Sorry guys, but not all yoga instructors are created equal. I have taken my share of yoga classes with inept instructors where the sequencing of postures was nonsensical and the instructor's lack of articulation cut my ears like nails on a chalkboard. Like a good yogi, I resist the urge to judge and do what I know is right for my body. A beginner might not have the good judgment to back off or do what is best for their body for fear of not being able "hang" with the rest of the crowd. Having a ballet background makes it easy for me to decipher whether or not an instructor actually understands movement or if the instructor approaches teaching yoga in a Simon says manner.  Yoga is a powerful tool and without a skilled instructor the potential for serious injury is much greater.  Nowadays everywhere I go someone tells me about beginning a teacher-training course with the intent of going out into the world to teach yoga. Don't get me wrong, more power to you friend; however, not everyone has it in them to be a good yoga instructor. Exposing this darker side of the yoga world--call it yoga politics-- seems like the karmic kiss of death but it is necessary.  Who you practice with is the most important aspect of your yoga practice, especially if you are a beginner. Yoga instructors have more power than you might think since he or she can make or break a beginner's yogic experience for life.

Most people in yoga classes today already teach yoga, are on their way to teaching yoga or are thinking about teaching yoga. Everyone wants to be a yoga instructor! When did we become so popular? Is it just an LA thing? Dare I compare the yoga craze to the fist-pumping fad of electronic dance music (EDM)? Everyone wants to be a DJ too lately. Frankly it seems the DJ craze is nothing more than a gimmick used to attract the opposite sex and an excuse to use words like "epic" and phrases like "makin' it rain." My point is nowadays, people are getting into yoga for reasons other than the yoga. Somehow, teaching yoga became trendier than a pair of Lululemon leggings. Unlike the leggings, not all instructors are created equal. The difference between a good yoga instructor and a mediocre instructor rests in meeting two fundamental criteria: 1) Having excellent communication skills; 2) A deep understanding of movement principals. Most yoga teacher training courses fail to successfully teach these two crucial elements mainly because there is not enough time. To truly understand movement it helps to have a background in sports or dance but is not necessary. It is impossible for a pedestrian yogi studying to become an instructor to understand movement the same way a professional dancer does. This skill takes years to develop and even then some people get it but most just cannot make the cut. In fact, this is not a skill, it is a talent and you cannot teach talent. If the instructor lacks a firm grasp on the anatomy of movement it is impossible to efficiently communicate movement to students.

Understanding anatomy and movement principals is meaningless if an instructor cannot effectively communicate it. Nothing irks me more when I hear instructors say things like "feel the low back compress" in bhujangasana or ustrasana. How about this one: "lock back into the right leg" which implies pitching back into the knee joint. For a student with particularly hyper mobile muscles, ligaments and tendons, "locking back" into the knees promotes hyperextension of the knee joint. The femur and the tibia are bound only by a few ligaments and tendons and when a hyper mobile student "locks" back into the knee joint he or she is at a higher risk for snapping a tendon, pulling a [hamstring] muscle or serious knee problems like arthritis. Not only is the student at risk for injury from this dangerous piece of instruction, but the student also receives no benefit from their yoga practice. A student with hyper mobility needs to work on strengthening and stabilizing the joints by engaging muscles properly, not by pulling on already lax muscles and ligaments. The instructor who guided us to "lock back into the legs" is an example of someone who does understand movement but cannot communicate it effectively. For someone like myself, I understand what this instructor meant, but for a beginner student this piece of instruction is dangerous because it does not teach the proper actions for straightening the leg. It does not teach the "how to," which is problematic. From one yoga instructor to the many potential yoga instructors out there, a bit of advice: explore your options in the yoga world. Nourish your curiosity by keeping it fresh. Step beyond the comfort of your local studio and take a class with a different instructor. Pay attention and learn from the good ones, the bad ones and the ugly ones.