In gearing up for a new yoga retreat in Kenya, followed closely by the next Namaslay® YTT in Santorini, it’s important to remember, as a yoga teacher, you never stop learning and growing from your own experiences, practices, and from other teachers.
Today, three other yoga teachers and I answer a few questions about our most embarrassing teaching moments, our biggest learning takeaway from our own YTT, and the most memorable teaching moment of our careers. If you have any questions you’d like to ask us as well, please leave them below - and if you’re thinking of joining our Namaslay® Santorini YTT these are a few of the amazing teachers you’ll be learning from!
Candace
Most embarrassing teaching moment?
Ugh, I was teaching in Germany to a very large class. My German isn’t great (understatement of the year), but it’s not terrible and it would really break the ice which helped because vinyasa yoga with music isn’t something that was offered in the town where I was teaching so people were a bit self-conscious. I’d try to keep the mood of the class very light and humorous. Anyway, I’m chatting along in my poor German, and we are in seated wide leg forward fold. I’m facing the group (I’d often demo the entire class, given the language barrier), and I look down. I’m wearing patterned leggings, but something black caught my eye… Yeah, I wore my leggings inside-out and the black gusset of the leggings was pretty much front and center for everyone. :|
Biggest learning takeaway from your yoga teacher training?
Before I completed my training, I thought that yoga teachers were like these magical superhuman, other worldly beings who were all vegan and denounced make up and fashion and all the things that make life interesting. At training, I realized yoga teachers were human, just like the rest of us, all doing the best they can with what they have. I know it doesn’t sound like a profound lesson, but it truly was. I think it’s so important not to put yoga teachers on pedestals. The yoga teacher is just the guide. You are the true teacher of yourself.
Most memorable or meaningful teaching moment?
I once had a woman come up to me at the end of a workshop, tears in her eyes, saying she had decided to end it all. She was profoundly depressed and had made a plan to exit her life. But a little voice inside of her told her to just go to YouTube and do a yoga practice. She found a video of mine and at the end of the video decided she would stick around for another day. That was over a year ago. She told me my videos had literally saved her life. I can’t tell that story without crying. Even now as I write this, I feel tears brimming. I feel like my whole life’s work is complete based on this one woman’s story.
What's your biggest tip for a yoga teacher who is out there and may be struggling to get clients or get their foot in the door teaching at a studio?
Set goals, make an action plan, and just get to work. Be flexible in your method, but non-negotiable in what you want. By that, I mean, let’s say you want 10 clients by the end of next quarter. Ok, there’s your goal. Now brainstorm. Where do these clients hang out? Can you advertise on the little bulletin boards at Whole Foods? Can you print marketing materials and put them up at the local massage therapy office in town? Can you use MeetUp.com to offer free classes and get people to sign up for a one to one with you that way? In this day and age, you’ve got to think outside the box, get super creative, and be tenacious with your marketing and offerings.
Kat
Kat near her hometown at Clevedon Pier
Most embarrassing teaching moment?
I could write a book about my verbal diarrhea! I’d rather not, but I’ll offer you my most recent gem. I called Utkatasana (chair pose), and then offered a feet-open option; if there are students in class with wide hips, or bigger legs, sometimes doing chair pose with your feet together can feel terrible or just not possible. Then I noticed a man (the only man in the class) looking a little uncomfortable and I said, “this can also be a good option for men who need space in this area.” Did I just reference his male organs?! Yep! We laughed about it, but I was dying on the inside.
Biggest learning takeaway from your yoga teacher training?
I learned an enormous amount from my teacher training! If I was to pick one stand-out point though it’s that there is very rarely ever one correct answer. The grey area is huge. Sometimes I found this overwhelming; I just wanted a simple “yes” or “no”, and my questions were often answered with “it depends” (eye roll). So I had to learn, and I am still learning, to become comfortable with the fact that while some things are easy to put in a “yes” or “no” box when it comes to yoga the answer is often found in the individual.
Most memorable or meaningful teaching moment?
I don't think I have one in particular that stands out, I'm pleased to say meaningful moments happen regularly. Though one of my favorites has to be the "light bulb moment"; when students come to classes regularly there's always this moment that makes me want to run over and hug them. It happens when they bring awareness to their bodies without my prompt. For example in standing poses I'll say, time and again "spread your toes and distribute your weight evenly across your feet." Then one day, before I have the chance to say anything I see eyes close, toes lift and spread and a little rock backwards and a deep breath. They ground themselves without my lead into it, and this moment of unprompted self awareness is so beautiful to me! It's all I want and those are the moments that remind me why I love teaching yoga.
What's your biggest tip for a yoga teacher who is out there and may be struggling to get clients or get their foot in the door teaching at a studio?
