Yoga Teachers - they are just like us
Even the most zen among us sometimes forget the sequence. By Sarah Highfield
Reading time: 2 minutes
Yoga teachers often seem like they have it all together; they are calm, balanced and endlessly patient. But here is a little secret: yoga teachers are human too. As a yoga teacher myself, and knowing many other yoga teachers, I believe I am qualified to share this important message.
We are not mystical gurus who wake up at 5am every day for silent meditation followed by an hour of vinyasa flow and a green juice. Sometimes we wake up late, forget our water bottles and arrive to class with mismatched socks — just like anyone else.
While we know our anatomy and can recite the Eight Limbs of Yoga, we occasionally mix up our left and right. Sometimes we skip a pose in a sequence or forget what comes next entirely! Some of us secretly dread holding chair pose just as much as you do (our legs shake and we sweat and wobble too), and we occasionally fall out of tree pose — hopefully with grace, but not always!
It happens. Though, thankfully, yoga is not about perfection. We are also students and we still attend classes, ask questions, and work through tight hips, stiff backs and emotional blocks. We have off days too when our bodies feel heavy and sluggish, or our minds will not settle. And that is okay.
Because being a yoga teacher does not mean being perfect, it
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means being present. It means holding space for others while still learning how to hold space for ourselves. It means being okay with mistakes, with moments of self-doubt and with the constant process of growth.
So, if you have ever looked up at your yoga teacher and maybe placed them on a small pedestal, remember, we are just like you. No one is above the journey and we are in this together. The next time you forget a pose, lose your balance, or lose your focus, we completely get it because we have been there and we are there.
Gratefully, being human, even as a yoga teacher, means embracing imperfections, not escaping them. It is a reminder that the path of yoga is not just about achieving flawless poses or inner peace, but about showing up authentically, even with our vulnerabilities. Rather than pretending to be enlightened or immune to struggle, we learn to accept ourselves with compassion, using each step along the way as an opportunity for deeper connection, humility, and self-awareness.
Sarah Highfield is a yoga teacher, writer and regular OM contributor. Visit: yogagise.com or find her on Instagram @Yogagise
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
