Name: Jesse Laila Banovic
Nationality: British
Age: 32
TNV training: April 2019
Where do you live? Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK

With so many yoga teacher trainings to chose from, what made you chose TNV's 200 hour teacher training?
Straight away the website appealed to me, it just resonated on so many levels so then I started to explore each page a little more to find out about True North Vinyasa and very quickly felt drawn to talk with Lisa and Elin about how I could get involved. I submitted my application and was accepted onto the training - it was the best decision I have made for my personal and professional journey with yoga.

The course had such a great balance of theory and practical, knowledge and guidance, practice and marketing. Lisa and Elin pay attention to every detail and it doesn't go unnoticed, from the moment we arrived in our rooms to find a beautiful bracelet and training manual placed on our pillows - I knew I was in the right place with the right people. They offer such unique and inspiring classes - I just wish I was closer so I could take classes with them both on a weekly basis!

What was the training like for you and what were some skills and qualities you left with? 
I'll never forget Elin saying 'it's about having a beginner's mind' - applying this to my teaching has been invaluable, always assuming a student doesn't know how to do something so your teaching and ques are super thorough and clear.

Also the guidance with setting up a business and having a style - this really inspired me to go back home and start building my yoga and wellness business 

What's your journey been like since the ttc? 
I co-hosted a retreat in Portugal with my mother and was a guest teacher (it was quite daunting but a great experience to put my new skills to the test!). I then came back to the UK and was so inspired after the training that I got straight into setting up my business in May 2019, I set up regular classes at my local village hall and then developed some pop up events in the summer with a local PT. The following year we went into lockdown so a lot of my business was put on hold but it allowed me to find the headspace and creative capacity to launch my website which has been one of the best choices for my business. 

What's your best advice for new yoga teachers wanting to get started teaching? 
Continue your own practice and prioritise it in your week, remember you need to be the best version of yourself for your students and local community. You owe it to yourself to receive as well as offer. I hear so many teachers say 'oh I can't remember the last time I got to a class as a student'. 

Do you teach, if so where? What format? What are your offerings?
I teach at Warrior and Wild studio in Nailsworth, Stroud (Gloucestershire, England), I currently hire the space and it just feels like a second home everytime I step inside the space. It is cosy and has lots of plants, a great homely feeling and lots of candles! My students love it too.

​I teach a range of things and specialise in pop-up events from 'curious and creative movement' to moon and meditation circles - something I am currently developing as a business idea to offer to men and women. I currently teach Dynamic Flow on Tuesday evenings, and run Sunday Special 90 minute classes that include my somatic training - a complete wind down for the nervous system! 

I also run day and residential retreats which include art and fitness combined with yoga.

Anything else you'd like to share? 
I am just grateful to have discovered True North Vinyasa and look forward to one day joining one of their graduate offerings. Thank you Lise and Elin for all of your support during the training.

Instagram: @jesselailayoga
Website: www.retreatmewellness.com

Want to join a 200 hour vinyasa teacher training like Jesse? Read here ››
More TNV Graduate stories ››

Every day life as a yoga teacher can feel lonely. You might even feel like other yoga teachers in your community are competition, fighting for the same students.

With that mindset – I'm lonely and I have competition – it might become a struggle to build a personal and strong yoga brand. Instead, rise up and change 180 degrees. You are not alone. You don't have to feel lonely. Yoga teachers around you are colleagues, working towards the same thing; more people doing yoga.

We need each other for many reasons:

• Growth within the profession. Other yoga teachers have skills that can inspire you to up your game. Learn from them. 
• Moral support. As in any creative job, you'll go through your ups and downs. It's highly valuable to have someone around who will understand this and encourage you through your dips.
• Collaborations. Working with others will give tenfold back. It also means you don't have to do EVERYTHING by yourself. Play your strengths. 
• Referrals. What? Yes. Shift from feeling like you're not enough, into serving those who most benefit from your classes. Refer other students to local teachers who might suit their needs even better. Niche yourself with a clear target group.
• Exchange of services. As in, why not help each other with non-teaching skills, such as pricing, marketing, social media, photography etcetera? It's too much for one person to be good at!  
• Attending classes. Keep going to classes. In each class, you will find a little something that expands your horizon. An expression, a transition, a pose variation or a theme. Find someone to exchange class attendance with.

