You might be a new yoga teacher fresh out of 200-hour YTT, worried about nailing your first class. Or maybe you’ve already taught a few classes but feel like you’re just mimicking other teachers. The good news? Wherever you’re at in your teaching journey, it’s never too late—or too soon—to refine your teaching voice and make it uniquely yours.
The benefits of honing your teaching voice are huge: it draws more students to you, fills your classes, and builds a loyal student base. It also makes teaching feel more effortless because you’re teaching in a way that’s true to you.
It’s a little odd that finding your teaching voice is such a common phrase heard in the yoga world and not elsewhere. But in reality, finding your teaching voice in yoga is no different than how a kindergartner teacher would have a voice specific to when she’s teaching kids. It’s not about being inauthentic—it’s about tapping into a different side of yourself, your professional yoga-teacher persona.
Take What You Love, Leave What You Don’t
Heard a cue in class that gave you an aha moment? Take it! If it resonated with you, there’s a high chance it will resonate with your students too. You don’t have to use it word for word—put your own spin on it. But if saying the exact phrase helps your students get into a pose safely, go for it.
For example, one cue I “stole” from a teacher and use all the time is: Let your head be as heavy as a bowling ball. The first time I heard it, I instantly understood how to release more in a forward fold. Now, when I say it, I see my students physically relax.
At the same time, leave behind cues that don’t resonate with you. Just because you’ve heard something a million times doesn’t mean you have to use it. Trends in cueing come and go, you don’t have to use every one.
Don’t Force What You Aren’t
You might have heard, Don’t talk too much when you teach…leave space for your students to be in silence. While silence is important, I naturally talk a lot, and that’s part of my style. The most common feedback I get is, I love your cues and I always know exactly where to go because of your cues.
This doesn’t mean I’m talking wall to wall during the class, but I am using my voice as I naturally use it off of the mat.
If you’re someone who is more reserved or quiet then your classes will instinctively be more quiet and many students will love that. Both extremes as well as all the variations in between of how much or little you talk are valued in the yoga world. You don’t have to make yourself talk a certain way simply because you see it done more.
Lean Into What People Compliment You On
If you’re brand new and haven’t received student feedback yet, think back to what your peers told you during YTT. One of my first compliments as a teacher was, Thank you. Your voice is so relaxing. This surprised me because someone in my past had told me my voice was annoying. That compliment gave me confidence and helped shape my teaching style.
You can do the same. If people tell you that your voice is powerful and energizing, maybe power yoga is your niche. If they say your guidance helps them go deeper, you might lean into alignment-focused or philosophical cueing. Listen to the feedback. It’s a goldmine for discovering your strengths.
Teach What You Know
Nothing makes a teacher stumble over their words more than trying to teach something they don’t fully understand. My screenwriting professor in film school always said, Write what you know. I carry that advice into teaching yoga.
Imagine trying to teach how to do a headstand without ever having tried one yourself. It’s kinda like writing a romance novel when you’ve never been in love. You sorta get the idea, but without the experience it’s hard to articulate.
When you teach poses you’ve practiced and themes you’ve lived, you teach from a place of embodiment. You truly understand the pose, from anatomical mechanics to deeper sensations, and that authenticity comes through in your teaching.
Be Yourself
As cliche as it sounds, being yourself is essential to developing a loyal audience of students who will show up to your classes and offerings again and again. In the beginning, you may imitate your teachers and that’s fine. That’s often a necessary step when it comes to finding your voice. It’s like trying on costumes until you find the one that fits just right. It’s usually a combination of styles from different teachers that you like that makes up your unique teaching style.
When you try to be like the teachers you think students will like it will come across as fake and forced.
I’d never force myself to be a teacher who cues heavily on anatomy because nerding out on functions of body parts isn’t what I love. But I will guide you into a pose using cues that are more flowery or connected to nature. If calling out body parts by their anatomical names is your style and suitable for your students, go for it. If you prefer to talk more about energy and the spiritual meaning behind poses, stick to that. Your love of whatever part of yoga you adore will shine through, making your style truly yours.
Talk to Your Experiences
This is similar to teach what you know, but with a storytelling twist. When I teach a yin yoga class focused on Ishvara Pranidhana (letting go/surrender), I speak to what letting go has felt like for me.
For example, a cue I give may literally be to let go or let your body sink into the support of the mat. But I would also go into the idea of letting go of control and ask What would it feel like to let go of all your previous ideas of what this pose should look and feel like? Would you change how you’re currently in this pose?
Questions like this encourage self-inquiry, which is a big part of my teaching style. When you share your real-life experiences, your teaching becomes deeply relatable.
Ask Questions
The best classes are the ones where teachers guide you to have your own self-realizations. Yoga is a practice of self-inquiry. Skilled teachers recognize that guiding students is different than telling students exactly what to do. If you can guide a student into a pose, you can then layer on questions to help students go deeper into the pose.
Asking questions not only deepens your students’ experience but also takes pressure off you—it shifts the focus from you to their personal exploration.
Vary Your Voice
Do you know what’s dull? A monotone voice throughout an entire class. A simple change in tone makes a massive impact. Soften your voice when you want students to relax, and project more when you want them to engage their strength. You can say less simply by varying your vocal tone, making your classes more engaging and authentically you.
Speak to More Than Just Anatomy
Anatomy-focused classes have their place, but yoga is more than asana, it’s a philosophy. I believe that beyond the body is where you can truly develop your unique voice. This is where creativity and authenticity flourish.
I feel strongly about this, so leave it if it doesn’t suit you! There are tons of practices out there that are focused on anatomy and fitness. Yoga can start like this, but I believe it’s our responsibility as teachers to teach yoga as authentically as possible.
Important Things to Remember
- You will feel like a broken record. That’s normal! It means you’re refining your cues. If you reinvent your teaching style every class, you’re focusing more on yourself than your students. Consistency helps them feel comfortable.
- Finding your voice takes time. It can take years—or it can happen quickly. The more you expose yourself to different teachers and students, the faster you’ll discover what feels right.
- It’s okay to make mistakes. I look back at my old YouTube videos and cringe at how I taught, but those same videos helped students and shaped my growth. Mistakes are part of the journey.
Your teaching voice is already within you—it just takes practice to refine. Lean into what you love, listen to feedback, and trust your instincts. Over time, you’ll develop a voice that feels natural, connects deeply with students, and keeps them coming back to your classes.
What’s Next?
- Finding your style takes time, but it can be refined faster with help! Schedule a complimentary Ditch the Doubt Breakthrough session.
- Want to dive in head first and be teaching confidently in 4 months or less? Join Sacred Exploration, my 1-on-1 mentorship for yoga teachers.
- Try opening your throat chakra in a throat chakra sequence!