5 Teaching Tips to Keep Beginning Yogis Coming Back

Note: beYogi authors write based off personal experience. Some tips may work for you, others may not apply. 

When teaching yoga to beginners, build the trust, confidence, and self-assuredness they need to become your repeat students.

Most beginners initially come to yoga in pursuit of outward benefits; be it flexibility, weight loss, or a yoga booty. They have yet to learn that yoga has little to do with a beautiful body and everything to do with the union of mind-body-spirit.

Focused on the physical, beginners unfortunately bring a sense of self-doubt, competition, or apprehension to their yoga mats. They might fear not being flexible enough, not looking sexy in yoga pants, or being the worst student in class. Even with the majority of classes still online there is a fear that someone is judging them, so it is important to relay just how welcome they are. 

As yoga teachers, we know that these fears are futile; we know that flexibility is irrelevant and there's no competition in yoga. As good yoga teachers, it's our responsibility to quell beginners' fears so that they don't quit yoga as soon as they start. These five teaching tips will make beginning students feel so confident and comfortable that they'll look forward to returning for more in-person or online classes.

How To Keep New Yoga Students Coming Back

1. Make them feel welcome.

Beginners have mustered a lot of courage to brave their very first yoga class, so make them feel welcome and at ease from the get-go. Personally introduce yourself to each student before class starts. Ask if they have any injuries or health concerns that might affect their practice—information they may not be comfortable sharing in a group introduction. This can be done over Zoom! Remember their name so that they know they're more than a number. By showing you care, you'll begin to build their trust. Once they trust you, they'll become your committed student.

2. Start the class with something easy.

When you're teaching beginners, open the class with easy and uncomplicated movements. Guide them through mini-exercises, as simple as neck and shoulder rotations. Remember that beginners either have no idea what to expect from their first few classes or they expect yoga to be difficult. If you start them off with something easy, they'll foster an attitude of wow, I can do yoga! rather than I suck at yoga. Mini-exercises build their confidence to continue their practice.

Here is a group of beYogi articles dedicated to planning classes.

3. Tone down the spirituality.

If your classes usually embrace spirituality, dial it back for beginners. As a yoga teacher, you know that yoga's mind-body-soul pursuit is religion-neutral, but beginners might be under a different impression. The last thing you want to do is scare off your students with what they might perceive as mystical, hippy-dippy or occultist mumbo-jumbo. Consider beginning and ending your class with om-chanting to set a peaceful mindset, but otherwise limit your use of mantras, talk of chakras and other overtly spiritual lingo. While you shouldn't sacrifice your own spiritual values for the sake of attracting new students, you should keep in mind that all students have come to yoga for different, and perhaps purely physical, reasons. They may eventually find a spiritual path through yoga, but allow this to happen organically and in their own time.

*note this section may not apply to you or your classes. beYogi does our best to represent all yoga teachers however our authors write based off personal experience. Please make sure to make educated decisions when using these tips.

4. Never forget that everybody is different.

Now that you're a teacher and have an established practice, it's easy to forget what yoga felt like when you first began. As a reminder, yoga is hard for most beginners. It can be intense, as it tests muscles and balance, which students aren't used to engaging. Keep this in mind when you're teaching. What's easy for you now may be very challenging for someone else—especially a beginner. Every body is different, and everyone has different physical abilities. Expect each student to have a slightly unique expression of the same pose, rather than forcing someone into a position that's not suited for their body or ability.

5. Don't correct more than three times.

If you correct a beginner too many times within one class, you jeopardize their self-confidence and they might not return. Limit posture adjustments, hands-on assists, and reminders to just three times per student, per class. Even then, correct only when the student might be putting themselves at risk for injury. Learn more about Yoga & Consent rules. No beginner wants to be singled out or given negative attention, so never verbally correct them from the other side of the studio, or ask them to demonstrate a pose in front of the whole class. Talk beginners through adjustments quietly and directly. And instead of focusing on what they're doing wrong, recognize what they're doing right with gentle words of encouragement like “good” and “nice.”

When you put these five teaching tips to use in your yoga classes, you'll build the trust, confidence, and self-assuredness that beginners need to become your repeat students.

Looking for more insight and guidance as you build your go-to process to keep new yogis coming back for more? This toolkit has you covered.

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