In some ways, searching for a Yoga teacher is like searching for a man – finding one is not a problem, finding a good one, well, that is a challenge. Before you begin to despair, there are probably more good yoga teachers out there than there are good men! And as they are not exclusive, you never have to worry about the good ones being taken, and it’s fine if they are gay.
The Yoga industry has grown by humungous leaps in the last decade, ensuring that on the street you live, there is at least one home, garage, school auditorium, gym or studio offering yoga classes. This is wonderful as this means that you no longer have to trek to the mountains or suffer the austerities of an ashram to learn Yoga. But as there is no monitoring of the authenticity of these places, it also means that you need to find the real teachers amongst the posers (yes, pun intended!).
This is not going to be a Cosmopolitan “10 things to look for on your first date” kind of list because we all know how fun but totally irrelevant those lists can be. Rather, this is a list of character traits that I have noticed in excellent yoga teachers.
Experience. Notice that I said experience and not certification. With the growth of the Yoga industry, Yoga certificates are being handed out like the AAP tickets were handed out before the elections. Whilst many of these are excellent courses, a one-month Yoga Teacher’s Training course is not a substitute for years of practice and experience. It’s more important to ask your Yoga teacher how long she has practiced for than where she has been certified. I had the privilege of learning from two teachers who had each practiced for over a decade. I would say a one-year practice is the very minimal requirement for a Yoga teacher.
Don’t choose a Yoga teacher because she has the body that you want. The practice of Yoga will lead you to optimal health but that doesn’t always mean skinny. Take a look at your teacher and see if she looks strong, vibrant and full of positive energy. That has a lot more meaning than a size zero tag on her Lululemon yoga pants.
Once you have chosen an experienced, healthy Yoga teacher, now it’s time to take your trial class. Here are some tips for evaluating the class:
Clarity of instructions. It’s a bad sign if the whole class is looking confused with their right leg high above their heads whilst the teacher is gazing at her own toes. Clear instructions mean that the teacher is conducting the class with knowledge and awareness and not wondering how many likes she has on her last Instagram post.
Offering modifications. A good teacher will not ask you to keep up with advanced students in your first class but will offer you modifications to every asana. Yoga should never feel like a competition.
Yoga is a discipline. Look for a Yoga teacher who is strict but also kind and caring. Many of us would want it to be the opposite way and are drawn to a teacher who is fun and let’s you lie down in savasana when you want to. You are not paying your teacher to be your friend, but to teach you the discipline that is Yoga. Your ego might not like it in the beginning but you will be grateful in the end.
It’s pretty cool to jump around on the mat and do fancy poses; but the finishing asanas , although a little boring, are essential. Make sure your yoga teacher gives you at least 10 minutes of savasana (relaxing on the mat).
Just as there are some obvious first-date deal-breakers (eating with his mouth open and being rude to the waiter top my list) so there are some things that are complete no-nos for a Yoga teacher:
Teachers who come late to class don’t value you or the practice of Yoga. Those saving puppies from the road are of course exempt from this rule.
Not having time for you after class. She has no obligation to be your counselor, but you have the right to some words of guidance after class.
Constantly introducing/doing advanced poses that no one in the class can achieve. Sure, it’s her job to inspire you but this can cross a line, making the class more about her than you.
Practicing fancy poses , taking selfies or messaging whilst the class is in Savasana .
I am an advocate for teachers ‘having a life’, but a teacher that reeks of alcohol and cigarettes during class, might not be the one to lead you down the pathway to well being.
Finally, there is a saying in Yoga - “When the student is ready the teacher appears.” This has been true in my life. I spent my modeling years talking about going to the Osho ashram, trying Vipassana and learning to meditate to Deepak Chopra. Talking, not doing anything. It was a decade later (struggling to make it as an Adfilm director, single and searching, my mind a negative pool of despair), when I turned to Yoga. The teacher appeared – Yamini Muttana (Indiranagar, Bangalore). She was everything in the above list and so much more.
(The writer is a former Miss India who traded a glamorous life in front of the camera for an adventure behind it, before finally finding her home on the Yoga mat)
