Tips for Selecting a Yoga Teacher

My yoga journey crossed the threshold of several yoga teachers' doors. It never occurred to me that I couldn't learn asana from anyone, and it shouldn't in some respects. The teacher whose style and philosophy matches your own will arrive when you are ready to learn, and in the meantime, there is much to be gleaned from teachers who don't inspire gooey-eyed adoration or middle-school enthusiasm. Every studio, class and instructor is an opportunity that you will take from only if you resolve to put yourself mindfully in the experience.

The following tips come from Kaitlyn McConnell who recommends the following when searching for a new yoga teacher:

visit the studio/teacher website

A good idea. Yoga teachers often have descriptions of their classes and philosophy and may even blog.

check on the instructor via Yoga Alliance

Yoga Alliance maintains a list of accredited instructors, and there are state and regional yoga "unions" that do the same and are just a Google away.

find out how long an instructor has taught and if they have "specialities". Through an alliance or on a personal website, teachers often list their experience, training and the types of classes they prefer to teach.

Finding a yoga teacher who fits your needs and learning styles might take time. Don't settle for the first studio or class you take if it feels like a bad fit. Yoga programs are offered in a variety of settings: studios, fitness centers, adult education programs and the YMCA - just to name a few.

The perfect teacher is not a myth but finding him/her might mean trying out many instructors.

I took classes with three different instructors before stumbling across the studio I now call home and the teacher who inspired me to become a yoga teacher myself.

Even those yoga teachers whose classes I merely gutted out taught me something about postures or just about myself.