Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign hello. Welcome to deepen your yoga practice. I'm Lauren Leduc, the owner and founder of True Love Yoga in Kansas City, Missouri. And this episode is for the yoga teachers out there. We'll be deepening our yoga practice and teaching, but by talking about finding your voice as a yoga teacher. Even if you're not a yoga teacher, this episode still might be relevant to you because finding our voice through our occupation, through our family life, through our lives in general is such an empowering and important thing. So welcome.
[00:00:46] I'm so happy you're here. Whether you're a newly minted yoga teacher or years into your journey, one of the most empowering and elusive parts of teaching is finding your voice, which is your unique expression of yoga. So I'm hoping this episode serves you today. I'll also mention that I'll be sharing a little bit later on about our upcoming 300 hour advanced yoga teacher training program and how it can support you in finding and refining your voice as a teacher and a leader. So what does it mean to find your voice? It's not just about how you sound, although that can be a part of it. It's your teaching style, it's your perspective and values. It is energetic presence and it's your ability to connect authentically with yourself and with your students. And this is something that can evolve over time, through experience, through education, through introspection.
[00:01:45] So if you are a new teacher and you haven't honed in on what this is for yourself just yet, know that that's normal and totally okay and comes with intention and practice and time. If you're listening to this as an experienced teacher, it's normal and okay for your voice to evolve and change over time, because we evolve and change over time. So I've found personally that over my teaching career, I've come across these different intersections of change and transition in my life. And I always question my teaching around these times as well because it starts to evolve and grow and change. And if I do things the way I used to, it feels uncomfortable. So know that really finding your voice isn't about finding it and then keeping it forever. It's it can be forever evolving and changing because that's the nature of who we are and that's the nature of life for me. I think when I was a new teacher, I did emulate my teachers quite a bit. I used a lot of their phrasing, probably even vocal tone, because I admired it. It's what worked for me. So I wanted to be able to pass that on. To my students. And while I think that's still part of my foundation because I really love and respect my teachers, it's also evolved over time. And I noticed the more I stepped out of the box of my teacher training, the more nuanced and authentic my own personal voice felt. And the more confident I became in my teaching, the more authentic I felt as well. So it took time and it definitely wasn't a linear journey. But I can see certain times in my career where I've maybe elevated to the next level. For instance, teaching outdoor classes became such a thing for me about a year and a half into my teaching. I was really passionate about teaching a lot of different students outside. On an actual vocal note, I had to be a lot louder than I was used to, which was kind of scary, but ended up being empowering. I had to learn how to speak to a big variety of folks because it wasn't just these small classrooms of yogis with similar experience levels. And I figured had to figure out a way to teach to a broader audience in a way that still felt nuanced and special and skillful. So it really was this wonderful challenge for me, one that I hope and think that I did step up to at the time. So that's what finding my voice has meant to me. And again, it's forever evolving and changing.
[00:04:20] Now I'll get to some common challenges on this path to finding one's voice. So, like I said earlier, I emulated my teachers at first. Probably still times sometimes do because I'm part of a lineage. But mimicking other teachers can be this sign as well of imposter syndrome. So we feel we are not good enough, so we emulate our teachers. And this might be something we are conscious or not conscious of, but it can prove to be a challenge in finding our own unique voice. Feeling that you have to know everything or be the perfect yogi can get in the way of finding your authentic voice as well, because no one knows everything. I think we can devote ourselves to swadhyaya or self study and continue learning and being students, of course, but we're never going to know anything and we're never going to be the perfect yogi because we're humans, right? So let's just meet ourselves where we are and come from that place. As a teacher, we might be feeling challenged by balancing tradition with innovation. Like I mentioned earlier, when I was starting to teach in different arenas or in different ways and not breaking off from my training, but I think expanding from it, I had to figure out my voice and what felt authentic to that particular moment in style. So as we're innovating, as we're evolving, how do we use our voice in such a way that honors where we come from and where yoga comes from, while also expanding to new possibilities? Another challenge might be bumping into cultural appropriation versus respectful sharing. Are we offering elements of the practice that we don't really understand?
[00:05:59] Maybe that we don't practice ourselves, or that we're not embodying because they seem spiritual or exotic or cool? Or are we doing our best to learn to embody and then to share that from an authentic and respectful place? Maybe a challenge is wanting to serve everyone and then diluting your message. As teachers, we can't be for everyone. Not every student is going to like us or benefit from our teaching more than someone else's. I think when we're authentic, we attract who we attract. If that's a lot of people, great. If that's smaller niches, that's wonderful too. So how do we stick with what is real and not try to please everyone? Because it's impossible. Another challenge might be navigating feedback and even rejection. So I know I've received feedback before from my teachers that I've really gotten in my head about and then it's made me question my teaching and I'm thinking about that as the past. But I'll even add, like, we have class pass at the studio. Now that's available during some of our classes. But when we, when we receive negative feedback on that, or maybe not feedback, but just one star or something like that, I've really gotten in my head about it before and it's made me question who I am as a teacher. So that's also affected my voice and has come up as a roadblock or a challenge. So how do we know navigate this feedback and rejection? So I'll go into some tools for discovering and honing your voice and hopefully overcoming some of these challenges. So one I mentioned is swadhyaya or self study. So this is journaling, reflection, noticing what feels authentic to us in the moment, what lights us up, and then being able to teach from this flow full well that Swadiaya gives us. When we're not in self study, when we're not being conscious of ourselves, when we're not learning, sometimes we can be on autopilot and that is not a very fruitful place to teach from. Another way to discover and hone your voice is through experience.
