How to Start a Yoga Class

As a new yoga teacher, there's a lot on your mind:

• How to connect to your students — how to keep them engaged and interested throughout the yoga class

• What to say in yoga class — which words are most effective so you don’t confuse them

• How to start a yoga class — the best way to get students grounded and into their practice quickly

• How hard to push students and when to give them a break — should I hold Warrior pose for another breath? Or move on to Child’s pose?

• How to find your voice, discover your unique talents as a teacher, and give back to your community — all while letting go of your anxiety

It’s a lot!

I’ll always remember the early days of teaching and feeling so nervous to start each class.

The walk from the back of the room up to the front of the room felt like an eternity.

So did checking everyone in at the front desk, trying to remember names of my students.

Some days I felt like a nervous wreck!

But very quickly after starting to teach, my nerves would settle. My body would feel more grounded. I’d catch my breath and start to focus my mind in the present moment instead of worrying about what could happen next.

Over time, I realized there were a few basic ways that starting a yoga class helped me feel at ease and helped my students get into their practice.

Here are some of my favorite ways to start a yoga class. As a side note, I’ve been teaching for over 12 years now (as of 2024 when I’m writing this post). In the hundreds of yoga classes I’ve taught, I often find myself coming back to these 5 ways to start a yoga class.

How to Start a Yoga Class: 5 Options to Get Your Students (And Yourself!) Grounded and Into the Flow of Your Practice

Option 1: Start the Yoga Class Sitting Down

This is my favorite way to start a yoga class. There’s just something about sitting down that feels like a great way to start class for me. It helps students slow down, it helps them practice being still, and it gives a grounding feeling to the start of class. Whenever possible, I try to offer props so students with tight hips can be more comfortable— a blanket, block, or meditation cushion really helps.

Option 2: Start Standing

On days where people seem energized and ready to go— or whenever I’m teaching an early morning class (like a 5:30am Vinyasa, for example)— I like to start the group standing. This helps keep the group from getting sleepy, plus being in Mountain Pose to start class can be an empowering way to tap into your practice.

Option 3: Lie Down on Your Back

Starting in Savasana is a great option for more restorative classes or yoga classes taught in the evening. If I’m teaching a meditation class or Yoga Nidra, this is also a great option. It’s the easiest way for restless students to calm their bodies and minds, and it’s a beautiful way to offer some rest and set the tone for a calming, quiet, rejuvenating yoga class.

Option 4: Focus on Breathwork for at Least Five Minutes

Breathwork is the heart of a yoga practice. We all know this. But I’m surprised at how often I take classes at studios and witness the teacher not start with breathwork. Over the years, I’ve come to really value the importance of starting with breathwork before asking students to do much movement. Whether you’re sitting, standing, or lying down, you can focus in on breathing before getting into teaching postures. Teach two minutes of deep belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) or Ujjayi breath (victorious breath, breathing through the nose with the back of the throat slightly constricted). Establish a breath cadence and give your students permission to move at the pace of their own breath instead of feeling like they need to rush. Giving students this tool— this foundation— is so important. That way, the breath drives the poses, not the other way around.

Option 5: SET a theme or tell a very short story

This is a method for starting a yoga class that I don’t use as often, but I think it can be a great way to connect with your students. Sharing a little bit about your week, discussing a theme, or framing the class around a single concept is one way to start a yoga class. Keep in mind that this is more mind-focused than body or heart focused, which can sometimes be challenging for students. You have to gauge where people are coming from and if you notice they are starting to tune out, roll their eyes, fidget around, or generally act confused, it might be too much talking. I personally am not a huge fan of having to wait more than 5 minutes for a class to start, so when I encounter yoga teachers I’m new to who seem to be talking a lot, it can be hard to be patient. The reminder here is to keep your little “speech” more focused on your students than on yourself. This isn’t a space to preach or get on a soap box, and the very beginning of class isn’t really the time to go off on a tangent or go too deep into lecturing— it’s a chance to say hello, set the tone, and then get moving. The more you can simplify the ideas and not dwell too hard on them (or go too deep first thing in class), the better.

The best openings to a yoga class are:

• Succinct

• Focused

• Simple

• Direct

• Grounding

Give your students a clear path on how to transition from their daily lives and the chaos of the world outside their mat into their practice.

Simple as that.

I hope these five ideas on how to start a yoga class help you and that over time, you discover your own best methods for guiding students into the practice.

Give it time, trust yourself, and above all else, keep going!

Much love,

Rachel

PS If you’re a new yoga teacher, here are some other blog posts you might enjoy:

How to Become a More Confident Yoga Teacher This Year

Tips for New Yoga Teachers

Teaching Power Yoga: Scripted vs. Unscripted

PPS Struggling to find the exact words to say when you teach a yoga class? My yoga scripts are a powerful tool to give you the specific phrasing that students need to move in and out of the poses safely. And no, it isn’t “cheating” if you need a little extra support in your first year of teaching to get the wording down! Yoga scripts are a resource designed to help you build confidence— if you’re feeling scared, how will you be able to reach your students and get through the class? In the beginning, you need confidence more than anything and having a list of exactly what to say when you teach and how to start a yoga class can be critical for helping you find your rhythm (and not give up on teaching!).

Here’s my most popular power yoga vinyasa script if you want to check it out:

Power Yoga Script

$39.99