When I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training with Yoga London in July 2016 I knew I had only just scratched the surface of my yoga journey…
So what has changed since last year? I’ve continued with the part time office job and along the way, opportunities to teach have kindly presented themselves. My teaching voice has developed, but I feel there is still room for improvement. I hope that people leave my classes feeling light and relaxed whilst having had a work out that strengthens and conditions the body.
Additional training
At the beginning of the year I attended Yoga Bananas Kids Teacher training course which was great fun. I’ve not had the capacity to utilise this training much; however, I’m hoping to create some opportunities soon. Get in touch if you’re interested in Yoga for children between 3 – 11 that incorporates original rhyming and sequencing.
I completed my Pilates teacher training and was very lucky to take on a regular class at the start of the year. It felt like starting to teach yoga all over again, particularly as this was an established class with an established teacher. Big shoes to fill. I learnt a lot in the first few weeks of that class.
I’ve also completed the Pilates pre and post-natal qualification and have been able to teach a couple of pre and post-natal classes. There will be a new and regular pre-natal Pilates class starting in September.
What’s on the training list menu? There are still so many wonderful courses to choose from and I haven’t quite decided which one I would like to take next. The list is still very long! If anything, I would like to attend more Pilates and Yoga classes to develop my own practice as this is just as beneficial as attending any additional courses and perhaps I maybe be able to treat myself to a Yoga and Pilates retreat soon!
What have I missed in the last year? As the teaching opportunities have increased, I’ve really missed attending regular classes with local teachers. I managed to attend a couple of classes, but they are few and far between at the moment. As time moves on, you start to realise it can be quite lonely as a self-employed teacher, so it is important to create opportunities to meet with like-minded people. I’m still working on this, and once I create more space in my diary, this will become easier!
What have I loved? I’ve really valued seeing people enjoying themselves and leaving my classes feeling relaxed and happy in their bodies. The positive power of movement and breath, whether it is in Pilates or Yoga, is clear to see. It has also been lovely to hear how attending my classes each week has helped people to manage long term health issues. As we get older, Pilates and Yoga is much kinder to the body than other forms of exercise, and I love seeing the great age ranges that both these classes attract. The biggest age range so far is 84 years!
My teaching voice seems to have been my nemesis and a selling point! I have quite a soft voice which doesn’t always travel well but over time I’ve become much better at projecting my voice. Even with greater vocal projection I’ve still been able to maintain a calm and relaxing voice, something I didn’t think would achievable!
Tips from year two.
These 5 tips are similar to those from the end of year one and I’m sure they’ll work for anyone at any stage in their career.
If you have a soft, quiet voice, practice projecting your voice or even singing! I started to sing in the car on the way to one of my classes to warm up my voice.
Create your own opportunities – Write ideas down and chat to people who may be able to help or bring the ideas to life
Keep learning – New material will inspire your teaching and keep your classes fresh
Cross train – Whether cross training in a different exercise or cross training to learn a new skill, both will make you more supple and stronger. Seeing how a different discipline works will strengthen your existing knowledge.
If you don’t enjoy it, stop! Simple. But...pause and understand what it is you don’t like.
If you have attended one of my classes I would just like to say thank you for your support. It’s a pleasure to have you in my class.
*First published August 2018
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