Yin-Yin (3/6): Teaching Yoga for the First Time

The first time teaching sun salutation to the entire class was one of the most nerve wrecking experiences so far during my YTT course.  I was nervous because 1) Doing something new is scary.  I was so used to being the student and I didn’t know what to expect as a teacher, 2) Big groups can be intimidating.  There were so many girls in the room that I felt like I didn’t want to mess up their poses, 3)  I was afraid I would forget the different posts.  We each went up to the front of the room and instructed the students on sun salutation poses.

I was grateful that Jess, our teacher, was there to correct me immediately when I forgot a pose or accidentally confused the different names.  The girls in the class were super supportive and had great attitudes.  They were particularly cool when I took a bit longer to remember the next pose.

The only way to grow is to consistently push ourselves outside of our comfort zones.  I’m glad that Jess, our teacher, constantly does this and I’m even more grateful for this opportunity to practice teaching.  Practicing to teach has taught me to be more confident and more comfortable with making mistakes.