The Difference Between a Yoga Instructor and a Yoga Teacher
Ever since I have followed a yoga teacher training in India, the way how I practice yoga and the effects of my yoga practice have changed a lot. I have always loved yoga but before following my yoga course, I was lacking the discipline to practice independently at home. That was one of the main reasons why I decided to follow a teacher training; to learn how to sequence a yoga class properly and to have the discipline and knowledge to practice by myself. Before that I only practiced with the guidance of teachers, and I used to love trying out different studios and different teachers. However when I finished my course and I learned how to teach a yoga class, the situation turned upside down. Now I love practicing alone at home and not so much with a teacher anymore. My expectations have changed and I am more critical towards the teachers.
The main reason of this change of attitude comes from the awareness that there is a difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga instructor. So far it seemed I had mainly met yoga instructors. It is very easy to find a yoga instructor, but yoga teachers are rare.
A yoga instructor, as the name implies, instructs, whereas a yoga teacher teaches. The difference lays in the attention the yoga teacher or instructor gives to the students. Mostly yoga instructors use the time of their classes to practice themselves. You usually find them on their yoga mat throughout the class, performing the asanas along with the students and instructing the alignments of the poses. They can have a lot of knowledge about the asanas and their benefits, but their classes consist of instructions often together with a demonstration of how to perform a pose. A yoga teacher however will rarely spend time on his or her yoga mat while teaching. The teacher might show a pose for demonstration, but he will mostly walk around during the class to observe the students and to correct the poses and give modifications when required. This is very important in a good yoga class because even though the instructor might know the perfect alignment of each asana he teaches, there is no such thing as one perfect alignment of a pose. There is a perfect alignment of a pose for a certain body at a certain time. Each body is different and each situation is different. Therefore it is important for a yoga teacher to walk around in the class. This allows him to not only give the instructions, but also to observe the students and respond to their needs. It gives a whole different dimension to the class and improves the quality of the class a lot. It also creates a strong band and feeling of trust between student and teacher. Even though I actually never intended to teach yoga, after finishing my teacher training and after having the knowledge of this crucial element often missing in yoga classes, I felt a burning desire to teach yoga after all and to offer this type of yoga classes. After each class I really notice the gratitude of the students for my help and guidance, and I must say… it feels amazing and evey class I teach makes me grow as a yoga teacher and as a person.
