Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher
Yoga Teacher Confidential is your backstage pass to the unspoken truths of being a yoga teacher. Sage Rountree, PhD, E-RYT500, dives into the real challenges and rewards of teaching yoga, offering expert advice and secrets to help you build confidence, connect with your students, and teach with authenticity. Sage draws on her two decades of experience teaching yoga, running a studio, and training teachers to share practical insights you can use right away. You'll also hear advice from her books, including Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses, The Art of Yoga Sequencing, and The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook. Whether you’re navigating imposter syndrome, mastering classroom presence, or refining your skills to teach specialized niches like athletes, this podcast empowers you to lead your classes with clarity, grace, and ease.
Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher
32. How to Be a Gracious Host to Your Students: Elevate Your Teaching by Welcoming Connection
In today’s episode of Yoga Teacher Confidential, I explore how thinking of yourself as a gracious host—not just an instructor—can deeply transform your students’ experience. I share actionable tips like preparing your space, greeting each student personally, adjusting your cues to student needs, and embracing authenticity in every class you teach. Plus, I introduce my new Comfort Zone Yoga studio setup where I’ll be creating even more content to support your growth as a teacher.
You’ll learn:
- How to set the “table” for student success
- Why being present at the door matters
- How to accommodate different learning styles without hovering
- The value of post-class reflection (hello, hostess diary!)
- Why authenticity always trumps perfection
This episode is all about empowering you to create a warm, welcoming space where transformation can truly happen.
Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there!
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And come explore my mentorship program, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs. It's all at sagerountree.com.
Can I tell you something? Being a yoga teacher isn't just about instruction. It's about creating an experience where your students feel welcomed, supported, and seen. In many ways, it's like being the host of a dinner party. Think about the difference between a yoga class where you felt truly welcome versus one where you felt like just another body in the room. That difference often comes down to how the teacher approached their role, not just as an instructor, but as someone creating a space for transformation. This is Yoga Teacher Confidential. I'm Sage Rountree, and today we're talking about how being a gracious host to your students transforms your teaching. If you've been following this podcast, you know that I suggest everything changes when you realize your students are the heroes of the yoga classroom and you are simply their guide. But today, I want to add another layer to that relationship. You're not just a guide. You are a host. Okay. Being a yoga teacher is like being a host for a dinner party or running a bed and breakfast. Your job is to create an environment where students can have a satisfying experience, just like a good host wouldn't serve a meal that only they enjoy. A good yoga teacher doesn't teach a class that only suits their own preferences. Instead, you create an experience that meets your students' needs. This starts before class even begins. When you arrive at the studio, you're setting the table, so to speak. You're adjusting the lighting. The temperature may be arranging props or putting on soft music. All of this creates the container for your students' experience. And just like a good host greets, guests at the door, you should be ready to welcome students as they arrive, make eye contact, smile, learn their names. These small gestures make people feel seen and feel valued. Once class begins, you're essentially serving the meal. You've planned the menu, your sequence, but a good host is attentive to how guests are receiving each course. Are they struggling with a pose? Maybe they need a modification or more options. Are they looking confused? Perhaps your cues need clarification. Being a host means reading the room and adjusting accordingly. So why does this host mindset matter? Because when your students feel welcomed, supported, and seen, they're much more likely to return. And more importantly, they're more likely to develop the consistency in their yoga practice that truly benefits them. I've noticed in my own teaching that when I approach my class with this host mentality, the entire energy of the room shifts. Students relax more deeply. They take risks they might not otherwise take. They connect more authentically with themselves, with me, and with each other. This matters because yoga isn't just about the poses, it's about creating a space for transformation. And transformation can only happen when people feel safe and supported. The host mindset also matters because it takes the pressure off you to be some kind of yoga superhero. You don't have to be the most flexible, the strongest, or the most enlightened person in the room. You just have to be attentive, genuine, and responsive to your students' needs. This relates to something I discussed back in episode two. You only have to be you. As I was told early on in my yoga teaching career after over apologizing for being