all of the mats! The candles for lighting!
The sign on the outside! His emotions delighting!
All the pictures on the wall! All the cubbies in the hall!
All the lights that were hanging! He left nothing installed!
He stole all of the schedules and workshop brochures.
Then he snatched his teacher’s notes, just to be sure!
And then, just in case, all that wasn’t sufficient,
He tweeted cruel words. A clearly grinchish decision.

And before you could say #yogaeverydamnday,
His new home was completed; Grinch Yoga here to stay.
He bounded through the door, new clothes on display.
Prepared to teach his first class, without any delay.
His teacher’s words mastered, his yoga jam cued.
Exuberant and giddy to the utmost magnitude.
With great confidence and ease, he patiently waited.
His ego, of course, ten sizes inflated!

He waited, and waited and waited all day.
But not ONE yoga student came, not ONE,
Through the doorway!
And there the Grinch remained, puzzling for hours.
No sense to be made. Why he had even planted fake flowers!

As he sat on his mat in deep contemplation,
He heard a soft noise, a humming vibration.
He looked out of his window; eyes followed the sound.
He shook in surprise as he gazed down at the crowd.
And he shook, and he shuddered at this most disturbing of views!
In the yoga studio he had emptied, the yoga class grew!
They twisted and turned and chanted away.
Nothing the Grinch did had ruined their day!

“No, it can’t be! I’ve done everything right!
Photos and followers! Hashtags and websites!
New floors and fresh paint, in perfect location.
Thousands I spent on this yoga education!”

And then what the Grinch did, without even thinking,
He packed up old Max, crept to town, his pride shrinking.
He walked into the studio, well, some would say slunk.
But all would agree his high hopes had been sunk.
He looked at his teacher, Yogi Lyn Lou,
With questioning eyes, heavy heart, feeling blue.

And she tilted her head, raised an eyebrow.
Told him to sit and to get rid of his frown.
And with a slight wink, she proceeded to speak:

You can’t steal yoga, within is what you seek.

It’s not a fancy pose. It’s not rhyming prose.
It’s not a personal platform, for a Cirque du Soleil show.
Not matters the location or the color of the walls.
The flowers planted. The track lights installed.

Doesn’t matter the words strategically placed.
What matters are actions executed with grace.
Followers will follow, and likers will like.
But none of this matters if you behave with dislike.

For students to emerge you must teach from your heart.
It’s inside of you too; it just needs a jumpstart.
The only way out is to go through, the only way through is to go in.
You must do the hard work, stop believing your own spin.
Some days will be easy; others will not.
(On those days two words: tequila shot!)
It’s an on ongoing process this self-study thing,
But in the end, will be discovered the best kind of bling.
The glow from the inside will be quite distinct,
When your intentions and actions are completely in sync.

And the knowledge you search for, you already possess.
At this moment it is there, it just needs to be accessed.
Your purpose discovered. Clearly defined.
It is here my Grinch friend, you will find peace of mind.

And this wisdom you have cannot be shanghaied.
No matter what happens. Though, some will surely try.
Oh, they will try! Oh yes! They will TRY, TRY, TRY, TRY!
But when they go low it will teach you instead how to FLY!
Keep the focus on you and others won’t matter.
Silence you will find, trumps the meaningless chatter.

And it won’t be about selfies or how many likes.
Your followers on Facebook or a playlist contrived.
It won’t be something learned in two hundred hours.
Your silent voice inside contains all your power.
And it won’t be what’s trendy or Instagram fame.
Or the RYT letters you attach to your name.
Find the teacher inside, and the students will appear.
Not always an easy task. Trust yourself and don’t compare.

So, back to his mat went the Grinch and his Self.
Old Max snoozing soundly in his bed on the shelf.
His playlist deleted, his pride feeling cheated.
But the worst part of it all, his spirit depleted.
He got out of his head and started to work in.
It didn’t take long for the transformation to begin.
He found his way back to where he began.
And slowly let go of his grinchy yoga plan.
His ego grew weaker, his monkey mind meager.
His compassion expanded, mindfulness was eager.
His goals disappeared, replaced with intention.
And in this still space, he found his connection.

And what happened then? A revelation some say.
The door opened up, students walked in and stayed.
They laid down their mats, spaced barely an inch.
They all stood together, surrounding the Grinch.
And the Grinch looked around, not believing his eyes.
They finally opened up as he slowly realized…
“This teaching it seems doesn’t come from a book,
Not words that are mimicked or how a studio looks.
It’s not perfect alignment or music that rocks.
Not mastering poses or using five different props.
It’s not how you speak, or the way that you walk.
It’s in owning your truth and walking the talk.”

