admin With standout benefits like lowering stress, boosting self-confidence, decreasing the risk of depression, increasing social interaction, slowing the aging process, and finding purpose and fulfillment, it comes as no surprise why people do volunteer work.
You can also earn extra points by volunteering to teach yoga. It might not be easy to get off the couch at the end of a long workday, but it’s worth it. You can learn a lot when you volunteer!
Here are five things that you will learn as a yoga volunteer.
The Money is Not Everything… Except Sometimes It Is
The yoga business has grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry. However, community or karma classes are a way for people to access the practice. The cost of yoga can be as high as $25 for a drop-in class and often more than $10. This is what keeps people away from teacher-led classes.
Students have the disadvantage of not being instructed by their teacher. No one will be able to ensure that they stay safe during practice. Long-term joint injuries can take a while to manifest and may be corrected by simply noticing how the weight is distributed in the feet.
Volunteering once or twice a month, even if it’s not possible financially, will allow you to reach more people. You can teach classes and encourage others to join in.
It is important to include and celebrate diversity
You will be working with people who are new to yoga as a volunteer. You could also volunteer with a diverse group of people, such as in the Prison System.
You will need to be able to adapt yoga classes to all types of bodies, minds, and souls, as well as to create a space that welcomes difference and inclusion.
How to cultivate community and connection
Volunteer teachers often call their classes “community classes.” The classes, and yoga in general, are meant to be more accessible. Volunteering as a yoga instructor can involve teaching classes and offering workshops for free or in small groups. These activities help people connect.
When to Say “Yes” and How to Say “No”
If you forget to balance your inhalation and exhalation, even something as pure as breathing can be too much. When it comes to volunteering, you need to strike a balance between saying yes when it is possible and no when commitments become too great.
Yoga teachers can learn what their limits are from volunteering and how to stay socially active without becoming exhausted.
The Rewards of a Well-Done Job
Emerson said that the reward for a job well done was to have completed it. The reward for volunteering is usually to have shared yoga teachings and to have given your honest, hard work.
It also helps that charitable actions, such as volunteering to be a yoga instructor, are associated with a greater sense of self-esteem, belonging, and purpose.
I hope you are inspired to teach and volunteer! You have a lot of good energy that you can share with the rest of the world. Please feel free to share below what you’ve learned from being a yoga volunteer teacher or what you plan to do! Namaste, with love and light.
