Yoga Teacher Talk is a series on YBC for new, current or prospective teachers looking for tips and discussion on being a yoga instructor. I think one of the most challenging things about being a yoga teacher is that you sort of have to hustle if you’re relying on it to pay the bills. I remember when I first started teaching. I was desperate to get whatever experience I could, which meant taking the earliest classes and working odd hours. It’s not uncommon for teachers to work at a number of studios, have private clients, and hold community events. I'm still settling in after having just moved, I’ve got meetings scheduled all over town to talk with studio owners about potential projects, I've got my private clients, and I have my blog to take care of as well.

I’m running around all the time and I know I’m not the only teacher doing this. I thought I’d put together a little list of things that make it easier to deal with holding down an odd schedule.

1. Healthy snacks - The “hanger” (hunger + anger) is real and it’s been mentioned on the blog a number of times. There is just nothing worse than feeling so hungry you want to explode, am I right?! I try to avoid losing my zen due to hunger by being prepared with snacks I can grab quickly before heading out the door. Good Health® sent me some of their snacks recently and I am a huge fan of their Half Naked™ Popcorn. I love that it’s non-GMO and contains just three ingredients: popcorn, organic sea salt and just a hint of olive oil. Easy enough, right? I swear, sometimes the simple ingredients are the most delicious and I’ve been craving the popcorn when I’m driving across town for meetings. You can connect with them on Facebook and Pinterest for more healthy, easy snacks on the go (and they're super affordable at $1-$2 for small bags and $3-$5 for large bags). Enjoy Being Good™.

2. A mini escape from work mode - I don’t like being in work mode 100% of the time but when you’re running all over for most of the day, it’s hard to avoid it, so if I can manage a little “escape” out of work mode mentality while I’m driving to class, I will. Audio books are fantastic and it makes me feel like I’m being productive as well. There a bunch of free ones on Spotify!

3. A change of clothes - This might be a no-brainer but when I’m in a rush, I always forget to grab a change of clothes. It just makes it easier to quickly rinse off at my studio and change into something fresh so I can squeeze in a grocery store run after my yoga class.

4. Going off the grid - Well, not really. But I have this problem, and I think many do, that when I’m constantly looking at my phone or computer, I can’t shut down. My mind is always thinking about things I have to do or emails I need to respond to. Lately I’ve been making a conscious effort to avoid looking at my phone after 8:00pm. It gives me time to sort of shut that part of my brain off so that when it’s time for bed, I’m relaxed, and able to sleep.

5. Quality sleep - Ok, don’t roll your eyes at this one! Being on the go all the time was exhausting me to the point where I felt like I was about to have a quarter life crisis. I took a step back and reevaluated. I looked at how much sleep I was getting (not enough) and the quality of my sleep (not great), and made a conscious effort to get in bed earlier. I’d crack open my book and within fifteen minutes my eyes would be drooping and I’d be ready for bed. Getting in bed earlier and making the decision not to look at my phone before bed really improved the quality of my sleep and I found myself feeling more energized during the day. For all my yoga teachers out there--what are some things that help you deal with the hustle and bustle of running around all the time and keeping such an odd schedule?

Back to the Good Health® snacks. After checking out their website, which snack would you like to try? Leave an answer in the comments below and you will be entered for a chance to win a $100 cash equivalent gift card!

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 6/1/15 – 7/31/15.

Be sure to visit the Good Health®brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!