Ahhh Sarvangasana â the âQueenâ of all poses. For many years I had a love/hate relationship with Shoulderstand. I am happy to say that recently that relationship has evolved into much more love and way less hate, and all of that has come down with using the wall to get into the pose and teaching students to do the same. I love teaching this inversion because itâs one that students of all levels can work on and get its full benefits while staying in a place that feels comfortable for where their practice is that day.
For this sequence, the teaching actions focus on the external rotation of the arms to lift the upper back and the tailbone moving in to create a straight, stacked spine. And of course in any Shoulderstand class, the sequence includes lots of shoulder opening as well.
A key thing to remember when teaching this is to leave yourself enough time to really demo and set up your props at the wall with your students. Setting up Shoulderstand at the wall takes a good amount of time and if you rush it, itâs very easy for students to get confused. So â make sure to leave some wiggle room when planning.
Ooo… how lovely is that?!
Puttering/Warm-Up
Childâs Pose w/ Thread the Needle
Broken Wing Pose
Uttanasana with Clasped Hands
Tadasana with Gomukhasana arms
Sun Salutations
3-4 Rounds
Standing Poses
Extended Side Angle
Triangle Pose w/ Half Bind
Half Devotional Warrior
Warrior 1
Parsvottanasana
Balance Pose
Warrior 3
Twist Pose
Revolved Triangle
Peak Pose
Shoulderstand
Wind Down Poses
Viparita Karani
Reclined Figure 4
Savasana
Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @kate.lombardo and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.
If you want more in-depth vinyasa sequences like this along with teaching notes + tips on how to cue them, enter your email below to grab our FREE guide:
Shirodhara: A Mind-Balancing Treatment From Yogaâs Sister Science
You may be reading this and thinking âShiro-what?â and thatâs okay! I had a similar reaction when I was first introduced to this ancient, impactful practice. Shirodhara is made up of the two Sanskrit words âshiroâ meaning âheadâ and âdharaâ meaning âflow.â Itâs a classical Ayurvedic treatment for the mind that involves pouring a warm liquid, usually oil or milk, over the third eye and allowing it to flow off the crown of the head.
My first experience with Shirodhara was when I went on a pilgrimage to India. I was staying at an Ayurvedic center and was receiving various treatments. Shirodhara was one of them. I remember being slightly agitated that my hair was getting oily, but after a few minutes, I was too blissed-out to really care.
During my studies with Boston Ayurveda School, I received a much longer treatment that also involved a full body oil massage. Although I knew what to expect, I was still shocked over how long the benefits lasted. For about two weeks, I was sleeping much more soundly, I felt way more focused, and I also had a lot more energy.
What is Ayurveda and how is it related to yoga?
Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old science that is often referred to as the science of life and also the sister science to yoga. It can be understood as the study of all of the qualities you see around you and how they interact with you. Ayurveda helps you find balance with the body youâre in and the qualities you were born with.
You are both with a specific blueprint thatâs unique to you. Everything on earth is made up of the elements fire, water, earth, air, and ether. These elements come together to create the three Doshas. Pitta Dosha is made of fire and water. Vata Dosha is made of air and ether. Kapha Dosha is made of earth and water. Your dominant Doshas are set with you from the moment of conception and cannot be changed.
Traditionally, yoga is understood to be more than just the asanas, or poses. Itâs a system that helps you connect to your soul and to recognize that youâre not your body or your mind. Ayurveda helps you find balance in your body and in the world around you. When youâre eating the food that helps you feel your best and engaging in work or relationships that fill your heart, the physical yoga practice is much more accessible.
What is Shirodhara and what are the benefits?
Shirodhara is a relaxation technique that nurtures the mind, body, and soul. This practice involves a gentle, continuous, stream of warm oil poured over the forehead, stimulating the senses and bringing harmony to your whole being. The gentle flow of warm oil over the third eye and forehead soothes the nervous system, clears mental clutter, promotes clarity, focus, and heightened awareness.
The benefits of Shirodhara:
Encourages deep sleep patterns
Improves overall sleep quality
Helps to create a well-rested mind
Can soothe headaches and/or migraines
Nourishes the scalp
Overall, the experience provides a reset for the nervous system which may help support recovery and treatment for chronic pain. The benefits of a Shirodhara massage may last up to two weeks and itâs a great treatment to receive regularly.
What does a Shirodhara training entail?
Like any other practice, you do need to take a training in order to administer this treatment. I had such a beautiful time in my training because I got to connect with like-minded people who are also absolutely in love with the teachings of Ayurveda and who want to share these practices with others.
The training was really informative, but also incredibly nourishing for me. I got to give a practice treatment to one of my friends, which involved a lot of spilled oil, a little bit of worrying, and a bunch of gratitude for this ancient system of healing. There is certainly a learning curve with working with the equipment, heating the oil, and being present throughout the treatment.
Finding a Shirodhara massage near you
If youâre interested in receiving a Shirodhara treatment, you should seek out a professional who is certified to give them. Once you find your person, you may have to fill out an intake form or provide some information about your past and current health. This information will be used to figure out what liquid to use, whether or not certain herbs should be used, and also how long the treatment should be.
One important question to ask is whether or not youâll be getting oil on your whole body. Sometimes you will only have oil on your head and other times you may have a full body massage.
If youâre receiving a treatment from me, you will only have oil on your third eye, entire forehead, scalp, and possibly your hair. Expect your hair to get oily as there really isnât any way to avoid this. However, the oil is incredibly nourishing for your scalp and hair, so try to embrace it. đ
You should avoid eating anything about two hours before your treatment and arrive wearing a shirt that you donât mind getting a little oily. I personally try my best to be as tidy as possible, but sometimes small spills happen. Bring warm socks, for your feet, an extra shirt, and a warm hat.
What to expect during your Shirodhara massage
During Shirodhara, you will be lying down on your back on a massage table. All massage tables are different, so make sure you are clear about your level of comfort and whether you need anything specific. You may be given an eye covering thatâs been soaked in rose water to keep your eyes cool.
Youâll feel a constant stream of warm oil on your forehead. Sometimes, itâll be stable and in one place and at other times, youâll feel the stream moving up and down and side to side. It might tickle a bit at first, but as you get used to it, youâll start to relax. You can let your practitioner know if the oil is too hot or if youâre too cold. There may be soothing music throughout the session or it may be silent. This all depends on what your practitioner thinks will help support you most. You may hear some sounds of oil dripping or pouring because the oil is constantly being heated. You may also see some plastic on the table or the floor. This is used to collect the oil and to keep things clean.
Shirodhara isnât always a soothing experience. You may feel lots of emotions rising up or even begin to feel a bit uncomfortable in your body. This is usually because discomfort needs to be acknowledged and it needs to rise up in order for it to be released. Try to focus on the sensation of the oil and also focus on your breath. Youâre there to receive and to be.
What to expect after your Shirodhara treatment
As your session comes to a close, youâll notice that the flow of oil slows down and will eventually stop. You may be asked to focus on your breathing or to make some small movements with your fingers and toes. You will probably feel a towel come around your head to stop excess oil from spilling into your eyes.
Every session may end a bit differently, but expect to always be oily! Your head and hair will have absorbed some of the oil and you should try to leave the oil on for about two hours. You can sleep with the oil in if you choose to. Keep your head covered if youâre going out into direct sunlight or into the cold and avoid strenuous activities. This is your time to relax and to continue receiving the benefits of the treatment.
How to wash the oil out of your hair after treatment:
Use shampoo first and then add water.
Oil doesnât wash out with water, so shampooing prior to washing may help remove the oil.
You might have to shampoo two or more times.
Be mindful that your shower floor may be oily, so take time to clean it or inform anyone who you share a bathroom with!
âSnehaâ means both âoilâ and âloveâ
In Sanskrit, the word for âoilâ is âsnehaâ which also means âlove.â During Shirodhara, you are literally being bathed in oil and in love, so keep this in mind as you move through the next few days. Notice when you feel love and notice how you can incorporate more love into your life. You may feel like you are immersed in love and support for days after, so take time to cultivate gratitude.
These Ayurvedic practices are important to help you come back to balance and remember who you are and why youâre here. When you feel love for yourself, you can bring that into the world around you and encourage your friends, family, students, and clients to do the same!
Interested in learning more about Ayurveda?
Click the button below to learn more about our online certification programs for the study of Ayurveda with expert, Lisa Bermudez.
Online Ayurveda Training
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Dissect the business aspect first, so you can concentrate on the elements of the practice you are passionate about. Even if the business aspect doesn’t initially ignite joy in your life, understanding it will help make room for the things you enjoy putting your energy into. Not only will you learn the ebbs and flows of running a business, but you’ll be better equipped to compartmentalize the aspects of your business you love and the aspects that maybe need a little bit of work; from there you can assess who you bring on the journey with you.
