29. You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Effective: Building Confidence as a Yoga Teacher

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

When I first began teaching yoga, I didn’t feel confident—and honestly, I still have my days. In this episode of Yoga Teacher Confidential, I’m sharing how confidence is built, not born. You’ll hear the awkward story of my second-ever class (spoiler: it was spontaneous), how I reframed failure, and the exact practices I used to grow into a confident guide.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been teaching for years, these mindset shifts and tools will help you lead with clarity, presence, and compassion.

You’ll also learn:

• Why your confidence grows through repetition, not perfection
• How the 6-4-2 framework creates structure that supports your teaching
• Simple practices to stop over-explaining and start holding space
• The power of student agency and what it means to “get out of the way”

Confidence isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about showing up. Let’s do this together.

Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there!

For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials:

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And come explore my mentorship program, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs. It's all at sagerountree.com.

Chapters

1. Embracing Imperfection (00:00:00)

2. My First Teaching Fail (00:00:39)

3. Trying, Failing, Teaching Again (00:01:55)

4. From Self-Doubt to Student-Centered Teaching (00:03:01)

5. 6 Tips to Build Teaching Confidence (00:05:13)