[00:08:10] So the more you teach, the more you can refine and that means especially for those of you in the early days not feeling good enough at times or, or fumbling, feeling like you've made mistakes, but still showing up and teaching it is just like being a yoga student. We're not going to show up perfectly every single day. We're not going to nail each asana. We're not going to be perfectly centered. That's an impossible ask. So can you give yourself grace as you gain this experience?
[00:08:42] Imperfectly. Most of the things we consider imperfect, our students would never even know or or notice. So how can you be kind to yourself as you are gaining more and more yoga experience and know that as you are approaching it in this way, you're getting better because experience is a teacher in itself. It makes us better. Another tool would be advanced education.
[00:09:05] So if you do feel like it's time to dive into the Swadhyaya, to start building your toolbox a little bit more, you've used the tools from your 200 hour training.
[00:09:15] Trainings like our 300 hour can give you the structure and space to evolve and also seeking out different continuing education opportunities. And I would always recommend for these going toward what lights you up? Does aerial yoga light you up? Does a deep philosophy dive light you up? Does kids yoga? Restorative yoga? Myofascial release? There are so many options out there. What makes your heart sing? And that's typically the right direction to go. Maybe you can hone your voice more through mentorship.
[00:09:47] So that can mean getting really uncomfy and seeking feedback from the teachers that you trust. You know not. This might sound controversial, but not all feedback really matters. Seek feedback from those with the wisdom and experience to help elevate you to the next level. And that feedback truly matters. Another way to keep honing your voice is through embracing authenticity. So embrace your quirks, your history of what makes you who you are, your humanity, your identity.
[00:10:20] It's what people connect with. There's no need to mask or hide. You are who you are. And it's so beautiful when this transmission or teaching of yoga is stewarded through so many different voices, so many different stories, so many different humans. That's what makes it powerful. That's what makes us connect to our students. That's what is providing a transformative experience. Experience.
[00:10:46] So lead with that. You might also hone your voice by specialization. I talked about this a little bit with advanced training, but lean into what you love. Do you love trauma, informed yoga or arm balances? Do you love breath work? What lights you up? Follow that. I know that sounds Trite maybe, but it's absolutely true. And I've never regretted when I followed the breadcrumbs of my own heart's desire.
[00:11:13] Whether or not they lead to the next level or something bigger and better, they have enhanced my life and my teaching and my voice. Another and final tool would be energetic attunement. So that's really learning to be present when you're teaching, to read the room and to adjust based on your students needs. That doesn't mean to throw your authenticity away, but it means to explore nuance, to be compassionate, to use probably the beautiful empathic skills you already have because you're drawn to this career and to let the energy of the room guide you and your voice in a way that is truly authentic to the moment. I'll actually add one final one, which is speak like you normally would. You might need to project more or slow down or select your words more carefully. But I don't think people really like the sing songy yoga teacher voice that people put on. Sometimes it doesn't feel authentic, it doesn't feel natural. So speaking like you, but let's say with a yoga filter on is probably what's going to resonate the most. Keep in mind that finding your voice is part of the philosophical framework of Yoga. Finding and honing your voice is linked to the concept of Dharma or your unique purpose. Your voice is such an important part of expressing your purpose on this earth. Philosophically, teaching is also a path of seva or service. It's not something that we perform. It's not something we do for outer accolades. It's something that we do to give and to give without regards to the fruits of our actions. So finding our own voice is an act of service.
[00:13:00] And it's really a way of getting out of our own way of letting go of ego, to be of the highest service to others and to our Dharma. We're also cultivating Satya, or truthfulness. We're teaching from a place of integrity, of truth. And you can also think of the Niyamas of Tapas, Swadyaya and Ishwara Pranidana. We are honing our voice because we are committed to our teaching.
[00:13:26] We're finding this discipline, this tapas, this fire and momentum. We continue our self study, our swadhyaya. By honing our voice and by really embracing our authenticity, we are surrendering, surrendering to the divine Ishwara Pranidana. Because who we truly are deep inside is the Divine. And our voice is one way that the Divine is expressed. So what a beautiful thing to get out of our own way to hone this skill and to use it for the greater good. If this episode speaks to where you are as a teacher, our upcoming 300 hour YTT is designed to help teachers find their voice, to develop intuitive leadership, and to step fully into their role as an embodied guide. Through our training, you can deepen your philosophical understanding, learn advanced asana and sequencing skills, learn how to teach from your intuition and energetic presence, develop personal offerings like retreats and workshops, and you can receive personalized mentorship and peer support. We'll be starting in January of 2026. It will be going through the whole year and it's a hybrid program so there's lots of beautiful self paced online content and then potent live offerings.
[00:14:44] And it goes the whole year, January through December. If you'd like to learn more, be sure to go the link is in the show notes trueloveyogacasey.com to our 300 hour page and put your name in the email box and we'll send you a PDF of 10 signs you're ready to level up. And that will come with some more information about the training as well. I want to remind you that your voice as a teacher is already within you. It's just waiting to be uncovered, to be refined and to be empowered. And I'll encourage you to journal or reflect on these three questions. What makes you unique as a teacher? What styles or themes light you up to teach? Where do you still feel unsure or limited? And how might you grow there? I hope this episode has deepened your yoga practice and helped you feel a spark of excitement about honing your voice. As a yoga teacher, I want to remind you that your work is important. The service we give to folks in a world that feels very chaotic, offering them moments of peace, offering them tools for self acceptance and awareness for peace. Such a beautiful thing.
[00:15:58] And it's going to be so much more potent by your authenticity, your skillful use of voice, your teaching. Thank you so much for joining me today. Om Shanti, Om Peace.