At True North Vinyasa, we always try to encourage continued growth and community after our 200hr yoga teacher training. Check out our 50hr immersion for yoga teachers ››

Simplicity goes a long way. But as vinyasa flow teachers and practitioners, we usually thrive on some element of surprise and challenge as well. Wether you want to spice up your personal yoga practice or add a new twist to classes you are teaching, this is for you. 

A connective vinyasa – usually Chaturanga Dandasana to Urdva Mukha Svanasana to Adho Mukha Svanasana – is the little dance you do between the right and left side in a flow. The connective vinyasa is a golden opportunity to explore new moves and to add a little personality to your class. 

​The six connective vinyasa's below all end up in Downward facing dog. Described below as we would teach them in a class, you can also download the pdf below and get a visual if you wish. This content is from Vinyasa Toolbox (developed by TNV:s Elin Jensen). Enjoy!

1. The backbend vinyasa
Inhale to Plank, lower your knees and bend the elbows, exhale come all the way to lie on the belly. Inhale, lift the chest to Cobra, exhale and draw the hips back to the heels. Lift the hips, hold the heels and expand into Camel, then come to Downward facing dog.

2. The dolphin vinyasa
From Downward facing dog, lower the elbows and keep the hands shoulder distance apart. Inhale, then exhale and shift chest forward, lift the elbows and end up in Chaturanga. Inhale to Upward facing dog, exhale to Downward facing dog. 

3. The one leg core vinyasa
From Plank, inhale, then exhale draw the right knee to chest, lift the hips. Inhale shoot the leg back for one legged plank, exhale one-legged Chaturanga. Inhale Upward facing dog, exhale Downward facing dog. Do the other leg in the next connective vinyasa. 

4. The shoulder roll vinyasa
From Plank, inhale. Exhale lower the knees, come all the way to the belly. Right arm straight out to the side at shoulder height. Roll to the right, left foot behind you. Do the other side. Then inhale to Cobra, exhale to Downward facing dog. 

5. The core vinyasa
From Downward facing dog, jump through the hands to Navasana, boat pose. Inhale to low Boat pose, exhale to regular Boat pose. Repeat 5 times. Then from Boat pose, jump through to Chaturanga on an exhale, inhale to Upward facing dog, exhale to Downward facing dog. 

6. The cat-cow vinyasa
From Downward facing dog, inhale lower the knees and lift the chest, exhale stay on the knees and round the spine. Inhale lift the chest, exhale lower chest and chin to the mat. Inhale push through to Cobra, exhale hips back to Childs pose. Inhale hands and knees, lift the chest, exhale Downward facing dog. 

Download the pdf ››
More from Vinyasa Toolbox ››

Was this useful? Want more sequencing tips? Join our True North Vinyasa 50hr yoga teacher training! A retreat format course developed as a boost for vinyasa teachers. Next up is September 24–29 2023 in Switzerland. Learn more ›› 

Are you considering becoming a yoga teacher? Let us help sort out some of the most common questions. We've been educating yoga teachers for 5 years, and we've done countless free info talks with potential students just like you, with lots of questions about the world of teaching yoga and which yoga teacher training to choose. 

