15-Point Customer's Checklist to Assess
Competent and INCOMPETENT Yoga Instructors
Would you like to have a better yoga practice?
Would you like to know the difference between an awesome and not so awesome yoga instructors?
You came to the right place.
If you were learning martial arts there will be significant difference between learning from a 10 degree black belt grand master and a usual black belt master right?
If you were learning in college there is a difference between learning from a world class international speaker/ researcher/ trainer professor versus "I am here just to read" kind of professor, right?
As having an experience to work with yoga trainers as part of psychological treatment; myself being a trainer of how to "teach" and "sell" for the yoga instructors in Japan (http://www.japanyogasportsfederation.org/), and practicing yoga, I realized what separates those who are competent and incompetent.
BE AWARE INCOMPETENT YOGA INSTRUCTOR may = to DEATH or PERMANENT DAMAGE (*1)
Bikram Choudhury, founder of Bikram Yoga, once was interviewed and questioned "if yoga is so good for your body and mind, why do some people get injured?" He answered by saying "would you allow a regular person or even a nurse to operate a surgery? No, that is why a professional and competent yoga instructors are needed. The individual who got injured must have done yoga by themselves or without an appropriate yoga instructor." (paraphrased).
So the following is a checklist for the customers and also for the instructors to keep everybody safe and also have the maximum benefit from yoga.
Awareness:
1. Did the instructor engage with the beginners/1st timers and gave some orientation? Y/Maybe/N
2. Did the instructor question the students before the class if there is anyone who are pregnant or have medical injuries? Y/Maybe/N
3. Does the instructor warn individuals who are in dangerous postures (i.e., not locking the knee, getting into difficult postures forcefully)? Y/Maybe/N
Attitude:
4. Do you feel a positive strong energy (attitude) from the instructor? Y/Maybe/N
5. Do you feel that the instructor loves yoga and cares about the students? Y/Maybe/N
6. Does the instructor see the importance of following structured lessons (i.e., if there is a dialog they follow the dialog; the practice has some level of structure and is not chaotic)? Y/Maybe/N
7. Does the instructor positively encourage the students during class (i.e., "That's right!" "Beautiful!" "Amazing Job!" etc.)? Y/Maybe/N
8. Does the instructor put effort in learning each students' name? Y/Maybe/N
Ability:
9. Does the instructor have all ability to safely instruct yoga (i.e., they are not sick, can communicate, they seem to be able and do continue to practice yoga, etc.)? Y/Maybe/N
Skills:
10. Does the instructor have the skill to demonstrate and does demonstrate the postures? Y/Maybe/N
11. Does the instructor maintain the integrity of the environment (i.e., if it is Bikram yoga maintain 40C/104F and 40% humidity in the room; rules are clearly stated and enforced in the room and the studio; warn or dismiss disruptive students)? Y/Maybe/N
12. Do you know when to go in and out of posture with the instructor's instruction (does more than 80% of the room harmoniously move at the same time)? Y/Maybe/N
13. Does the instructor instruct to the whole class rather than to the individual during class majority of the time and other than in an emergency? (i.e., if one person is making a mistake, the instructor shares the correction with the whole class so the whole class learns, this may happen after correcting that one-person). Y/Maybe/N
Knowledge:
14. Does the instructor poses the knowledge to answer your question, willing to answer, and willing to accept that they don't know and get back to you? Y/Maybe/N
15. Does the instructor know the danger of touching the student during the postures and only do so in emergencies or the instructor and the student are in agreement? Y/Maybe/N
Give 2 points for each "Y"s; 1 point for each "Maybe"; and 0 point for "N"s
(For better accuracy score one instructor with 2 or more people and get the average)
Minimally safe yoga instructor should have 15 points.
If you have encountered yoga instructors with less than 15 points, take their class with caution,
Less than 10 points, take the class with your own risk.
Less than 5 points..... (no comment).
As you get closer to 30 points you are lucky, you have an outstandingly competent yoga instructor, you are getting 120% of the benefits!!!!
Hopefully, this helps. If you have a question leave comments and I'll get back to you!
Also, let me know if you scored some of your instructors, I would love to know what the average scores are in the world.
*1 Cramer, H., Krucoff, C., & Dobos, G. (2013). Adverse Events Associated with Yoga: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports and Case Series. PLOS ONE, 8(10), 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075515