Enhance + control your own growth
Don’t let other people live out your dreams. They are your dreams and aspirations for a reason… stick to them. If making a living off teaching yoga is a lifelong dream/goal of yours – do it. There is no time like the present and the earlier you dive in and dedicate your time to your business, the faster it’ll grow. That’s not to say problems won’t arise, but knowing how to deal with those problems poses as a strong foundation to a sustainable business model. You get out what you put in!
Make a living doing what you love
Yoga is your life. Why not allow yourself to do what you love everyday? The business elements of a successful yoga career depend tremendously on your initial passion for the practice. Tons of people become yoga teachers and end up not making it into a full-time business venture. If yoga is what you love, your business in it should be a reflection of that.
Iâm always surprised at how many people enroll in one of our yoga teacher training programs because they were unsatisfied with another course they started or completed elsewhere. If youâre looking to become a yoga instructor, do yourself a favor and take a look through this guide first.Â
Whether you’re looking to teach online yoga classes, in a studio, gym, corporate environment or anywhere else – everything is covered. I promise it will help clear up anything you might be confused about and will save you a ton of headaches so you’ll know exactly how to become a yoga instructor with minimal stress. If you still have any questions by the end of this guide (and we doubt you will) you can reach out to us directly and we’ll get them answered for you. Clear and simple.
The secret on how to become a yoga instructor
Thereâs a TON of noise out there about becoming a yoga instructor and sometimes it seems like each piece of information conflicts with the rest. It might be poor information, or it might be poor communication but it sure seems like thereâs a drought of clarity sometimes. For example, did you know that you actually DONâT need a certification to teach yoga? Probably not, but we’ll explain more on that later. We figured it was time to finally put together a guide on everything you need to know about becoming a yoga teacher. Letâs dive in!
In the U.S. and most western countries, there is no âaccreditationâ or governing body that you need to register with to teach yoga. This also means that you donât need a specific certification to roll out a mat and lead a class, but donât roll out that mat just yet.
Thereâs A LOT of reasons why you donât see yoga teachers all over town without any training. First of all, most places wonât let you teach without a certificate. You’ll also need insurance for most studios. Even if you teach online or in a park, you are putting yourself in danger without insurance.
Students also want to know that their teacher has been trained properly. A yoga teacher training is more than simply learning a few postures. You learn important aspects of safety, anatomy, business and other areas important for any yoga instructor to have. Without proper training, trying to lead yoga classes isn’t just dangerous for you but it’s dangerous for the students as well.
What will a yoga studio look for in a yoga instructor?
Since the government doesnât set the requirements for a yoga teacher, itâs really up to a studio to set those requirements. While each studio will have their own hiring criteria, generally speaking, they will want their students to have completed at least a 200 hour yoga teacher training. More frequently, studios are also looking for teachers with a 500 hour certificate.
One helpful tip is that studios will often run their own teacher training programs and look to hire students from within those programs. If thereâs a specific studio youâd like to work with, stay late after class one day and ask them what they look for in their teachers. Oftentimes, youâll hear a studio mention Yoga Alliance â but what is Yoga Alliance?
What is Yoga Alliance?
It’s helpful to get certified through a yoga company that is registered with Yoga Alliance for added credibility.
Yoga Alliance is a registration body for yoga schools and yoga teachers. There are a number of other registration bodies all over the world, but Yoga Alliance is the largest and most common.
As mentioned on their site, Yoga Alliance does not certify schools and they are not an accreditation body like youâd see with universities or in other industries. While they donât actually certify the schools, they do sort of behave like an accreditation body in some ways. In order to register with Yoga Alliance, youâll need to attend a training by a school registered with Yoga Alliance and the training will need to be conducted by teachers who are registered with Yoga Alliance.
The way a training will work is that Yoga Alliance has a set of standards that each school needs to follow, and each school will submit their curriculum to Yoga Alliance in order to have their training approved. For example, they will ask for a certain number of hours to be completed for anatomy, practice, or technique, etc. Yoga Alliance has a few different types of registration credentials which are aligned with the way training is typically conducted and you can read more about becoming a yoga instructor on their website.
What is the difference between a 200, 300 and 500 hour yoga teacher training?
Iâve seen many people get confused with these trainings, so letâs clarify quickly: A 200 hour yoga teacher training needs to be completed before anything else. Many people think you can start with either a 200 hour training, or a 300 hour training, but a 300 hour yoga teacher training should only be completed AFTER a 200 hour yoga teacher training has been completed. A 500 hour certification is a combination of a 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher training.
Typically, students will finish a 200 hour course before anything else. The 200 hour program might be focused on a specific area such as Vinyasa, or Hatha yoga or it might be a multi-style yoga teacher training course. If the school is registered with Yoga Alliance, it doesnât really matter whether there is a specific area of focus for the training. Yoga Alliance will only recognize a â200 hourâ training (they wonât differentiate between a Vinyasa training and a Hatha training). Letâs take a look at the credentials that Yoga Alliance uses because those draw up a lot of questions as well.
It is a credential specific to Yoga Alliance and in order to list yourself as a RYT-200 youâll need to complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training thatâs been registered with Yoga Alliance. If somebody is an RYT-500, that means theyâve completed a 500 hour program. Or it could mean that theyâve completed a 200 hour course, and then afterwards they completed a 300 hour course. 200 + 300 = 500!
E-RYT is a newer credential by Yoga Alliance
There is an E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 and you become eligible for E-RYT 2 years after completing a training. In addition to completing a training, you will also need to complete 1,000 hours of teaching with a RYS-200 registration. Outside of RYT, you also might see the designation CYT. What does CYT mean? Funny you should askâŚ
Whatâs the difference between RYT and CYT?
RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher and is specific to Yoga Alliance, while CYT stands for âCertified Yoga Teacherâ and is a general designation. If somebody is listed as a CYT-200 then it would mean they have completed a 200 hr yoga teacher training, but they arenât necessarily listed in Yoga Allianceâs directory.
In short, RYT and CYT are similar except that RYT is for people specifically registered in Yoga Allianceâs directory.
Are there any requirements or qualifications I need to complete before I enroll in a yoga teacher training?
No. A yoga teacher training is where youâll gain a certification, so there arenât really any qualifications that youâll need to complete before enrolling. Students will typically come with quite a bit of experience though. A 200 hour training is not a walk in the park, so itâs good to have a sense of what you love about yoga and what youâre looking for out of a training before you commit to one. That will be helpful for you to determine which course is the best for you.
A lot of times, teacher trainings are broken out by the specific amount of hours it takes to complete the course, or they’re focused on a specific genre, or type of yoga. Here are some examples of teacher trainings and they all are completely separate (you don’t need to complete one before advancing to the others except for the 300 + 500 Hour (it is recommended you start with your 200 and the 300 + 500 build upon that).
The first step towards becoming a yoga instructor through an online program is doing your research!
Yes, you can! Even before COVID-19, schools like YogaRenew had conducted yoga teacher trainings online. 200 hours is a large commitment. Most people canât realistically complete such a large commitment unless itâs self-paced and online. This allows students to work at their own pace in between work, children, and other responsibilities. Many people also live in remote locations that make attending an in-person training difficult, so online training has made it more accessible than ever. Especially for those without a local studio who are unable to travel to attend a studio in-person.
Whatâs the difference between an in-person yoga teacher training and an online yoga teacher training?
Thereâs going to be quite a few differences between attending a training in-person and online. Each will have pros and cons also. Every studio will have their own format and structure but we can provide some general insight based on the format of online vs in-person training.
An online training will typically provide much more flexibility because you will often have recorded material that you can review at your convenience in addition to any live or in-person sessions. Sometimes, youâll even have lifetime access to all the recorded material. Many schools will have a limit on how long their students can access the content, so double check with the school first.
An in-person training is going to have a much different interaction than an online course, however. You can imagine that the way youâd interact with somebody in person is going to be different than the way youâd interact with them online. The same applies for a yoga teacher training. Both an online training and an in-person training should have live interaction with the trainers so that you can gain feedback from the instructors and ask questions through-out the course. If a training does not offer interactive elements and feedback from the instructors, itâs a red flag.
Online and in-person trainings can have a social element, but, as we’ve discussed, each is handled a little differently. Online trainings might have social elements during live sessions as well as through online groups, study buddies, and social media. In-person trainings will not typically offer online groups, or social media interaction since all of the interaction is handled on-site. It can certainly be helpful to have the online resources so that you can come back to them after completing your training, (again, double check whether the studio provides lifetime access to the material).
