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Beating Anxiety as a Yoga Teacher
You’re now a yoga instructor and are new to teaching. You’re at a yoga class, and you suddenly panic and face anxiety while teaching: what to do? And how to teach yoga?
Teaching yoga can be rewarding, but it comes with difficulties. It’s not always easy being a yoga teacher; you can come across situations that you find challenging to handle, leading to stress, anxiety, and even panic attacks!
Below, we will shine a light on how to be composed and avoid panic attacks while teaching yoga. But before we do that, let us understand the root cause of getting anxious and panicking.
Causes Behind Panicking While Teaching Yoga
- Lack of Experience: You may be at the initial stage of developing confidence as a yoga teacher. Anxiety about making mistakes or not knowing how to respond to students can lead to nervousness!
- Big Class Size: Teaching a big class in your initial days can be pretty scary. This can indeed lead to performance anxiety.
- Pressure to Perform: As instructors, one holds themselves to a high standard and strives for excellence in their instruction. Thus, anxiety may be caused by the pressure you put on yourself.
- Unexpected Challenges: Some unexpected events might happen, like a student getting hurt or the music not working correctly, leading to anxiety while teaching.
Ways To Avoid Anxiety While Teaching Yoga
There are various ways to Overcome Performance Anxiety for Yoga Teachers.
- Be Prepared: One should put ample time and effort into rehearsing and practising yoga sequences. This will help to build confidence in your ultimate delivery. When you start, prepare in front of smaller class sizes; this can help build trust. But always prepare yourself before a class; this can help you to tackle performance anxiety!
- Connect With Your Students: One of the ways to help remove your pre-class jitters is by connecting with your class and students. Familiarise yourself with the class and also remove some of your fears. Ask students how they liked your class and what they want to see more of. Thus, connecting with your students will be very beneficial.
- Focus on Your Breath: Breathing is an essential part of the presentation. Focusing on your breathing will help you pace yourself, slow your heart rate, and make you relaxed. Focusing on your breathing while teaching will shift your thoughts from the future to the present.
- Transform Fear to Excitement: This is the best way to remove your panic while teaching yoga classes. Think of teaching yoga as a positive challenge that will help you grow and evolve to reach your highest potential.
- Use Failure As a Learning Experience: Continue to move forward in a positive direction. As a yoga teacher, you are bound to make mistakes. Don’t feel bad and embarrassed; learn from these mistakes and become better as a practitioner. Reflect on what you liked about your class and what you can learn!
- Be Persistent: Yes, you might get the jitters and might feel panic while teaching, but the main idea is to continue to push through your fear and keep teaching classes. The more you teach, the more confidence you will develop. Be persistent, and with time, you will find teaching classes a breeze and a less fearful experience!
Conclusion: Teach Yoga Without Fear
Yes, feeling anxious while teaching yoga is normal, especially when just beginning as a yoga teacher. We have laid down several ways in which you can get rid of the anxiety and performance pressure, become confident yoga teachers, and overcome the fear of teaching yoga.
One can enrol in Rishikul Yogshala Rishikesh to avail of their various courses that include 200 Hour Yoga TTC In Rishikesh, 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh and become confident yoga teachers who will guide their students on the path to self-discovery and finding purpose in their lives.
At Rishikul Yogshala Rishikesh, one can avail of many YTTC courses and easily walk on the transformative power of the yogic journey. Come to our institute and see yourself evolve as yoga teachers and practitioners who will be allowed to become expert yogis.
Some FAQs On How to Avoid Anxiety when Teaching Yoga
1. What are the reasons why I feel anxious before teaching a yoga class?
Feeling anxious before teaching is very natural. Especially if you’re new to teaching or worried about how you will interact with your students. This anxiety especially comes from self-doubt, fear of judgment, or pressure to lead a class.
2. How can I prepare myself to feel more confident before class?
- Practice your sequences in advance.
- Do a short grounding meditation or pranayama (breathwork) before class.
- Arrive early to set up and create a calm environment.
- Remind yourself that perfection is not the goal—connection is.
3. What if a student asks a question I don’t know the answer to?
It’s okay to say, “That’s a great question! Let me look into it and get back to you.” If you’re honest, that builds trust.
4. What should I do if I feel nervous in front of my students?
If you start feeling nervous in front of your students, start with a deep breath before speaking. Make sure to smile, make eye contact with your students, and, most importantly, talk slowly and with intention.
5. What if I make a mistake while teaching?
If you make a mistake while teaching, you should acknowledge it with grace and humour and move forward without thinking about it too much. Be open about making a mistake, as students will appreciate your authenticity.
