How to Inspire Yoga Students

Prenatal yoga teacher training

By Gopi Rao

Does yoga come naturally to you? Are you passionate about yoga training? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, you may be wondering why anyone would need inspiration to practice. You love it. Why wouldn’t everyone love it? The problem is you are a yoga teacher who needs to think from a student’s perspective.

Most people realize yoga has a lot of health benefits. However, yogic methodology doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people and not everyone is passionate about it from the start. You can help your yoga students become passionate about yoga by finding ways to inspire them. If you are looking for some ideas on how to inspire yoga students, consider some of the following suggestions.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of the yoga school makes a huge impact on your students. The studio should be a warm, welcoming, and relaxing place. Being greeted by a friendly, smiling face can make all the difference in the world when someone walks in the door. Low lighting and calming music can provide relaxation to students who may be seeking a place of refuge from the outside world.

Kindness and Encouragement

Kind and encouraging words can make students feel more comfortable. Beginning students may need a lot of coaching, so be prepared to help them with poses and let them know that they need not struggle alone. You are there to guide and encourage them. Intermediate and advanced students also need encouragement from time to time. Words of encouragement go a long way for students at all levels.

If you sense someone is having a bad day, make sure to offer an encouraging comment. Pull them aside after class and ask them how they are doing. Lend a listening ear if they need to vent about their day for a few minutes. Be kind and encouraging to your students and you will inspire them to not only be better yoga students, but to be better people as well.

Attitude

Keep a positive attitude and your yoga students will keep coming back for more. Your attitude will rub off on your students. The smiling face that greets them at the door and the kind, encouraging words that students hear are all part of the positive attitude you want to convey to them. End your class with a positive affirmation so that your students will leave class feeling inspired and ready to take on the world.

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