7 things to look for in an online yoga teacher training
There is a multitude of aspects to consider when selecting which online program to sign up for. Hopefully the considerations below can help prevent some headaches for you so that you know what to look for with an online yoga teacher training.
Here are a few items youâll want to evaluate before enrolling in an online course:
A proven program: Most schools should have some feedback or testimonials from their students. This gives you a good sense of whether itâs a good program for you. If the school is registered with Yoga Alliance, students will provide a review on the YA site when they register their certificate. The yoga instructors should have years of experience teaching as well. Take a look at the background of your instructors before enrolling. Each studio will have different trainers and styles of yoga. Find a studio with instructors that align with your interests.
Teacher feedback & interaction: Whether the school is online or in-person, youâll want to join a course that has some feedback and interaction between the students and teachers.
Live calls: In addition to feedback, youâll also want the opportunity to join live calls with the instructors. Some online schools will have calls that you can attend at different times so that you have flexibility to work at your own pace but the availability of live sessions. We offer a bunch of live calls at different times so that students can attend them in their time, but we also have recordings that students can watch if they miss a live call as well. Some studios will have âoffice hoursâ which is nice, but different from live training where you can actually ask questions on the spot as the training is being conducted.
Community: One thing thatâs important for me is to drive the sense of community in our training programs. Live calls definitely help with this, but our groups are where people really connect with each other. Either way, becoming a yoga instructor is an exciting journey and a big commitment. Youâll want to experience it with other people in a community setting. Find a course that offers an active community that you can stay with even after the training is completed.
Accountability: With more online training programs becoming available, accountability has become more important than ever before. You need to know that youâre on the right track, and that youâre actually learning. Iâve seen students come into my studio quite confused after attending a training that didn’t have any accountability. Testing and feedback are important ways to stay accountable. Testing isnât just about memorizing information and passing a quiz. You have to also make sure to give each student feedback on how they cue and run their classes.
Resourceful information: One of the major benefits of attending an online training is that you can gain access to a TON of resources. Iâd suggest finding a course that gives you lifetime access to the resources, but you also want to make sure that you have some good material that you can take with you into your training.
Support: This one is obvious, but itâs a good idea to test out support with a school before enrolling. It might be as simple as sending over an email to see how quickly you get a response. Email support is really the bare minimum youâll want to look for though. For example, we offer our live calls for students to interact in real time, and our community provides a place for students to connect locally or online. We provide a place for students to connect with each other to form âstudy groupsâ as well. Feedback is provided to each individual as well. General feedback in a group setting is nice, but individualized feedback is even better.
Research the company online
A great online teacher training will be continually adding new resources into their training programs, so even if you graduated a couple years ago you might still find some helpful sequences or resources that you can bring into the classroom as an instructor.
Here’s a short video we created for when it does come time to start teaching your own classes:
Well, a 200 hour yoga teacher training should take 200 hours and a 500 hour program should take 500 hours. In-person training courses will typically have a start date and end date. Online programs will usually allow students to work at their own pace but some might have a start date and end date. Self-paced schools sometimes have an expiration date as well. Students enrolled in our courses have lifetime access to all of the material, and we donât charge anything if it takes a little bit longer for somebody to finish a course. Some students might take 40 days and others might take 400 days to go through a 200 hour program online. It really depends on how much availability you have and how quickly youâre able to work through the material.
Does a yoga teacher training certificate expire?
A yoga teacher training certificate will not typically expire. While we canât speak for every school out there, it’s rare to see certificates that expire. Once you complete a 200 hour course, you have a 200 hour certificate. It is like a college degree – you’ve earned it and it is yours to keep.
Once you complete a 500 hour course, you have a 500 hour certificate. While your certificate probably won’t expire, there are options for continuing education. Yoga Alliance and certain registration bodies have some continuing education requirements to encourage ongoing learning. They’ll ask you to take continuing ed classes to stay registered with them but you don’t technically need to register with Yoga Alliance in order to teach. Most studios will be okay with hiring you if youâve already completed a 200 or 500 hour training.
Do I need insurance to teach yoga?
beYogi is the most well-known yoga insurance program
Yes, insurance is critical for any yoga instructor. First of all, youâll need insurance to teach at any physical location. At a yoga studio, the teacher will be the one who purchases the insurance. A yoga studio will have their own insurance, but typically theyâll require teachers to bring their own insurance as well. This puts responsibility on the teacher to ensure that the class is conducted in a safe manner. Even if you want to rent your own room, the building will typically ask to see some insurance in order to use the space. This is to protect themselves from lawsuit and is standard.
We have a partnership with BeYogi insurance for our students to gain insurance at a discount. Studios will often have some insurance that they offer to their students or graduates that makes it easy to find a provider.
What is a yoga teacher’s compensation structure?
Yoga teachers are compensated in a number of different ways, but in a studio setting there are usually a few different ways that teachers are compensated. They might be compensated a flat rate, a flat rate plus an additional rate per student, or they might simply be paid a flat rate per student.
If you’re interested in learning more about yoga teacher compensation and how to earn money as a yoga instructor, check out our blog: How Much Do Yoga Teachers Make?
Is it possible to complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training for under $500?
Yes. Online training has enabled students to become a certified yoga instructor for decent prices and there are some incredible courses at great prices now. I’ve seen plenty of students spend thousands of dollars and attend a training they were unhappy with, so price is not always an indication of quality.
A yoga teacher training is incredibly important, so you don’t want to sacrifice quality – and you don’t need to either. Make sure that there are regular zoom or live sessions that you can attend to interact with instructors. You should be able to ask questions, get feedback, and have trainers available to interact with.
Good schools will have some reviews and testimonials on trusted sites, like TrustPilot, that you can check out before you enroll also.
In conclusion (and don’t forget your FREE guide!)
Do. Your. Research. The more you know before jumping into any yoga teacher training, the better prepared you’ll be. The yoga sphere is constantly shifting as well, so staying up-to-date with resources and information will be extremely helpful on your journey towards potentially becoming an instructor.
Ardha Chandrasana, translated as Half Moon Pose, has continuously been one of my favorite yoga poses to practice and teach over the last 20 years. Itâs a great pose for beginner level students because it’s big and spacious, yet poses a challenge balancing on one leg. It also comes with the option of practicing with your back against a wall for additional stability or using a block under your bottom hand for support. For the more experienced practitioners, this pose can still offer nuances and insights as a foundational standing pose that you will probably practice thousands of times throughout your yogi journey. From straightening the legs fully or finding the backbending/heart-opening quality across the chest, this pose is a classic, and one that I revisit quite often.
For this sequence, focus on the outer hip of the standing leg firming inward to provide stability to the front leg. This alignment principle can be carried through many of the poses that show up in this sequence before Half Moon Pose, for example: Triangle pose, Extended Side Angle Pose, Warrior 2 Pose, and Tree Pose. In fact, classically this pose is entered via Triangle pose due to the many similarities of alignment.
One thing to think about when teaching Half Moon Pose is to build the pose from the ground up. Students are often too quick to lift their top arm or turn their gaze upward before the foundation of the pose is settled. After all, Half Moon is a standing pose. The foundation is the standing leg and bottom arm; the front leg needs to be fully straightened with the support of the outer hip and the bottom hand should be placed on the floor or block directly under the shoulder about a foot forward of the little toe. Getting the foundation situated first is one key to finding stability and spaciousness in this pose.
Here’s the sequence:
Puttering/Warm-Up
Supta Padangusthasana A + B
Downward Facing Dog
Prasarita Padottanasana
Side Plank prep w/ knee down
Standing Poses
Triangle Pose
Warrior 2
Extended Side Angle
*Side Plank, which is not technically a standing pose, but is supportive of the arms and chest spreading.
Balance Pose
Tree Pose
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A + B
Peak Pose
Ardha Chandrasana
Wind Down Poses
Bharadvajasana 1
Bridge Pose
Savasana
Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @patrickfrancojr and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.
And, if you want more in-depth vinyasa sequences like this along with teaching notes + tips on how to cue them, enter your email below to grab our FREE guide đ
Financial freedom seems to be at the top of the list of everyone’s manifestations lately… but where does full time yoga teacher fall in that? As a professional fitness instructor and full-time yoga teacher, I have learned what it takes to make the money you seek doing what you love.
I have also spoken with many people who teach full time, who teach part-time, and also those who have dreams of making teaching a full-time career. If youâve worked your way to this blog post, itâs possible that youâre thinking of making the switch from whatever career youâre in now to being a full-time yoga teacher.
A yoga teacher’s salary can vary quite a lot depending on what they’re teaching, where they’re teaching, experience level, compensation structure and other factors which we’ll get in to below.
