The Ethics of Teaching Yoga

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are the most known philosophical base for yoga. They can teach us a lot about yoga ethics and moral guidelines for teaching. Yamas and Niyamas are the ten commands of DO’s and DON’T’s for the yogic lifestyle. How can we apply them to yoga teaching in modern times? See below and feel free to add your comments and further ideas in the comments section!

Yamas and Niyamas as Guidelines for Teaching Yoga

AHIMSA – Non-harming

• •  Don’t harm your students physically or mentally. Know how, and when to assist them. Learn to give hands-on adjustments with the right teacher, and make safety the priority. 
  • Don’t talk about anyone’s personal issues or your own in front of the whole class. This could make students feel uncomfortable or bring negative energies into the space that others rely on for healing.
  • Know how far you can take and challenge your students without causing harm. Help students carefully. Find their edges.

SATYA – Truthfulness

• • Don’t act like a guru who knows everything. Teach and speak from your own experience. As a teacher, sometimes you might need to admit your ignorance. Be honest and say “I don’t know but I’ll find out”.
  • Don’t teach anything that you don’t live, believe in, or fulfill in your own life.
  • Don’t fake your skills. If you don’t know how to assist someone in order to make their asana better aligned, don’t do it.

“We may never know the impact we have on our students. That is why it is so important to come from a place of truth, compassion, and humility.” – Adri Kyser

ASTEYA – Non-stealing

• • Be aware of time and how you use it for your class. Know how much time to spend speaking as well as still allowing students to enjoy the silence and go inwards.
  • Don’t use students’ energy by speaking what you don’t need to say, or speaking just to have an audience.
  • Don’t take extra time for your class and steal the time of your students or the class after you. Start and finish your class on time.
  • Teaching yoga is not about you. You are the mediator between the students and the ancient tradition of yoga.

BRAHMACHARYA – Right use of energy

• • Be aware of the kind of energy you radiate. Don’t let your bad energies and moods out into the class
  • Be aware of the energy that some students take up. Be fair in distributing your energy amongst students.
  • Draw healthy, respectful, and professional boundaries with students, especially with dating and romance. 

APARIGRAHA – Non-possessiveness

• • Don’t get attached to your students. A yoga teacher can only guide their students as far as they themselves have gone on their personal journey (Adri Kyser). There might be a point when there is nothing more you can teach them. Let them go.
  • Remember to accept that you might not be the right teacher for all students and they have the freedom to choose their teachers.

SAUCHA – Cleanliness and Purity

• • Take care of your own cleanliness: arrive clean in body and clothes. Keep a change of clothes if needed.
  • Arrive with a clear mind. Sit for a few moments as needed to clean and let go of any possible emotional and mental distraction before meeting students.
  • Take time before your classes start to make sure that mats are appropriately aligned and everyone has the space that they need.
  • Take care of the yoga space (shala) where you practice and teach: clean it as needed and keep it tidy. Make sure that the yoga mats and space are cleaned after the class.
  • Make sure your music, theme, voice, and choice of words are aligned and in harmony

SANTOSHA – Contentment

• • Stay humble towards your own practice. Stay humble towards your students. See what you can learn from them. Respect them even if you don’t like their personalities.
  • Respect your past and present teachers. Give them credits for what you’ve learned from them.
  • Don’t be excessively demanding with your students’ progress.
  • Accept the class that walks into the room.  You don’t always get to pick your students.

TAPAS – Discipline and right focus of energy

• • Be an example and show up on your mat on time. Be dedicated to your own practice. Keep things sacred.
  • Challenge your students. Make them realize all the things they can do even when they are not aware of their own capabilities. Push them to their edges.
  • Sometimes yoga is hard work both mentally and physically. You are the one to help them on their journey, keep alive the fire inside, and help them step over the obstacles that they might have on their paths.
  • Teach them how a disciplined yoga practice can be a tool for a healthier lifestyle. Yoga is much more than just an asana practice.

SVADHYAYA – Study of Self

• • Know your Self. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Be aware of your own knowledge and wisdom.
  • Recognize your own belief-systems; be aware of how you label things and people from your own perspective. Be careful for not judging your students from a self-righteous perspective.
  • Cultivate awareness of the things it takes for you to be on top of your game.  Practice nurturing your talents.

ISHVARAPRANIDHANA – Surrendering

• • There might be moments when you realize that the energy in the class is totally different than you expected and that your planned class is not going to work today. Let go of the false sense of control.
  • Surrender yourself for your teachings, take yourself to a place of not-knowing; a place where you sense the energy of the class, a place where you are ready to skip your planned class and improvise at the moment. You’ll feel when it is the right thing to do. Just do it.
  • Treat every movement, every pose, and every bit of wisdom as sacred. 

See the first part of Yoga Ethics in Teaching

Yoga Ethics: How to be the best yoga teacher to your students – Part I

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Blissful Living,

Doron