🤩 5 Unexpected Perks of Becoming a Yoga Teacher

When I enrolled in my 500-hour yoga teacher training course, I expected to learn about anatomy, breathing techniques and the Sanskrit names of poses. What I didn't expect was the profound and transformative impact it would have on my life.

🗣 Boost Communication Skills

I primarily teach vinyasa yoga, which is a dynamic practice that flows from pose to pose, guided by the rhythm of the breath. This leaves me very little time for giving instructions or cues, so I had to become direct and concise. What is the most important piece of information I can convey, when I only have a few seconds during an inhale or exhale to do it?

Refining this skill has been incredibly valuable beyond my classes, shaping how I communicate in professional meetings, during presentations and when speaking on panels at industry events. I’m learning to make a maximum impact with a minimum of words.

💝 Giving Back to the Community

I run a regular Saturday morning yoga class in the picturesque Cambridgeshire village where I live. Being known as “the local yoga teacher” is a fun identity—and a great icebreaker at quiz night in the village hall.

It's been a joy to connect with this community, who welcomed my multicultural family with open arms. We are deeply grateful for this in this, especially in a time when society can feel increasingly closed off and unwelcoming to those who look, speak or love differently.

🗨 The Power of Positive Language

I’ve always been strong in critical thinking, but giving praise and compliments didn’t come naturally to me. As a leader and teacher, I had to consciously practice this skill, to encourage students without judgement and a constant push for the impossible perfection. Teaching yoga offers the perfect opportunity for this. It's all about the practice and the journey, not how photo-worthy our poses appear. Every pose on the mat is a chance to recognise effort over outcome.

Building this skill has enabled me to build a more positive communication culture within my team, and I now feel more at ease appreciating their work and do it more often.

⏳️ We Deserve Time for Ourselves

I began teaching yoga after the birth of my son. It became a sanctuary during maternity leave; a way to take time for myself, to pause amidst the intense joy and demands of family life.

What surprised me was how much my students also needed that same space. So at the end of the class, I keep reminding them that they deserve to take time off from their busy lives, and just... be. We don’t hear it enough that we can allow ourselves to do absolutely nothing. It is not a waste of time to close our eyes, take up space on the mat and simply spend time in our own company.

💛 Fighting Endometriosis with Yoga

I decided to enroll in teacher training after being diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful condition affecting 1 in 10 women. The conventional medical path includes taking painkillers and hormonal pills for period pain, ondergoing a surgical procedure called laparoscopy and often using IVF to conceive.

I found it difficult to accept this as my only option. I chose to explore an alternative route: the path of yoga. I wanted to understand my endocrine system and how to bring it back to balance.

Then I made a commitment that if I found a way to achieve this, I'd make it my mission to help other women return to a state of health and vitality.

Happy International Yoga Day!

The light in me honours the light in you.

Namaste