a sub, we can see that you are not Brian. You don't need to apologize for not being Brian, being you. Includes being the kind of host that makes your unique students feel welcome in your unique class. Let's talk about how you can put this host mindset into practice. First, prepare the space. Arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes early so you can check the temperature, adjust the lighting, and make sure props are accessible. This isn't just busy work, it's about creating a consistent, welcoming environment. If you've ever walked into a restaurant where the tables weren't set or the floors weren't swept, you know how this affects your experience. Setting the table for your students shows that you are excited to welcome them. Then be present at the door. Make a point of greeting each student by name if possible. For new students, make eye contact, smile, and introduce yourself. Helping them get oriented to the space where to put their shoes, where to find props, where the bathrooms are. This immediately puts them at ease. It's you being a gracious host. For students who arrive late, have a plan. Think about where you will direct them to set up so they don't disrupt the flow of class. A simple nod and a gesture toward an open spot lets them know you see them, and they're welcome even if they're late, accommodate different learning styles. Some students prefer to learn by watching others by listening, and still others by doing. Offer demonstrations, clear verbal cues, and occasionally invite your students to explore a movement in their own way. Check in with your students to be sure they're getting what they need, but don't hover or over assist. Just as a good host doesn't constantly ask. How's your food? How's your food? How's your food? Every bite. Give your students space to have their own experience be available, but not intrusive. As class winds down, pay special attention to the transition out of Shavasana. This is like the dessert course of your yoga meal. It should not be rushed. Guide students out gently and give them space to integrate their experience before you move them off their mats. After class, position yourself near the door to say goodbye. This is your chance to check in briefly, especially with your new students.. A simple how did that feel, can open the door to valuable feedback and make students feel that their experience matters to you. And remember, just as a good host prepares for each gathering, take time between classes to reflect what worked well, what could be improved, how can you better serve your specific students next time? Have you heard of a hostess diary? It's maybe an old fashioned thing, but you could still pick it up at a stationary store or order it online. It's what hostesses used to use to make notes about their dinner parties, both to plan and then also to review after the fact. These notes might include things like. Who, what you served, who was there, how drunk they got, whether you should keep them separate from each other and so on. Things that you would change for next time. Your post-class reflection is your chance to fill in your own hostess diary. Let me share one more hosting tip, and it's a big one: be yourself. Authenticity is the most important quality of a good host and of a good yoga teacher. Remember, your students don't need you to be perfect. They need you to be present, and they need you to be genuine. If you mess up a cue or forget which side you did first, simply acknowledge it with humor and move on. Your humanness is what makes you relatable as the icon. Julia Child once said, a good host must never apologize if you burn the chicken. You must simply grin and bear it, and that's where your dessert comes into play. Here's an affirmation to help you remember this approach. I create a welcoming space where my students feel seen, heard, and supported. I am a gracious host. I create a welcoming space where my students feel seen, heard, and supported. I am a gracious host. Making this simple shift in how you approach your teaching from instructor to host can transform both your students' experience and your own enjoyment of teaching. It takes the focus off perfection and puts it on connection and isn't connection what yoga is all about. You don't need to radically change your teaching style or learn a whole new skillset. You simply need to bring the same care and attention to your yoga classroom that you would to welcoming guests into your home. Next time you teach, arrive a little earlier. Greet each student by name. Check in with how the room feels. Make adjustments based on who shows up. And notice how these small acts of hosting create a richer experience for everyone including you. Speaking of hosting, if you're watching this as a video podcast on YouTube or on Spotify, you'll see that I am in a new studio space. This is my new studio set for Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual yoga studio focused on teacher development. As of today, I am all set up here to make lots more content, helping you host your own yoga classes with greater confidence and greater calm. You can find lots of this content already in place in the Zone, my free community for yoga teachers at comfortzoneyoga.com, and at the link in the show notes. Thank you for listening to Yoga Teacher Confidential. I'm Sage Rountree. I'd love to hear how this host mindset transforms your teaching. You can reach me at sagerountree.com or on social media at @sagerountree with no letter D. I'll see you next time.
