Born to teach

Key ingredients to be a successful yoga teacher. By Fenella Lindsell

I began teaching yoga 30 years ago and, through all the peaks and troughs of life, it has been my stabiliser. However, starting out any new career is never easy. For those entering this exciting world I want to impart some simple advice that has helped me and those under my provision for many years (for more insight, I also offer masterclasses to help new teachers find their feet).

1. Yoga is non-competitive, and this should translate to the world of yoga business. By helping each other, we broaden the reach of yoga to stretch and enlighten even the furthest corners of society.

2. Every teacher will encounter mixed abilities in their classes. A good yoga teacher will maximise the potential of each student without pushing the limits of safety or enjoyment. Be sure to provide options for mixed abilities all in the same class and learn to adapt your teaching style to the changing capabilities of your students.

3. You want returning customers, so I also offer guidance that will improve your person ability as a teacher, build enduring and meaningful relationships with your students and incorporate your personal strengths into a teaching approach.

4. Along with this, I can provide reliable insight into managing injuries in your classes. This area of yoga teaching often makes instructors feel uneasy. When people have come to you with the hope of improving their physical and mental health, the last thing you want to do is exacerbate an injury. Through decades of experience and personal injuries of my own, my masterclasses provide some simple, effective guidelines that will help you to manage injuries from head to toe and promote strength, endurance and rehabilitation for your students.

Teaching in this current environment, with ever-changing social restrictions, requires that you are comfortable both online and face-to-face. Sign up to the Yoga Forever Academy and ensure you have all the advice you need on how to manage classes online, see which platforms are most accessible and ensure that you maximise your returns, both socially and economically, with the least effort required.

Fenella Lindsell is the founder of the Yoga Forever Academy (yogaforeveracademy.com)