What to Look for When Hiring a Yoga Teacher (Part 1)

How can you tell which Yoga teacher is the best fitwill this Yoga teacher perform within your facility?
for your health club, ashram, spa, or wellness studio?Have you ever met a graduate from an "elite" college
Does it depend on a particular diploma, style of Yoga,who was an under achiever? Of course, and we
or who their Guru was? Let's go over a bit ofhave all seen over achievers from colleges, which are
credential history and a checklist for finding the idealnot as prestigious. You might also want to think
Yoga teacher.about the many over achievers who never went to
Lately, there has been a scramble amongst Yogacollege.
teachers to gain higher credentials. This isIs there a particular style that trains Yoga teachers
understandable because Yoga became much more ofthe best? Not really, most Yoga teacher training
a mainstream pursuit. As Yoga became more andprograms, of all styles, produce competent Yoga
more popular, many experienced Yoga teachersteachers. To credit one particular style, would take
found themselves "out of the loop."away the credibility of the rest. However, if, for
Some Yoga teachers, with decades of Yoga teachingexample, you are looking to establish a Yoga class
experience, had no credentials, diploma, or "paperthat is vigorous, you might seek out teachers from
trail." The "paper chase" was on, and when it cameparticularly vigorous Yoga styles.
to credentials, a new "playing field" had been created.Most Yoga teachers do a very good job of teaching,
With all the liability suits out there, credentials havebut students of any subject will always think more
become very important, even in Yoga. Credentialsfondly of a particular teacher. This is human nature to
make liability insurance much easier to get. Therefore,make comparisons, but there are much larger issues
all Yoga teachers have to jump through the newwhen it comes to teaching skills and making your
"flaming hoops."best selection.
What Guru or Yoga Master trains the best teachers?The real issues, and skills, that count when hiring a
Competence has little to do with who a YogaYoga teacher, are safety, compassion,
teacher's Guru - is or was. The Guru is not teachingcommunication, assisting, alignment, listening,
this Yoga teacher's class. The real question is: Howmodifications, ethics and continuing education.