Why Yoga Teachers Really Need Their Own Practice (Yes… Even If We Teach 1 Million Classes a Week)

Just a few words from a happy yoga teacher who knows the struggle is real 😉

Let’s get one thing straight:

Teaching yoga is not the same as doing yoga.

As a student, it may LOOK like we are practicing with you. But trust, me, we aren't. Just because we demo a few chaturangas without face-planting or float around the room sprinkling inspirational quotes like confetti does not mean we’re getting our own practice in. I know I personally walk, talk and demo throughout class. If I were truly practiicing, I would NOT be able to do that.

And honestly? We need to practice just as much (maybe more!) than our students do. Here’s why:

⸻

1. Because Cueing a Pose Is Not the Same as Feeling a Pose

As a teacher, you can eloquently guide your students into Warrior II…but when’s the last time you held that baby long enough to question your life choices?

Your body needs the stretch. Your mind needs the stillness. Your soul needs the moment where you say, “Oh right… THIS is why I teach this stuff.”

Teaching uses your brain. Practicing feeds your heart.

⸻

2. Personal Practice Keeps Your Teaching Fresh (and prevents ‘yoga autopilot’)

If you’ve ever caught yourself cueing a pose and thinking:

“Didn’t I say this exact thing yesterday… last week… last year…?”

And yes, I've asked myself these questions more times than I can admit.

Congratulations, you may be on Yoga Teacher Autopilot Mode™.

Your own practice shakes you out of that rut. You explore new transitions, rediscover old favorites, and magically remember how good it feels to breathe deeply and move with intention.

Suddenly your classes come alive again — not because you learned something new, but because you felt something new.

⸻

3. It Keeps You From Turning Into that Burnt-Out, Over-Enthusiastic Teacher

You know the one. The teacher who’s all: “Just breathe through it!” While clearly needing a nap, a vacation, and possibly a snack.

A personal practice is like plugging yourself into a charger. It keeps your energy authentic, grounded, and not fueled by caffeine and frantic smiling.

Your students feel the difference.

You feel the difference.

Your family definitely feels the difference.

⸻

4. Practicing Helps You Remember What It’s Like to Be a Student

It’s important to remember the joy… and the struggle.

The wobbling in Half Moon. The “why is this so hard today?” moments. The bliss of savasana that feels like a spa day for your nervous system.

When you practice, you reconnect with empathy. You remember what it feels like to be guided, supported, and held by someone else’s words. That makes your teaching more compassionate, more human, and way more relatable.

⸻

5. Because Yoga Is a Relationship… and Relationships Need Attention

You wouldn’t give marriage advice without actually being in a relationship, right? (Well… some people do. But we are not them.)

Yoga is the same. If we’re not tending to it, nurturing it, and spending quality time with it…we lose the spark. A personal practice is basically date night with your mat. No candles required. (Unless that’s your vibe.)

⸻

6. Your Practice Is Where Your Authenticity Comes From

Students don’t show up for perfect teachers. They show up for real ones.

Your practice shows you your edges, your emotions, your imperfections, and your magic. When you step into the role of student again, you reconnect with your own voice and style — the thing that makes your classes uniquely you.

And trust me…your students feel that authenticity the moment they walk in.

⸻

Final Thoughts: Personal Practice Isn’t a Luxury — It’s Required Maintenance

Like brushing your teeth. Or washing yoga pants that have become sentient.

Your practice is what keeps you grounded, inspired, energized, and genuinely joyful as a teacher.

It reminds you that before you were an instructor, you were a student. And the best teachers…never stop being one. In other words, be a forever student.

Ready to reconnect with your own joy, strength, and maybe your hamstrings?

Grab your mat and come flow with me!

Let’s breathe, laugh, wobble, sweat, and wine—well, shine—together.

Join my next class and let’s make yoga fun again! Check out my schedule page to see where I'm teaching.