If I can give any useful advice to any teacher, it’s the following. I’ve said it before, and really its all I’ve got. 

You love yoga. It changed you. So much so that you made a commitment to share it. This is a rare.

Why is the tail wagging the dog then? Why are teachers so concerned with feedback? Practical reasons, probably. It’s a risky move, committing to being a yoga teacher. This leads to choices made from fear. We want to be accepted, well liked, popular! This can mean we can step into this pursuit feeling—even unconsciously — that the best move is to follow the examples of others and the (perceived) whims of those who take our classes. Is my sequence interesting enough? Should I go even faster? Some of these people may have come to my class last week! This week it better be totally different! Or I’ll be found out! 

Sound far-fetched? Negative? I hear just this type of thing a lot. I’ve had more such exchanges than I can even recount at this point. 

What’s needed is you. Just you, as you are. You are a miracle and the witness to that miracle at the same time. You understand that this is a door, a way to peer inward and unravel, process, heal and transcend. This is why you went from student to teacher. 

Just show up. Take in the energy in the room. Trust what you feel. Speak the first word, call the first pose, and allow what follows.

Hari Om

Keith