In the yoga teaching world, a Yoga Alliance 200 hour certificate is the most basic certification. It's not a licence, meaning you can call yourself a yoga teacher and work as one without any training or with a training that gives you some other certificate. More often than not however, a yoga studio will ask for your certification before putting you on the schedule. Assuming that you have a passion for yoga, investing in a 200 hour training and certificate is certainly worth it. Make sure you sign up for a Yoga Alliance certified school and make sure you speak to the directors and former students before making the commitment. You will learn more about what you love and grow as a person. You will also have the possibility to embark on a new professional career with confidence, whether that is full time or on the side of your main job. ​

This depends on what you are looking for. Our advice when picking a yoga school for your 200 hour teacher training: 

- Don't trust the listings of Best yoga teacher trainings in the world. They are pretty much guaranteed paid advertising. Ask yourself "says who?"
- If you have a personal recommendation, look into that school first. 
- Know what lineage of you are interested in. Pick the school based on what you see yourself teaching. 
- Talk to the director or directors. If that's not possible, pick a different school.
- Read or watch testimonials. Ask to talk to a former student. If that's not possible, pick a different school.   ​

Of course you can! You have to be committed and work hard, as in any other profession, and create your own niche based on YOUR interests and skills. Just teaching 2 classes per week is fine if your main income comes from some other job. If you want to teach full time, you have to work hard on your brand, have an interest in small business management and be prepared to try lots of different things. A full time yoga teacher usually offers a combination of weekly classes, retreats, workshops, online classes and collaborations. 

You might ask yourself this if you're over 30. Or over 40. Or 50. Or 60.

Here's the thing: Yoga by nature is adaptable to any age or ability level. People can begin doing yoga at any age. When you teach yoga, you are likely to attract students who are around your own age. This means, no matter what age you are, sharing your passion with the world is an amazing concept. You will be an inspiration to others. An older yoga teacher can also bring more life experience, wisdom and insight to their teaching. Don't let your age stand in the way of a career in teaching yoga. Use it to your advantage instead!  

Absolutely! Teaching yoga combines very well with a so called regular job. Vinyasa flow typically attracts people around 20–60 who have jobs, which means most classes are going to be offered in the evenings and on weekends. If you have a day job, this works!

Teaching 1–2 classes per week will allow you to be part of changing people's lives through yoga, and to be part of a community. You might even get other fringe benefits such as free classes at the studio. In addition it will give you a nice little extra income per month. Just make sure you charge the same as a full time teacher, even if you are not relying upon the income. This is important out of respect for the profession and for those who do rely upon teaching yoga as their primary income.  

If you want to teach a subject, you need to know the subject. Then again, yoga is a unique subject. There are poses and transitions, the breath and basic alignment principles. Then there is philosophy, self growth and to some degree, spirituality. The subject is ever evolving and changing, and can be shaped by the teacher. 

That being said, having a consistent practice before joining a 200 hour yoga teacher training is advisable. Your body will be ready to dive deeper, and you will already arrive with the knowledge that a practice is highly individual. In our training we ask for 2 years of regular and consistent practice as a pre-requisite. We've had students with less, but with a burning desire to go deeper. We've had students with an advanced practice, but mostly with an intermediate sort of practice and a longing for more. We have learned that having a strong practice and decades of experience practicing doesn't mean that you will be a talented yoga teacher. So many other qualities are part of the equation. 

The 200 hour certificate is the Yoga Alliance accredited basic educational format for yoga teachers. It is most commonly offered in a studio over weekends for a year or as an intensive retreat format course of 3-4 weeks. 

The 300 hour course is the Yoga Alliance accredited second step format for yoga teachers. It might also be called an Advanced teacher training or a 500 hour teacher training (200+300 = 500 hours).  

When a yoga teacher writes RYT200 it means that he or she has done a Yoga Alliance 200hr course. When he or she writes RYT500 it means they also took the second step of a 300 hour training. If you see the letter E in front, as in E-RYT200, it means the teacher also has a certain amount of hours (1000) of experience teaching. For the E-RYT500 it's 2000 hours.   

