Practice fundamentals
How to tell a good teacher from a popular one
6 min read · Updated July 28, 2026
The short answer
A good yoga teacher is measured by attention, not attendance: they notice the struggling student at the back, offer genuine alternatives when a pose is unavailable, cue sensation rather than only shape, adapt the class to the room in front of them, and leave you feeling better two hours later — not just two minutes.
What separates a good teacher from a popular one?
A popular teacher fills a room. A good teacher notices the person at the back who has been holding their breath for six minutes. These overlap less often than you would hope.
Watch what happens when somebody in the room cannot do the thing. If the teacher offers a genuine alternative — not 'or stay here', but a different shape with the same intention — that is a good sign.
What should you listen and watch for in class?
Listen for whether instructions are about shape or about sensation. 'Square your hips' is a shape. 'Find the point where the front of your left hip starts to speak' is a sensation. Good teachers use both and know which one a beginner can actually follow.
Notice whether they teach the same class to everyone. A teacher who has been running the same sequence for three years with a different playlist is not teaching; they are hosting.
What questions reveal a teacher's depth?
Ask how long they have been practising, not how long they have been teaching. The gap between the two numbers is informative.
And notice how you feel two hours later, not two minutes later. Anyone can produce a nice feeling at the end of savasana.
References
- Yoga Alliance (2025). Yoga Alliance. Supports: What teacher credentials do and do not certify. Accessed July 25, 2026.
- IBISWorld (2025). IBISWorld. Supports: Teacher supply growth underpinning the popularity-vs-quality gap. Accessed July 25, 2026.
- NCCIH (2023). NIH NCCIH. Supports: Instructor qualification guidance for practice safety. Accessed July 25, 2026.
On The Yoga Universe
Find someone for this
Browse the indexMore in practice fundamentals
The eleven yoga styles, honestly described
What actually happens in an Ashtanga room versus a yin room, and which one suits the week you are having.
9 min read · Updated July 28, 2026What to expect in your first class, minute by minute
Nobody will look at you. Here is what happens anyway, so you can stop wondering.
6 min read · Updated July 28, 2026Buy two blocks before you buy anything else
A short and slightly grumpy guide to what equipment is worth owning.
4 min read · Updated July 28, 2026