How to Find a Yoga Teacher You Love

In Yoga Journal’s Archives series, we share a curated collection of articles originally published in past issues beginning in 1975. These stories offer a glimpse into how yoga was interpreted, written about, and practiced throughout the years. This article first appeared in the September/October 1977 issue of Yoga Journal. Find more of our Archives here. 

I chose my first yoga class by chance: the “Y” where I worked offered regular classes and as a staff member I was eligible for free ones. I didn’t know what to expect from yoga. But, fortunately, my teacher turned out to be dedicated, warm, and knowledgeable in the art of yoga. And I turned on to its practice immediately.

Since my first class, I have left my arthritis behind as well as my insomnia. Subsequently, yoga has become a very important part of my life. Now, as a Physical Therapist and a yoga teacher, perhaps I can suggest some guidelines to the beginning student in search of a teacher.

There is an old saying in yoga, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” If this is true, then finding a teacher must be part destiny, part chance, and part good luck. But once the student has located a teacher, there are quite a few things which that student should expect, and certainly deserves from a person who calls him or herself a yoga teacher.

The Problem of Licensing

There is no recognized licensing bureau which controls the certification of yoga teachers in the United States, and strong arguments can be made both for and against establishing a system of control. Licensing or certification would help to assure that a teacher had completed a specified training course, possibly including studies in physiology, anatomy, philosophy, psychology, and meditation. Yet, just because a person had completed certain legal requirements would be no assurance that that person was a good teacher. And, in addition, yoga involves much more than the repetition of factual knowledge about the body and the mind, even though that knowledge might be very useful.

Just like most things in life, a yoga class can be judged in many ways depending upon who is doing the judging. For these and other reasons licensing or certification remains a knotty problem, one that will probably have to be solved by the yoga community in the not too distant future. Until that time, prospective students will have to rely upon personal judgment and intuition.

On Observing Classes

How, then, does one go about choosing a yoga teacher? There are many approaches that can be taken. One way is to observe one or more classes, from which the student can get some idea about the type of class he would be signing up for. Of course, sometimes watching a class can be misleading; a whole different realm of experience is only available to the participant. To judge the class from observation without experiencing is not only unfair to the teacher, but is also not a true measure of the class. So, perhaps, the student should try a class before making a choice based solely on observation. 

Questions to Ask Yourself

Once the class has been found, the student can watch for a myriad of things. First, does the teacher seem to exemplify the teachings of yoga? Of course all teachers are still students of yoga, but is the teacher actively practicing? Does the teacher seem to believe in what he or she is saying and doing?

I have a difficult time, for example, with teachers who say that the asanas (postures) are good for their disciples and students, but that they themselves no longer need them. My respect is reserved for those teachers who are willing to live by what they teach and are not afraid to demonstrate with their own life experiences that they are less than perfect.

Another question which can be asked even by the novice who knows little about yoga concerns is the size of the class. Is it too large for the teacher to give each person individual attention? The absolute size of the class is unimportant since some teachers can handle large groups better than others, depending on their experience. I have been in classes of 60 where it seemed that I was the only one there, since I could feel the teacher’s eye at every moment!

Generally speaking, however, an average class should consist of 15 to 20 students. But what matters is that the student feels the personal attention of the teacher. The interaction between student and teacher is the crux of the yoga discipline and no student should feel that he or she is just a face in the back row. If this happens to you, it would seem that that particular class is not for you.

Another important variable among yoga teachers can be their training. Has he studied the workings of the body? Does she seem familiar with the general principles of movement? Does he sit with eyes closed and refuse to watch the student and give feedback during the class? Does this teacher admit when she does not know something? Conservative teaching, like conservative medical practice, seems the best way to go if one does now know what is wrong.

Has the teacher studied with a teacher himself? Teaching yoga from a book must be very difficult since so much of the yoga teaching regarding asana, pranayama (conscious breathing), and meditation is not written in the texts on yoga, but is transmitted through the personal interaction of student and teacher.

Sensitivity

Related to training and background is the teacher’s attitude and approach toward teaching in general and toward attempting and practicing the asanas in particular. Some people prefer active classes which challenge them to work at their physical and psychological peak. Other students prefer less of a challenge. The teacher should be sensitive to the type of individual with whom he or she is working.

For example, if the class consists of people over 60 who have done little exercise in the past 30 years, the teacher should naturally allow the class to work at a slower pace. Contrariwise, if the class is made up of 18-year-old gymnasts, the teacher can certainly make them work much harder. The point is that a good teacher always stimulates his class to work just hard enough. The students should find themselves enthusiastic for the next class and not stiff and aching in the morning from too strenuous exercise. If you are picking a yoga class, watch to see if the teacher works some members of the class harder, having them hold poses longer, while at the same time being sensitive to older students or those with special problems.

The key is sensitivity to each student in class. Ultimately, a class of 15 is still 15 individuals, and each will be working at a different level. A good teacher will be able to teach 15 different classes at once.

Because of my training in Western medicine, I personally feel that a teacher should make sure at the onset that he knows the basic medical history of the student. Your teacher’s sensitivity can also be reflected in asking a few simple questions about the student’s health. I routinely ask about backs, knees, and necks, as well as blood pressure and recent surgery. Then I pose an open-ended “Anything else?” to the class. I have also added the category of patient problems to my list ever since a student admitted, half-way through the first class, that he was recovering from a heart attack. I almost had one myself on the spot! Questioning can be done discreetly, but should be done without fail. This is part of learning to know the student and thus being able to work with each one individually.

The Outcome

Perhaps one of the most important things about judging a yoga teacher has to do with the outcome of the class. Does the class leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed? Does it leave you frustrated and sore? Or does the end of each class come too soon? Progress in yoga is not always marked by positive responses, as the body and mind often rebel against the discipline. Sometimes the mind’s resistance, such as a reluctance to go to class, can be even stronger than the resistance felt in the legs in a forward stretch. While physical resistance is direct, mental resistance is amorphous, and one may not even realize that that is what one is experiencing.

As one teacher has said, “If yoga doesn’t change you, why do it?” This change can be physical or mental in emphasis. But, undoubtedly a regular class, with a good teacher who actively guides and helps the students, will have a positive effect on the student’s life.

If the yoga does not effect internal areas of life, then perhaps the student is not taking the practice seriously enough; just how yoga changes one’s life must, of course, be individually interpreted. It can range from the loss of insomnia, as in my own case, to something more profound. A student recently said to me that yoga was the most beneficial therapy she has ever had, and she had spent years in psychoanalysis. A good yoga teacher will be able to understand and deal with each student’s responses to the ancient discipline, whether they are relatively quick to show or slow to develop, whether they are superficial or of a deeper nature.

What Your Heart Tells You

Finally, perhaps the most important thing is to observe in looking for a teacher is how you feel about the person. Does he seem to be the right teacher for you? Are you satisfied with the teaching? Not all yoga is alike, and there are as many different approaches as there are people. But if the teacher inspires you, is reasonably aware of the hazard of certain poses for certain people, is cautious when appropriate, yet free enough to cajole a reluctant, fearful student when necessary, and radiates warmth and caring, and shows a sense of humor, too, chances are the teacher is a good one. Whatever criteria you use to judge, however, do not forget to look at the teacher with your heart, as well as your eyes and mind. This is the ultimate test.