I'd say be careful when you choose to teach i fy ou don't have a certification.

I don't know if certification is really necessary, but do you have any kind of teacher training?

I'd say stick with simple postures and be careful not to exceed either your knowledge or their ability. And don't do any physical adjustments.

I have had some yoga teacher training and am finishing it this fall after studying on my own since. if they are completely new do not give them standing poses because standing poses are not only complicated but require alot from someone starting out. There are many modifications for beginners. If you must teach standing poses. learn modifications first and know the contraindications of the pose which means things to watch out for like say someone has knee problems or shoulder problems or heart problems. You need to know what modification to give to them specifically that they can do safely but still get the benefits. Twists can hurt people too if you don't know how to lead people into them. Study, study study and more study. Study anatomy closely. Realize they are beginners that won't beable to move a certain way. Speak out loud or in your head as you practise as if you were teaching a student. Also another thing to watch for is that peopel coming to you may think they are in good health when they actually are not. I've seen this enough times because people just don't know their bodies. above everything I have said spend alot of time on mountain pose and know how to assist people into correct allignment. Don;t forget to ask if you may give them an assist. This is only some of what you need to pay attention too. use extreme caution. Many people have been hurt by teachers who have no teacher training at all or have not learned to verbalize from the foundation up in every asana. 5 years might seem a long time but not only does practising not have to do with actually teaching people with different learned patterns of holding and movement which they will certainly have but five years is not long especially if it hasn't been consistent in all of that time. Before jumping into teaching even if you aren;t enrolled in a yoga teacher training program spend alot of time studying variations of poses and on being able to give people verbal cues to allign themselves in the pose. I am not saying it's impossible or will always lead to injury. But you are much safer if you do the simplest of poses to get the most out of it for them and for you as a teacher. The more you study the more you might see it isn't a good idea to go into this without guidance in a training program. I taught easy yoga at the beginning and ending of bellydance classes since 2003 and before that I had done yoga since I was a kid. I only started a ytt in 2005 and finished half way because I couldn't afford to travel to it from my city each month. But taking the training has changed tremendously how I view, practise and teach poses. Alignment is very very important. It may not lead to injury after that class but it might and it will over time with repeated wear and tear. For instance if you aren't lifting up and out of the spine pushing the crown towards the ceiling and lifting the sternum as you do in stick pose ( seated forward bend) then you are most likely bending in the spine rather than at the hips which means the disc in between the vertebrae will be inflamed over time. Also the spine needs to be supported by gently tucking the belly a fraction of the way in towards the spine. And eventhough this is what looks like an easy pose there are alot of internal adjustments that need to be made for it to be performed safely.

Use this information with your best judgement of if you should teach or not and if you do then what poses and what flow. Another thing is to have a way of keeping track of time. I forgot to mention that you must do counter poses. The flow of the asana sequence needs to make sense from one pose to another.

Good luck! Hope this helps!

If you aren't sure how to modify for injuries, be wary of teaching students who need modifications. And I agree that you should avoid giving physical adjustments.

And just for clarity, do you mean savasana and ujjayi breath? (As opposed to sadhana and ujari? Sadhana has a different, specific meaning.)

niki - Being a student and being a teacher require different skills (though a good teacher remains a student :-) Have you considered asking a teacher or at a studio if you could apprentice? Or taking a teacher training or even a course in basic fitness instruction at a local YMCA? I ask simply because if we don't know the basics about anatomy and safety we run the risk of teaching people bad habits that, over time, can cause physical damage (or injuring someone in the moment!). Also, if you're confused about the names of things yourself, you'll be creating wider confusion by teaching them! If people have had very active 16 hour days already, a "warm up" probably isn't necessary if you want to do basic relaxation. Have you been asked to do this? And would you be held responsible for any injuries that resulted from your taking on the responsibility of teaching?

Think basic. Stretches, half sun salutations, balance poses and savasana. If you want to teach warrior, do either the shoulder girdle or the legs, not both. Until you know the level of student you are dealing with. Also, props- straps, blocks and blankets. I wouldn't do breathing either. Too complicated for beginner's. Even very fit people get injured very easily in yoga. Start them slow, then add on as appropriate.

I'm offereing free lessons right now while I finish my 300 hour. I'm in LA. Be glad to teach you a few tricks.