It all happened so fast. One moment it was me and my yoga mat in an empty room listening to my carefully constructed playlist; the next moment it was me and my yoga mat in a far-from-empty room of 30 blank faces, all waiting for what would come out of my mouth next.
I don’t know if you’ve ever been the center of attention, but as someone who already has an unusual amount of butterflies flying around in her stomach, this sort of anticipation can send me over the edge.
Here I was, after a year and a half of training, ready to teach my first yoga class. I sat through countless trainings, listening to the dos and don’ts of how to set the mood for a lesson, sequence poses, adjust those who are OK with being adjusted, and keep far away from those who clearly don’t want your hands on their sweaty bodies.
But after all the training, I just felt flat-out inadequate to guide these people for the next hour. With no choice, I put my big-girl panties on, took a deep breath, told myself, “Fuck it, you can do this,” and carried on.
“How is everyone doing?”
Low murmurs merged into what sounded like one unexcited groan. How encouraging.
“My name is Ainhoa. I am a new yoga teacher, but very excited to be here.”
Crickets.
I decided to quit the small talk, and get moving.
“Everyone take a comfortable seated position, take your gaze to the ground, or close your eyes if you are comfortable doing so.”
BRILLIANT. Now no one was looking at me.
I allowed them to take a few deep breaths. Yes, deep breaths to help them focus on the moment, but I was the one who was in dear need of them, truth be told. Five minutes into the practice, I was able to shake the nerves and instruct what I knew and trained for: yoga. And after an hour, I brought my hands together, bowed down and thanked everyone for sharing practice with me. My effort was received with big smiles and countless thank- yous from those in the room — crickets no more.
With that nerve-wracking and fulfilling experience behind me, I’ve put together helpful pointers for yoga teachers in the making, or any recently graduated baby yogis.
Remember why you decided to teach. Most instructors want to share the good that yoga brought into their life. Whether it’s physical, mental or spiritual wellness, teach from that place. Someone in your class will appreciate the genuine effort and find bliss the same way you did. Others may not, and that’s OK.
Remember you’re teaching human beings. It can be scary to teach a large crowd of strangers, people you know nothing about. They might as well be aliens from outer space, but acknowledging that you’re instructing people just like you will help shake the nerves. The folks in your class came for a reason, and that reason is not to judge you.
Teach what you know and what feels comfortable. Plain and simple, don’t teach something you don’t know. Don’t go on about parts of the body you’re unsure about. Don’t mention chakras if you’re not familiar with them. Stay true to what your yoga is, and it will be received in good nature.
You don’t need to know it all. Sometimes, instructors think they must know every answer because they’re the “teacher.” But you never claimed to be a swami, and certainly never claimed to be a gifted guru ready to lead all who will listen into enlightenment. If a person asks something you don’t know, be humble enough to say, “I’ll try to find out for next class.”
Confidence is key. Even if you don’t have an ounce of confidence in your shaky voice, fake it ’til you make it.
YOGA FOR ALL
Looking for a studio in the area? Check these out.
Yoga Loft A variety of vinyasa flow classes for all levels. The best part is you can grab your favorite craft brew in Ybor City right after. 2002 E. Fifth Ave. #102, Tampa, 813-248-9642, yogalofttampa.com.
Yogani Studios This spacious studio offers Ashtanga and Bikram classes, as well as heated flows. Don’t worry, they have showers. 1112 W. Platt St., Tampa, 813-251-9668, yogani.com.
TreeHouse Yoga Center Head here if you’re looking for a scenic view (this studio is surrounded by trees) while you get your peacefulness on. 8509 N. 20th St., Tampa, 813-932-5456, treehouseyoga.com.
Yoga Downtown Aside from its free Yoga in the Park lessons at Curtis Hixon, Yoga Downtown is one of the only studios around to offer aerial, or swing, yoga. 206 E. Cass St., Tampa, 813-944-2291, yogadowntowntampa.com.
Pose by Pose Yoga This newbie studio features a great class for beginners called “Align and Refine,” which provides a look at Iyengar-style yoga. It’s also perfect for new yogis focused on getting postures just right. 17761 Hunting Bow Circle, Lutz, 813-501-4987, posebyposeyoga.com.
St. Petersburg Yoga Aside from offering many styles of yoga for beginners, the studio’s website has a handy tool to help you decide which type of yoga is best for your needs. 2842 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-894-9642, stpetersburgyoga.com.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2016.