Do the work and give the best of you no matter how many people walk through the door. If you have your own classes then sometimes it’s especially hard; you could spend months advertising through every avenue you know, and one person will show up and roll out a mat. Sometimes no one will show up! It sucks. But if you keep at it and deliver your classes/workshops to a reliably excellent standard word will spread.
If it’s a studio then spend time there, and get to know the teachers and students. Try to get on a cover list or offer to assist in a class. The better your rapport with the studio, the more likely you’ll be offered a teaching spot.
You can follow Kat at our Namaslay® 200hr YTT in Santorini, or on IG @that_wild_kat
Jen
Jen in her hometown in the Outer Banks, NC.
Most embarrassing teaching moment?
When I first started teaching I completely blanked on a thread in my sequence. I 100% froze when my mind went blank. I instructed everyone to downward dog, took a few breaths and then it all came back to me. It was so obvious that I lost it, but I just owned it and said well we could all use a break in downward dog. Everyone just laughed and jumped right back in.
Biggest learning takeaway from your yoga teacher training?
There is so much more to yoga than the asanas. It can be difficult to share that in a class. Recently, I began teaching a yoga philosophy class. After a 60 minute flow, we spend 15-20 minutes discussing a yoga topic such as the 8 limbs of yoga, the chakras, meditation, etc.
Most memorable or meaningful teaching moment?
I have an elderly student that attends my gentle class. She had a stroke and has limited use of her left side. She came up to me after class one day and hugged me. She said this is the best she has felt since her stroke and it is because of yoga and me. That moment will forever be in my heart.
What's your biggest tip for a yoga teacher who is out there and may be struggling to get clients or get their foot in the door teaching at a studio?
Be different but authentically you and dare to put yourself out there. The yoga market is saturated and offering something unique will help set yourself apart. You cannot be afraid to market yourself, your skills and your uniqueness via Instagram, Facebook, websites, and in person.
You can learn more from Jen by joining our Namaslay® 200hr YTT in Santorini, or follow her on IG @jenm36
Danielle
Danielle
Most embarrassing teaching moment?
I had a student with Type 1 diabetes and I wrapped my hands around the top of her arms to adjust her in down dog, not realizing she had a flash glucose sensor in her arm until I touched it. I didn't know what it was at the time and it had clearly been surgically inserted into her arm. I was horrified that I might have messed up some super sensitive equipment that was keeping her blood sugar level or hurt her by catching something that was literally attached to her. I don't think she was bothered but I was a little mortified.
Biggest learning takeaway from your yoga teacher training?
Be yourself. If you think what you have to share is stupid, invalid, too raw, too real, too much - share it anyway. The world needs more people who are unafraid to be all of themselves, not the diluted version they think people can take. Chances are, what you share will resonate with a lot of people and that connection, finding that common ground fosters a sense of community. Not everyone will vibe with what you're offering, but you will attract those who will, and those people are your people.
Most memorable or meaningful teaching moment?
It was actually when I told my office class I would only be teaching them up until Christmas. One of the students passed on a message which said, "Dani has reignited my enthusiasm for yoga and I have enjoyed moving and working harder in class (doing poses I’ve not practiced before) and finding I have gained more strength. I will particularly miss Dani’s poetry and adjustment and words at the end which feels spiritually uplifting." What a beautiful thing to read and what an honor to be able to guide people to this practice.
What's your biggest tip for a yoga teacher who is out there and may be struggling to get clients or get their foot in the door teaching at a studio?
Firstly, take every teaching opportunity you can. Keep the momentum, keep building confidence and experience, and keep yourself relevant. Find a Facebook group or another yoga community on social media you an become a part of. Don't get your heart set on one place - you don't even need to teach in a studio. Find a gym, a community space, a church hall, whatever. And most of all, be patient and persevere. It is unlikely you are going to have 30 people at your first class so manage your expectations, but keep showing up and people will come back. I've found it helpful to check in with my fellow Namaslay® YTT graduates when things are not going the way I planned or I need advice about how to keep moving forward.
The important thing is to make yourself known. Keep yourself on people's minds. Go to classes, speak to the teacher - you have no idea where it could lead you. I've had people ask me to cover their classes, I've had a teacher I really respect and admire suggest co-teaching a workshop or retreat and I've been invited to be a Namaslay® YTT trainer! I'm not saying this to brag, I'm saying it to show the kinds of opportunities that can come your way if you put yourself in environments where you spend time with people who are doing what you want to do, and have the confidence in what you have to offer as a teacher to put yourself out there.
You can learn more from Danielle by joining our Namaslay® 200hr YTT in Santorini, or follow her on IG @rubianodanielle