Are you a mad Twister dictator barking out asana instruction in military cadence or a breathy airy guide instructing students to feel deeply into the center of their souls? Hopefully as a skilled and caring yoga teacher you are a little of both and a whole lot of neither.

You must be confident in leading students into asana — confident enough to sometimes just stop talking. When you are speaking to the class don’t offer instructions as questions but clear confident directions. The term balance can simply not be overused in yoga, and it is our job as teachers to balance our instruction enough that the student will both connect to the class and follow our teaching as they simultaneously connect to their “Inner Teacher.” There are several simple teaching techniques to help guide us along this path to inner stillness.

What are they breathing?

Adding a simple meditation technique such as breath words is an effective way to connect students to their inner stillness. Breath words are two words or two short phrases we use to meditate by simply thinking the first word or phrase on the inhale and the second word or phrase on the exhale. Quite simply, instruct the students to pick two words to accessorize their practice with and make sure to offer up breath words for students who get stumped. Some breath words I like are “Be Still” or “Here Now.”

It isn’t so important what the student is thinking but rather what they are not thinking as they still their thoughts with breath words. Then as you move the class through asana make sure that you create several spaces for them to just practice breath words either in a static posture or a simple repetitive vinyasa. Creating space means silence.

Why are you still talking?

Always keep in mind that as we lead students through moving meditation, our chatter is often their biggest obstacle to finding that silence. Release the need to fill the space with words and instead consistently redirect students back to their breath.  Think about why you are saying something and release the need to be heard if it is not immediately imporatant.

Perhaps we pick one phrase to remind students to center in on their own silence. I like to remind them to “keep their mind’s eye on their breathing body.” As we align our intentions to serve and teach, this creates safe space for the students to go inside. Release the need to be heard, to be popular or even to be liked. We are here to teach — not socialize. As we truly set our intentions to serve the students, this will shine through in our teaching creating an atmosphere for learning.

Hand it to them!

Using mudras can be a very internalizing practice. Adding simple mudras such as the Gyan mudra to asanas and then instructing students to focus on the connection of the index finger and thumb pad creates a space for the students to go internally. Or perhaps we guide the students to a more complex mudra such as Shankh (Shell) mudra where their left thumb is encircled with the fingers of the right hand and our hands close into a shell shape. Then instructing them to focus on their left thumb which they cannot see has the effect of calming their nervous systems and stilling their minds.

Bottom Line

The biggest preparation we can take to lead our students into moving meditation is to examine our motives for teaching to begin with. Do you teach to be heard or to help the students hear their inner stillness? Do you practice moving meditation and body mind relationship or do you just want to kick your own asana? Are you comfortable offering an instruction and then standing back quietly and letting the process unfold? Let go of the need to micromanage, set boundaries, state intentions and then let go and watch your students bloom!

Finally we can tell our students what to do or we can show them. Taking the time to begin the class in a centered intentional manner and actually listening to your own “Inner teacher” is worth a thousand words of instruction. So how do you find your Inner Teacher?

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Signe Wendt hates writing in third person but will for a worthy cause such as yoga. A full time yoga teacher inAustin,Texas, Signe relies heavily on her 18 year background as a bodyworker to help her bring her students into ease in their bodies. Continually reminding them that they are having a body mind conversation as they practice yoga Signe helps students connect with their inner stillness. A RYT 200 and working on her 500 hours Signe has studied with teachers from various traditions weaving their knowledge into her own yoga stew.  A class with Signe will address the muscles as well as the mind and nervous system taking into account the whole yogi. After all yoga isn’t about making shapes but about self nourishment.