5 Qualities of a Great Yoga Teacher

(and how they’re cultivated in our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training)

Alright — here’s the truth… the whole truth.

Yoga teachers are everywhere. (Yes, “a dime a dozen” might not quite translate in Australia, but you know what I mean.)

And that’s not a bad thing. The world genuinely needs more yoga, more mindfulness, more people sharing practices that support wellbeing. But while there are many yoga teachers, there is a noticeable difference between being qualified to teach and being a great yoga teacher.

Once upon a time, yoga teacher training was undertaken as a slow, immersive journey — often over a year or two — allowing students to embody the teachings before ever stepping into a teaching role. It was less about a certificate and more about transformation.

Today, many trainings are completed in a matter of weeks. And to be clear, this doesn’t mean new teachers don’t have something valuable to offer — they absolutely do. But depth, embodiment, and lived understanding take time to cultivate.

I often use the pizza analogy. There’s the budget option… and then there’s the carefully crafted, wood-fired version. Both are pizza — but only one is an experience you’ll happily travel for.

I know which one I choose.

The teachers I practise with don’t live around the corner. I travel — sometimes an hour or more — because I value how I feel when I’m held in their presence and guided by their experience.

Recently, after teaching a weekend of Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra for teachers deepening their skills, I received some feedback that stopped me in my tracks. A participant described my teaching as generous.

It was both humbling and deeply affirming. Not something I had consciously aimed for — but something that comes from years of practice, study, reflection, and service.

It sparked a question:
What actually makes a great yoga teacher?

Here are five qualities I see again and again in teachers I admire — and the very qualities we intentionally nurture in our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program.

1. A Great Yoga Teacher Is Committed to Their Own Practice

Great teachers don’t stop being students.

They continue to practise, study, question, and evolve — not because they have to, but because they love the path. In our 200 Hour Training, personal practice is foundational. We emphasise consistency, reflection, and embodiment so teaching arises naturally from experience, not performance.

2. They Teach from Lived Experience, Not Just a Script

Anyone can memorise a sequence. Great teachers understand why they’re offering a practice and how it lands in real bodies, real lives.

A yoga teacher training that encourages critical thinking, self-enquiry, and practical application is important — so graduates leave with confidence, clarity, and authenticity rather than relying on borrowed language.

3. They Know How to Hold Space

Holding space is an art. It’s about presence, listening, and creating a container where students feel safe, seen, and supported.

Whether it’s a dynamic class or a Restorative practice, we teach how to read a room, respond with care, and honour the nervous system — skills that cannot be rushed or downloaded.

4. They Teach with Integrity and Generosity

Great teachers are generous with their knowledge, time, and attention. They teach with humility, respecting the lineage while making the practice accessible and relevant.

In our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, we prioritise ethics, conscious communication, and respectful teaching frameworks — so graduates teach from integrity rather than ego.

5. They Understand That Teaching Is a Practice in Itself

Teaching yoga isn’t a destination — it’s an ongoing practice.

Great teachers reflect, adapt, and remain open to feedback. Our training is designed as a beginning, not an endpoint — offering tools, mentorship, and a strong foundation students can continue to build upon long after becoming a yoga teacher.

A Yoga Teacher Training Program isn’t about churning out teachers. It’s about cultivating thoughtful, grounded, and generous humans who feel genuinely prepared to share yoga in meaningful ways.

If you’re drawn to depth over speed, embodiment over performance, and teaching as a lifelong practice — you’re exactly who this training is for.

And yes… I’ll still choose the wood-fired pizza every time.

(Thanks for indulging the analogies — I promise they’re almost done.)