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Yoga schools appear at every turn, but the task of finding a yoga teacher does not become easier, but only more difficult. How to find out among the many qualified and certified instructors who will become a real guide to the world of yoga for you?
Our experts identify several main points that you should first of all pay attention to when choosing a coach.
What yoga does he teach?
Ashtanga vinyasa? Bikram? Nidra? It is difficult for a beginner to understand the many proposed areas of yoga. In fact, this diversity appeared relatively recently, in the 1960s. Most of these areas have grown out of hatha yoga. Most often, they differ only in the approach to taking asanas: one after another in a dynamic shift (Ashtanga Vinyasa, Power) or more calmly (Hatha, Vini Yoga), in a heated room (Bikram), and so on.
“The commercial component of various practices, the desire to use a successful project called yoga, of course, are present,” psychologist Alena Khromova admits. “But the same variety of species exists, for example, in psychotherapy. For some, one method is suitable, and for others, another.
A good teacher can advise before class begins what best suits the expectations and personal characteristics of the student.
What degree does he have?
Yoga teaching does not require higher education, but teacher training plays a huge role. So, intensive monthly yoga instructor training courses are perhaps not the best recommendation. In addition, it is worth asking how long the teacher himself has been practicing and who he studied with.
How does he practice?
No one can boast of having reached the end of the path in yoga. A good yoga teacher is one who knows that he remains a student and continues to practice regularly. Besides, only those who have retained a keen taste for practice can teach it.
“The attitude towards the yoga teacher is our fundamental attitude,” notes psychoanalyst Christiane Bertle-Laurel, “we project onto him an essential part of our “I” or, at least, how we would like to make our “I”. If he gives the impression of not being too close to the practice, how can he interest us in it?
How attentive is he?
Each body is different, and for each student, the postures evoke different feelings and associations … To ensure entry into the practice and dissolution in it, a yoga teacher must create a favorable atmosphere, pay attention to everyone.
Does he inquire about the health of students before starting classes? Does the exercise adapt to the personal needs of each?
What is his knowledge of anatomy
“Doing yoga without regard to physiological limitations can be very dangerous,” emphasizes Alena Khromova. “Therefore, at least basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology is simply necessary for the teacher.”
When you leave a class, do you feel more calm, more inward focused?
Does your coach talk about the exact alignment of the body in each pose? Does it explain (and remind!) how to breathe correctly? Without attention to breathing, it is no longer yoga.
What is his knowledge of philosophy: can he name the postures he teaches (in Sanskrit or in translation)? Can he talk about the key texts of yoga?
These are essential foundations for teaching.
How much does he care about peace
Does the yoga teacher leave at least time at the end of the class to meditate and relax in silence? This approach shows that it attaches great importance to the integration, development and consolidation of changes in the body and in emotions caused by a change in posture.
Finally, when you leave a class, do you feel more calm, more inward focused? Then there is a chance that this teacher brings you at least one step closer to what is called yoga.