Do you recall the first class you ever taught as a Holy Yoga instructor?
I was an anxious, eager, and uncertain ball of energy as I prepared to teach my first class.
Questions flooded my brain: Will my directives be clear? Will I have a memory lapse in my sequencing? Will I present the Word of God with reverence and passion?
As Holy Yoga instructors, we have a lofty calling. We are expected to have a solid understanding of yoga and breathwork, but we are also ministry leaders! God has called us to servant leadership, leading from the heart but also balancing confidence with humility.
What makes a good yoga instructor? How do we present ourselves as leaders both in class and outside of it?
“Whatever you do…” includes leading Holy Yoga to the glory of God, so as leaders we must humble ourselves as God’s servants, be confident in our abilities to lead and in God’s calling us and do it ALL for His glory!
Yoga Instructors Leading on the Mat
Here are seven ways we can demonstrate leadership as good yoga instructors within our classes:
1. Have confidence in our training and abilities
Holy Yoga is blessed with knowledgeable and skilled trainers. Our programs are Yoga Alliance accredited, so we can be confident knowing we have received excellent training!
2. Be humble
Be humble but know that we will know more about breath work and asanas than most of our students. Having a seasoned yoga teacher as a student always keeps me humble and on my toes (sometimes literally!). Still, be confident in who YOU are as a leader but lead with an open heart and from a place of humility.
3. Be authentic
You aren’t your instructor. You aren’t your fellow Holy Yoga teachers. We can learn from them, but God made you to be YOU! Show up as yourself, not a copy of another instructor
4. Be confident in weaving the Word, offering a message, and praying
We as teachers set the tone for our classes and worship; and again, we have received excellent training, especially in our Life Groups and spending time in the Word.
5. Be welcoming
Our Lord welcomed everyone (and still does!). We emulate Him by welcoming all participants as children of God.
6. Pray over our teaching spaces and students
Praying invites God to be more fully present in the worship. We teachers set the tone and focus for our sessions; but the real director is the Lord, and we must acknowledge this before our participants.
7. Create connection in your community
After class, make it a point to chat with students and especially new ones, asking them for feedback and how we can best support them going forward in Holy Yoga classes.
Yoga Instructors Leading off the Mat
Here are six suggestions of how to being a leader off the mat and outside of class.
1. Email new students after they have taken a class, telling them how wonderful it was having them worship with you and encouraging them.
2. Send a weekly group email to all students—regular, occasional, and potential—to remind them of the next session and to share what the focus will be for the next class, perhaps adding a verse or scripture on which you’ll be focusing. This helps keep the communication lines open and shows you are on top of things!
3. Share Holy Yoga in your various circles and environments. When people ask what you do, make it a point to mention you are a Holy Yoga instructor, share our mission statement and giving people your business card, and inviting them to class. Take the lead!
4. Be mindful of your social media content, especially in an election year. Each time you post something ask yourself, “Does this post reflect something opposite of living the Gospel message?”
5. Share reels and messages on social media about Holy Yoga. For ideas, watch some of our wonderful Holy Yoga TV videos. Consider demonstrating variations of poses, such as Tree Pose or Camel, or read scripture and offer a message or lectio divina meditation. Share our Bible studies or share a post about your continuing education training.
6. Live the 4 pillars of Holy Yoga—Christ, wellness, community, and living beyond ourselves.
We have a high calling to be good yoga instructors, and it can be scary to lead, but when God calls us to lead, He will equip us!
Moses didn’t feel qualified to lead his people out of bondage:
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10, NIV)
God told Moses He would help him speak and teach him what to say, adding that his brother Aaron would help him. And look what Moses went on to do!
As the old saying goes, “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies those he calls.”
Know this: You are called by God. You are qualified to teach Holy Yoga. God will continue to qualify you as a ministry leader!
We are a community in Holy Yoga. None of us are alone on this journey.
You are a trained Holy Yoga instructor. You are in the Word. You are a light for a hurting world, and you have the incredible privilege of carrying God’s Word and the four pillars of Holy Yoga to those who are thirsty for them!
Are you ready to really lead?!
As the Lord told Moses, “Now go; I will help you speak and teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12, NIV).
Trust Him. Commit your ministry and students to Him. Be a servant leader!
And as you grow in your leadership as a good yoga instructor, seek His guidance regarding other ways to cultivate greater leadership.
He’s counting on you!
If you want to learn more about how to become a certified yoga instructor, check out affordable continuing education credits you can earn on-demand from the comfort of your own home through Holy Yoga TV+.
