How could a Shy Person Become a Yoga Teacher?

The calling to teach Yoga classes can reach into any of us, but what about obstacles which hold each of us back. A shy person may want to become a Yoga teacher, but how can he or she develop the voice of a Yoga teacher?

For an aspiring Yoga teacher, shyness is like a prison which stops him or her from life's rewards. This person knows what to do, but feels serious anxiety when having to address a person or when having to speak in front of a group.

So what is a shy, but aspiring Yoga teacher to do, when confronted with this impasse? Should he or she give up the dream of becoming a certified Yoga teacher? Some trainers of Yoga teachers would agree, but the truth is there is a solution for the shy, but aspiring Yoga teacher.

Luckily, we are surrounded by recording devices. You can record your voice or film a mock Yoga class to develop your Yoga teaching skills. Watch the recording of yourself teaching Yoga, and later, practice along with the film or the audio recording. Then you can make corrections as you deal with the learning curve involved in becoming a Yoga teacher.

If you have some areas in your video or audio recording that need work; you will find a solution, but you must be patient with yourself. We are our own worst critics. This is just a part of the learning process in becoming a Yoga teacher. It is guaranteed that if you try, you will succeed, and you will not be let down.

Many of my best Yoga teacher training graduates spent their lives under estimating themselves, but found independence and a better quality life, teaching Yoga. The harshest judge many of us face on a daily basis is ourselves.

This is not an exercise in self-criticism, but a proven method for developing your Yoga teaching skills. Do not "beat yourself up," but do take a constructive look at ways you can improve the range of your voice, cueing skills, and your Yoga lesson plan.

You should also seek out a trusted friend or an experienced Yoga teacher for constructive advice. Some Yoga teacher mentors will tutor you through any part of learning process.

Later, you may need at least one student and you can film your lesson plan in any open room. Some Yoga teacher interns have filmed a Yoga class outside, depending upon the season. Teaching Yoga in different settings will also build new found confidence.

You will learn to develop your own lesson plan. This is not acting, but a way to see your personality evolve into a Yoga teacher. This evolution of personality knows no boundaries. Most Yoga teachers are very confident and make the most out of enjoying life to its fullest potential every day.

To be honest, I was nervous when I taught my first Yoga class. I never thought I would be a public speaker, and I never considered that I would some day train Yoga teachers from every part of the earth. The raw skills are within all of us, but your dreams will not be realized without positive action by you.

Life happens, and hopefully, most of us change for the best. As a result, you will help others and have a tremendous feeling of job satisfaction, when you become a Yoga teacher.

© Copyright 2006 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Yoga for the Modern Average Person

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a simple philosophy based on proper exercise, strong breath, relaxation, a healthy diet, mindfulness and meditation.

Although Hatha Yoga has only recently come into vogue in the west, it has been developing in India for thousands of years. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj which means "union." Yogic philosophy seeks to create this union by instilling the harmony evident in nature within the individual.

Yoga is a complete system designed to maintain well-being through focusing on all aspects of health. Yoga provides everything the body needs with poses designed to activate every inch of the practitioner. By touching each muscle and joint, yoga brings a balance of strength, flexibility, relaxation, and stamina without negative impacts. Yoga acts as a synthesis of all the actions of an individual helping to correct habitual movements.

Between work, home and all of the demands and stresses of life, it's easy to lose touch with our true selves. The practice of yoga stimulates awareness and sensitivity in the practitioner so that they can remove the physical or psychological blocks that often keep us from maintaining a healthy life. Through the particular techniques taught in Yoga, we can learn to calm the frenzy and get back in touch with ourselves. Patanjali, one of the great sages of Yoga, said, "Yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind. Then the true self appears."

In each of the classes, students are lead through a routine of postures specially designed to release tension, strengthen muscles and tone the body. These postures help to relax the mind, improve concentration, stimulate circulation and oxygen flow, prevent illness and promote self-introspection

Physical Benefits of Yoga

Improves flexibility
Improves body image
Increases self-confidence
Improves balance and agility
Helps to prevent injuries
Helps to maintain a healthy weight
Improves athletic performance
Channels nervous energy
Increases strength in both small and big muscle groups
Helps to develop self-discipline and poise
Teaches the connection between body and mind
Enhances sensitivity, self-control and enjoyment in sharing
Fuels the imagination and enhances creativity
Releases tension and helps balance emotions
Teaches exercises to do alone or in a group

Yoga improves posture by:
~ Teaching correct breathing to expand the chest.
~ Increasing awareness of tension in the shoulders and neck, and how to release it.
~ Using the internal and external abdominal muscles to help you stand or sit up tall.
~ Emphasizing bending and stretching from the hip sockets rather then the lower back, helping to lengthen the spine, instead of rounding it.
~ Encouraging the practitioner to sit on their sitting bones rather than the lower spine.

Yoga improves self esteem by:
~ Creating good posture which makes us feel better about ourselves.
~ Helping to make the changes in the body take place more smoothly.
~ Improving self-confidence (rather than self-consciousness).
~ Focusing on healthy emotional and physical well being.

Yoga relieves anxiety by:
~ Giving practitioners the tools to learn how to relax.
~ Creating a knowledge of peace.

Yoga relieves growing pains by:
~ Stretching out muscles that might otherwise be tight from intensive growth spurts.
~ Easing the discomfort of regular daily activities.

Yoga changes the practitioner's appearance by:
~ Balancing the glands (and therefore regulating hormones) which can cause blemishes in the complexion.
~ Stabilizing the metabolism to regulate weight gain.
~ Improving circulation, leading to healthier and clearer skin and overall essence.

Wren Doggett is the founder The Lotus Seed Yoga non-profit organization and director of teacher training. She has studied numerous forms of Yoga, healing and meditation over the past twenty years. She lived in Madras, India during the year 1999 - 2000 at an ashram while writing her Master's thesis in poetry. Her travels to teach and attend workshops in India, Malaysia, The Philippines, France, England, Denmark, Mexico and Jamaica have given her a well-rounded knowledge of the many forms of yoga, including Raja (meditation), Bhakti (devotion), Jnana (knowledge/wisdom), Karma (selfless action) and Hatha (physical movement).

Wren teaches Yoga to all ages - from babies to elders. She started teaching classes for teens and children in 2001 with great success in promoting outreach services to at-risk youth via yoga clubs in schools. She is registered as an E-RYT (experienced registered yoga teacher) with the Yoga Alliance, a national accreditation organization for yoga teachers. Wren continues to train with internationally known yoga teachers. Her classes are an eclectic blend of vinyasa yoga taught with love, humor and acceptance, emphasizing breath, alignment and body awareness.