Green Flags for Yoga Teachers
We often hear about red flags – signs of negative or unsafe behavior, things that make us feel uneasy or disconnected. But today, let’s shift our focus to green flags.
Green flags are signs of positive qualities, constructive behaviors, and healthy relationship skills. In yoga class, they’re the subtle signals that help us feel comfortable, supported, and respected in class – sometimes without even realizing why.
This week, we’re bringing those subconscious feelings to the surface and naming 22 green flags for yoga teachers. The goal isn’t to judge others, but to recognize what makes us feel safe and supported — both as students and as teachers ourselves.
What Are Your Yoga Teacher Green Flags?
Here’s a list of 22 “green flags” I’ve gathered over the years and in consultation with yoga teachers-in-training – qualities that help create a positive, student-centered yoga experience.
1) On Time and Prepared
A teacher who arrives early, sets up calmly, and starts and finishes on time communicates respect for their students’ time and energy. Preparedness shows care – they’ve planned thoughtfully but are also ready to adapt.
2) Safety Focused
A green flag teacher makes safety a priority. They offer clear cues, encourage students to listen to their own bodies, and remind everyone that pain is never the goal. You feel safe taking their class – physically and emotionally.
3) Inclusive and Welcoming
They create a space where everyone feels they belong, regardless of size, age, background, or ability. They use language that includes rather than excludes, and they avoid making assumptions about what students can or can’t do.
4) Not Invested in Your Performance
A great teacher isn’t measuring your worth by how deep your lunge is or whether you can touch your toes. Their focus is on your experience – helping you feel grounded, aware, and connected, not perfect.
5) Interested in You
They take time to learn about your needs and goals. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, improving flexibility, or seeking stress relief, they meet you where you are.
6) Ask for Consent Before Using Touch
A green flag teacher always checks before offering hands-on assists. They make it clear that consent is optional and can be changed at any time.
7) Explain What to Expect
Before class starts, they let you know what kind of practice you’re stepping into – whether it’s gentle, strong, restorative, or themed around a certain focus. Throughout class they let you know what’s next. This helps you feel informed and at ease.
8) Teach to the Students in Front of Them
Rather than teaching from a rigid plan, they respond to who’s actually in the room – adjusting pacing, intensity, or sequences to fit the group’s needs.
9) Focused on Students, Not Themselves
Their attention is outward, not inward. They’re not performing their own practice while teaching; instead, they’re observing and guiding you.
10) Body Positive / Body Neutral
They avoid body-shaming or diet culture talk and instead celebrate what bodies can do. They help students develop appreciation for their bodies as they are, not as they “should” be.
11) Offer Options for All Abilities
You’ll always have choices – props, modifications, or alternative postures – so you can practice in a way that supports your body.
12) Use Invitational Language
They use words like “if it feels right for you” or “you might explore” instead of commands. This encourages autonomy and self-awareness.
13) Open-Minded
They understand that yoga isn’t one-size-fits-all. They respect different styles, lineages, and approaches.
14) Evidence-Based and Curious
They don’t rely on myths or make exaggerated health claims. Instead, they stay curious, keep learning, and value both tradition and evolving knowledge.
15) Stay in Their Scope of Practice
They don’t try to act as doctors, therapists, or dietitians. If something is outside their expertise, they’re willing to say, “I don’t know.”
16) Clean and Comfortable Space
The environment feels clean, cared for, and comfortable. Thoughtful management of things like lighting, temperature, and airflow adds to the sense of safety.
17) Authentic and Approachable
They show up as real people – kind, humble, and genuine – not trying to impress or “perform” yoga perfection.
18) Respect for Yoga’s Roots
They use Sanskrit and English respectfully, honoring yoga’s cultural foundations without using language or concepts students can’t understand without explaining what they mean.
19) Encourage Self-Knowledge
A green flag teacher helps you tune inward – noticing your breath, your sensations, your responses – so you can become your own best teacher.
20) Welcome Feedback
They listen. They don’t get defensive when students share suggestions or concerns.
21) Give Savasana the Time It Deserves
They don’t rush the relaxation. They know how vital it is to integrate the practice through stillness.
22) Adaptable
Above all, they’re adaptable – adjusting their plans, language, or approach to meet students where they are on any given day.
In Closing
After thinking about this topic, I’ve realized that red flags often come from teachers who are overly focused on themselves – their practice, their body, their opinions, their experience of yoga.
Green flags, on the other hand, come from teachers who are student focused. They spend their time creating safe, welcoming spaces, and guiding students toward their own discoveries.
Reflection for Teachers and Teachers-in-Training
If you’re a yoga teacher or teacher-in-training, take a few moments to reflect on your own green flags.
Ask yourself:
- What do I do that helps my students feel safe, welcome, and respected?
- How do I show care and professionalism through the way I prepare, teach, and communicate?
- Are there areas where I’d like to strengthen or grow my green flags?
You might:
- Journal about a teacher who made you feel deeply supported — what did they do that you can learn from?
- Ask your students (or mentors) what helps them feel most comfortable in class.
- Observe yourself teaching or record a class and notice how your language, pacing, and presence come across.
- Set an intention each week to practice one “green flag” — such as clearer consent, better time management, or more inclusive language.
- Remember, green flags aren’t about perfection. They’re about awareness and intention — showing up each day with curiosity, compassion, and care for the people in front of you.
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