Finding The Perfect Fit: What Makes a Good Yoga Teacher

Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned and experienced yogi, the one thing we all agree on is the importance of a really good, qualified teacher.

Most yoga teachers will teach in the style they have been trained in, be it, Hatha, Iyengar, Vinyasa and so on, so it’s important to find out what style of yoga suits you and what you want to get out of your yoga practice.

So what makes a good yoga teacher?

A good yoga teacher:

• Will ask you if you have any injuries or conditions he/she should know about before commencing the class.

• Will give a varied and balanced class that will keep you both interested and motivated.

• Can explain the postures, telling you how the posture works and what are the benefits, as well as making you aware of where you should feel a stretch and where you shouldn’t.

• Will be observant and guide you into the correct position wherever needed in a gentle manner.

• Can modify postures if you have injuries, pain or tension in specific areas.

• Will warn you not to do certain postures if you suffer from any injuries or health conditions and adapt as necessary.

In my experience the best yoga teachers are the ones’ that do all of the above but are also friendly and approachable. You want to feel that if you have a question or need a little more instruction that you can ask the teacher without feeling intimidated.