Let’s dive in to a little bit of the specifics when it comes to yoga teachers and what they make… Scroll down to read through our blog, or check out our video below:
Is it possible to support yourself as a yoga instructor when you’re just starting out?
Finances are usually one of the first questions to come up when thinking about turning your yoga teaching into a full-time career. I will say that yes, it is possible to support yourself as an instructor in the first stages IF you truly want to. I will also say that the road to making this your full-time career is not a linear, concrete path. You will most likely have to forge your own path, seek out and/or create opportunities, and allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone to grow your career. I will talk more about this later, but you really have to trust yourself and fully believe that your dream career is possible.
How much do yoga teachers make?
There are a variety of factors to consider when sharing how much money yoga teachers make. A yoga teacher’s salary range can vary wildly based on where you live, what kind of environment you’re teaching in, your experience level, what type of business you’re engaged in, or how frequently you are teaching. Per class itâs typical for teachers to make somewhere between $30-$85 but it could be less or it could be drastically higher. In a corporate setting, yoga teachers can earn $200-$400/hour bringing classes into offices! Below we’ll go into more depth on these statistics, look at different compensation structures, places to teach, and other options for yoga teachers to make money doing what they love.
Classes are likely to be your most consistent form of income, as in, youâll consistently get paid for the weekly classes you teach. Workshops, yoga retreats, and other similar one-off events will yield a higher profit but generally speaking they are not as consistent as weekly classes. The amount of classes you teach vary from person to person, but regardless if youâre looking to make teaching yoga your full-time career you will have to create other forms of income outside of classes.
Indeed has a regional breakdown of yoga teacher hourly rates for 2023:
Miami Beach, FL: $50/Hour
Phoenix, AZ: $47/Hour
Arlington, VA: $45/Hour
New York, NY: $45/Hour
San Fransisco, CA: $44/Hour
Baltimore, MD: $43/Hour
Houston, TX: $40/Hour
Indianapolis, IN: $39/Hour
Atlanta, GA: $39/Hour
Chicago, IL: $34/Hour
There are ranges below these limits and above these limits for which a yoga instructor can get paid. You should familiarize yourself with what the studios pay in your area. A great way to get in the door is by subbing classes. By subbing classes youâll be introduced to the studioâs payment method which can give you a better understanding of what you could make as a yoga instructor in your area. To better understand these rates and how you can earn more as a yoga teacher, lets look at how studios compensate their instructors.
*Again this varies by region, country, area, etc. These are estimated figures based on geographical data.
How do studios typically pay their yoga instructors?
There are three main ways that studios pay their instructors, here are a few to get familiar with:
Flat-fee
Flat-fee + “bonus per head”
Pay based on “per head” attendance
Space rental
Whatâs the flat fee I can expect for a yoga class?
A flat fee means that regardless of how many students are in your class, youâll get paid the same amount every time. If youâre getting paid a flat fee, itâs likely that youâll get paid somewhere between $30-$70 per class. This depends on where youâre teaching. Studios with less overall membership counts and member visits could mean that youâre getting paid less than a studio with a higher overhead count and more member visits. Another factor is the region where youâre teaching. A studio in a rural area with less member visits and potentially a lower cost of living would mean your pay is less than a studio in an urban area with higher member visits and higher cost of living. The pro for this payment method is that you know what youâre making every time and itâs guaranteed regardless of how many people take your class or who is taking your class. It should be noted that some studios will pay you for your time even if no one shows up, some studios will not. The con for this payment method is that thereâs a limit to how much you can make. You could be a talented teacher with a waitlist of students who want to take your class, but you wonât be getting paid for that.
What does it mean to get paid a flat fee with a “bonus per head”?
When getting paid a flat fee with a bonus per head, youâll receive a flat fee for a particular range of students plus a bonus per head beyond what warrants a flat fee rate. This can vary widely from studio to studio, but you can expect your flat fee to be about $30-$50 with the minimum number of students to guarantee a flat fee being 0-12 students. Some studios will pay you the flat fee even if 0 students show up because you dedicated your time to teaching the class. Other studios will require at least 1 student to show up to guarantee a flat fee. The typical bonus per head is $1-$4. So given the numbers used here, if a studioâs capacity is 30 people and the maximum number of students show upâŚyou would get paid $30-$50 for 12 people showing up, and then $1-$4 for the remaining 18 students per head. The pro to this type of payment method is that you can make a lot of money depending on class size. It can be very motivating to market your classes and get students in the door. The con to this type of payment method is that it can make estimating your profit from the studio a little difficult. If youâre unsure how many students will show up every class, itâs hard to know exactly how much money youâll bring in. This is also excluding staff members, other teachers, guests, or free trial members who typically do not bring in money for the studio therefore people who fall into these categories will not count as a head but they will take a spot in your class.
What does it mean to get paid based on “per head” attendance?
This means you will get paid based on per head attendance means you get paid strictly on the number of paying members who attend your class. The typical range per head is $1-$4, so if a studioâs capacity is 30 students and you have max attendance you can expect to make somewhere between $30-$120 per class. Again, this is not considering the fact that staff members, other teachers, guests, or free trial members might be taking your class in which scenario it would be unlikely for you to get paid for those people even though theyâll be taking a spot.
What does it mean to rent space?
Sometimes, a studio will rent their space to the teacher and allow them to book their own students. In this scenario, the onus is on the instructor to get enough students into class to earn money – however their earning potential has a little more upside if the rental costs are affordable. In some instances, new teachers might opt to rent space in a gym or other location before opening their own studio to start developing a following. This allows the teacher to operate without the long term commitment of a lease, and they’re able to take advantage of the studio or gym’s infrastructure as well.
What are additional ways to make money as a yoga instructor?
As noted above, the following factors can affect your pay aside from the payment method itself: the location of where you live and work (rural vs. suburban vs. urban), the capacity of the studio that you teach at, and your experience level. This is only considering how much you get paid per class. There are other means to consider to make money as a yoga instructorâŚ
Private clients, workshops, retreats, writing, managerial work, or other administrative work are ways to supplement your earnings from classes as a yoga instructor. In fact, if youâre seeking to make a career out of your yoga teaching, I would say these other forms of income are not just recommended but are necessary. Reason being, if youâre running around trying to make ends meet by teaching classes and only teaching classes, there is a high likelihood that you will burn out, which will not serve anyone. These other outlets are also great ways to broaden your skillset and offerings.
Yoga seeks to guide us towards the highest possible version of ourselves which is situated in peacefulness, love, and surrender. If you ask me, peace is hard to attain when weâre teaching 5 classes every single day with no time dedicated towards ourselves or our loved ones. As a yoga instructor, itâs imperative that you tend to your own practice (which is sometimes hard to do) because thatâs the only way we can truly teach with genuine intention and we can only do that with time.
More on the hourly rates…
To create a sustainable career, you must increase what you are making per hour of your time. However you do that is up to you but I can share ways to make up to double or even triple what you would make in a single class.
Private clients: Working with private clients is one of the main ways to create steady income at a higher pay scale. A general range for what to charge for a private lesson is $60-$200. How to determine what you charge requires you evaluate a few factors like your location, availability, target market, etc. Teachers also sometimes develop their own online yoga classes to offer without the need to rent a studio.
Your experience: Your experience 100% needs to be factored in when you are thinking about what to charge somebody. When you are making a transaction with someone, there is an exchange of currency. In this case you are exchanging yoga services for money, meaning if you are brand new to teaching yoga you cannot be charging the same amount of money as someone who has been teaching for years. While you have a lot to offer, you do not have as much to offer yet as it pertains to teaching yoga. As far as integrity goes, you must be real with yourself and your client about what is fair. As you gain experience, knowledge, and overall depth within the practice you will be able to offer much more and can ask for top dollar.
Location: Are you traveling to your client or is your client traveling to you? You have to consider this when thinking about price. In terms of not self-abandoning, you cannot charge the same amount for someone who is within your neighborhood vs. someone who lives an hour away. If youâre traveling a farther distance which boils down to more of your time, you should factor that into what you will charge. If your client is coming to your home, you should also factor that into what you will charge. Like I said before, you have to consider all of the exchanges which are occurring when you make a transaction with someone and there are other currencies outside of money.
Skillset/Offerings: Lastly, you must factor in what is included in the session you are offering? Is it only asana? Or are you bringing sound bowls to incorporate sound healing? Are you reiki certified and will you be offering energy work in addition to asana? Are you a physical therapist and will you be offering manual work for an injury? Whatâs in your overall package which you will be offering to your clients and what does your client want? This will change what you are charging someone. What you are including in your package could offset an initial reduction in price due to your experience?