We are a dedicated Vinyasa Teacher Training, 200 hour certified with Yoga Alliance. We are woman owned and operated and have educated hundreds of amazing yoga teachers since 2018. We run our yoga teacher trainings out of Portugal in an immersive format during 3 weeks. At the time of writing we offer a YTT each April and November. We are small scale, fully transparent and we don't leave you hanging after your training. 

Check our dates and details here ›› 

Name: Stride & Edge Yoga (Harry Gordon & Madeleine Sidi)
Nationality: British
Age: 32 and 26
TNV training: April 2019
Where do you live? The Lake District in the North of England

With so many yoga teacher trainings to chose from, what made you choose TNV's 200 hour teacher training? TNV's training stood out to us because of the importance they put on building a business and branding. There are a lot of yoga teacher trainings out there that will teach you the fundamentals to teaching yoga but then don't show you how to actually teach in the real world.

TNV looked like a friendly and relaxed style of training that also felt retreat-like. Of course, we wanted to learn to be yoga teachers but we also wanted to enjoy ourselves and have fun.

What was the training like for you and what were some skills and qualities you left with? The training was more than we had hoped for. Lisa and Elin were so friendly and welcoming. They are still to this day the best yoga teachers we have ever had. Our own practice improved hugely, we left stronger and more skilled.

The most important element they taught us was the way to set up a business, we left feeling confident to advertise ourselves and run a fully functioning business.
We managed to create a brand that was unique to our area and us as people and that has only developed over time.

What's your journey been like since the ttc? Since the training we have been teaching non-stop for 4 years. We went straight into teaching weekly classes in a rented studio. We now teach 2 weekly classes in The Lake District in beautiful lake-fronted studios. We have built an online platform on YouTube where we have 100s of free online classes. We host yoga retreats in the UK and in Spain and have two coming up this year. We also teach privately for groups and companies. In 2020 we taught 5 online classes a week to LLoyds Banking Group.

What's your best advice for new yoga teachers wanting to get started teaching? Don't wait. Just start. Try and make it fun and get friends and family to join at first, then word will spread and you'll start to build up your core clients.

Do you teach, if so where? What format? What are your offerings?​ We teach 2 weekly in-person classes in The Lake District, our Saturday Morning yoga by the lake is a favourite! We also teach lots of online classes for our YouTube channel, ranging from 10–60 minutes all on demand.

Anything else you'd like to share? Just a massive thank you to TNV, without them we would not be where we are today.

Instagram: @strideandedge

Website: www.strideandedge.co.uk 

Name: Vera Powles
Nationality: Portuguese & British
Age: 35
Were do you live? Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (North East of England)

With so many yoga teacher trainings to chose from, what made you chose TNV's 200 hour teacher training? I knew I wanted to teach yoga as a part of my professional career so the focus that TNV puts on educating their students on sustainable yoga careers and entrepreneurship alongside key skills required to be of service to my own students was a deciding factor.

Lisa and Elin's careers and fields of expertise, as well as their guest teachers, inspired me and gave me the confidence that I'd be in the best hands during my training. I wanted to feel that I was using every second of my 200hr YTT to build my skills and knowledge and with TNV I've got that and so much more! 

What was the training like for you and what were some skills and qualities you left with?
I loved every second of the training; The location and venue are outstanding - I felt comfortable, well looked after and nourished all the way through.

All the teachers are incredible knowledgeable, approachable and friendly. I didn't feel that we have spent time doing anything that wasn't valuable or productive. Every day was a challenge and I felt out of my comfort zone many times but found my growth through that. Elin and Lisa's message to "not play small" still echoes in my mind and heart whenever I'm struck by impostor syndrome.

TNV has this special way of attracting like-minded people so I fostered friendships for life and gained a network of recent graduates which has been so supportive! I worked hard during the YTT but also don't remember ever having laughed so much.

Overall it was the experience of a lifetime and something I'll never forget. Professionally I gained all the skills I needed to start teaching to a very good level. Personally, I overcame many limiting beliefs and learn so much about myself.
 
