Yogi Q&A: How To Become A Better Yoga Teacher Without Studio Opportunities

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZNa8_Gnluc&t=27s” el_width=”80″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Namaste!

 

As part of Bizzy Yogi, I want to offer time to answer any questions my peers or fellow yogis have. It’s part of my serving.

So today’s question comes from Pat.

She asks, “How do we become better teachers if we don’t have opportunities?” One of her classes was recently let go from the studio, so Pat, this is for you.

First of all, that is something that happens to all of us. It’s happened to me a million times, where maybe your class was going okay, but for some strange reason, they decided to shift the teacher or change the time slot.

First thing is ask the studio what you could’ve done better, and maybe what was some of the feedback from the students?

Number two is open up your possibilities. You have a very niche practice. You have chair yoga, slow flow, and family yoga, so not everybody can teach that. Maybe reach out to YMCAs, to different centers, maybe community centers.

Where there’s older people that might need the chair yoga, or people that can’t do yoga on a yoga mat, maybe disabled, maybe vets. There’s always opportunities to offer your teachings, your practice, and you have to open up the possibilities of not just teaching at a studio.

I hope that answers your question, and for you who are watching, please ask away. Send questions. Join my Facebook group, Yogi Hearts, Business Minds, where I go on there live, and we’ll be able to create some of these answers once a week, live on the group.

We’ll be posting that very soon. Then you can ask literally right then on the spot.

I’m super excited to share this with you, so please leave comments, answer questions below, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Thank you.

 

If you’re currently a Yoga teacher, check out my blog on “Why I Quit Being A Yoga Teacher”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][wufoo username=”socialbizflow” formhash=”q1u59hhp0lfv2x4″ autoresize=”true” height=”446″ header=”show” ssl=”true”][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The Inside Scoop On Yoga Retreats

I spend a lot of time on retreats. Whether I’m hosting one of my own or I’m helping other Yogis plan their retreats, it is something that takes up a good amount of space in my brain.

I’ve spent over 10 years perfecting the formula for creating an amazing retreat that will not only benefit the one who’s hosting it, but also the Yogis that are going to attend it.

This blog isn’t about me today. I’m sharing an objective article from a writer that I don’t personally know that’s giving you the inside scoop on Yoga retreats.

Check it out:

The following is an unbiased article by Lisa Sands

I never thought I would be the “type of person” who would go on a yoga retreat. I thought that sort of thing was for people with way too much time on their hands, people with lots of money to spare, or lots of problems to run from.

But, there I was in the tropical heat of Bali with 20 other women, getting up at 6 a.m. for sunrise yoga, tapping into my goddess nature, wearing sarongs, going without makeup. Thinking. Not thinking. Praying. Listening. Questioning. Thanking. Hating myself. Loving myself. Loving myself some more like it was my job.

How I arrived at the decision to go is not nearly as interesting or important as the experience itself, or the way it changed me afterward. What I did not realize when I put down my deposit, almost a full year before, is how much I would need it when the time came, and how it would fill a void in my life I could not have predicted.

Twenty people, mostly strangers, meeting halfway around the world to practice yoga…is fantastic and special and, yeah, a little uncertain and uncomfortable. And you are the perfect person to go, just as you are, complete with your baggage, sadness, questions and fears.

Everyone is there for a different reason—most come for spiritual growth, reflection, or healing.  Some come to deepen their physical practice. Me? I was there for the adventure—I craved a life shake up.

I was feeling aimless and unsettled. I wanted to be somewhere that looked and felt so different than home. I wanted to see if I missed my life and the people I loved. I wanted to get to know me again.  For reasons I can’t really explain, I sensed that I needed to be far away from the familiar so that I could stake a claim for my future self.

I came back home with eyes wide open to the beauty of other another culture. I was more confident, at ease, and tolerant of myself and of others. I looked fear in the eye and left it in the dust.  I bonded with other strong, capable women and learned that they, like me, had their own unique, painful, and beautiful journeys and things to confront and reconcile.

I learned from them and they are part of me.

So if a little voice is whispering to you and you have an unexplained stirring for something you can’t name, you may be wondering what it is you really need.

