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Why I Love to Teach Yoga to Beginners

If you are a yoga teacher, you know that the beginner yoga student is most adaptable and can learn quickly. Something about the beginner’s mind allows for new information and ideas to be absorbed easily. 

I love teaching yoga to beginners because their minds are the most adaptable. When you are new to yoga, everything is novel, and there is so much to learn. However, this willingness to learn and explore creates a sense of openness that can be difficult to find later on in our yoga journey. When we are not fixed in our ideas about what yoga is “supposed” to be, we can let go of our preconceived notions and explore what yoga offers. 

Teaching Traditions  

Shoshin (初心), is a word from Zen Buddhism, meaning beginners mind.  

Learning to let go of the “expert” mind can be a challenging but necessary practice. It is something we should all try, not just when learning new things — because it will help us become better learners in general! 

Losing your expert tone and seeing every moment as an opportunity for growth is one way that you could work on improving yourself at any time throughout each day (if only temporarily). 

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.

Suzuki Roshi

This is also why adaptability is so crucial in teaching yoga to beginners. We need to be able to adjust our teaching methods and approach depending on the students’ needs. If we are too rigid in our teaching, we may find that the students cannot progress as much as they can.  

Why intention matters – yoga to beginners 

I intend to help beginners create a foundation in their yoga practice. I want to help them learn to listen to their bodies in a way that informs them of how they have habituated movement throughout their lifetimes. The basis of practice starts with tuning inwardly and instilling the value of ahimsa (Sanskrit: “noninjury”). 

In yoga, we talk about samskaras a lot. Samskaras are the grooves that our habits create in our minds. They shape how we think and how we react to things. The thing with samskaras is that they can be good or bad, helpful or harmful. And once they are there, they are hard to change. 

standing woman with arms wide and smiling

The human body is a dynamic, evolving organism that forms movement patterns based on how we interact with our environment. As children, we create these through habituating natural movements pattern throughout early lives through the constant interplay between brain activity (neurons) plus central nervous system control over muscles—yoga can help you understand when they are helpful or not! 

As someone who has been practising yoga for many years, I often find myself getting stuck in my ways. I become attached to certain poses or routines and forget the importance of flexibility and change. But when I teach yoga to beginners, it reminds me of the joy of discovery and experimentation. Each class is an opportunity to play and explore new possibilities. 

Teaching Scaravelli inspired Yoga to beginners 

Do not kill the instinct of the body for the glory of the pose. Do not look at your body like a stranger but adopt a friendly approach towards it. Watch it, listen to it, observe its needs, its requests, and even have fun. To be sensitive is to be alive”

Vanda Scaravelli

When we are open-minded in our yoga practice, the possibilities for growth and transformation seem endless. We can find true freedom as long as there is flexibility within ourselves–in both mind and body! We can learn more about ourselves and the world around us.

Plus, teaching yoga to beginners helps me stay sharp as a teacher. I must constantly be aware of my cues and how I am delivering them, and the several ways that students might be interpreting them. This level of focus is necessary for any yoga teacher, but it is imperative when teaching beginners. 

In conclusion

I love teaching yoga to beginners because it helps me maintain a beginner’s mind, keeps me focused as a teacher, and is always an enjoyable experience. I hope you will consider trying yoga yourself – it is a wonderful way to start your journey on the path to self-awakening.  

Do you have any tips for teaching yoga to beginners? Share them with us in the comments below!  

Thank You for Reading!

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Credits; Image Elaine McCracken @elainemccrackenart.uk

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