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The lesson every yoga teacher confronts is that when you complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training, your learning has just begun. The knowledge and wisdom you have yet to understand is more than anyone can possible learn in a lifetime and relates to the poses as well as the larger practice of life.
There are other things you learn pretty abruptly. Things that are secondary to the other knowledge yet still essential. Like the fact that teaching yoga can be quite hard on the body—and not just in the ways you expect. Yes, there’s the relentless physical practice. But there’s also consequences to spending hours a day walking barefoot on hardwood floors, showering so frequently that it wreaks havoc on your hair, and dealing with deodorants that become ineffective well before the last class of the day.
Because it would’ve been sorta helpful if someone had cautioned us about these situations in YTT, following is my supplement to your yoga teacher training manual. It includes th common situations that I (and many teachers I know) encounter along with solutions drawn from years spent attempting to correct them. Because teaching yoga shouldn’t demand more than it already does of you.
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Keep Calluses Away
MicroPlane Colossal Foot File Scraper
Walking barefoot on hardwood floors isn’t exactly kind to your heels. And if you’re existing on yoga teacher wages, there’s almost certainly not a lot of cash for a pedi to address toughened skin. The modestly priced foot file from MicroPlane (yes, the maker of kitchen graters) essentially lets you erase signs of wear and tear anytime you need with some careful sweeps of the rasp. Easy to hold, the scraper costs less than a single callus removal session at a salon and remains sharp for months. There are a lot of knock-offs that will save you a buck or two. Most are disappointing.
Beware: You may be tempted to use an enthusiastically strong touch during your initial use. Go easy or you’ll find yourself limping through classes for the next week.
Detangle Damaged Hair
Kérastase Résistance Thérapiste Masque
I’d venture to say that yoga teachers shower more than the average human. But as most dry shampoo users are aware, frequent shampooing strips essential oils from your hair and causes excess drying and damage. The new rule is to refrain from constantly sudsing your hair although it can be helpful to work a smidgen of conditioner through your ends as a detangler. If your hair is already somewhat destroyed, the luxe conditioner known as Résistance Thérapiste Masque from Kérastase works some serious restoration to damaged hair cuticles. Let it set for at least five minutes—or, in yoga terms, an extended yin yoga pose.
Ban Hair Breakage
Kérastase Résistance Ciment Thérmique
Damage also happens each time you subject your hair to blow dryers and styling devices. Before you reach for the flat iron, smooth a little heat protectant on your ends rather than exposing your naked hair to your tools. Kérastase Résistance Ciment Thérmique is a lightweight cream with an equally lightweight aroma that dissipates quickly. It works well on wet or dry hair although go easy on the amount (unless you’re going for a retro 80s look).
Secure That Messy Bun
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
Sometimes your attempts to throw your hair in a messy half bun are thwarted by short or fine tresses that just won’t cooperate. When I consulted my stylist for advice, she simply reached for the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. A few spritzes create mesmerizing volume without any tacky stiffness. It’s aptly described by Oribe as “invisible dry hair spray” as well as “invisible dry shampoo” as its stay-put potential also delays your next wash. And the shine and silken texture that result make it difficult not to check yourself out in the studio mirror, affording you a chance instead to check your ego. Available in a modestly sized (and somewhat modestly priced) purse edition.
Prevent Smudged Polish
OPI Drip Dry
Chances are you’re no stranger to last-minute texts frantically asking you to sub a class that begins in less than half an hour. Still, if you’re like me, you’ll delay heading out the door for several moments to slow your breath, think through potential poses, and slick a quick coat of polish on your nails. It takes only a couple more seconds to dribble some OPI Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops atop the polish to accelerate the setting time and stave off smudges. Tiny bottle. Big results. The lovely sheen it imparts isn’t indestructible, though, so reconsider practicing along with students as they transition from Chaturanga to Upward Dog.
Banish B.O.
Lume Whole Body Deodorant
Spending time in sweltering spaces that are crowded with bodies who you’re trying not to offend can teach you a lot about the unreliability of many natural deodorants. After becoming frustrated with several brands, I splurged on Lume Whole Body Deodorant. Its ingredient list boasts no aluminum, baking soda, phthalates, sulfates, parabens, or talc. And, as its online commercials sassily guarantee, it can be applied anywhere that sweat glands do what they do. Incredibly, I’ve never needed to reapply it the same day—even when driving from studio to studio to studio in an unairconditioned Jeep during 114-degree summer days. I prefer unscented although there are an array of funky options, including Minted Cucumber, Peony Rose, and Soft Powder. Available in a pack containing a stick and a cream tube. The cream can feel a touch goopy when first applied although the sensation dissipates within minutes.
Sanitize, Sanitize, Sanitize
Desert Essence Australian Tea Tree Oil
If you’ve ever inadvertently stepped in a puddle of someone else’s sweat or put away a block that was drenched in a student’s perspiration, you understand the desire to rely on a little more than soap after class. I prefer to sprinkle some antimicrobial Australian tea tree oil from Desert Essence onto my hands or into the tub. It also multitasks as a laundry sanitizer to rid clothes of lingering sweat stank and, when coupled with hydrogen peroxide, makes a swell mat cleaner. Warning: Use sparingly. That aroma is potent.
Soak Away Aches
Dead Sea Warehouse Bath Salts
If you occasionally demo poses and always keep up your own yoga practice, you’re eventually going to need to know how to ease aches. The ancient tradition of soaking away aches in salt water can help ease tension, although drugstore epsom salts tend to be lacking in mineral content compared to salts sourced from the Dead Sea. Unscented, uncolored, and uncompromised in any way, Dead Sea Warehouse Bath Salts are curiously soothing. Maybe it’s the magnesium. Maybe it’s the ancient magic. Comes in a pack of two five-pound buckets.
