5 things they don't tell you about being a yoga teacher
I went in all guns blazing. Wahoo! I am going to change the world with yoga. The reality is it’s a steep, uphill climb. I have learned, and am still learning, some pretty tough lessons. So, aside from how amazing and fulfilling being yoga teacher is, here’s a few things they don’t tell you when they hand you that golden ticket after 200hrs of training:
No, you cannot quit your job and spend your life taking yoga photos on the beach
Well, maybe you can, if you have unlimited time, funds or a huge sponsorship deal. But for most of us, we head home and get back to our regular 9 - 5. I spent years trying to fit teaching into the spaces between my regular work. That meant I was ALWAYS on the go. In short, when I wasn’t working, I was working. That said, you CAN get to the beach and make money whilst you’re there (YEHAW!!!) by planning a yoga retreat and it’s so simple to do, even with just a small handful of students - learn more about how to successfully plan a profitable yoga retreat here.
You have to teach, no matter what
You have a responsibility to your students to show up and create the energy they need. So when it’s that time of the month and you want nothing more than to stay home, curl up in a ball and eat donuts, you get up and go teach. When you are in tears having a massive fight with your partner en-route to class, you wipe away your tears and you teach. Teaching yoga is a huge lesson in how much control we actually have over our own energy and emotions and the more you do it, and put yourself out of your comfort zone, the more powerful of a teacher you will become.
Selling yourself is the hardest thing you will ever do
I have worked in marketing for many different companies selling different products. Being on the outside, looking in is so easy for me. But being on the inside, looking in is an enormous mental shift. Putting my face on a piece of paper, pinning it to the wall and telling people I can help them improve their lives is nothing short of TERRIFYING. So make sure you have people around you to remind you, often, to believe in yourself and to be brave.
I hope you don’t like money, because you are about to spend all of it on more training
A 200YTT program is the tip of the biggest iceberg in the sea! It’s a realisation that, even after you have learned so much, there’s so so much more to learn. You are probably going to become a yoga information addict, searching for trainings every spare moment of the day; greedy for more knowledge! But roll with it because, in my experience, the best teachers are students first. Following my 200HR YTT I also took a Yin Yoga Training and Pre and Post Natal Yoga Teacher Training.
Stay strong; the moment you are waiting for is coming
It’s all pretty tough to be honest, but at some point you realise that people are picking up what you are putting down. You begin to see small shifts in a student; a physical or mental change, and spotting that is the reason you keep going. It’s the best feeling in world; knowing that you have helped someone shift their awareness, even slightly. It’s worth every drop of blood and bead of sweat, every tear and every penny.
In short, being a yoga teacher is no walk in the park, but it’s what I love to do and I will be here teaching come rain or shine, if one person shows up or if one hundred do. Because I believe that yoga can change the world. CAN I GET AN AMEN!