I’ve been teaching in the Yoga Shed here on Mitchells Island now for a whole 15 months now. Most of the people attending my classes, apart from veterans Daniel, Heather, and the occasional drop-in from Sydney, are beginner-ish – whatever that means in terms of yoga practice, as in yoga there isn’t what you could call a really standarised curriculum.
The Yoga Shed students who are regular attendees are progressing nicely and demonstrating some understanding of various postures. This is satisfying to them and to me.
As always, the real gains of yoga occur when people take up home practice – whatever humble way they start, it doesn’t matter. So, I keep on encouraging the students by suggesting certain poses or sequences that I think are easily duplicated at home and that will produce benefits.
My suggestions land sometimes, and I can always tell the students who are doing personal practice because their improvements stand out. It took me years to cotton on to the fact that personal practice is the very heart of yoga, so I’m patient with the students, but also relentless.
If you’re a teacher, don’t give up “nagging”, cajoling, and manipulating, if necessary 🙂

But how do I do it?
How do I start?
How?
You roll out your mat. You sit down. You do this at approximately the same time each day. Do what you can, even if it’s only a little every day.
I don’t even know where to start.
Then you quiet your mind so you can remember the poses you know and use these notes to fill in the gaps. You don’t have to do it well yet. Just start.
– from Eve’s Practice Notes guide