3 Things My Yoga Students Have Taught Me (That I Never Learned in Teacher Training)
2025 marks 10 years since I started teaching yoga.
I first got into yoga because I thought it might give me an Instagram-worthy yoga body (spoiler: it didn’t). But somewhere along the way, it gave me something much better—a practice I’m lucky enough to call my life’s work.
Yes, I’ve learned heaps from teacher trainings, books, and brilliant mentors. But honestly? Some of the most powerful lessons have come from the people in the room with me each week—my students.
Here are three of my favourites.
Lesson 1 – It’s okay to come and go
When you do yoga teacher training (or read any yoga book), it’s easy to feel like yoga should be a lifelong daily practice—and that missing a day means you’ve failed.
But one of my students from the early days has always shown me otherwise. Let’s call her L. She comes and goes as life allows. Some terms she’s off overseas. Sometimes she’s visiting family in Perth. Other times, she rests to take care of a niggle or injury.
And then, when it feels right—she comes back.
L makes yoga work for her, rather than tying herself to a strict routine. And honestly? That’s what it’s all about. If this sounds like you, maybe casual classes now and then are the perfect fit.
Lesson 2 – It’s okay to not like (certain types of) yoga
A few years ago, I was really getting into yin yoga—a slow, still practice with lots of quiet time. One week, I taught it without warning my usual class that we were doing something different.
Afterwards, a newer student came up to me. She was furious.
She told me she’d come for a flowing, challenging class—not to lie on the floor with “too much time to think.” She’d been loving my classes up until that point… but she never came back.
Here’s what I learned:
Always explain what students can expect, especially if it’s a change from the usual.
Stillness and mindfulness can be confronting for some people—and that’s valid.
Yoga isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. It’s not about trying to convert people. It’s about offering a practice and trusting folks to choose what they need.
Lesson 3 – Everyone’s experience is unique
I’ll be honest: I haven’t felt like my best teaching self this year. Between grief, job uncertainty, and a big move, I’ve been carrying a lot. I’ve shown up to class some days feeling like I was only just holding it together.
Then, at the end of the term, a brand new student handed me a small posy of flowers. I started crying as I said, “You have no idea how much this means to me.” And she, with shining eyes, said, “Well… you have no idea how much your class has helped me.”
That moment reminded me that even when I feel a bit broken, the practice still holds power. It can still help someone else.
So, what have I learned from my students?
Over the past 10 years, my students have reminded me—over and over again—that yoga isn’t about getting it “right.”
It’s not about being perfectly consistent, loving every pose, or teaching flawless classes.
Yoga is about being human.
It’s about creating space—for the people who come and go, for the ones who love it and the ones who really don’t, and for ourselves when we feel like we’re falling short.
This term has been one of the hardest in my personal life. I haven’t felt like I’ve been at my best. But then someone shows up with flowers, or quietly says thank you, and I remember: we never truly know the impact we’re having… just by holding space.
So wherever you’re at—whether you’ve been coming to class for years or you’re just peeking through the door—please know there’s room for you here. Mess and all.
👉 Term 2 bookings are now open. You can find all the details and sign up here.
