Finding Your Voice As A Yoga Teacher
Learn more about how to find your authentic teaching voice, and how attending yoga retreats can help you get there.
Finding your voice as a yoga teacher can be well.. It can be a journey to say the least.
What does “finding your voice” even mean? It means speaking in a tone of your truth. Words that resonate with you. A pace in which you’re comfortable, confident, and clearly taking your students from one asana to the next.
By speaking from a place that is authentic and honest to you, your students will find a deeper connection to you.
You can 100% be inspired by your fellow yoga teachers and mentors but at the end of the day, if you don’t place your own spin on how you teach, you’re going to notice. You’ll notice if you start dreading going to your classes to teach, or if you have a hard time being present with your students because you’re worried about your next few words, it might be time to sit down and evaluate what you’re actually saying to your students to make sure it’s something you believe in, too.
Experiences such as yoga retreats are important to attend not only for students, but yoga teachers too. They provide you with a deeper chance to observe and connect with other teachers in their divine leadership and purpose as they guide, create, and host a space designed for you to receive.
See our tips below on how to find your voice as a yoga teacher.
Practice the art of slow and clear speaking
Trust us, we get it. When you’re supposed to talk in front of people for 60 MINUTES it gets scary! One of the first things we do with those nerves? Start talking really, really fast.
Remind yourself to take a breath or 2 before giving the next cue, or going to the next pose.
Our job requires us to guide people from the left, to the right, from the front of the mat, and from the back of the mat. It’s easy to get lost in the translation so remember your students will thank you for bringing a steady pace to your wording.
You’ll start to feel more confident with the silence, too.
Embrace your natural voice
Please, please, please embrace who you are in your teachings and your voice falls under that, too! Students love consistency as consistency opens the door to new pathways within your practice when matched with commitment.
It’s normal to want to / try to find a tone and structure that allows you to speak with a poetically descriptive flow, but if that’s not your authentic voice, don’t. Be yourself. If you have an accent, don’t try to change it when you teach. Imagine chatting and catching up with one of your best friends over coffee. Talk just like that. :)
When you allow space for conversation to be authentic and natural, you allow space for connection too..
Avoid filler and crutch words
They get the best of us, we KNOW IT. This is something that’ll always be ongoing, I still catch myself doing this too. Just remember to bring awareness to the space you’re trying to fill.
Could that be a chance for the student to connect inward with their practice and their breath?
Filler words happen when our mind wants to full up space in conversation or instruction. Filler words like “uhm” “and then” “so” and “like”. Crunch words do the same, but they’re expressions such as “beautiful” or “good job”, things you might say to the general class.
When you speak without filler words you come off more calming. Calming with your words, and easy with your pace will help you cultivate an environment in which your students will have the opportunity to learn and grow within your teaching basics. A great way to notice if you’re doing this? Set your phone up and record yourself! It gets easier, I promise!
Speak to what you feel in the body
Teach to your experience and teach to what you’re feeling. When you settle into the asana with your students, hone in on your present moment and present feelings too. Let’s take Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) for example.
How does it feel when you add a slight bend to your knees? Do you feel weight shifting from your torso to your legs? Tell your students that so they A) avoid wrist injury and B) build strength in their Downward Facing Dog.
How does it feel when you really spread your fingers apart? Do you feel like you have a stronger base of support? Tell your students that!
Shake out your neck to remind your students to release tension!
Our teaching is a direct correlation to our personal practice. What you’re interested in, what you’re currently learning. You feel confident in your personal practice and you’ve gained the knowledge to share this information with your students so remember that the next time you’re in the flow state with them.
Make mistakes and be a human!
Guess what? You’re going to fumble over your words at some point. You’re going to mix up your left and right, and I can guarantee you’re going to fully make up a word and think to yourself - “did I really just say that”? Those are the best.
Celebrate when you make a mistake, laugh at yourself, brush it off and move on. You are only human and your students expect nothing less. In fact, when you do make a fumble in class, your students have an opportunity to connect and see you as a human, who, although teaches yoga, still makes mistakes. That’s super rad in our book.
Looking for more info on how to find your voice?
Yoga and Leadership: How to Lead with Authenticity
4 Teaching Tips For New Yoga Instructors
