The Top 10 Things I've Learned About Teaching Yoga Over The Past 10 Years
10 years ago, I graduated my first yoga teacher training from Bikram Yoga Training. I taught my first yoga class two days after I graduated. I jumped right in, and it’s been quite a journey ever since. These are the top ten things I’ve learned about teaching yoga over the past ten years. These are in no specific order, but all essential. If you are a new yoga teacher, there is a lot of learning in this one!
#1 You Never Know What Someone Else Is Going Through
As yoga teachers, we cue our students through movement, breath, and meditation. Maybe you notice a student isn’t connected, or is doing their own thing. We aren’t in their body, we don’t know how it feels, we aren’t in their head, and we don’t know what they might be consumed with thinking about. Don’t pass any judgment. Instead, show compassion and love for that student even if that is simply just holding space for them.
#2 Hold Space For Others, More Than You Take Space
Being a good listener is essential to not only being a good yoga teacher, but a good human. If you can be a better listener, and instead of taking up space, you make space for them to share- you’re going to learn so much more about that person rather than if you were talking the whole time.
#3 Lead With Compassion And Kindness
Have compassion for yourself, your students, your community, and be genuinely kind. Always. Kindness matters.
#4 Never Compromise or Sacrifice Your Integrity For Money
Don’t do something that does not align with your values, if it’s unethical, or if it just doesn’t feel right. Even if you’re getting paid, if it’s not a vibe, don’t do it.
#5 Collaboration Is Really Fun
Do more of this to support like-minded individuals and businesses because team work really does make the dream work! I love collaborating with local businesses, other yoga teachers in my community, yoga teachers online, musicians, all different things! When someone needs a yoga instructor at their local event, how can you get your name to come up or have them think of you? It comes from creating your own luck and being out there in the field to be able to be thought of and stay top of mind.
#6 Community Is Everything
Without community, forget it. If you’re not out there teaching, if every time you are teaching you’re not introducing yourself to students, if you’re not making yourself available for pre or post-class conversation, it’s going to be very difficult to grow your community. Without my community, I would not know how to grow. Because the community is who is going to tell other people about the amazing experience they had (made even more special because you made them feel seen and heard, you held space for them, you said hi, you connected with them) and bring their friends to your next class or event.
#7 Do What You Love, And The Money Will Come
Be patient with the process of becoming the yoga instructor that is able to exclusively support themselves as only a yoga instructor. It took me 8 years to make a living solely doing yoga things. The other years I was teaching classes, holding experiences, taking people on retreats, building community, all while I still had a side hustle to make money. Give it time to learn and to grow before quitting your day job and fully taking the leap. Keep doing what you love, and the money will come.
#8 YOU Are The Niche
I used to beat myself up that I didn’t have a specific niche. I would try to put myself in a niche “box” thinking that was what I needed to do to become a successful yoga teacher- I needed to just teach yoga for athletes, or just teach anatomy based yoga, etc. But once I leaned into who I really am, it all fell into place: I am a yoga instructor, I am a father of three kids, I love to create unique experiences, and I love bringing people together that are a “hell yes!” for doing something no matter what. I opened the door of who I am, and I’m showing up rain or shine. I’ve created that environment time and time again for my community that they know without a doubt: I am going to be there. And that became my niche. Whether it’s literally showing up when it’s forecasted to rain during beach yoga, or showing up for a student by responding to a message on Instagram about a pose they wanted to learn more about.
Be yourself, own your uniqueness, teach from the heart- and that will attract the kind of people who will be there and become your community. They will come, and keep coming, because they feel connected to you personally.
#9 Surround Yourself With People Who Will Challenge You To Grow
Who doesn’t love being around like-minded people? I know I do! But if I’m looking to continue to elevate my life and continue to grow, I can’t be around like-minded people all of the time. I have to be around people who are doing things that I aspire to do. When you start thinking about what next level thing you want to do, you then have to find out where those people are, get familiar with them by starting a conversation, and put yourself in a position to connect with the people that are doing things that maybe you think is just a dream. It might be out of your comfort zone, but it is a great play.
#10 Look At Your Losses As Learning Experiences
It’s not really a loss if you can learn from the experience, and turn it into a positive. Sometimes there is a “loss” if you invested time and/or money on an event, and it didn’t turn out how you wanted it to. That happens. But, what did you learn from it? You learned you aren’t going to do it like that again- maybe it was bad timing, bad promotion, etc. That’s okay, because you learn from it knowing specific things that didn’t work, and you can be more efficient at the next event. Don’t give up.
BONUS TIP: Play The Long Game
Don’t worry about always selling something, just worry about your people. If your community feels genuinely connected and passionate about what you have to offer, if they feel seen by you and they trust you, they are going to purchase whatever you’re trying to sell. But the connection and trust needs to be built first. Don’t take shortcuts when you are building your community. Nourish those relationships, and play the long term game. Offer as much value as you can, all the time. It doesn’t always happen overnight- it may take months or even years, but you might create something that is a bigger ticket item (let’s say a yoga retreat) that they are interested in coming on because you’ve genuinely connected with them for the last few months or years. Take the time to invest in your people and you will win. Trust the process!
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