4 DO'S AND 4 DONT'S FOR NEW YOGA TEACHERS

As a new teacher it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and be confused as to what to focus on first. Having been teaching for over 9 years now I can remember right at the start of my journey having just come out of my first 200HR teacher training feeling a little lost and quite unsupported. At this point there wasn’t much information or help for new teachers. I just didn’t know where to begin.

The yoga industry has evolved tremendously since then, there are more yoga teachers then ever before and also there is a lot more yoga but taking all of this in and feeling pressure that there is too much competition, looming imposter syndrome, that you have to show up perfectly? I have seen time and time again teachers qualifying and then quite quickly throwing in the towel. I don’t want this for you! 

I very passionately believe that THERE IS SPACE for everyone in the yoga industry but the more that we can show up with a high quality what we’re offering, the better off our students will be and the better off the world will be as a whole.

As yoga teachers, as you have probably worked out, the work and learning doesn’t end at the end of your 200hr YTT…this is just the beginning. So its my mission to work towards empowering and supporting you to take this into your own hands, to up level, and intuitively and creatively show up to serve your community and students and create an abundant successful yoga teaching career.  

So to get you started here are 4 dos and 4 don'ts that I wish I had been told right at the start of my teaching journey that I hope can help you to overcome the overwhelm and to get started on this exciting journey that is your teaching career. 

DO…set clear goals as you move forward and break them down into actionable steps 

Get clear on a vision you're inspired to create. When moving forward in any way in life or professionally goals can catapult you forwards giving direction and giving space for you to really get clear on what you want. Once your clear on what you want you can start to break these things down into actionable steps.

Your vision and goals will of course evolve and shift as you move through your teaching journey but it’s a powerful practice to have a clear direction that is set out from the start and revisited regularly.

One of the first things I do with the teachers I work with in my mentoring programmes is to get clear on your vision and goals and it is a big part of setting up a powerful mindset and strong foundations to work from to see results. 

DO…work on developing your teaching skills 

As I have said, learning doesn’t end at the end of your 200HR YTT it is only the beginning. Coming out of your teacher training, it’s a myth that you come out fully formed and able to deliver perfectly. The reality is that you learn all of these new skills with very little time to develop them.

To learn how to create sequences that are intelligently put together and put together classes with depth with themes that feel authentic to you, refining your language and much more, this takes time and work. So putting the teaching hours in is important here but also knowing you don't have to do this alone. Finding someone that can guide you through this period will help to make this part of the process fun and exciting rather than a struggle and it will fast track your progress. 

DO…focus on building and nurturing your community.

Without community, we as teachers won’t have anyone to teach. So building community and nurturing relationships with them should be at the top of the list. This can be worked on in many different ways. But one thing you can proactively do is, start by collecting your students' details on a mailing list platform.

Start to compile a database and then communicate with your students outside of the classroom through email with content of value that helps them with their struggles and desires. Doing this within the realm of what you offer and what you're teaching. If you want to explore this more in detail head over to my blog on community building here.

DO…set up the foundations of your yoga business as quickly as you can.

There are many different aspects to this but without strategy and systems in place you will be working harder not smarter. We are in a time where in terms of the technology that is available we are in abundance but with this comes overwhelm. Stay tuned next week I will be talking about the 5 tech tools you will need and can easily tap into for free when starting your yoga biz. 

DON'T…listen to your inner critic

I know it's easier said than done. But TRUTH BOMB INCOMING - YOU ARE THE ONE HOLDING YOURSELF BACK... Maybe your inner critic is telling you’re a fraud, worried other people will find out you dont know what you’re doing? This inner critic has got you doubting your skills, talents, accomplishments & worried you’re going to be discovered as the fraud that you deep down think you are.

Well you have a choice & it really is your choice….

Hold yourself back & be controlled by fear or dig deep, feel the fear & expand. I struggled with this for years and at times when I'm pushing out of my comfort zone still do. The number one thing to do here is work on your mindset and everything will flow from there. The obstacle that is standing in your way is the way itself!! So lean into it and you will see results.

DON'T…compare yourself to others. 

Comparing yourself to other teachers can lead you to feel less worthy & less accomplished. Especially if you're comparing your start to their 10 year teaching career. This can paralyse you. The number one way to remedy this is to CREATE more than you consume.

If you’re spending more time looking at others, especially on social media, in the end, you become the loser because it’s wasted time & energy you could be using on focusing on your path & how you’re going to show up for your students. Put your blinkers on & keep moving forward, growing, learning & doing the work.

DON'T…try to be someone else. 

BE YOURSELF because trying to be the same as your favourite teacher or who you think your students want to have as a teacher will end up feeling inauthentic & unsustainable. Believe it or not your students want YOU & will come for YOU.

Do the work to begin with, set your foundations. Think about who you are as a teacher. What are your values? Get clear on your why. Share things with your students that you are passionate about. These are all great places to start. If you want more help with this head over to pick up a free workbook Ive created just for you that will help you to find your authentic voice and build your confidence. GRAB YOUR FREE WORKBOOK HERE. 

DON'T…forget your practice and your self care.

As a yoga teacher you must prioritize your self care or you will quite quickly burn out. The success that you have in your yoga career will depend on how much importance you put on your self-care...FACT!! It’s important to learn how to manage your energy so you are able to show up fully & to have a sustainable career that you enjoy & have the energy for. 

Hands up if you have let your practice slip?...this is the biggest mistake I see yoga teachers make & that I made myself. Usually the first thing to go in your schedule as a new teacher is your own yoga practice. Ringing a bell? Your practice will bring energy, inspiration & it will encourage your creativity. If you forget your practice you will feel it & so will your students. SO take time each week to schedule your practice into your calendar or you will get busy and you’ll get to Friday and realise that you haven’t practiced once this week.

I hope these have been helpful… I know you are passionate about teaching yoga, about helping your students so dive into these tips and start to create a solid base to move forwards from.

These are all great starting points. Let me know which one you find most useful by
sending me an email on
info@amymcdonaldyoga.co.uk

I'd love to hear from you.  

Amy xx