Teaching Hatha Yoga - Order in the Class

Yoga teachers should establish control over theirindependently wealthy, and you do not need money
classes. A Yoga class is not an "open campus." If youfor heat, air conditioning, signage, furniture, fixtures,
expect everyone to follow along without structure,other teacher salaries, rent, liability insurance, other
order, and guidelines, you will be disappointed. It will notutilities, taxes, and continuing education.
take long for "one bad apple" to show up and distractIt will not take long before a significant number of your
your lesson plan.Yoga students are late for their donation, late for class,
Here's an example: You have no rules or official policyand want to leave early before meditation starts.
in your Yoga classes because you believe adultsTherefore, Yoga is a discipline. Many Yoga teachers
know how to act. Wrong - Why do you think we havefool themselves into thinking otherwise, because they
traffic lights? We have speed limits too, but how manyare naturally self-disciplined in the first place. Yoga
adults obey them?teachers differ from the average student, because
However, let's give your theory a chance. Without anythey have turned pro-active health into a lifestyle. Most
guidelines, a Hatha Yoga class will quickly disintegratepeople are not pro-active about their health at all.
into an informal stretch class. You are no longer seenAbout difficult students: Design rules for them, distribute
as the Yoga teacher.them, and say good bye to those who cannot follow
You just become the person who pays the rent, andthem.
overhead, for the Yoga studio. After all, you are