What's your journey been like since the ttc? 
I started teaching the month after I completed my training and for the last 9 months have been building my own yoga community. I've launched a new website including an online wellness membership and recently hosted my first day-retreat.

What's your best advice for new yoga teachers wanting to get started teaching? 
Before anything else, take time to sit down and identify your values, your teaching style and class description. These will be your compass for everything that you do and you'll feel more aligned as a teacher. Talk to everyone you know and meet about your passion for yoga and your vision and you'll see unexpected partnerships and opportunities manifest into your life.

Do you teach, if so where? What format? What are your offerings? 
I'm an independent teacher so I host weekly vinyasa classes in a beautiful lifestyle shop called Mascara Studio, which is local to me. I also host monthly Yoga Socials in a really cool brewery, Full Circle Brew Co. where yogis have the change to meet and chat over a coffee or craft beer after the class. Recently I've hosted a day retreat which included yoga, meditation, pranayama, journalling and other mindful activities, a soundbath and lots of yummy healthy food. My biggest project at the moment is my online membership which I create weekly content for.
 
Instagram: manaliving.co.uk

Website: https://manaliving.co.uk

If you are keeping on eye on us you may have noticed that we went from promoting the idea of a 300 hr Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (step 2, if you will), to instead offering a 50 hr advanced yoga teacher training. Do we not believe in further education? Yes we do. But yes, we did have a change of hearts. Here is why.

Quality Problem. On the foundational level, the Yoga Alliance 200 hour format has to follow certain guidelines and a certain curriculum. But there is also a lot of freedom to shape your training. The 200 hour course can be an online course, a weekend modular course or an intensive format. It can be of any lineage or style of yoga – a known one or a made up one. It can be hosted by a yoga teacher training novice who'll never do it again, it can be hosted by a big corporation or an experienced celebrity teacher and everything in-between. The methodology can be an authoritarian one of absolutes, or one that encourages critical thinking. It can be in a group of 80 or a group of 5. These are so many variables. Add to it the fact that an advanced 300 hour training for business reason will probably have to welcome teachers with any level of actual teaching experience, and you have a few more things to consider.

All this combined means that most Advanced Teacher Trainings out there spend a lot of time simply aligning everyone with THIS training's methodology. Ensuring that everyone has the foundational knowledge deemed important by THIS teacher. Content-wise, an Advanced Yoga Teacher Training is often very similar to a Foundational Yoga Teacher Training. In fact, it's not uncommon that 200 hour YTT students are in the same group as 300 hour YTT students. This may work for some, but it doesn't align well with True North Vinyasa's mission. It becomes a quality issue. We want to raise the bar and professionalism for yoga teachers. We just couldn't make it work in this format.  

Accessibility Problem. We believe in the immersion format. Not modules, not in front of a screen. We love the idea of checking out from the world and fully dive into practice and professional growth. It's life changing. We've seen it work for many years in our 200 hr trainings, and we want to work in this way. For a 300 hour training, this gives you the option to do 10 hours per day for 30 days straight, or two modules of about 2 weeks (which we were planning on). Either way, it's a huge commitment in time and money. Too big for most people, meaning not accessible. We couldn't see it happening. We started to question the idea.

Solution. We went back to the drawing board and asked ourselves: Yoga Alliance format aside, what is it we want? What are yoga teachers longing for? We went back the survey we did with our graduates. Some wanted that Advanced Certificate. Some wanted to be able to write 500 hr teacher on their website. But most just wanted to learn, to practice and to evolve. Most had figured out that to be a skilled yoga teacher doesn't stand in direct relation to the amount of training hours. Once we were able to free ourselves from the format, it was fairly easy to come up with an amazing course. Immersion format in a beautiful place. Under one week. Focusing on the areas that we consider our strengths. Not worrying about what "should" be on the curriculum. Putting together something that we know we can guarantee at a super high quality. So here we have it, a 5 day Advanced Yoga Teacher Training focused on sequencing vinyasa, theming classes, defining your brand and creating business in the world of yoga, and 50 hours of YACEP credits. In the Swiss Alps, September 24–29 2023.

