The Power of “The Four C’s” in Yoga Teaching

Yoga

Jul 9

published July 9, 2024

by Natalie Moussaid, CHWC, YT

Back in 2020, when I was a budding yoga teacher in training, I had an instructor who explained the importance of “The Three C’s”: compassion, communication, and commitment. Over the past few years, as I’ve worked with many different types of students, I’ve added a fourth ‘C’: curiosity.

Below is a breakdown of how to apply the “Four C’s” as a yoga teacher:

1. Compassion

To be compassionate means being able to relate to, or empathize with, someone’s current emotional and mental state without judgment.

I remember teaching a yoga class where a woman would, shall we say ‘exert flatulence’ in a specific pose … (you can giggle). Of course, other participants laughed. And even I was tempted to let out a chuckle! It was difficult to remain composed in a situation where everyone’s childlike sense of humor was triggered. I did smile, but I managed to avoid giggling by tuning into myself and separating myself from the contagious laughter.

As a teacher, our first response must be to stay grounded and neutral. Perhaps this woman has a digestive health condition that causes her body to respond in this way. If she’s not comfortable with her body’s response, laughing may cause her embarrassment or psychological discomfort. Especially if the laughter came from a teacher - someone who is meant to be trusted.

It’s important to demonstrate compassion in all situations. Oftentimes, yoga students come to class with emotional blockages that contribute to the stress and anxiety they are seeking to release (aka the Healing Process). Teachers can help to create a nurturing space for this personal healing to take place by offering compassion.

Of course, teachers are human beings too! And as humans, it’s inevitable that we’ll sometimes make mistakes. However, pausing to ensure that a response is compassionate and appropriate will help our students feel safer.

2. Communication

Words and the way in which they are spoken have a powerful influence on individual students, as well as a whole class. Therefore, teachers must choose their words with care and strive for clarity.

Our choice of words has the power to influence our students’practice, as well as how they think and feel about their bodies.

For example, I once taught a yoga class that was composed of mostly women in their 30s. I used cues such as, “be mindful of your breath,” “listen to your body,” “honor your body,” “trust yourself,” etc. One day, a student told that she needed to hear the words I was saying. She explained that the word cues helped her to connect with her body in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

3. Commitment

Many Yoga teachers find it challenging to continue their own personal practice when they start teaching. Yoga Teachers with a commitment to personal practice are the most recognized and trusted teachers. Having a committed practice shows students dedication. Practice (on and off the mat) is gold.

I had been practicing Yoga for over five years before teaching.. This made it easier for me to relate to my students. Through my dedication to practice, I learned that my students and I are similar. We experience the same struggles. The difference is that I have learned a variety of tools to help guide others through challenges.

This past year, I taught a Yoga seminar that focused on helping people with anxiety and stress. One of the students opened up about her experiences with anxiety during the seminar. I felt deeply empathetic when I learned that her story was very similar to my own.

When she asked for tips on how to help her manage, I was grateful to share what I’ve learned through my own practice. This interaction made me realize the importance of maintaining my own practice. It inspires my personal growth and gives me the opportunity to guide others more effectively.

4. Curiosity

I had been applying the three C’s in my classes, but felt that a deeper, more intuitive element was missing. I discovered that adding curiosity created space for deeper levels of teaching, healing, and intuition to flow.

Curiosity made me realize that not only am I the yoga teacher, but I am also the student. Placing an emphasis on learning is one of the core components of yoga.

Non-judgemental curiosity allows teachers to expand their teaching skills and inspire openness to different ideas. It can also help increase confidence in yourself by helping you feel comfortable with not knowing something.

There will be moments where you aren’t sure how to approach a certain situation. While this might feel discouraging at first, curiosity can help you recognize a challenge as an opportunity rather than a block, and it can empower creative thinking.

For instance, recently I promoted a mindful movement class for those with limited mobility. There were about 10 participants, most of whom had extra support to assist their movement, i.e., canes or walkers. I had planned for the class to go through a series of arm movements and lower body stretches. However, the yoga space was limited. There was not enough room for participants to safely go through the motions.

By staying curious, I allowed intuition to guide me. Fortunately, there were chairs available to instruct a modified yoga and meditation class that focused on observing sound waves and the movement of breath.

I was curious to notice how the participants would respond to this change because, although they were limited in body, they still desired movement.

The class change was well received by the majority of the participants. In fact, one woman shared that after the session she experienced a significant decrease in her high blood pressure symptoms.

There were others who ended the session still seeking more movement. I guided these students to helpful resources. Additionally, I explained the benefits of restful meditation on the body and mind. This information seemed to inspire those who originally seemed unenthusiastic about the class change. They explained that they saw yoga and movement differently after the class.

Conclusion

Focusing on the Four C’s has helped me become a more present and thoughtful yoga teacher and guide. The beauty of the Four C’s is that they are versatile, which means that they can be applied to almost every yoga session.

Think of the Four C’s as a guide for building the foundation of a Yoga teaching practice. Of course, there is no “cookie-cutter” approach to teaching yoga. However, the use of these elements can help you develop a smoother and more natural teaching flow in and out of the classroom.

About the Author