The yoga teacher’s secret weapon

Harness the understated power of rest.

Yoga teachers are no strangers to the demands of guiding students through asanas, maintaining a vibrant practice, and staying inspired. In this pursuit of sharing the benefits of yoga, there's a hidden gem often overlooked – the invaluable role of rest.

In this blog post, we'll explore why rest is not only essential for our students but also for us as yoga teachers. Discover how embracing rest can significantly enhance your efficiency, boost your energy levels, ignite your inspiration and improve your decision making.

The efficiency-boosting magic of rest

Enhanced clarity

Restful moments during your practice and teaching allow your mind to clear and refocus. This mental clarity translates into more efficient class planning, better communication, and a stronger connection with your students.

Injury prevention

Teaching yoga can be physically demanding. By incorporating rest into your life, you reduce the risk of burnout and overuse injuries, ensuring that you can continue teaching effectively in the long run.

Improved decision-making

When you’re frazzled, it’s harder (impossible?) to take a step back from life and think “What might the consequences of this be?” However, when you're well-rested, your decision-making abilities are sharpened. This helps you make informed choices about class sequences, adjustments, and teaching methods.

Elevating energy levels through rest

As yoga teachers, we often give so much of ourselves to our students that we can forget to replenish our own energy reserves.

But note that replenishing doesn’t (necessarily) have to be more sleep, lie ins, or more non-teaching time. Let’s take a look at the seven types of rest:

Physical Rest:

This type of rest involves giving your body a break from physical exertion. For yoga teachers, it means recognising when to take a step back from strenuous asanas, or from asana completely, allowing your body to recover and preventing burnout.

Mental Rest:

Mental rest involves calming the mind and reducing cognitive load. Meditation, mindful breathing, and relaxation techniques are excellent ways to achieve this type of rest. For teachers, this can mean setting aside time each day to quiet the mind, fostering mental clarity, and enhancing teaching efficiency. First thing in the morning can be ideal - try five minutes of deep breathing even before you get out of bed tomorrow morning.

Emotional Rest:

Teaching yoga can be emotionally draining at times. Acknowledge and address your emotions, in ways such as journaling, talking to a trusted friend and sitting in meditation.

Social Rest:

Social rest is taking a break from social interactions when necessary. As yoga teachers, we often connect with students on a personal level, which can be emotionally taxing. It's crucial to create boundaries and prioritise alone time for self-care. This means at least one full day per week, ideally more, with no classes!

Sensory Rest:

In today's overstimulated world, sensory rest can be a lifesaver. It involves giving your senses a break by reducing exposure to loud noises, bright lights, and excessive screen time.

Creative Rest:

Creative rest encourages you to step away from problem-solving and planning to let your creative juices flow. For yoga teachers, this can mean exploring new class themes, sequences, or teaching approaches during moments of leisure.

Spiritual Rest:

This rest type focuses on nurturing your spiritual well-being. It might involve spending time in nature, practicing gratitude, or meditation. For yoga teachers, spiritual rest could be turning to the roots of yoga; the wisdom and the knowing, through reading, joining a class with a teacher who shares the philosophical side of yoga, or signing up for a philosophy course.

As yoga teachers, our dedication is admirable, but it's crucial to remember that self-care and rest are only ever going to improve our teaching.

By embracing rest as an essential part of our practice and lifestyle, we not only benefit ourselves but also set an example for our students. As we restore and rejuvenate, we become more effective guides, teaching from a place of vitality, clarity, and inspiration.

So, let's make rest our secret weapon, enhancing our own well-being while empowering our students to do the same.