Finding the Right Yoga Instructor

Since starting yoga in January, I’d been attending beginner’s classes with different instructors at different studios, trying to find an instructor who would make me feel comfortable while practicing my yoga. Every instructor I learned from was good, but I still felt something was missing. So I kept on trying different classes until, in March, I finally met the instructor who was right for me.

The moment the instructor entered the yoga room, I felt an instant connection with her. I don’t know if it was my intuition that was directing me, but I felt immediately at ease with her. It wasn’t just her voice and manner that appealed to me, but also the fact that she started the class by telling us that we would be focusing on breathing because there was a full moon that night.

Yes! I loved it! I loved the fact that she was completely in tune with the environment. Not many people hear the voice and nuances of nature and acknowledge what is going on with the earth. Most of us tend to ignore these subtle shifts and just continue with our routine because we have been taught to do so. But we are all connected to nature in some way. For example, haven’t you sometimes felt sad and depressed on a rainy day? Or perhaps you’ve felt more restless than usual during a full moon? It’s a common and natural occurrence, but not many people acknowledge it.

Yet here was the instructor, not only acknowledging it at the beginning of the class, but also teaching us how to incorporate it into our yoga practice.

She started our session by focusing on how to breathe properly, which I had been having trouble with. She also took time between the poses to talk to us and adjust our poses. She never rushed the movement but instead took more time in each pose to teach us how to focus on the proper breathing technique. As a beginner, I had found this to be my greatest challenge, so I was delighted that she was taking the time to help me focus on my breathing and not only on the yoga poses.

I feel so fortunate to have found a yoga instructor that I can trust completely so early in my yoga practice. With her teaching, I have grown in confidence and knowledge. She has helped me realize that yoga is not only about learning the poses, but is also about combining your practice with your daily life.

As I continue to delve into the world of yoga, I’m sure I will come across many more excellent instructors from whom I will be able to enhance my yoga practice.

[tags]yoga teacher, right yoga instructor, proper breathing technique[/tags]