Do you need to be Flexible to become a Yoga Teacher?

Flexibility is critically important if you want to become…a gymnast!

But do you need to be flexible to become a Yoga teacher? The short answer is “NO”.

If flexibility was important then there would not have been those hundreds of exceptional Yoga teachers who carry some kind of physical disability.

But it’s normal to be doubtful. Whether you’re an aspiring Yoga teacher or an experienced one, poor flexibility can bother anyone.

Like a lot of meaningful concepts, social media has stretched the concept of flexibility too - pun intended! What started as a mere exhibit of a flexible body has been hardened into a full-fledged theory that “Yoga teachers are naturally flexible!” popularising the idea of "Yoga Body"!

So is there any substance to it? To answer that, let’s first understand what flexibility is and what is the role of a Yoga teacher.

What is Flexibility?

As per the human anatomy, “flexibility is how your joints move to their full range of motion, without pain, based on the stretchiness of your muscles, state of your joints and how well your body controls your muscles & joints.”

Read that part again - range of motion. In that sense, a gymnast, a swimmer, dancer, cyclist, footballer, runner and boxer are all flexible to the range of motion that they require.

A boxer needs a different kind of flexibility to throw in tough punches while a gymnast needs hyper flexibility to perform intense stretches. Not everyone uses flexibility in the same way.

The philosophical concept of a flexible mind is what everybody needs! Which basically means the ability to ‘bend’ your perspective, adapt without rigidity and be innovative when approaching problems rather than sticking to old patterns.

Speaking of old patterns - social media promotes the unrealistic visual attractiveness of exotic flexible Yoga bodies! A certain range of flexibility is sufficient for your own practice and to live well.

If you aspire to be hyper flexible, by all means - go for it. But unless you’re training to participate in the next Olympics, you don’t need to be flexible to become a Yoga teacher.

So what do you need to become a Yoga teacher? Now that’s a good question.

What is the role of a Yoga teacher?

I’m assuming you know the basic meaning and purpose of Yoga. But what about a Yoga teacher?

A Yoga teacher is someone who gives their students a concrete* experience through Yoga.
*(A concrete experience helps people learn Yoga through active participation, and sensory engagement, rather than through abstract thinking or theoretical learning.)

So the purpose of a Yoga teacher is to solve the client’s problems, help them achieve their fitness goals and boost their overall well-being with better self-awareness.

What do you need to fulfil this purpose? Sharp Yoga teaching skills, anatomy knowledge, techniques, observation, instruction skills, alignment correction, to name a few.

Unlike technical knowledge and skills, flexibility is not a teaching skill and it serves no purpose when it comes to teaching Yoga.

To practice Yoga yourself, you need flexibility but to teach Yoga to others, you don’t need flexibility at all. Yes, NOT AT ALL.

If you’re thinking “but what about demonstration? I should be able to do an asana to show how it’s done - right?” - Yes and No.

Whether you teach online Yoga classes or in a Yoga studio, you need to be able to demo the technique of a Yoga posture and not how it looks in its final form.

Sing of a good Yoga teacher is being able to teach Yoga asana without any demo, and just by giving the right verbal instructions and cues. Such clarity and precision of the cues come with accurate training.

Having said it all, flexibility is great for personal growth which obviously will reflect in your Yoga classes as well. But you do not need to be flexible to become a confident Yoga teacher. Building flexibility is a process that takes time, patience and consistent practice.

Flexibility is neither the purpose of Yoga nor a requirement to become a Yoga teacher.

So if you want to become a Yoga teacher, ask yourself 3 questions:
1. Why do you want to become a Yoga teacher and not something else?
2. Whom do you want to help, since you cannot help everyone?
3. Which Yoga course do you want to pursue?

Ultiamtely, it's your ability to teach confidently and be able to effectively help your clients, that will determine how well you do in your Yoga career.

So ditch the flexibility fear. Be ready with a flexible mindset and take your first step into the world of Yoga teaching.