Teaching People Not Poses

Book excerpt: In yoga teacher training you are taught how to teach the yoga poses but not necessarily much about the art of teaching. Or perhaps I should say the heart of teaching-how to show up as a human being with all of your gifts, passions, fears and insecurities and teach the best class you can. Whether a total newbie to teaching or a seasoned veteran, the 12 Principles for Teaching People, Not Poses are pillars to support you in being a truly remarkable yoga teacher. 1. Be yourself. 2. Practice. 3. Show your vulnerability and your expertise. 4. Teach from your own experience. 5. If you don't know, say you don't know. 6. Stay in your body. 7. Don't take it all so seriously. 8. Remember that your students are people. 9. Learn anatomy. 10. Plan enough so that you can be spontaneous. 11. Remember who and what supports you. 12. Don't try to please everyone. With a chapter dedicated to each principle, stories from Jay's fourteen years of experience as a yoga teacher, teaching tips and questions for you to reflect upon about your own experience as a teacher, this book helps you to find the truth of your own teaching. In turn, you become the most confident, real and inspiring yoga teacher you can be.