October 13, 2025 • 14 mins
As yoga teachers, we often feel pressure to be endlessly creative in our sequencing, transitions, and class themes. But when a student walks into class with an injury or persistent pain, creativity isn’t what they need most. They need you to be confident about how you're going to teach them!
In this episode, I break down why confidence (not flashy sequencing or the “perfect” peak pose) is an important foundation for teaching students safely and effectively when they show up injured.
Whether you’re a new yoga teacher still finding your footing or an experienced teacher who feels nervous about working with injuries, your confidence is key. In this episode, I'll help you reframe your approach to sequencing and teaching, and you’ll learn that confidence comes from clarity and steady presence, not from being overly creative.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Monica (00:00):
Let me start by saying education is first and foremost
when it comes to teachinginjured students, but in this
episode I want to focus on yourconfidence as opposed to your
creativity as being superimportant when you're working
with these students as yogateachers.
I get it.
(00:21):
We often feel the pressure to beendlessly creative in our
sequencing, our transitions andclass themes.
But when a student walks intoclass with an injury or
persistent pain, creativityisn't what they need the most.
They need your confidence.
(00:41):
In this episode, I'll break downwhy confidence not flashy
sequencing or the perfect.
Peak pose is the foundation forteaching students safely and
effectively when injuries arepresent.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
(01:02):
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
(01:22):
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
(01:42):
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
(02:06):
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Here we talk about the anatomy,the injuries, the nervous system
insights, plus all the real lifeknowledge you wish had been
included in your yoga teachertraining.
Today we're gonna cover a topicthat I think every yoga teacher
needs to hear, why confidenceand not creativity is the key to
(02:31):
teaching students with injuries.
Now, don't get me wrong,creativity has its place.
Creativity helps keep oursequences engaging.
It brings variety to thepractice, and it also allows us
to express ourselves asteachers.
But when it comes to supportingstudents Who are in pain or
(02:53):
dealing with injuries,creativity alone isn't enough.
What really matters is yourconfidence in your knowledge of
the body, in your ability toadapt and in your understanding
of how to guide students safelythrough a yoga practice.
(03:13):
So let's begin to unpack thistogether.
When I first started teaching.
I thought that the more creativeI could be, the better of a
teacher I was gonna be.
I would spend hours making surethat my sequences were fun,
different, and even unexpected.
And while students might haveenjoyed the novelty, what I
(03:35):
quickly realized was that ifsomeone walked into my class
with an injury, all of thatcreative sequencing felt
irrelevant.
My super creative transitions orunusual peak poses didn't help
the student who told me theirshoulder was flaring up that
day.
In fact, in those moments, Ifelt completely unprepared, and
(03:59):
that's where the problem lies.
Creativity can keep studentsengaged, but being educated and
confident is what will allow youto.
Hold space for the messy realityof teaching human beings.
Students come in with histories,with chronic pain, with injuries
that flare up unexpectedly andwith fears about what their
(04:23):
bodies can and cannot do.
if you are leaning only oncreativity, you will feel
ungrounded and uncertain whenthese students show up.
But when you have confidencebuilt from understanding
anatomy, pain science, thenervous system, and adaptive
sequencing, you'll be able torespond calmly and effectively.
(04:47):
Let's talk about why yogateachers sometimes prioritize
creativity over confidence.
Many of us were trained to builda class around a peak pose to
make the flow interesting.
To make sure students don't getbored, and in many cases,
sequencing is presented almostlike a performance art.
(05:12):
The unspoken message is that agood teacher is a creative
teacher, so naturally many of usput our focus there.
But here's what's missing fromthat equation.
We are working with real peopleand real people bring real
injuries and pain into ourclasses.
(05:34):
When someone's knee hurts ortheir back is sensitive, they
don't care if your sequence hasa clever transition or if you
linked your class theme to aseasonal metaphor, They care
about whether you can help themfeel safe, supported, and
included in the practice.
(05:55):
This is where confidence comesin.
Confidence as a yoga teacherdoesn't mean you know every
answer or that you can fixsomeone's pain.
It means you understand yourscope of practice and you know
how to use the tools of yogamovement.
Breath, nervous systemregulation, your language to
(06:17):
create a safe container forstudents, even when.
Injuries are present.
So let's go deeper into whatthat confidence is built on.
First, it comes fromunderstanding anatomy, but not
in the way that most teachersimagine.
You don't need to memorize everymuscle origin and insertion
(06:39):
point.
You don't need to pass ananatomy exam to feel confident.
What you need is functionalanatomy, the kind of knowledge
that helps you understand howthe shoulder joint moves
differently in a back bendversus an arm balance, or why
hip shape will influence how astudent experiences.
(07:01):
Pigeon impose versus malana.