Yoga Workshops, Retreats, and Trainings
Workshops, retreats, and trainings can bring in a lot of income. From a single workshop you can expect to make anywhere from $200-$800 depending on how many people attend your workshop. From a single retreat or training, you could make anywhere from $500-$5,000 or more depending on the capacity of your retreat and how many people attend. Itâs even hard to put a range on either of these things because it is so dependent on the workshop, retreat, or training itself. But essentially, you can make a lot from these types of events. You can charge a higher amount because of all the planning, prep-work, and actual work that it takes to execute a workshop, retreat, or training. Charging for these types of events can come down to the studio, but you should always be thinking about what your ideal and fair number would be for what you would like to profit in exchange for your energy, time, and resources. Both your clients and you should feel honored and aligned in the exchange that is occurring. If youâre charging top dollar, you must be putting in top dollar work to remain in integrity. You can consider the same aspects here as you would for a private client when thinking about what to charge people.
If you’re interested in learning how to plan, lead, promote and run a yoga retreat, check out this course on How to Lead a Yoga Retreat.
Writing, Managerial Work, and/or Administrative Work
According to ZipRecruiter, a yoga writer can make an average annual salary of $80,647. This also depends on what publication or entity you would be writing for, if youâre in a full-time position or a freelancing position and the area you’re writing for/in.
Upwork and Fiverr are two websites where freelance writers can find work. On Fiverr, writers who specialize in yoga or wellness can earn between $30 and $200 for each article depending on how long it is, and what type of research goes into it. Other sources cite that studio owners can make about $86,000 a year which means that a manager (not an owner) and anyone doing administrative work will make less than that. How much less is hard to say because every studio is different and what someone profits is dependent on what the revenue of the studio is.
Your mindset must support your dream career…
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, you must believe that your dream career for teaching yoga is possible. You must believe it in every cell of your being because that is what will help you create and attract opportunities and sustainable income. While teaching yoga full-time is becoming more popular, thereâs still no carved out path and no guaranteed income amount as you might find within other fields. This means there are unknowns and that is just a fact. In getting ready to transition, itâs important to remain dedicated to your overall purpose and calling. This will help you navigate your newfound path which requires both taking action and surrendering/receiving. Do the work, stay in alignment, and trust wholeheartedly that you can do this and the universe is supporting you.
Oftentimes when I hear people say they want to become a yoga teacher, it is rarely because of the pay. Yet, countless people have made a transition into teaching yoga full-time…and people continue to do so â how come?
At this point in your life, you may be thinking about making the transition and becoming solely a yoga teacher full time. With the pandemic, inflation, rising healthcare costs, and other factors, you may be considering the risks and rewards in doing so. You want to know:Â How much do yoga teachers actually make?
Before I go any further, I do want to say that it is possible to make teaching yoga your full-time gig. However, you must actually believe that it is possible. It doesnât matter what I say, or what anyone else says.
You have to believe that you can and you will make this your full-time career.
I say this because you will most likely not create a livable salary (while staying sane) by only teaching weekly yoga classes. You will need opportunities and ideas that are outside of this construct and you may have to take some risks and/or try new things.
The base pay for teaching classes at a studio
The pay for weekly yoga classes varies depending on the studio you are teaching at (size, location, popularity, amount of classes, etc.) and your experience. However, in NYC, pay can generally range from $30-$80 per class. Based on my experience, youâre looking at an average of $40 per class.
Womp womp.
This is not to discourage you whatsoever! In fact, you can use this information to create the life of your dreams and in a very sustainable manner â financially, energetically, and emotionally.
Find what you want to focus on
Ask yourself some questions so you can narrow your focus about what youâre looking for. Instead of just âyoga teacher,â think about something with more purpose and specificity (after all, you want to live the life you REALLY WANT, right?)
Are you looking to work for yourself or are you looking to work for someone else (or another entity)?
What demographic are you interested in working with?
What is it about the yoga practice that you feel most inclined to share?
What is in true ALIGNMENT with YOU? (Yes, this requires some deep work but this is how youâll attract the opportunities which will lead to your version of your rockstar yoga teacher life.)
Diversify your yoga business
Consider other skills or interests that youâd like to offer for work such as content creation, SEO optimization, administrative work, event planning, studio operations/management, etc.
Think about what skills you currently possess and/or what you enjoy.
Assess how you can add value either to your own brand or to an outside brand by using those skills or interests.
*Fun Note: I started writing blogs for YogaRenew because I enjoy writing, but never had a professional opportunity to practice it. I also wanted to do something else within yoga education that didnât involve standing in front of a class.
Inform your professional circle
Let others know that you are interested in making a career change and/or if youâre interested in taking on more work.
Word of mouth can attract potential clients, employers, and network connections.
By sharing that youâre interested in making a career change, someone may present an opportunity to you that you hadnât thought of or someone may love an idea that you have.
Specialize in a specific area of yoga
Create a niche for yourself and participate in specialty trainings and certifications such as prenatal yoga, yin yoga, restorative yoga, anatomy, etc.
Having a specialty separates you from a sea of yoga instructors. You become a point person for specific topics for your students and other teachers.
You become an expert in something, which can lead to increased class numbers and opportunities to lead a training or workshop.
Expand your offerings
Look into coaching, mentorship or further resources specifically geared towards increasing your capabilities as a teacher and/or business person.
Coaching allows you to see where your strengths are and where you can grow.
You can connect with like-minded individuals interested in living their best life.
You can receive support in carving out your personal mission, which will inevitably create the opportunities necessary to achieve it.
Some people have already figured it out, so why not learn from them?
How much yoga teachers make depends on multiple things
Creating your dream career as a yoga instructor is 100% possible, but as you can hopefully see it takes effort. This means that you have to remain steadfast in your practice and in your dreams. You have to stay connected with yourself at all times as this will not only bring in new opportunities, but will help you navigate those opportunities with alignment and integrity. The more you truly believe and trust in yourself to make your dreams happen, the more the universe will catch on and conspire to help you out to fulfill all your dreams on a yoga instructor salary.
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If you are a yoga teacher or yoga practitioner, it is likely youâve heard of the 8-limbed path of yoga. The 8-limbed path is essentially a mapped out path of how to attain enlightenment through the Astanga Yoga system, which is the traditional form of yoga involving yoga asana. You can read about the 8-limbed path in sacred texts such as the Vedas and the Yoga Sutras.
The 8-limbs of Yoga are as follows (you can click on any of the links below for more detail on each limb):
Yamas
Niyamas
Asana
Pranayama
Pratyahara
Dharana
Dhiyana
Samadhi
The path is organized in a stepwise fashion, but you can practice them out of order or be working on multiple things at the same time, especially as we live in todayâs modern world.
This blog post is specifically dedicated to the first two limbs, the Yamas and the Niyamas. These two limbs are concerned with providing the skills and level of awareness to live joyfully and fully in relation to ourselves, others, and the environment. They are considered to be the ethical guidelines in which to live and access our highest capacity as humans.
What does Yama and Niyama mean?
In English, Yama is translated to ârestraint or discipline.â The Yamas are broken down into 5 disciplines which can be incorporated into oneâs life to put themselves in right relation with the outside world. Niyama is translated to âobservances.â The Niyamas are also broken down into 5 disciplines which can be incorporated into oneâs life to observe if they are living in right relation with the inner world.
In the book, âThe Yamas & Niyamas,â Deborah Adele describes the Yamas and Niyamas as jewels of wisdom to guide us towards living more joyfully. Grasping the first five jewels and skillfully incorporating them into life contributes to life itself feeling more spacious, enjoyable, and free. Relationships become smoother, work becomes less of a hassle, and we start to realize how fun life can truly be.
Click on any of the links to see our weekly class themes based on the Yamas.
What is Ahimsa?
Ahimsa is the first Yamas and is the first practice within the 8-limbed path of Yoga. So you can say itâs quite an important part of the Yogic way of living. Without practicing non-violence, all other tenets of the 8-limbed path are essentially null. Ahimsa means non-violence and this is in reference to oneself, others, and the environment.
So you mean, not hurting or harming anyone or anything?
Yes. Ahimsa means to do no harm to ourselves or another with our actions, behaviors, or words. Harmful words and behaviors can sting just as much, if not sometimes more than a physical action of violence. When we practice non-violence, we are being guided towards compassion, love, and acceptance of ourselves and others.
Ahimsa also guides us towards overcoming fear, self-doubt, and insecurities by exuding courage, tending to oneselfâs wants and needs, and by fiercely practicing true self-love. When ahimsa is the undercurrent of all actions we are given the opportunity to learn compassion and dissolve any divides within and between ourselves and others.
How to practice Ahimsa:
Do one new thing daily for 1 month.
Notice where in your life you feel depleted and try to give yourself what you might be lacking – exercise, a yoga class, asking for help, eating healthy.
