How to Choose a Yoga Instructor

There are thousands of trained, certified and experienced yoga instructors. There are equally as many yoga studios and a plethora of yoga styles. This abundance of options can make choosing a yoga instructor feel daunting and somewhat impossible, but there are ways to search for and find a yoga instructor who is just right for you.

Instructions

    • 1

      Find a yoga class. Choosing what you want to focus on in your practice will help you begin the process of finding a yoga teacher. Yoga offers many things for the practitioner: relaxation, flexibility, energy, balance, weight loss, muscle toning and more. List your goals and search for these elements in the classes you try.

    • 2

      Check the yoga teachers' credentials, and look for the words "certified" and "registered." A yoga teacher must complete 200 hours of training in a qualified yoga school to be certified. The teacher can also register with Yoga Alliance, an international registry that recognizes teachers who meet the alliance's minimum standards and agree to follow a certain code of conduct while teaching.

    • 3

      Read about the instructors. Most studios make available their yoga teachers' biographies, which include the place the teacher was trained, who her teacher is, what she focuses on in her yoga classes, how long she has been teaching, and whether she is certified and registered.

    • 4

      Make dates with some friends to attend various yoga classes with different teachers. After the classes, talk together about how you felt. Compare and contrast to get different perspectives.

    • 5

      Attend a class more than once. Experiencing several classes with the same instructor can help you get an overall feeling for how she teaches. Repeat this step a few times, and eventually you will be able to choose the instructor you like the most.

    • 6

      Go to classes when substitute instructors are teaching. Part of yoga is learning about detachment, so though you may grow to prefer one teacher, learning from substitute teachers or other instructors can add a great deal to your practice if your teacher is away. There is something to learn from everyone--and not just on the yoga mat.