Transition plan
To the many Byron Yoga Centre teacher
trainees coming from the corporate
world, Ogilvie recommends a transition
phase; initially teaching weekends or
evenings, or private clients (stressed-out
co-workers are a great start!). Dip a toe
in before diving headfirst, consider
requirements and realities before
burning corporate bridges.
A former high-end property
manager for multimillion dollar jobs,
Mark Pheely is an encouraging
advertisement for slow, steady
transition. Initially discovering yoga to
recover from a surfing injury, Pheely
sensed a owerful ull to continue
learning and sharing yoga. Before
leaving his corporate job, Pheely spent
over one year planning his Seddon-
based Westside Yoga studio.
“I fortunately had an employer that I
could negotiate with. I went from five
days a week in my corporate job to four.
I got momentum with teaching, then
went three days corporate and four in
the studio. I worked this seven-day week
for six months to establish the studio,
then jumped completely when it got
the right cashflow and credibility,”
recalls Pheely.
“Corporate experience helped
with obvious things like marketing,
and understanding demographics.
What do people want, have they got
money for yoga? I researched differentareas, and Pheely saw a flashing red light.
The area had creative people who may
have disposable incomes to spend on
enriching themselves.”
Structuring a business plan also
identifies niche areas for specialisation.
Pheely, for example, merged his two main
loves to offer surf-yoga retreats. Whilst
yoga may have a business side; experts
like Ogilvie – a former electrician –
demonstrate that corporate experience
isn’t essential for success. Organisations
like Yoga Australia and IYTA fill gaps in
business know-how with high-quality
opportunities for professional
development.Financially fine-tune your move
It pays to acknowledge that transitioning
to yoga teaching isn’t sealed with a
million-dollar handshake. There may
be significant pay decrease and loss of
benefits like holiday pay and
superannuation. Whilst teaching can be
immensely rewarding, Parkinson cautions
would-be teachers to have realistic
expectations.
“Becoming a yoga teacher is a big leap
from working in the corporate sector on a
massive salary, big title, lots of travel and
perks. Suddenly, you are working for
yourself or a studio on a measly hourly
rate, which includes preparation time,
travel time and no added bonuses,”
says Parkinson.
If you leave the corporate worldentirely, another reliable source of
part-time work is advisable – at least
initially – to relieve financial pressure.
As an example; many sensing a strong
calling to the booming wellness industry
combine teaching with another form of
healthcare like massage therapy.
Of course, staying afloat financially
also relies on reassessing living within
your means. As we spiritually evolve, we
often find material things matter less
anyway; recognising how lavish our
lifestyles were in more financially-
abundant times.
“My overheads had been high, but
had matched my income. During my last
year in corporate work, I sold everything
down. I downsized my house, cleared
assets like three TV’s and two cars, got
rid of my credit card and paid off debts,”
shares Pheely.
“If I jumped with the overheads I
had, the business would not have
survived. Teaching is not high-profit –
you do it because you love it. Mind you,
it can make enough to pay a modest
mortgage.”Embracing new (true!) identity
We are often conditioned to define
ourselves by profession. Leaving a career
and image we worked hard for can
trigger identity crisis. Yoga, however,
reminds us of our true Self, that what we
do is not who we are; a key realisation
for founder of Yoga Sparks, Kaela
Snibson, who transitioned from
commercial lawyer to kids’ yoga teacher.
“After completing training with
Rainbow Kids Yoga, I spent months
contemplating the idea of starting my
own venture. Up until then, my path was
extremely clear; uncertainty around
teaching was hard to stomach. My
identity was challenged. I had studied
for six years to become a lawyer, got a
job at a great firm – that’s all I knew,”
reflects Snibson.
“It took me a while to embrace my
new identity and redefine success in my
own mind. Fast-forward to now; I know
it was the right decision. I feel in control
of my life, happier and healthier,” adds
Snibson, who supports her business as
part-time lawyer for non-profit
organisation, Justice Connect.
Clarity and confidence can be clouded
by what we – and others – think we
‘should’ be doing. Whilst Benakovic
advises discussing career changes with
66 family members, there may also be
january 2018yogajournal.com.au