Then, the Grinch found his voice, and also his heart.
(A bit shaky at first, but an impressive good start.)
He guided the practice; they breathed and they flowed.
Compassion and honesty always in tow.

In unison, they moved. Together sang the last OM….
And there in his Self, the Grinch finally found home.

Love Dr. Seuss? Love Yoga? Buy Lyn’s book, Om, the Poses You’ll Do!
Version 2
Available on Amazon.com

Yoga Teachers and Studio Owners: Let’s be sure to practice asteya, when sharing please give credit to the author.
Photo Credit: Sarah_Ackerman/Flickr

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The Practice of Teaching: 3 more things every yoga teacher should know

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Read the Elephant Journal version HERE!

If practicing yoga is about more than just the pose, then so is teaching yoga.

And while we can be given tools to help us learn to instruct, teaching is something that will come from knowledge that is already inside of us.

When we first start teaching, it’s easy to get lost in the instructing and forego the teaching.

Instructing requires us to have a strong working knowledge of the body and a firm grip on proper alignment. The surface elements of the practice. All very important.

Teaching comes from the wisdom we have gained from our own personal experiences and our willingness to break open enough to be willing to share. It is not something that can be learned.

Instructing comes from the head. Teaching comes from the heart.

Often in my classes after giving detailed alignment of a pose, I then tell my students to just let all of that go. Stop trying to do the pose and allow yourself to just be in the pose.

When we step into the classroom to lead a class, it’s not much different than stepping onto our own mat to practice. Try not to get lost in the doing….

1. Don’t Compromise Your Foundation:

I constantly tell my students in class that the pose will only be as strong as the foundation they build it on. And nothing is worth sacrificing a calm, steady foundation. The same is true for teaching.

In asana practice it might start with a smooth, flowing breath. A stable, sturdy connection to the ground.

Our teaching foundation develops from what keeps us personally coming back to the mat. Day after day. That which we connect to.

There can be an overwhelming amount of information to be absorbed, and then expected to be applied during the training process. One of my first teachers told us to take what makes sense and throw the rest away. I hold onto that to this day. I stopped trying to teach the right way, and began teaching my way. The way that feels right for me.

This is found deep inside, an intuitive nature that speaks from the heart. Our truth.

Our teaching is only as strong as the foundation we build it on. Nothing is worth compromising this. No class, no studio, no job. And the fact is, when we let our authenticity shine through, all of those things will come.

Find your truth, the students will hear.

2. Focus more on the In and less on the Out:

One of the most challenging things I still find to this day when teaching, is to get students to let go of the outward focus of the practice (pose), and put more effort to understanding and beginning with the inward focus (breath). I try to emphasize if they trust the inner process, the outer process will begin to happen.

And as a newer teacher, it’s sometimes easy to get caught up with the same thing. Fearful of boring our students, we end up spending large amounts of time creating new sequences, interesting transitions or finding more challenging poses. Instructing begins to trump teaching.

The reality is, holding a student’s attention and keeping it interesting comes from teaching what is inside of us. Speaking directly from our hearts, our experiences. Channeling those experiences to make them relevant to our students, without making it about ourselves.

At my lowest points, I have been able to make the greatest connections with my students. I have walked into a classroom more times than I would like to remember thinking “how can I possibly hold my students up, when I can barely hold myself up?” At those times the only thing I had was my own practice. I had to be so firmly grounded, focused and present that only my truth at that moment could come out.

When we awaken our own inner teacher and let it free, our students will begin to find theirs too. This will not come from our sequence, but it will come from our words. Headstand and arm balances are not required. Raw honesty and continuous self study are. If we never stop working on the inside, guaranteed the outside will start to fall into place.

Find your inner teacher, and the students will follow.

3. It’s About the Process, Not the Destination:

There will always be three more things you need to know. And two years from now, five years from now and 10 years from now there will still be three, five, 10 more things you need to know….and that’s ok. I have been teaching for almost 20 years, and I hope I never get to a place where I feel there is nothing left to learn. I mean, if we are living how can we not be learning?

Just like our practice on the mat, teaching yoga is a process as well.  Each day it will be different and it always will be changing. It will never be perfect. And not always easy.

Give yourself a break in striving for the perfection of instructing. Allow yourself the imperfectness and freedom to teach.

Do less. Be more.

Instruct to exercise the body. But teach to exercise the soul.

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Lyn’s power yoga school is located in Ridgefield, CT where she offers mentoring and a 200 HR yoga teacher certification.