What One Year of Teaching Yoga Has Taught Me - Reflections from a Yoga Teacher

Introduction

I have been teaching my own yoga classes for a year now, and it feels like the right moment to pause and reflect on what that year has taught me—and how it has changed me as both a teacher and a student of yoga.

If you’re exploring yoga classes in Ringwood in the New Forest, or just beginning your yoga journey, this reflection might offer a small insight into me and my approach to yoga.

Finding My Yoga Community

I have practiced yoga for many years, but I never felt like I had truly found my ‘yoga tribe’—a community I felt part of. Teaching yoga, for me, became about creating that sense of connection.

A space where people can come together in friendship and trust to explore movement, meditation, breathwork and yoga philosophy.

That sense of shared experience—of practicing alongside others—is something I now see as one of the most powerful parts of a yoga class.

The Privilege of Teaching Yoga

Before I started teaching yoga, I didn’t fully appreciate the privilege of someone choosing to practice with you.

There is something quietly powerful about that choice.

When people tell you that your yoga classes have made a difference in their lives, it stays with you. Whether there is one person in the room or fifteen, I feel genuinely grateful every time someone steps onto the mat with me.

Finding My Voice as a Yoga Teacher

When I began teaching, I did so in the shadow of the many great yoga teachers that I had learned from. But over this past year, something has shifted. I have found my own voice as a yoga teacher. I have started to bring more of myself into my teaching.

My classes now weave together flowing yoga sequences with embodied, somatic movement—combining āsana, breathwork, meditation and philosophy.

I aim to teach authentically - teaching as myself, knowing that my yoga style and my style of teaching won’t resonate with everyone—and that is as it should be.

Yoga is a personal journey, and who you want to accompany you on that journey may change over time. In the same way, I am on my own journey - my teaching will continue to evolve and develop over time as I learn and grow.

What Makes a ‘Good’ Yoga Practice?

I used to think that a ‘good’ yoga practice was defined by how deeply you could move into a posture.

Now, I see something very different.

I look around the room and notice people choosing variations that truly suit their bodies. I see people listening to their bodies, meeting themselves where they are, and leaving their egos at the door.

That, to me, is the real practice of yoga.

There are many styles of yoga, and as many approaches as there are yoga teachers. My yoga is about helping you to discover what is right for your body, encouraging you to listen to your body, and to explore movement, breathwork and yoga wisdom with curiosity and a sense of fun.

My classes change - some weeks are more physically demanding than others. I always offer variations and invite you to set an intention for your class. You could come to a physically demanding yoga class and create an experience which allows you to focus on your breath, and find ease in the posture. Or you could come to a less physically demanding class but challenge yourself to hold postures with intent and lean more into the physicality.

The choice is always yours.

The Quiet Transformation of a Yoga Class

There are moments in class that are hard to describe—but impossible to miss.

People arrive feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or disconnected… and something begins to soften.

The breath slows.

The room settles.

There is a quiet sense of people moving and breathing together.

A shared stillness.

That shift isn’t something I create—it’s the power of yoga itself. But being able to hold the space where that transformation happens… that is the privilege of teaching yoga.

Looking Ahead: Year Two of Teaching Yoga

There is a well known teaching in the Bhagavad Gita:

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana

Which translates as:

You have a right to action alone, never to its fruits.

This wisdom has guided me in my first year of teaching, and it will continue to guide me. I understand it to mean:

• You are responsible for your effort, choices, and integrity.

• You are not in control of the outcome.

• Therefore, don't attach your identity to results.

  
  

As I have grown my yoga community I have focused on delivering classes to the best of my ability, with integrity and joy and with a deep wish to share the practice of yoga as I understand it.

Rather than focusing on yoga as a business, I return to a few simple reflections:

• Am I showing up fully - am I fully present in the class?

• Am I being authentic - teaching what I believe in?

• Am I preparing thoughtfully - creating clear, grounded sessions?

• Am I meeting the needs of the people who are there - while holding true to myself?

As I move into my second year of teaching yoga, I carry all of this with me.

I am still learning,

still listening,

and still deeply grateful to share yoga with others—watching confidence grow, connection deepen, and a love of yoga unfold over time.

Practice With Me

If you are looking for yoga classes in Ringwood - whether you are new to yoga or an old hand - join me and my 'yoga tribe' and we can continue on this wonderful yoga adventure together.

You can book a class here

You can find out more about me here

Find my yoga schedule here