Teacher zone
MIND THE EGO
“Beware of the spiritual ego! When we first step on the path of
spirituality, it is wonderful and exciting and it’s very easy to become
judgmental and a bit of a preacher. When I first started I thought the
style of yoga I practiced was the best and didn’t take into account
how wonderful and unique each and every person is. My favourite
teachers are the ones that encourage you to try what they say and
see if it works for you, and I learned that the hard way after an
inflated ego finally burst!”
Luke Bache, Luke Bache Yoga, Sweden
BE YOURSELF
“Don’t try to be anyone else – you’ll only ever be second-best at that.
If you simply try to speak someone else’s words, it will come across
as hollow and soulless. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel about
the practice. Also, don’t be afraid to teach postures that you find
really challenging. People will appreciate your honesty, when you
admit that you’re not perfect, either!”
Brendon Murphy, Shanti Warrior Yoga, Luton
GROW SLOW
“I have had a five-year business plan since setting the studio up. I
planned it so that I didn’t grow too quickly. It’s very easy to charge
less money, below your worth, to sell lots of memberships, or use
Groupon, etc, but I did not want this in my studio. I have trained
hard, and put lots of money into my teacher training, and I have put
lots of money into the studio; not only that, the other teachers at the
studio are also very well trained. It is important that any business
grows slowly; this studio is no exception. Selling low prices, and
filling classes lessens the worth of the teachers and the studio. Plus
there is a danger of over-subscribed classes, and people not being
able to book on. I do not want 50 people crammed into the studio,
that was never, nor will ever, be the intention of the Yoga Bank. The
magic of my plan is exactly that: slow and steady growth.”
Jackie Quayle, The Yoga Bank, Widnes
BUSINESS COACH
“I’ve been working with a business coach since the middle of last
year. It was a massive step for me for a couple of reasons. First of
all, it was a big financial investment and one that I could have easily
talked myself out of. But I realised that I needed to stop being ‘just’
an occasional yoga teacher, and properly step into being a yoga
business owner, and to do this I needed to get professional. This
included investing in me, investing in my business, and showing The
Universe that I meant it! I am also rubbish at asking for help, so this
was a big lesson in admitting that I needed someone to support me,
coach me, encourage me, challenge me, and show me how to be the
awesome, successful yoga business owner I have the potential to be.”
Meg Jackson, Real Life Yoga, London
SOCIAL MEDIA
“I keep my feeds as real as possible; I don’t practice yoga in a
bikini while drinking a green juice, so that’s not what you’ll see! I
also practice yoga much more broadly than asana, so I don’t rely
on pictures of myself in poses to sell my class, but offer tips on
meditation or the yamas and niyamas to encourage more taking
yoga off the mat. I tend to use happy photos of my clients to sell my
classes. Keep it professional, not confessional. Be consistent with
content and style to give people a clear idea of your approach to
teaching and your personality.”
Dr Tracy Johnson, Brainbox Coaching & Empower Yoga, BristolFUTURE TRENDS
“Things seem to be moving away from hotter, harder calorie-burning,
Fitbit-focused yoga and slipping into experience-based classes.
Finding more ease, being at ease and developing self-enquiry are at
the heart of my teaching — after all we achieve more when we make
friends with our bodies rather than when we treat them as the enemy.”
Rose Shaw, Yoga by Rose, Lancashire