This kind of applied anatomyhelps you see your students with
more clarity and adapt to theirindividual needs.
Second confidence comes fromunderstanding pain.
Many yoga teachers avoid thetopic of pain because we've been
(07:22):
told it's outside of our scopeof practice.
But let me reassure you, You arenot diagnosing, and you are not.
Stepping into the role of amedical provider by learning
about pain.
What you can do is learn modernpain science, which tells us
that pain is not just areflection of tissue damage.
(07:46):
Pain is an experience that isin.
By the nervous system pastexperiences, stress, and even
fear.
When you understand this, youstop panicking when a student
says that something hurtsbecause you learn how to adapt
and how to give them choice withwithout creating fear.
(08:07):
Third, confidence comes fromsequencing with purpose, with
intention.
When you're only focused oncreativity, you might throw in
lots of variety without a clearwhy, but confidence sequencing
is built around principles.
Knowing how to warm up the bodyfor certain poses, knowing how
(08:28):
to create balance in a practice,and how to adapt the sequence
for a student.
Who might not be able topractice a particular asana.
This doesn't mean your classeswon't be creative, but it means
your creativity will be groundedin intention rather than
novelty.
(08:49):
And finally, confidence comesfrom your ability to regulate
your own nervous system and toco-regulate with your students
if you get flustered when aninjured student walks into your
class.
Your students will feel that ifyou project fear in your cues,
(09:09):
students will feel less safe.
But if you can stay calm,grounded, and steady, students
will feel more at ease.
You don't have to have theperfect answer in the moment,
But you can project assurancethat you will be able to support
them.
Now, let's look at somepractical ways that you can
(09:30):
build this kind of confidence.
One step is to shift yourmindset around continuing
education.
Many teachers feel overwhelmedat the idea of learning more
anatomy or studying injuries.
They think it's too complicated,But the truth is you don't need
to know everything.
You just need to know enough tosupport the kinds of situations
(09:54):
you'll encounter in the yogaroom.
Break it down to bite-sizepieces.
Start with one joint, onemovement pattern, one type of
injury.
Another step is to reframe howyou think about creativity
instead of trying to make yourclasses flashy or unique for the
sake of it.
(10:14):
Use your creativity in serviceof clarity.
For example, if you're teachingWarrior two and you know a
student has hip pain, yourcreativity can be in finding
variations of Warrior two thatstill allow them to explore
strength and grounding withoutpushing into too much
(10:36):
discomfort.
That's creativity with apurpose, which is very
different.
I also encourage teachers topractice teaching scenarios in
their own time.
Imagine that a student comes toyou with a rotator cuff injury.
What would you do?
How would you adapt?
The more you walk through thesesituations, the more comfortable
(10:57):
you'll feel when they happen inreal time.
And finally.
You gotta seek mentorshipconfidence often comes faster
when you have someone to guideyou, answer your questions, and
give you feedback.
A mentor can help you see blindspots in your teaching and give
you frameworks that make thelearning process less
(11:20):
overwhelming.
At the end of the day, whatstudents need most is not a
creative sequence, but a teacherwho can help them feel safe,
supported, and capable.
When you prioritize buildingyour confidence Through anatomy,
training, sequencing,understanding pain science, and
(11:42):
understanding the nervoussystem, you create a teaching
practice that is sustainable,impactful, and empowering for
your students.
So as you move forward I inviteyou to ask yourself, am I
leaning too much on creativityat the expense?
Of my confidence, and if so,what's one small step I can take
(12:05):
today to begin shifting thatbalance?
Maybe it's studying one jointmore deeply.
Maybe it's changing the languageyou use around pain, or maybe
it's simply reminding yourselfthat you don't need to have all
the answers.
You just need to be willing tolearn to listen, and to hold
(12:26):
space for your students withcompetence.
This is the work that willtransform not only your
teaching, but also yourstudents' experience of yoga.
And that's exactly the kind ofwork that can help yoga become
more inclusive, accessible, andhealing for those who need it
most.
So how confident would you feelright now if a student with
(12:50):
chronic pain or an injury walkedinto your class?
What would you do right now tofeel more confident?
To feel like you can supportyour students no matter how they
showed up for your class?
I want you to think about thisand think about how you can
transform your classes bylearning more about anatomy,
(13:12):
sequencing the nervous system,understanding pain.
And learning more about studentswith injuries and the common
yoga injuries that studentstypically show up with in your
classes.
Understanding anatomy,biomechanics, and the effects
yoga Asana have on the bodyhelps you help your students.
(13:33):
If you've been enjoying theseepisodes, then I know that
you're a yoga teacher who'sready to teach with more
intention and less fear aroundinjuries.
Let's continue to raise the barfor how yoga supports real
bodies in real life.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes, sizes, alignment, and
(13:57):
abilities come to your classesand you can serve all of them.
