Becoming a Yoga Instructor: Hala Khouri Interview

Khouri’s students range from at-risk youth to celebrities. She teaches classes at the Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in Venice, California and is the founder of the ARRIVE movement, a yoga outreach program for troubled teens based on the theory of somatic healing. Additionally, Khouri is a featured columnist for Yoga Life magazine and a much sought-after speaker and instructor at yoga workshops and retreats. She is also actively pursuing her doctorate degree in somatic psychology.

LoveToKnow Yoga asked Khouri about her yoga journey and the necessary steps to becoming a yoga instructor.

Becoming a Yoga Instructor: Hala Khouri Interview

Your background is in psychology and religion - how did you discover yoga?

I discovered yoga, truly, when I was about 24 years old. I was diagnosed with class 3 cervical dysplasia, which is cancer on my cervix. Before rushing to surgery, I took a month to explore healing my body.

Yoga became a vital part of my healing when I discovered that my body, although fit, was not healthy. The gym gave me muscles, but it didn’t address my body as a whole. I was using fitness to control and shape my body; yoga revealed to me that the way my body feels is a by-product of being balance in my body, mind, and spirit.

I also found that yoga brought together my interest in psychology and spirituality. It is a holistic system that just makes sense to me.

When did you decide you wanted to teach yoga? Was the decision part of a natural progression, or were you surprised?

I’ve been teaching movement, such as aerobics, dance, and general fitness, since I was 16. Before I got seriously into yoga, I found myself fusing my studies in psychology as well as my own personal spirituality into my fitness classes.

I’ve always been interested in the body-mind connection and I was teaching yogic principles before I ever really learned them. I was asked to sub for my yoga teacher on some yoga classes before I was trained. She called me at 8:00 p.m. the night before and asked me to teach the 9:00 a.m. class. I’ve always been thrown into things before I thought I was ready, but showing up to teach that class showed me that I was.

What steps did you take for certification, and where/with whom did you study?

I did my 200-hour training at Yoga Works in 2000 with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford. I spent years in Los Angeles exploring all the well-known and not so well-known teachers. I took every workshop I could with all the amazing teachers either living here or passing through, including Shiva Rea, Max Strom, Erich Schiffman, Rod Stryker, Rodney Yee, David Life, Sharon Gannon, and Dana Flynn. I observed them, learned from them, just soaking it all up.

My studies in psychology and energetic healing created a natural foundation for my yoga teaching as well.

What challenges did you overcome in your pursuit?

My biggest challenge, or better yet, opportunity, was to find my own unique voice as a teacher. I wanted to teach from my heart and my soul, not from a place of wanting to be in a certain role. Finding my authentic voice is something I work on every day.

Khouri in Bound Marichiasana

The Rewards of Teaching

You've been teaching for nearly 20 years. What rewards do you continue to receive from being an instructor?

I can think of nothing more rewarding than teaching. To watch people transform, and get to hold space for all the courageous beings who chose this path, is the greatest honor. I learn so much from my students; their reflections and their own process enriches mine. I find the connection to the yoga community to be a great source of support for me as well. We’re like a tribe that has something really special in common, yet we’re different, too.

Many people hesitate to become a yoga instructor because of body image issues. What advice do you have?

As a teacher, the most healing thing we can do is embody self-acceptance, not perfectionism.

So many people struggle with wanting to meet some fantasy ideal of who they think they should be. And the media plays a strong role is sending us unrealistic imagery about what that looks like. I love seeing yoga teachers of all shapes and sizes who really love themselves and stand firm in that grace. I believe this is what we want to teach our students: to let go of fantasies that keep them in the future or the past, and to embrace the present moment and all the gems it has to offer.

How does an instructor help students develop their yoga practice beyond the physical movement?

The instructor has to have a connection with the practice that goes beyond the asanas to offer insights and guidance in the practice that reminds students to not get caught up in the physical. This kind of teaching is something that, in its most powerful form, is transmitted just by what the teacher is being, not so much what they are doing. I also think adding some meditation, even if short, is valuable. I always ask my students provocative questions during the asana practice to get them to self-reflect.

What recommendations do you have for those interested in becoming a yoga instructor?

• Have a clear understanding of your intention and what you love about yoga and teaching. This may change over time, but your purpose and intention should always be your guide.
• Get good, solid training in how to teach the asanas. This is the foundation of a Hatha yoga practice.
• All the while, cultivate your deeper connection to the practice and your own spiritual/ energetic learning. I’m a firm believer in classical training, and then putting your own personal voice into it. Know the roots of the practice and grow it from there.

Additional Resources

• Visit Hala Khouri’s website for more information about her classes and workshops.
• Download one of her classes at Yoga2Go.
• Learn more about healing and yoga.
• For additional information on becoming a yoga instructor and where to find registered yoga colleges, visit Yoga Alliance.

~Tracey L. Kelley.