A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A YOGA TEACHER

Currently, I teach Yin & Yang Yoga, which is my regular class every Friday morning.

Often, I also pick up sub-classes, mainly Detox and Hatha Yoga. 

I’m engaged by a local hot yoga studio near my vicinity. Being a freelancer, I move quite a bit, teaching corporates and residents in condominiums as well.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS BEFORE I TEACH A YOGA CLASS

So, about my profession as a yoga teacher… there’s always a quiet moment before class begins. The room is ready. Mats and props are laid out. The space feels calm.

But inside me… something else is already in motion. Because preparing for a yoga class is never just about the poses.

It starts with remembering

I don’t walk into a class and start from scratch. I carry the previous class with me.

What I noticed…who struggled…where students seemed lost…where they softened…

Recently, I had a class where a group of students didn’t fully understand English. And in that moment, I found myself moving between bodies, adjusting, guiding and trying to make sure they felt safe in the pose.

But while doing that, I also became aware of something else…

The rest of the class was waiting. Holding. Staying longer than intended. That moment stayed with me.

So I rethink…

After class, I don’t just move on. I sit with it. Not in a critical way but in a curious way.

“What could I have done differently?”

And that’s when the planning begins again. Not just what to teach…but how to teach it better.

My little journal

I carry a notebook with me everywhere. I call it my journal.

Every class I teach… every sequence I craft… finds its way into those pages.

Sometimes it’s neatly written. Sometimes it’s messy, with arrows and last-minute changes. And then there are days…when time doesn’t quite go as planned.

Classes back-to-back. Traffic. Life happening in between.

And I find myself doing a quick, last-minute run-through…mentally stitching the sequence together just before class begins.

That’s the truth about my day in the life of a yoga teacher… 🤭

It’s not always slow and serene. Sometimes it’s a little rushed… and very human.

Planning is not just sequencing

Yes, I plan the flow. How we begin. How we move. How we soften. 

Sometimes, I get inspiration from social medias when I get a brain fog! 😂 But mostly, flipping through my journal and improvising existing ones by adding new poses and transitions in the flow of sequences to make it a brand new flow. 

But now, in Yin, I also think about:

• how to make shapes easier to understand
• how to give time for exploration
• how to prevent students from feeling rushed… or left behind

So I started introducing the yin poses earlier in the class.

Not to hold them…but just to let the body recognise them.

A few breaths. A simple experience. So that later, when we return to the same pose…there is less confusion and more ease.

Teaching is not one-directional

In every class, there are different bodies, different needs and different levels of understanding.

Some students follow verbal cues easily. Some need to see. Some need time.

So I’ve learned that teaching is not just about speaking and cueing. 

It’s about:

• showing
• pausing
• observing
• and sometimes stepping back

Because not every student needs more instruction.

Sometimes they just need space.

The invisible part

There’s also a quieter preparation that no one sees.

Before class, I take a moment to settle myself. To slow down my breath. To arrive fully.

Because students don’t just listen to what I say. They feel how I am.

Letting go, a little

Even with a plan, I’ve learned not to hold it too tightly. Because every class unfolds differently. Sometimes I adjust. Sometimes I simplify. Sometimes I say less.

And sometimes, in the stillness, a single sentence lands…and something shifts in the room.

The class doesn’t end when it ends

After the class, there’s another quiet moment.

Noticing. What worked. What felt too long. What felt just right.

And slowly, the next class begins to take shape.

In the end

Preparing for a yoga class is not just about teaching movement.

It’s about learning how to hold space for many people at once, while still allowing each person to have their own experience.

And every time I step onto the mat to teach……

I begin again.

If you have read to this end and if you’re a yoga teacher or student reading this and…if you feel like sharing your own experiences, I’d love to hear what your version of this looks like.