You know that my goal is for youto love the yoga teaching life,
and it's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops.
And share it with another yogateacher who you think would love
(14:20):
to be in on these conversations.
And finally, thank you forhelping to spread the word about
this podcast.
Alright, thank you forlistening.
That's it for now.
Bye.
Let me start by saying education is first and foremost
when it comes to teachinginjured students, but in this
episode I want to focus on yourconfidence as opposed to your
creativity as being superimportant when you're working
with these students as yogateachers.
I get it.
(00:21):
We often feel the pressure to beendlessly creative in our
sequencing, our transitions andclass themes.
But when a student walks intoclass with an injury or
persistent pain, creativityisn't what they need the most.
They need your confidence.
(00:41):
In this episode, I'll break downwhy confidence not flashy
sequencing or the perfect.
Peak pose is the foundation forteaching students safely and
effectively when injuries arepresent.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
(01:02):
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
(01:22):
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
(01:42):
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
(02:06):
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Here we talk about the anatomy,the injuries, the nervous system
insights, plus all the real lifeknowledge you wish had been
included in your yoga teachertraining.
Today we're gonna cover a topicthat I think every yoga teacher
needs to hear, why confidenceand not creativity is the key to
(02:31):
teaching students with injuries.
Now, don't get me wrong,creativity has its place.
Creativity helps keep oursequences engaging.
It brings variety to thepractice, and it also allows us
to express ourselves asteachers.
But when it comes to supportingstudents Who are in pain or
(02:53):
dealing with injuries,creativity alone isn't enough.
What really matters is yourconfidence in your knowledge of
the body, in your ability toadapt and in your understanding
of how to guide students safelythrough a yoga practice.
(03:13):
So let's begin to unpack thistogether.
When I first started teaching.
I thought that the more creativeI could be, the better of a
teacher I was gonna be.
I would spend hours making surethat my sequences were fun,
different, and even unexpected.
And while students might haveenjoyed the novelty, what I
(03:35):
quickly realized was that ifsomeone walked into my class
with an injury, all of thatcreative sequencing felt
irrelevant.
My super creative transitions orunusual peak poses didn't help
the student who told me theirshoulder was flaring up that
day.
In fact, in those moments, Ifelt completely unprepared, and
(03:59):
that's where the problem lies.
Creativity can keep studentsengaged, but being educated and
confident is what will allow youto.
Hold space for the messy realityof teaching human beings.
Students come in with histories,with chronic pain, with injuries
that flare up unexpectedly andwith fears about what their
(04:23):
bodies can and cannot do.
if you are leaning only oncreativity, you will feel
ungrounded and uncertain whenthese students show up.
But when you have confidencebuilt from understanding
anatomy, pain science, thenervous system, and adaptive
sequencing, you'll be able torespond calmly and effectively.
(04:47):
Let's talk about why yogateachers sometimes prioritize
creativity over confidence.
Many of us were trained to builda class around a peak pose to
make the flow interesting.
To make sure students don't getbored, and in many cases,
sequencing is presented almostlike a performance art.
(05:12):
The unspoken message is that agood teacher is a creative
teacher, so naturally many of usput our focus there.
But here's what's missing fromthat equation.
We are working with real peopleand real people bring real
injuries and pain into ourclasses.
(05:34):
When someone's knee hurts ortheir back is sensitive, they
don't care if your sequence hasa clever transition or if you
linked your class theme to aseasonal metaphor, They care
about whether you can help themfeel safe, supported, and
included in the practice.
(05:55):
This is where confidence comesin.
Confidence as a yoga teacherdoesn't mean you know every
answer or that you can fixsomeone's pain.
It means you understand yourscope of practice and you know
how to use the tools of yogamovement.
Breath, nervous systemregulation, your language to
(06:17):
create a safe container forstudents, even when.
Injuries are present.
So let's go deeper into whatthat confidence is built on.
First, it comes fromunderstanding anatomy, but not
in the way that most teachersimagine.
You don't need to memorize everymuscle origin and insertion
(06:39):
point.
You don't need to pass ananatomy exam to feel confident.
What you need is functionalanatomy, the kind of knowledge
that helps you understand howthe shoulder joint moves
differently in a back bendversus an arm balance, or why
hip shape will influence how astudent experiences.
(07:01):
Pigeon impose versus malana.
This kind of applied anatomyhelps you see your students with
more clarity and adapt to theirindividual needs.
Second confidence comes fromunderstanding pain.
Many yoga teachers avoid thetopic of pain because we've been
(07:22):
told it's outside of our scopeof practice.
But let me reassure you, You arenot diagnosing, and you are not.
Stepping into the role of amedical provider by learning
about pain.