We (and many others) are hoping that Yoga Alliance in the near future will allow you to create your own 300 hour certificate by combining shorter trainings from different accredited specialists. That would make sense. This way you could take 6 wonderful one-week trainings from experts in their field and become exactly the authentic teacher you deserve to be.       

200 HR TRAINING ››
50 HR TRAINING ››    

Marketing is uncomfortable for many yoga teachers. It can feel egocentric to talk about yourself and your strengths. It can feel show-off-y to pose in front of a camera. But of course, if you want someone to attend your class, you may have to promote yourself to some degree. Generic stock photography might feel like a good idea at first. But it's not personal and it's a missed opportunity to be authentic. So let's talk about posing for yoga pictures. Here are our top tips and tricks. The list is based on years of working with our in-house talent, photographer Isla Grossi, and it's a compilation of our combined experience. 

Prepare well:

1. Spend some time on your brand. Consider your purpose as a yoga teacher, as well as your core values and how you can get them across in your classes. Doing this will help you decide poses, locations and outfits. Is playfulness important to you? Show it in your pictures. Is spirituality important? Get that across visually. 
2. Consider who your target audience is – who most appreciate your classes? Having some clarity here will also help you decide the details. Will they be inspired by your one-handed handstand, or just intimidated?
3. Hire a professional photographer.
4. Have a plan, image by image so you can be efficient and professional. 
5. If your photographer doesn't know yoga, bring another yoga teacher or yoga practitioner who can help you with alignment details. It makes a big difference. 
6. Taking pictures in a few different outfits and colours, in different hair styles and locations might be useful. Make it look like several photo shoots, basically.
7. Arrange a few pictures with a lot of sky or an empty wall or floor where you can place text in promotional material.
8. Some close-up details of hands and feet can be very useful.
9. Simple is usually a good idea.  
10. Be respectful of cultural and religious symbols and attributes that are not fully yours.

Yoga photography things that may not work for everyone:

• Yogi squat - tends to draw the mind to urgent pee-breaks and crotches.
• Headstand straight up - strangely enough doesn't look very interesting. A leg variation makes all the difference. 
• Goddess pose has a tendency to not photograph very well.
• Standing splits unless you are extremely flexible tends to look unimpressive.
• Forward folds tend to not invite the viewer in.
• Anything with a lot of butt, like Downward facing dog or Puppy pose means some angles just won't work.
• Low to the ground arm balances, like Eight angle pose, can be hard to photograph well.

Yoga photography things that usually work well:

• Warriors and lunges usually look accessible but strong.
• Side plank variations are also strong and your face is shown.
• Twists, looking over the shoulder, usually photograph well.
• Dynamic backbends like Dancer's pose or Wild thing tend to photograph well.
• Arm and hand variations can be good for close-ups or to put a personal twist on a simple pose like High lunge.
• A non-typical outfit can also add personality to a simple pose (jeans, boots, a hat...).
• A smile takes the edge off and a serious face can make you look more spiritual.

All this is general but maybe helpful if you are about to get (possibly) out of your comfort zone and into yoga photography posing. Have fun and good luck!

Ps. In our foundational 200 hr vinyasa teacher training, a photo shoot with Isla is always offered!

More tips and tricks from our blog ››
Take a True North Vinyasa teacher training ››

To sequence a vinyasa class around a peak pose is a planning tool. Yes, correct. It's not about doing the pose itself. It's about using that pose as a lighthouse in the distance, then navigating towards it. It's about preparing your students' bodies for a fair and safe chance to approach the pose. In reality, quite often you won't even do that pose. You certainly won't tell the class that you have a peak pose. It's a planning tool. How?