Acknowledge when you are lacking compassion towards another. Try listening to another instead of automatically giving advice. Notice where you may be judging someone else instead of using compassion to understand their situation.
What is Satya?
Satya means living life based on truthfulness.
So you mean, not telling lies?
Yes, but satya goes deeper than that. Satya guides us towards honesty with ourselves and others in the name of love, self-expression, and growth. Being honest, or being real with ourselves or another, may not always be the easiest thing to do but itâs what allows us to live with integrity in our lives and in our relationships. To live with integrity means to live in a way that truly upholds the highest version of ourselves. This means respecting ourselves, upholding our values, and loving ourselves and others enough to give feedback that creates space for growth and course correction.
Satya and Ahimsa actually go hand in hand. Itâs possible that telling the truth could hurt someoneâs feelings, but if youâre seeking to be real with someone and if youâre genuinely doing it in the name of love itâs possible to give feedback that can be received with an open heart.
How to practice Satya:
Observe where you might be choosing to withhold information from someone else because you donât want to embarrass them or hurt their feelings. Notice if there is an opportunity to be real and truthful.
Acknowledge the areas of your life where you feel you are stifling yourself. Be honest with yourself and notice if youâre making excuses for why you are holding yourself back. See if you can be in full-expression mode.
Write down 1 pattern or belief which is no longer serving you but that you have continued to allow in your life. Note why you believe this pattern is still present and indicate to yourself why youâd like it to change.
What is Asteya?
Asteya means to live in a non-stealing manner.
As in, I canât steal anything from the store?
While Asteya does encompass not stealing someone elseâs material possessions, it also involves non-stealing of oneâs time, energy, resources (aside from material items), and effortsâŚincluding your own. When we make an appointment with someone and are running late, we are stealing time from another. When we make the decision to scroll for hours and hours on social media instead of tending to a work project which has a deadline, we are stealing our own time and our own efforts away from the task which needs to be done. Asteya also guides us towards acknowledgement that we are visitors on this planet, and that nothing actually belongs to us. When we claim the land and the resources from this Earth, we are actually stealing from the planet that we live on.
In order to put ourselves in right relation with ourselves, others, and the planet in terms of stealing, it requires that we once again, hold ourselves with integrity and hold ourselves accountable. It requires honesty and effort to build a life we want, which is hopefully that of joy and peacefulness, on a solid foundation of our own true labors of love.
How to practice Asteya:
Notice when you are stealing time, energy, or resources from someone else. This could be you âstealing the spotlight,â or you running late to a meeting with someone for no plausible reason. It could also be from making a careless mistake then expecting someone else to rectify the mistake.
Try to intentionally uphold the ways in which you can navigate to not steal time, energy, or resources from another. This could require letting someone else speak or have the final word, leaving early for a meeting, or slowing down so you can diligently complete your work.
Notice when you are claiming something as your own, when it actually belongs to the Earth. Think about where you live or the things you have. See if you shift into a state of gratitude for the things you have âborrowed.â
What is Brahmacharya?
Brahmacharya presents living of life of non-excess and/or non-greed.
I heard this means no sex. Is that true?
This yama is often connected to celibacy or abstinence from sex. It is true that this is one aspect of Brahmacharya, but in a more broad way of describing it Brahmacharya refers to acknowledging and taming all of our desires. By doing so, we are better able to view every aspect of life as sacred and nourishing rather than everything being ours for the taking and indulging.
Oftentimes we move past the point of being âjust enoughâ into a place of excess which leads us to overdoing many things including eating, sex, material possessions, etc. We can even overdo our spiritual practices working to get it just right potentially becoming obsessed with whatever it is that we are working towards. Sometimes it can be to the point that we canât enjoy anything else around us, or things are moving too fast that we canât quite catch each moment. When we take the time to really slow down and treat every moment, every thing, and every one as sacred we give ourselves the opportunity to be present. This is the major tenet of Brahmacharya, to slow down enough, to live within a space of non-excess, so that we can truly feel alive with all that is around us.
How to practice Brahmacharya:
Notice when you are living in excess. This can be in material possessions, it can be in your energy, or in your pleasure. Try to increase your awareness so that you can indicate the point at which you pass from true nourishment to overdoing it.
Pay close attention to your body and notice when you can choose rest over activity. Perhaps sign up for a yin class instead of a vinyasa class. Perhaps opt to take a rest day between days of planned workouts or classes. Choose to move slowly through your morning instead of rushing out the door.
Ponder and journal about the things and people which you deem to be âsacredâ within your life. What are the things and who are the people which you appreciate and which you find to contribute to your feelings of aliveness?
What is Aparigraha?
Aparigraha means to live with non-attachment. This might be one of the most well-known of the Yamas, even if one does not fully understand the Yamas. To live with non-attachment does not mean to not care about the things, people, and opportunities in your life. It means to live in a way that if those things, people, and opportunities were to disappear that you would be perfectly okay. Essentially, aparigraha teaches us that itâs okay to love deeply and itâs okay to let go completely.
What if I lose someone to death or tragedy?
Death is probably our most profound teacher in the name of non-attachment. We are all guaranteed death in this lifetime and that goes for our loved ones who surround us. This does not mean that we should avoid loving anyone deeply. The wounds of losing someone to death, or to a breakup (or any adjacent circumstance), can cut deeply and will most likely inflict some level of pain and hardship. To live with non-attachment does not mean that we will not experience pain or difficulty throughout life, but it encourages us to love despite the pain that comes when we inevitably lose people (or things or pets, etc.).
The harder we try to hold on to things and people, the more those things and people have a grip over us. So when we give ourselves the chance to let go, we give ourselves the chance to be free. Free of expectation, fear, worry, anxiety, etc. Living with non-attachment is the acknowledgement that nothing belongs to us and absolutely nothing in this lifetime lasts forever. When we can recognize and find peace within that, which is reality, our capacity for gratitude and appreciation increases substantially. The time that we spend with our loved ones becomes even sweeter because we know that every relationship (besides the one with ourselves) is finite. Establishing true connection and intentionally bringing presence into our relationships (which can only be done if we can do so within ourselves) is what will ultimately facilitate peaceful non-attachment in our lives.
How to practice Aparigraha:
Non-attachment does not only occur with other beings (people, pets, etc.), it can happen with material possessions. Notice what material possessions, perhaps your home or car, that you are attached to. Ponder on the feelings you might experience should those things disappear.
Notice the people in your life who you feel you are attached to. Are you afraid of losing them (whether to death or a breakup)? And if so, how might this be contributing to your relationship with them?
Attempt to think about what would happen if you were to lead with love in all your relationships. Try to be fully present, with an open heart, and no expectations in all your interactions for 1 full week.
What are the 5 Niyamas?
Once the first five jewels have been grasped, one may begin to practice the second set of five jewels – the Niyamas. The Niyamas walk us into a more subtle realm of the self guiding us towards ultimate peace, trust, and surrender.
Click on any of the links to see our weekly class themes based on the Niyamas.
What is Saucha?
Saucha means purity, or cleanliness.
So you mean, take a shower?
Yes, cleanliness of oneâs body is included in Saucha but it also encompasses purity of oneâs thoughts and energy. A focus of Yoga in general is to clear the lens from which we view out of so that we can see clearly. This allows us to perceive ourselves and others without judgment, bias, or expectation, aka to perceive reality. The process by which we do this takes time and effort and is more than just âswitching from negative thoughts to positive thoughts.â This requires that we acknowledge whatever the dominant ânegativeâ thoughts or patterns are so that we can identify their origin and intentionally work at untangling said thoughts or patterns. This requires consistent effort because whatever patterns we have are most likely where we feel most comfortable. The process of purifying our thoughts and the way we interact with ourselves and the world will likely require moving outside our comfort zones, which will incur much discomfort as we learn how to navigate people and situations in new and more aligned ways. This is absolutely a great place to consider working with outside help, like a licensed therapist, if you feel youâre having trouble identifying patterns or working on changing old patterns/beliefs on your own.
How to practice Saucha:
Take 1 hour to clean your home and notice how the cleanliness of your external environment affects the cleanliness of your internal environment.
Begin to purify your inner dialogue. You can use different techniques such as talk therapy, journaling, meditation, etc. Try to create a better story for yourself and repeat it over and over again replacing any damaging or intrusive storylines.
Attend a Yoga Class and for the entire 60-75 minutes, just let yourself be. Donât force any themes or intentions, just simply notice your breath, body, and movements.
What is Santosha?
Santosha means contentment. It invites us to appreciate each moment as it is and to not seek fulfillment outside of ourselves and what we already have.
What if I want more for myself or want to achieve something specific?