What you can do is learn modernpain science, which tells us
that pain is not just areflection of tissue damage.
(07:46):
Pain is an experience that isin.
By the nervous system pastexperiences, stress, and even
fear.
When you understand this, youstop panicking when a student
says that something hurtsbecause you learn how to adapt
and how to give them choice withwithout creating fear.
(08:07):
Third, confidence comes fromsequencing with purpose, with
intention.
When you're only focused oncreativity, you might throw in
lots of variety without a clearwhy, but confidence sequencing
is built around principles.
Knowing how to warm up the bodyfor certain poses, knowing how
(08:28):
to create balance in a practice,and how to adapt the sequence
for a student.
Who might not be able topractice a particular asana.
This doesn't mean your classeswon't be creative, but it means
your creativity will be groundedin intention rather than
novelty.
(08:49):
And finally, confidence comesfrom your ability to regulate
your own nervous system and toco-regulate with your students
if you get flustered when aninjured student walks into your
class.
Your students will feel that ifyou project fear in your cues,
(09:09):
students will feel less safe.
But if you can stay calm,grounded, and steady, students
will feel more at ease.
You don't have to have theperfect answer in the moment,
But you can project assurancethat you will be able to support
them.
Now, let's look at somepractical ways that you can
(09:30):
build this kind of confidence.
One step is to shift yourmindset around continuing
education.
Many teachers feel overwhelmedat the idea of learning more
anatomy or studying injuries.
They think it's too complicated,But the truth is you don't need
to know everything.
You just need to know enough tosupport the kinds of situations
(09:54):
you'll encounter in the yogaroom.
Break it down to bite-sizepieces.
Start with one joint, onemovement pattern, one type of
injury.
Another step is to reframe howyou think about creativity
instead of trying to make yourclasses flashy or unique for the
sake of it.
(10:14):
Use your creativity in serviceof clarity.
For example, if you're teachingWarrior two and you know a
student has hip pain, yourcreativity can be in finding
variations of Warrior two thatstill allow them to explore
strength and grounding withoutpushing into too much
(10:36):
discomfort.
That's creativity with apurpose, which is very
different.
I also encourage teachers topractice teaching scenarios in
their own time.
Imagine that a student comes toyou with a rotator cuff injury.
What would you do?
How would you adapt?
The more you walk through thesesituations, the more comfortable
(10:57):
you'll feel when they happen inreal time.
And finally.
You gotta seek mentorshipconfidence often comes faster
when you have someone to guideyou, answer your questions, and
give you feedback.
A mentor can help you see blindspots in your teaching and give
you frameworks that make thelearning process less
(11:20):
overwhelming.
At the end of the day, whatstudents need most is not a
creative sequence, but a teacherwho can help them feel safe,
supported, and capable.
When you prioritize buildingyour confidence Through anatomy,
training, sequencing,understanding pain science, and
(11:42):
understanding the nervoussystem, you create a teaching
practice that is sustainable,impactful, and empowering for
your students.
So as you move forward I inviteyou to ask yourself, am I
leaning too much on creativityat the expense?
Of my confidence, and if so,what's one small step I can take
(12:05):
today to begin shifting thatbalance?
Maybe it's studying one jointmore deeply.
Maybe it's changing the languageyou use around pain, or maybe
it's simply reminding yourselfthat you don't need to have all
the answers.
You just need to be willing tolearn to listen, and to hold
(12:26):
space for your students withcompetence.
This is the work that willtransform not only your
teaching, but also yourstudents' experience of yoga.
And that's exactly the kind ofwork that can help yoga become
more inclusive, accessible, andhealing for those who need it
most.
So how confident would you feelright now if a student with
(12:50):
chronic pain or an injury walkedinto your class?
What would you do right now tofeel more confident?
To feel like you can supportyour students no matter how they
showed up for your class?
I want you to think about thisand think about how you can
transform your classes bylearning more about anatomy,
(13:12):
sequencing the nervous system,understanding pain.
And learning more about studentswith injuries and the common
yoga injuries that studentstypically show up with in your
classes.
Understanding anatomy,biomechanics, and the effects
yoga Asana have on the bodyhelps you help your students.
(13:33):
If you've been enjoying theseepisodes, then I know that
you're a yoga teacher who'sready to teach with more
intention and less fear aroundinjuries.
Let's continue to raise the barfor how yoga supports real
bodies in real life.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes, sizes, alignment, and
(13:57):
abilities come to your classesand you can serve all of them.
You know that my goal is for youto love the yoga teaching life,
and it's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops.
And share it with another yogateacher who you think would love
(14:20):
to be in on these conversations.
And finally, thank you forhelping to spread the word about
this podcast.
Alright, thank you forlistening.
That's it for now.
Bye.
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