Published May 19, 2026 at 10:58 AM
When I started teaching yoga nearly 20 years ago, I don’t think I was prepared for students to talk. In the classes I took, the teachers were the only ones talking, and the yoga teacher training focused more on what to say — not what to hear and how to listen.
And yet my students an act He speaks. They had questions, were skeptical or complaining about what I was asking them to do, and some even had complaints. When I was caught off guard, I didn’t always know what to say in response, and I didn’t always handle their opinions with the grace I would have liked in that moment.
But their contributions and even criticisms, once I was secure enough to accept them, helped develop my teaching more than any training, book or podcast.
12 things students told me that changed the way I teach
These are the things students have shared with me that have changed the way I teach over time.
1. “I can’t hear you.”
Many students told me that I spoke so quietly that they couldn’t hear signals when I started teaching. Since the music wasn’t helping, I turned it off and worked on speaking. Presenting in large rooms requires practice, energy, and some serious diaphragmatic breathing. (I also had to learn to trust that turning up the volume didn’t mean aggression, but caring.) Now they can hear me…and I’m better break So.
2. “What if I can’t do it?”
A new student asked me this question at the beginning of class, at a time when I was still nervous as a teacher. It was helpful to realize that students can be nervous too, perhaps more so than I was. I imagined her asking me the same question about every situation. So I made sure to provide options during that class, and in every class I’ve taught since.
3. “Sorry, I’m a doctor.”
One student revealed to me about her career after a class in which she checked her phone. This definitely pushed me to get rid of any preconceived notions I had Using phones in class.
But I was mostly bothered by the fact that I explained the parasympathetic nervous system to my students as if I was the only one in the room who understood it. Realizing that I had students who knew a lot more about the body than I did helped me position myself as a fellow student and collaborator rather than the “expert.” Now, in classes that have a discussion component, I make sure to open the door for students to share they He knows.
4. “Why are we doing this?”
While I was teaching lever (Bakasana), a hesitant student asked me about this. “To develop a sense of fun and build some strength in the arm and body,” I answered. That was an acceptable answer, but the question challenged me. My takeaway? It’s important to know why I teach everything I teach.
5. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to. I have things going on.”
A student once shocked me when she placed a block toward the top of her mat so she could put her hand on it and lift her torso up. Lizard pose (Uthan Presthasana) – which she thought might make her back feel better. She probably felt special or maybe she just wanted her own space.
Her response taught me to provide props in more subtle ways, including showing how I could use the block and explaining why. Now, before I intervene, I like to know if my input is at least needed or welcomed—for example, by asking if the student is happy where they are.
6.”“I feel more anxious when I close my eyes.”
After learning A Savasana In which I encouraged students to close their eyes, one student explained to me that she felt as if her thoughts were racing with her eyes closed, something that had never occurred to me. This made me realize that students can have difficulty with even the most common yoga cues, no matter how good their intentions. After that, it was easy for me to start by saying, ““Close your eyes or lower your gaze” or “Close your eyes if you want.”
7. “I point my knees in the same direction as my middle toes – where are they now, or where were they before?”
This was a class where the majority of students had bunions, and many sets of toes were pointing to the sides. The student’s query led to widespread laughter. It was then that I realized that I was repeating the cues I had learned without paying attention to the people in the room. I wasn’t looking at they Their feet or give signals that make sense to them.
Since then, I have tried to be more aware of the needs of the students in front of me. (“Center of your feet” would have been better as a reference point for this group.) But I also learned that there is nothing wrong with letting students explore what feels good in their bodies without being overly specific.
8. “Doing boat pose like this bothers me.”
One student explained that because of a previous injury to her tailbone, she felt it was best for her to do this Boat position (Navasana) sits more on her upper buttocks and rounds her back, rather than balancing on her tailbone, strengthening her spine, and lifting her chest. What worked for her was inconsistent with the “optimal” fit she had learned in her teaching training.
Over time, the students gave me a crash course in human diversity and taught me to leave room for whatever works for them. “If it’s possible today,” and “If it’s right for you,” were slogans easy enough to add after the alignment signs.
9. “Did you know that adjustment you made to me yesterday was to press my shoulders down into this reclined position? My neck and shoulders are hurting right now,”
Right after one of the students said this, I felt myself becoming defensive. Surely, I told myself, something was wrong Ha shoulder, not with practical help that has been carefully taught and managed. Later that night, I was staring at the ceiling, still thinking about her injury, when my guard came down enough for me to accept that my yoga help probably wasn’t guaranteed. After all, I didn’t know anything about her body. Since then, I’ve been laid off Hands-on assistance.
10. “My wrist hurts.” “I have elbow problems, and I can’t do all those chaturangas.” “Going back to Chaturanga bothers my shoulders.”
I was teaching an intensive vinyasa class, and I was determined to stick with it, despite a litany of complaints. I gave students the reassurance that teachers had given me in the past; I told them that their Your wrists will become stronger Which works to align the shoulder and elbow Chaturanga That would help.
But this group of students kept telling me that their bodies weren’t feeling well. It took them a long time to admit that teaching dozens of vinyasas was not working for them. It took me longer to admit that my left shoulder wasn’t feeling well. I started doing the vinyasas less and more slowly, and that seemed to help the students. It helped my shoulder too.
11. “I wonder if you could use fewer words?”
“But words are my strength,” I replied to the student who made this request. I also gave her permission to ignore me or only listen to what I said that was valuable or made sense to her.
But once I paused and became honest with myself, I had to admit that maybe everyone My words were completely unnecessary. Slowly, I began to narrow down my talk to what I felt would benefit the students most.
12. When the student actually answered all my rhetorical questions!
In a private class with a brand-new student, I asked, as I often did, “Can you feel this stretch in X, Y, or Z?” I did not expect an answer to these questions that were supposed to focus her consciousness. But instead of thinking silently, she responded out loud and told me whether she felt it there or somewhere else. It was really helpful to have a student who was so prepared.
This student helped me realize that yoga classes can be very one-sided. I get it, there are lots of reasons to encourage silence, including creating conditions for introspection. But, as students have shown me time and time again, making room for some give and take can be truly valuable.
“Thank you,“I want to say to everyone who spoke up even when I wasn’t curious or didn’t open up for their input. And also, ‘I’m sorry.’ “I could have been more accepting than I was.”
At first, I think I was afraid of students’ opinions because I didn’t want to It changes– To give up a cue or technique I’ve been relying on. I’m braver now. Sometimes, before class, I find it helpful to find out what students hope to get from the class. Sometimes, during class, it is appropriate to open the door to student questions. Sometimes after a lesson, there is a moment where I ask what worked for the students and what didn’t. This way, the class becomes a collaboration, and teachers learn something too… when they’re ready to listen.
