Teaching Yoga is not just a profession and it’s not even about making a fashion statement. A Yoga teacher has the potential to transform some once life for the better.

An authentic Yoga teacher will be living yoga every single moment of his or her life as a conscious, joyous choice, someone who has spent and dedicated his or her life to gathering real knowledge, someone who embraces the core values of Yoga guided by the “Yamas” and “Niyamas” of Patanjali’s Yog Sutra’s.

And when this happens, it is truly transformational so here are 5 of the essential qualities that Yoga Sama.Org ensures its Yoga teacher abides by to ensure a safe and authentic spread of Yoga knowledge.

Compassionate

Warmth, caring, sensitivity, empathy, kindness, support and an underlying, unconditional acceptance for everyone will exude from a true Yoga teacher. Such teachers will be encouraging, gentle, and patient, and interactions with them will leave you feeling good and hopeful about yourself.

Balanced

A sense of calm arising from a disposition that is better balanced and even-tempered than most will set such a teacher apart. He or she will also have the uncommon ability to be firm and assertive, yet gentle and kind in the right measure.

Humble

Technical skills and anatomy knowledge can be learned, however, qualities such as sensitivity, people skills, social intelligence, and empathy are character traits that are not so easily learned. It is attention to these qualities and a continual desire to learn and be humble that makes the difference between a good teacher and an exceptional teacher.

Genuine

A true Guru doesn’t make false promises about what he or she can do for you. A true Yoga teacher realizes that the journey and progress in Yoga are experiential. One of the main premises of Yoga is truthfulness. We need to find our simple truths inside as well as seek truth from others in our lives.

Commitment

People start practising Yogic for different reasons. Some don’t even consider the spiritual aspect of it; they are more drawn to the physicality it entails. Above all our commitment is loud and clear that promotes equity, and fosters diversity and inclusion, all while maintaining the integrity of Yoga’s cultural and historical roots.

This commitment supports Yoga Sama's credentials as markers of high-quality, safe, accessible, and equitable Yoga teaching.