Santosha does not mean to not work hard or to give up on your dreams to stay stagnant. But it does mean to not give up your own feelings of validity, love, or acceptance to the things youâre working towards. Meaning, the way we view ourselves and the level of love and joy we find within our lives comes from the well of our own being as opposed to some external source whether that be a relationship, an amount of money, a job, or any accolade.
The foundation of self-love, self-worth, and self-acceptance amongst other things is so important as we establish our goals and begin working our way towards said goals. In this way, contentment comes along every step of the journey. When we learn true contentment, weâre never seeking anything outside of ourselves no matter where we are in our journey, and instead we learn to look inward when we feel discontent. We can be single and looking for a relationship and feel content. We can know our job is out of alignment and be looking for a new job and feel content. We can be in school and still working towards a degree or certification and not working yet and still feel content. The key to living with contentment is to view yourself and life as complete. Nothing outside of us will make us whole, we are the only ones who can create feelings of wholeness.
How to practice Santosha:
Notice where in your life you are seeking something outside of yourself, whether that be a relationship, a job, or new material possession. Notice any accompanying thoughts and feelings that come with that seeking and write down any observations.
When doing something you do not enjoy (such as a work task), notice if you harbor any resistance by noticing your bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, and energy. Try to notice any active and vocal complaints. Attempt to simply do the task without a story benign attached to it.
For one whole day, ask yourself to fully lean into trust accepting each moment as it comes.
What is Tapas?
Tapas means self-discipline. To encourage self-discipline means to hold ourselves up to our own standards of living, even when conditions are not ideal.
Discipline sounds harsh. What about compassion?
While discipline may have a harsh-sound connotation, discipline within ourselves and the practices which support our wellbeing, is the only thing that will allow us to be consistent and our practices be embodied. The goal is not to be overly disciplined to the point that weâre doing a 75 minute Power Yoga class after a night of no sleep and a chaotic day, but to be disciplined enough to commit ourselves to the overall practice of Yoga (reflect on all 8 limbs). Compassion is highly important in this way. Not every day is going to be easy to practice. There are going to be periods of turbulence and there are going to be periods of ease. Discipline gives us the heat needed to show up no matter what the circumstances are and guides us towards holding ourselves accountable for our choices.
How to practice Tapas:
Notice your daily choices with food, time spent, people you choose to surround yourself with, even television shows you choose to watch. Observe your energy when you feel in alignment vs. out of alignment.
Identify a time and place to tend to your practice every single day for 1 whole month. This can be in the morning, noon, or night but try to pick a time that you know you can commit to every day. Designate a quiet space that you can make your âsacred spaceâ which is meant specifically for practice. Commit to said practice for 1 whole month.
Notice your mindset around discipline. Is it harsh? Does your mindset around discipline cause you to overdo things, or try to make things âperfectâ? Attempt to shift your mindset to that of simply showing up each day and note your observations towards yourself.
What is Svadhyaya?
Svadhyaya means self-study. It invites us to look within the depths of our own being to truly know ourselves as a foundation for aligning our lives according to our true nature.
So if I buy a bunch of Yoga books and read them on my own, does that count?
Yes, taking the initiative to buy books and read through appropriate resources (such as this blog and others posted on Yoga Renew) is included in Svadhyaya. But it does go beyond just reading a book, or attending a training or workshop. Svadhyaya encourages deep curiosity and introspection about the Self so that we can unpack all the boxes which we put ourselves into including our expectations, our limiting beliefs, projections, and judgements. As we begin our journey inward, it is expected that discomfort will arise. As we start to unpack the boxes, we may recognize some ugly thingsâŚthings which no longer serve us and who we are becoming. Itâs our duty to look at these things with open eyes and open hearts. Working on all the preceding Yamas and Niyamas will help us in this stage with being kind, honest, efficient, etc. in our journey to know thyself. The more consistent we are in looking at past patterns and current beliefs in service of updating our own operating systems, the better we become at being observers of our lives and really watching ourselves as we navigate every and all situations. The more open we are to what we observe, the smoother the transition to update ourselves and our lives.
How to practice Svadhyaya:
Notice when you are projecting your âstuffâ onto another instead of taking responsibility for your own behaviors and actions. Instead of blaming others, listen and see where you can take ownership.
Write down 3 limiting beliefs, thoughts, or values which are no longer serving you and that you wish to update. Write down your updated beliefs and take ownership of incorporating them into your life.
Become a true witness to your own life: Try to view the way you navigate situations either on your own or with others with open eyes, an open mind, and an open heart. Afterwards, write down your observations without a story attached.
What is Ishvara Pranidhana?
Ishvara Pranidhana means surrender. Here we are invited to acknowledge that there is a divine force, greater than us, which is at play to support us throughout our lives.
What if I donât believe in God?
You donât have to believe in God or a particular deity to trust that a greater force exists. That force could be the universe, fate, or even your SELF. The purpose of surrender is to accept that everything outside of ourselves is out of our control. Learning to surrender, means learning to stop resisting reality and to stop fighting against the things which we do not particularly like, enjoy, or currently understand. The moment that we can begin to release that which is out of our control, is the moment that we are truly free to enjoy the waves of life which are guaranteed to have ups and downs. Itâs at this moment that every moment becomes one that is nourishing and life-giving. In order to surrender, you donât have to give up, stop doing what youâre doing, or seize all action. But you might consider noticing places of tension in your life. Notice where you are resisting by noticing your attitude and sensations within the body towards certain situations or people. Notice where you feel youâre stifling yourself and see if you can trust that youâre being given the opportunity to rise up. Ask yourself to view each moment as it is, and each person as they are, without trying to control or change it or them. In that way, let go and let yourself surrender to life.
How to practice Ishvara Pranidhana:
Attend a yoga class and genuinely try to surrender in Savasana, meaning commit to the pose, attempt to remain still, and trust that you can let go.
In your interactions with others, see if you can let people just be themselves without trying to change or manipulate them. See if you can choose to love them as they are.
Notice the moments you are being given a chance to speak your truth or show up as a fuller version of yourself. Try to lean into trusting that you are being presented an opportunity for a reason and see if you can take said opportunity. Note what happens.
Ahimsa Yoga & Music Festival will take place on September 23rd and 24th on Lakota’s Farm in Cambridge, NY!
Movement. Music. Mantra. Ahimsa Yoga & Music Festival is a global community driven through Ahimsa, which in Sanskrit means non-violence. It is a two day festival welcoming Sangha through music, movement, and mantra with the collective value of Ahimsa towards all beings, our planet and ourselves. All of the musicians, presenters, and collaborators provide a safe space to move, reflect, and focus on incorporating Ahimsa into our daily lives.
You can join us there in person, or sign up on this form for access to our free live streamed class from the Ahimsa fairgrounds with YogaRenew’s very own, Patrick Franco!â
Joining us in person?! Get 20% off your Ahimsa ticket!
Use promo code “YOGARENEW20” for 20% off your one day or full weekend pass.
To serve our online community, we’ll be live streaming Patrick’s class on Sunday September 24th at 12pm.
Patrick’s class will be synced to live music and will include therapeutic poses such as headstand and shoulderstand (or variations/modifications of the two), leading students towards an exploration of the subtle body with pranayama and meditation. The goal is to leave students with a Sattvic sense of clarity and peacefulness. The class will end with a Savasana like you’ve never felt before, intertwined with the music to cradle you into the perfect state of relaxation.
*This class is moderately paced and some vinyasa yoga experience is recommended.
As you move through the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, youâll realize how much yoga actually helps you work on conquering your mind and your thoughts. Before you can conquer anything, you do need to understand what it is youâre working with.
Yoga Sutras 1.4 is: “Vritti Sarupyam Itaratra” and can be translated as: “At other times, when one is not in self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind.” The âSeerâ is the true self and can sometimes be understood as that spark that makes you come alive. The modifications of the mind are kind of like the tricks you mind can play on you to make you see things differently.
There is the truth, what is actually happening, and then there is the way your mind modifies that truth to be something else. Itâs kind of like putting an Instagram filter over reality. Sometimes itâs incredibly blurry and other times itâs over exposed, and neither look like what the original image was.
The physical asana practice can help you connect more deeply to the âSeerâ and allow you to see the truth in your day to day life. When youâre connected to your breath, body, and easing your mind through the yoga practice, life can become even more sweeter!
