Teaching "Mixed" Yoga Class

Teaching a beginning yoga class is very challenging but also very rewarding.  However, teaching a “Mixed” class where teacher has to face some very experienced yogis, some that don’t practice regularly and those who are complete beginners – is a big challenge. 
​Teachers are accustomed to “Mixed” classes and It is up to them to make it fun as well as a great yoga experience for everybody in the class.

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Now, how we do that? 
I absolutely love teaching yoga and I believe that my students can feel that. This is a start, a good positive energy that is coming from the teacher. I am also a believer in using simple words and avoiding yoga jargon and Sanskrit pose names. Students can’t remember them, can’t pronounce or repeat them. So – what’s the purpose??
I break down poses step by step paying attention to my “Mixed” class diversity - offering optimal pose variations for a variety of body types, abilities, and reasons for coming to class.
​I would like to quote an amazing yoga teacher from Toronto – Michael Siddall – who hardly ever demonstrates what he is teaching. Michael uses verbal cues to help and direct his students into the poses. He says: ‘Teacher is here to teach – not to practice yoga. We should practice at home, on our time, but when we teach we are here to pull out maximum from our students and that is possible with good and simple cues.’ 

In addition to what Michael says, through experience I realized that doesn’t matter what I sometimes say and how simple my cues are – some students are doing something different; I guess they do what they want to hear, and some are simply very visual.  Therefore, I demonstrate each pose and stay in that pose just long enough for students, especially beginners, to understand it, usually just for one breath and than I am off to help them with alignment.
Perhaps, a yoga student can do a handstand, or not; a lunge, or not; a balance pose, or not but what I always stress to my students is –that they should only do what they can. This will help them find strength and ease. It will be reflected in their everyday life as well. My personal philosophy is that “Only you know what works for you. Your practice is your practice”.