Why Yoga Teachers Thrive with Beginner’s Mind
The Soulful Teacher Series
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few." – Shunryu Suzuki
Years ago, while teaching a class one of my former teachers came to practice. I had thoughtfully planned a sequence, but in the middle of class, the teacher interrupted and told me in front of everyone, that the sequence was too short and hadn’t properly prepared them for the “peak pose.”
I was stunned. I think I was flushed. I felt like a beginner, stripped bare and exposed. My inner critic went wild, questioning everything I had offered. And yet, something softer remained. Something that understood this was part of the path too.
What I came to understand later is this: there’s always something more to learn. But the way we share wisdom matters. That experience taught me not only to stay open to feedback, but also to offer it to others with tenderness and mutual respect. Because the teaching path, like the path of the student is one of courage, humility, and deep sensitivity.
Have you ever found yourself walking into class, scripted, practiced, prepared... only to feel something shift the moment you step into the space?
Maybe someone walks in carrying the weight of grief. Maybe your own energy feels a little off. Suddenly, you realize you're being asked to set aside your careful plans. It's as if you're being invited into presence and surrender.
This is the beginner's mind.
It's not about starting over or pretending to know very little. It's about a willingness to embrace what is, a wisdom that arises from letting go of how we want it to be, and how we don't want it to be. It's a softening of control, an abiding in the mystery, and a call to lean into what we can't yet see.
When we lead from the beginner's mind, we teach from a grounded willingness to learn, adapt, and grow alongside our students. We become more receptive.
🌸 Nature as Our Teacher
Nature perseveres amidst fluctuating conditions. A flower extends itself fully toward the sun, bends with the wind, and unfurls in its own timing. Every stage of its becoming is honored.
We are the same.
As teachers, we are in a state of continual unfolding. Honoring where we are on the teaching path enhances trust because it embraces the ongoing journey rather than rushing toward an elusive mastery. The ancient practice of yoga is vast and multifaceted, weaving together asanas, pranayama, meditation, philosophy, and spiritual growth. It can take decades, even lifetimes, to even begin to grasp its depth and breadth.
Acknowledging this vastness cultivates humility and patience, vital qualities for any teacher or student. It allows us to meet ourselves and others with compassion, recognizing that every step forward is meaningful, even when the destination feels distant. Trust grows when teachers are authentic about their own progress, modeling a lifelong commitment to learning and self-discovery.
In this way, yoga teaching becomes not just about passing on techniques but about guiding others to honor and nurture every stage upon their unique path. And if we find ourselves holding the belief that we've "arrived," we may unintentionally cut ourselves off from the natural evolution that deepens our offerings and presence. But when we remain open, life itself becomes a faithful teacher and every moment a chance to expand and appreciate.
🌱 The Gift of Embracing Uncertainty
Embracing uncertainty is a vital aspect of cultivating a beginner's mind. When we allow ourselves to be open to the unknown, we release the need for control. This creates spaciousness, where growth and grace flourish.
This openness invites curiosity and a deeper connection to the present moment. Accepting uncertainty gives us a softness, a felt sense of something deeper.
Sometimes, I'll silently say to myself, "Get your popcorn."
It's my way of acknowledging that life can be see as a movie, and I'm simply carrying out and playing a role. I might as well enjoy the unfolding.
✨ Trusting Something Greater
A beginner's mind is easier to hold when we believe in something greater than ourselves— call it God, Love, Source, the Divine, Krishna, Buddha, or Nature herself.
When we surrender the illusion that we are the ultimate authority, we open to a deeper wisdom. We teach from trust instead of control. We listen more closely because we know we are not the final say.
Believing in a higher order softens the ego. It reminds us that we are vessels, not gatekeepers. We don't need to carry it all. We can ask for support, guidance and help. We can rest in the mystery of it all.
This spiritual humility helps us stay grounded, inspired, and connected. It helps us return again and again to the present moment, not with fear, but with an abiding reverence.