Sugarcane Pose (Ardha Chandra Chapasana)
Our peak pose this week is Ardha Chandra Chapasana. This pose can be really challenging if your mind gets in the way! However, itâs a great pose to work towards when youâre also trying to fixate your mind on whatâs happening in the present moment. Balancing poses have a way of taking you out of your head if you let them. They also have a really great way of taking you deeper into your own grounding if you can tune into your breath, your body, and how everything works in such beautiful harmony
Supporting poses for Sugarcane Pose
1. Peaceful Warrior
Peaceful Warrior
You can add this pose into your standing pose sequence during the earlier part of your class. It helps to bring awareness and also length to the side body and will begin to give the practitioner a moment to bring attention to the parts of the body that canât be seen (like the back leg and the front knee).
How to:
From Warrior 2, flip your front palm up and tip back.
Bring your back hand onto your back leg.
Reach your front hand away from your front knee and your front knee away from your hand. This will help elongate the side body.
Try to move your front knee in the direction of your front pinky toe.
Ground the outer edge of your back foot into your mat.
You may add this into your sequence after the rounds of standing open poses or even add it in as something to come to between rounds. This will help open the chest and shoulders and also bring awareness to the concept of reaching the arms back behind the body.
How to:
From a Low Lunge, lower your back knee to the mat.
Make sure your front heel is grounded.
Interlace your hands behind your back and reach your knuckles down.
Elongate through the side body and imagine someone has their hand on your upper back. Gentle lean into that imaginary hand as keep your gaze forward.
3. Crescent lunge (with an option to reach for the back foot)
Crescent Lunge (with an option to reach for the back foot)
This is a great pose to continue to build the awareness of the hand reaching for the back foot. You canât actually see where youâre reaching when you begin to take variations like this, so doing this motion on the ground can help the body remember what it feels like to reach back. It is also such a great opportunity to open the fronts of the legs and the shoulders.
How to:
From a low lunge, bring your hands to the top of your front thigh.
Bend your back knee and reach back to the top of your foot with one hand.
Stay right here or reach back with your other hand.
Gentle press your foot into your hands and your hands into your foot as you also draw your shoulder blades together.
From a low lunge, wall your front hand forward of your front foot.
Tuck your back toes and start to walk your back foot forward.
Bring your other hand to your hip and start to lift your back foot off the ground as you bring your front hand beneath your front shoulder (this usually means moving it forward and past the pinky toe of the front foot)
Bend your top knee and reach back for your foot with your top hand.
Press your foot into your hand and your hand into your foot.
Sequencing is such an important aspect of designing a great yoga class, but without the right class cues it doesnât matter how great your sequence is. Verbal cues for yoga poses is key to teaching supportive, well-rounded and impactful yoga classes. Meaningful guidance can reach students across different learning styles, experience levels and emotional states. Itâs important that every student feels comfortable, guided and safe. Finding the most effective way to reach students across a varied demographic is tough but essential.
Verbal Cues for Yoga Teachers
Verbal cues are our way to connect with students using language. If a cue results in confusion, its important to try a different approach instead of moving on. Self-correcting in the moment reveals leadership and care. Great yoga class cues should enable smooth transitions, a clear understanding of what to do, and leave students feeling great. Poor guidance can become a distraction, taking students out of the experience rather than guiding them through it. Here, weâre going to take a look at 10 tips to improve your yoga cues.
Tip 1: Cues Should be Clear and Concise
When it comes to verbal cues, less is more. Cueing effectively means speaking in language our students understand. We might be accustomed to certain terms or figures of speech that sound foreign to our students. Using concise and clear language is a skill that seems a lot easier than it is in practice.
Flowery language can sound nice, but it isnât always clear and can be interpreted different ways. Asking somebody to âmove your branchesâ doesnât specify whether youâre speaking about legs, arms or something else entirely. Abstract concepts that do not explicitly tell our students what to do arenât helpful. Cues should be designed to move students through class with ease and clarity and having simple, clear cues are the best way to accomplish that goal.
Using anatomical terms as opposed to common names when referencing body parts may throw students off as well. Many students are unfamiliar with these terms. For example, using the term shoulder blade instead of scapula in a cue will be clearer for the majority of people in the room.
Tip 2: Focus on the Legs and Arms First
When moving between poses, youâll want to help students establish their foundation first. Focusing on the arms and legs is the best way to get students moving towards this foundation and get them most of the way into the pose before any other details are necessary. When in doubt, start with giving guidance on the legs and arms first.
Tip 3: Action Focused Cues vs. Experience Oriented Cues
Action focused cues provide specific guidance on where the body needs to go. Experience oriented cues should only be used after action oriented cues to help further an experience. For example, âstep your right foot forwardâ is an action oriented cue. An example of an experience oriented cue could be âfeel your ribs lengthen.â Experience oriented cues should be used sparingly.
Tip 4: Name the Pose, Use Sanskrit
Imagine youâre meeting friends at a new restaurant thatâs in a busy, well known part of town. You might tell them that the new restaurant âis next to the Benâs Ice Cream Shop on Broadwayâ so they can visualize exactly where it is since you know theyâre familiar with Benâs Ice Cream Shop. Itâs a quick and easy way to explain exactly where they need to go.Alternatively, imagine that you give them guided directions on how to get there. Step by step you tell them what they need to do after they leave the house, which landmarks to look for, which turns to make, etc⌠Ultimately, if they know where Benâs Ice Cream Shop is then they donât need a step by step tutorial on how to get there.
While giving verbal cues, often you can simply name the pose to get many students where they need to be. Step by step directions are certainly important, but movement can become a bit robotic if the entire class needs to wait for a description of each step before transitioning between poses.
In addition to naming the pose, using the Sanskrit term is also helpful for a couple of reasons:
English translations can sometimes differ from teacher to teacher, so having the Sanskrit term provides a universal name for poses that students can recognize.
Sanskrit is meant to be a vibrational language – vocalizing these words is meant to carry the essence of their meaning in the sound which can bring more depth to your cues and overall experience.
Tip 5: Use âYouâ Instead of âWeâ or âTheâ
When moving through class, you should always speak in the present tense and use âyouâ instead of âweâ or âthe.â For example, instead of âStepping your right foot forwardâ say âstep your right foot forward.â It adds another layer of difficulty for the brain to process whatâs going on if your direction isnât delivered this way. You can also make your guidance more personal with âyouâ or âyourâ instead of âwe,â âour,â or âthe.â Instead of asking students to step âtheâ right foot forward, ask them to step your right foot forward.
Tip 6: Avoid Filler Words
For some teachers, filler words will be one of the most difficult changes to make in their classes. We often use filler words unconsciously so addressing them can be challenging but its important to do so. Beyond your typical âumâ and âuhâ youâll also want to look at other words or phrases to avoid repeating that you might rely on to fill empty space in your guidance. The truth is that you donât need to fill that space at all.
Tip 7: Leave Space for Silence
It isnât necessary to speak through-out the entire class, and in fact it can detract from the overall experience. Leave space for silence so students are able to find time to reflect and reap the benefits of the class. Silence gives people time to process information and absorb the experience.
Tip 8: Use the Breath Appropriately
In Vinyasa, the breath should be synced to every movement but that doesnât mean that it needs to be mentioned in every cue. Instead, help students get into a rhythm by mentioning the breath up front and then allow them to follow that rhythm moving forward. Continual guidance on breathing can take students out of the experience. In addition to cueing the breath well, remember the importance of breathing yourself. The breath is a powerful tool we have as teachers and using it is a key trick to stay centered, focused and confident.
Tip 9: Keep Safety Top of Mind
No matter the class or sequence structure, safety should always be top of mind for any reason. Ensure that youâre giving safe and clear guidance. Providing safe guidance isnât just about avoiding dangerous movement – its also about providing alternatives, communicating clearly and adjusting as necessary to align with whatâs going on in class.
Tip 10: Observe Your Students
Its important to observe your students so you can see whether theyâve been receptive to your cues. If you see that some people arenât doing what you intended, acknowledge when you havenât given clear cues and then try a different approach. Self-correcting in the moment reveals leadership and care. Our studentsâ response to our cues are helpful feedback on the cue itself and are not judgements on our value as yoga teachers.
In a big room with a lot of students, it’s important to move around the class to get a better line of sight on how students are doing. You shouldnât need to demonstrate each and every pose, and strong verbal cues allow you to get away from the front of the room.
Being Great at Cueing Makes a Difference
Great verbal class cues mean clear communication. Great cues add to the overall experience, whereas poor cues can detract from it. They should be clear, concise and action oriented. They should leave space for silence and keep safety top of mind. While its important to put effort into designing cues, it’s equally important to observe your students to see how effective they are. When things donât go as planned, adjust your language and try again. As yoga classes continue to move online, having verbal cues remains an important way to guide effective classes while reducing the need for visual guidance.
If youâd like to learn more about how to deliver incredible classes and train as a yoga teacher, you can begin your 200 hour online yoga teacher training journey to become a yoga instructor today.
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