1. It gives you a direction and a physical theme. We cannot do all the fun stuff in every class, so this is a simple way of crossing out poses and cues that don't fit into the theme. 

2. It forces you to analyse a pose and dissect it, to taste it and try it and figure out its' components, energies, alignment and actions. For example, Flying Pigeon (Eka Pada Galavasana, demonstrated by BKS Iyengar above) is a Figure Four shape in the front leg on top of a Chaturanga, with the action of shooting the back leg upwards.

3. Once you have figured out the above, simply look for other poses with similar alignment, actions and angles. How can you teach the pose without doing the pose? We usually recommend identifying 5 key poses that pick up the components of your complex pose in a simpler way.

4. Now you can sequence your class. Use the key poses, the suitable actions and alignment as well as verbal cues throughout your warm-up and main part of class. Always plan a well-rounded and balanced class with all different movements the body can do, but use your peak pose to navigate. 

Interested to learn more? 
Vinyasa Flow Teacher Training in Portugal ››

Anatomy, philosophy and class sequencing – these are typical subjects that might come to mind when we think about advancing our yoga teaching skills and growing in our profession. But there are a whole range of less obvious skills that you'll need to develop in order to become a really good yoga teacher. Let's call them non-yoga skills. It's everything else you have to be good at, other than your topic. And it's a lot. 

Who else other than a yoga teacher gives a 90 minute memorised yet adaptable speech – a crazy mix of a technical manual, stand-up comedy and lecture all in one – several times a week? And these are just some of the skills you need to some degree in order to become a yoga teacher with an edge. Between doing your taxes, being a social media expert and organising events, it's a lot. You have to be a bit of a polymath – a person whose expertise spans different subject areas.

As a yoga teacher, it's clever to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe by giving yourself a score between 1-10 from the list below. Then make a plan for the next couple of years. Play your strengths. Deepen your knowledge in areas you love. Become an expert in your natural areas of interest and skill. But don't just do that. Develop your weak areas as well. Especially if you have been teaching for a while already. Learn, grow and broaden. Gain confidence.

So what are some of these non-yoga skills?

1. Public Speaking skills. You stand in front of people and give instructions. This is the very definition of public speaking. You need to address the class without feeling nervous or awkward, whether you are facing 40 students or 2.
2. Customer Service skills. No matter to what degree you teach, you are a business. And customer service is the key to most successful businesses. You must help people, be reliable, give a little extra, answer questions, be cheerful and friendly. 
3. Communication skills. You have to give a 90 minute non-stop speech with well chosen words. You have to vary your language and it helps to have a sense of rhythm and poetry, to offer cultural references and have a sense of humor. Meanwhile you have to speak clearly. To the whole group, but also connect on an individual level.
4. Leadership skills. You have to be a good example. By practicing and learning, making healthy lifestyle choices and bringing your energy to the class. You have to share and relate experiences in order to help students understand the practice on all levels. You show rather than just tell. This also requires a deep understanding of who you are and a good dose of honesty.
5. Business skills. You have to understand how to price what you offer, no matter to what degree you teach yoga. You must create sustainable business models and probably run your own company. 
6. Patience skills. You cannot rush into this profession. Becoming a good yoga teacher will take about 10 years, most experienced yoga teachers agree. Be humble and let it take time. Don't take on too much. 
7. Voice skills. You use your voice a lot, and you can and should work with it. Your students' nervous systems are directly affected by how your voice is perceived. 
8. Branding and Marketing skills. You are a brand, no matter to what degree you teach. Knowing who you are, what your purpose is and who your target group is are essential components to efficient marketing.    
9. Networking skills. You will likely be more sustainable if you build a network of other teachers similar to you, other yoga teachers from other lineages, specialists (such as massage therapists, therapists, physio therapists etc.), yoga studio owners etcetera, rather than just struggle on your own.    

UPCOMING YOGA TEACHER TRAININGS IN EUROPE