🌸 Humility and the Freedom to Receive
One of the great gifts of the beginner's mind is humility.
It softens the inner pressure to "get it right" or to be seen as an authority. It invites us to meet each class and every student with love. For it is love that brings healing, not perfect cues or clever sequences.
Humility also invites us to create space for empowerment, both for ourselves and for the students who graciously show up week after week.
Humility doesn't ask us to shrink. It asks us to listen. It invites us to notice if we're clinging to the role of expert. Not because we lack wisdom, but because humility opens us to observation, receptivity, and grace.
We become more attuned to:
Subtle shifts in energy
What the moment is asking of us
The infinite wisdom that wants to move through us
With humility, we become present, authentic, and adaptive.
🌟 Eight Ways to Embrace Humility in Your Teaching
Stay a Student Always - Keep learning. Take classes. Read. Ask questions. Let yourself be taught by your students, the practice, nature, and life itself.
Honor Your Students' Inner Wisdom - See each student as whole. Resist the urge to fix or lead with authority. Trust their process. Reflect rather than direct.
Pause Before You Speak - Notice when you're about to over-explain or prove something. Take a breath. Let the silence speak.
Let Feedback In - Ask someone you trust: What do you notice when I teach? Receive with openness, so that you can grow and expand.
Speak from the Heart, Not the Head - Share what's authentic and real to and for you. Use simple language. Let your presence carry the teaching more than your words.
Admit What You Don't Know - Say, "I'm still exploring this too." Students appreciate honesty more than perfection.
Welcome Not Being Liked - Release the grip of approval. Stay rooted in love and truth. That's enough.
Bow to Something Greater - Begin your day or class with a quiet moment of reverence, whether it's to Source, breath, the Earth, or simply the mystery.
🌼 Greeting Each Class with Newness
Each time we teach, we begin again. Even when the sequence is familiar, the moment is new and overflowing with possibilities.
The beginner's mind is what makes you pause before offering an adjustment. It's what helps you sense when encouragement is needed instead of correction. It's what opens the door to curious listening and intuitive presence.
🌙 Mistakes as Sacred Invitations
Perfectionism often lurks in the shadows especially in an age of curated images, perfect poses, and performative presence. Social media can leave us feeling like we'll never be good enough.
But the beginner's mind says, “Come as you are. You are a co-creator in this unfolding.”
Brené Brown offers a powerful insight that clarifies the distinction between striving and perfectionism. This comes from her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, a valuable read for anyone who tends toward perfectionism.
"Healthy striving is self-focused: 'How can I improve?' Perfectionism is other-focused: 'What will they think?'" – Brené Brown
What if you forgot which student shared that their mother was sick? Or adjusted someone who had asked not to be touched?
These moments aren't meant to shame us. They are openings. Invitations to reflect, refine, and deepen.
Self-compassion is essential if we want to grow as teachers and as souls. And it can also be helpful to remember, what’s done in love, will never fail.
💫 Gentle Language Shifts
Watch out for should(s), could(s), and would(s)
These words can weigh heavy. They often imply that we didn't measure up. Try these gentler shifts:
"I should remember what that student told me last week."
✨ "I'm becoming a better listener."
"The way I taught that sequence could have been clearer."
✨ "I taught from an honest place today."
"I would have done it differently."
✨ "I'm open to evolving with each experience."
Language shapes awareness. These compassionate shifts make space for your own becoming and subtly invite your students to do the same.
🌳 Returning to the Root
The beginner's mind brings us back to yoga's essence: union, presence, and relationship.
It reminds us that our deepest wisdom doesn't come from mastery, but from realness, sincerity, openness, and humility.
As we walk this path, may we stay soft and steady. Curious and clear. Humble and alive to the wonder of it all.
May you approach your teaching, practice, and your own growth with reverence and joy…. notice how these simple shifts transforms your path. Namaste
✨ Continue reading → Beyond the Surface of Yoga Teaching
(First post in The Soulful Teacher Series)