If you need to break free from expectations, to shout out and wildly proclaim your truth, or if you need to get really quiet and inside yourself, and let a big ugly cry happen, then yeah, a yoga retreat is for you.

Don’t wait. Do it. You’re worth it.

 

Original Article here

What did you think of this? Feel free to reach out to me at hello@bizzyyogi.com and let me know.

 

Want to learn how I completely doubled my income without teaching more Yoga classes, having a large following on Social Media, or needing to know anything about marketing? Meet me at www.BizzyYogi.com/YogiMasterclass for the Masterclass that teaches you exactly how I did it and how you can do it, too.

Is Yoga Business Different? Integrity and Ethics

Integrity and Business

I’m jumping on here to talk and ask- what’s the deal with business and yoga? In light of recent articles in Elephant Journal (check it out here) regarding Kino, Cody, Alo and all one word named businesses I want to have a dialogue about WHY when it comes to yoga business tends to shift into irregular practices.

15 years. I’ve been in this business first of all as a student, then a teacher and now a mentor and leader. I own a HUGE yoga festival called The Yoga Expo, run an international business consulting company and well delve into all things yoga industry related. In the past weeks, I have seen the beautiful and ugly head of yoga and business rear its head.

“I think you trying to make money off a sacred science is appalling and if you truly understood the teachings the last thing you would be doing is sending out a dumb ass email commercializing a sacred science that was meant to be passed down teacher to students…you need Togo back to school”
I posted this as a copy paste to also highlight his grammar… you all know I am a stickler for spelling. Anyways, that got in my inbox a few days ago. But also this:

“I was on a journey of spirit to unearth those of authentic purpose whose actions spark the divine when I discovered your meaningful Essence. You are doing work you should be very proud of. You are having a profoundly positive effect on people.”

Yoga business is the same as all other businesses by the way, the only difference is who’s behind the business that makes the world of difference.

What’s going on?

Opinions will always create a ripple effect. The opinions in the article referenced above are really interesting because I am a businesswoman. Cody and Alo are businesses. Kino is also a savvy businesswoman. When values and integrity are so deeply ingrained in how you operate your business it’s an interesting play on how kind you are and how much of a stickler for contracts and rules as well. Why do I say this… because I have seen it first hand.

Several times when I operated my business from a place of generosity and kindness, whether it was offering discounts, extra flexible payment plans, I have gotten burnt. People never paid, didn’t show up or decided that it wasn’t in their best interest to continue paying.

What happens here is the ripple effect. And the same thing Cody’s co-founder speaks of. For a customer it is very easy to say I no longer wish to pay. What about the people on the other side? The employees of Cody are affected by 1 decision. My family is affected by 1 decision. Yoga business practices are truly the BEST in the world. As long as us, the leaders continue to make an effort to hold highest levels of integrity – on both sides of the coin.

The Yoga business isn’t different than other businesses. If you develop and establish your value, your non-negotiables from the beginning, guess what… you don’t get burned. I take every client that stops paying, that wants to change agreements to what works for them as a lesson. It makes me more organized, it makes my contracts tighter and payment plans also more on point.

The main point behind this post.

I want to shed light on many sides of the coin. Our society is so easy to point a finger. We take the moral high ground on issues that we really don’t even know anything about. When I read Kino’s first article I was totally like “WTF!” how dare these large companies do whatever they want! Shortly after I caught myself and said, wait, my business is growing and I would like to avoid these types of situations. And then today I read the reply and I also attest to several things he mentioned.

How do I prepare my business so from the beginning there are non-negotiable value systems in place of trust, honor, commitment, fun, exceptional quality and passion?

Is yoga business the anti-business?

Learn about foundations of your business. Set yourself up to always see things as a learning experience will help avoid massive issues in the future. It’s how you operate, how you treat others that will always leave a good mark on your side. I wrote this article on analysis paralysis a few months ago that reminded me of how it was like setting up my business – but guess what – nothing is perfect and things will always come up that make you re-work and re-do and re-word. Nothing is perfect and as long as you are open to the flow, your business will improve daily.

Leave me a note as I’m interested to hear your side and how you operate your yoga business.