Mentoring for Yoga Teachers
Mentoring is a modern word describing an integral part of yoga tradition throughout history, encompassing the guidance between teacher and student as part of the continuing journey of yoga. In our rapidly evolving yoga landscape, teachers face daily challenges and opportunities to learn. Engaging a mentor can accelerate your growth as a teacher, instilling confidence and enjoyment in this vocation, whilst providing an accountability partner who inspires continued development of your own practice.
Mentoring as Part of Annual CPD
Yoga Australia will soon launch the latest refinements of our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program, which will include greater facility for mentoring. The work we have invested in mentor-specific resources highlights the value we place in structured peer-to-peer learning within the professional community.
This initiative enables Level 3 Senior Members to share their wisdom and experience through formal mentoring relationships with clear goals, development plans, and opportunities for teaching observation with structured feedback. The program fosters the traditional paramparā system of knowledge transmission and provides practical growth opportunities.
Under this enhanced framework, mentors earn CPD points for providing mentoring services, whilst mentees receive points for participating in approved mentoring programs. This structured approach includes goal setting, identifying strengths and challenges, addressing safety and emerging professional topics. The intention is to ensure meaningful professional development through guided reflection and enquiry-based questioning, so that teachers may discover and bolster their unique teaching voice.
What Qualifies as CPD Mentoring
Appropriate mentoring for CPD purposes focuses on professional development within the yoga teaching context, including discussions about teaching methodology, yoga philosophy, class planning, ethical considerations, and navigating professional challenges. Small group mentoring sessions are particularly valuable for peer learning and community building. However, personal therapy sessions, one-on-one instruction from physiotherapists or psychologists to enhance yoga teaching, or any form of clinical treatment would not qualify as CPD mentoring. Similarly, just as attending a regular yoga class doesn’t count towards CPD requirements, general wellness activities fall outside the scope of professional development mentoring.
How to Participate
Who Can Become a Mentor: Registered mentors are Level 3 Senior Members with Yoga Australia who have completed a minimum of 1000 hours of yoga teacher training and have been teaching for at least 10 years. They possess well-developed communication and listening skills, the ability to provide clear and non-judgmental feedback, and create safe spaces for self-inquiry and reflection. Mentors meet teachers where they are and support them to discover their own unique teaching journey, drawing on their embodied experience of yoga and familiarity with the mentor-mentee relationship.
Becoming a Mentor: The mentoring short course and Teacher Directory filtering system will be available soon. In the meantime, if you’re interested in becoming a registered mentor, please express your interest via the web form on this page. Upon launch, approved mentors will receive a Mentor Badge for use in email signatures, websites, and social media communications, and will appear in the Teacher Directory when filtered by ‘Mentor’. Mentors should be prepared to update their profile with areas of specialisation, pricing, and delivery methods (online/in-person).
Finding a Mentor: The Teacher Directory filter will soon allow you to locate approved mentors in your area or specialisation. Yoga Australia will promote the program through newsletters and social media, providing guidance on the value of mentoring, how to find mentors, and earning CPD points through participation.
Who Benefits from Mentoring?
Whether you’re a newly qualified teacher finding your feet or an experienced practitioner seeking fresh perspectives, mentoring offers a valuable opportunity to extend your confidence and proficiency. You might be looking to fill specific gaps in your training, embark on a specialisation, or simply seeking guidance and a safe space for reflection on your teaching journey. Mentoring adapts to where you are now and supports your aspirations for growth, providing personalised professional development that evolves with your unique path as a yoga teacher.
Types of Mentoring
Yoga Australia supports a range of mentoring approaches from one-to-one sessions to small group formats, with options for occasional or ongoing engagement. Mentoring can be skills-based, focusing on refining teaching techniques and class planning, or it may support inner reflection and spiritual growth. Some mentoring relationships are curriculum-based, designed to help teachers meet specific criteria such as upgrading membership levels or fulfilling teacher training requirements. Beyond formal mentoring, enthusiasts and teachers often find valuable informal support through connections made at events, workshops, and member circles, where professionals at all levels share insights and learn from one another.
Mentoring Guidelines: What Counts for CPD
| ✅ Appropriate CPD Mentoring | ❌ Not CPD Mentoring |
|---|---|
| Enquiry-based questioning and contemplation | Personal therapy from qualified experts |
| Small group mentoring sessions | One-on-one clinical instruction (physio, psychology) |
| Teaching methodology discussions | General yoga class attendance |
| Yoga philosophy exploration | Therapeutic treatments |
| Professional development guidance | Wellness activities |
| Ethical considerations in teaching | Personal counselling sessions |
