We Were Not Meant To Do This Alone: Mentoring for Yoga teachers
It was a searingly hot July Day in 2016. The type of humid day that feels like you’re swimming through the air. I sat down in a cool cafe, sweaty, hollow, exhausted by the spinning wheels in my mind and the constant pounding of my feet on the pavement. My brain was yelling at me;
There has to be a better way!
There has to be a better option than running all over town to different studios, desperately seeking guidance from fellow yoga teachers who had embarked on this crazy path I’d chosen. This internal push, this calling that owns my mind, heart and body. Possessed by the love of this, but exhausted by its execution, and knowing in the back of my mind that those who have done this before sat in this same headspace. This same physical and mental exhaustion.
Yoga means union. It’s ridiculous to think this path of teaching yoga be done in a singular fashion. Our too often overly independent and individualistic mindset in the Western world isolates us and leaves us spinning our wheels in a corner, worried, lonely and uncertain.
If this sounds like your experience in the yoga world, or in general – read on.
As I sat there, my skin dripping, my mind aching. Rising up from this pool of sweat and frustration, I decided to be the Change. Yup – I straight up ‘inspirationally quoted’ my way out of that rut. I decided I would create a program that would support new yoga teachers. A program to help them find their voice, demystify the business side of yoga, enhance their ability to sequence, adjust bodies intelligently and appropriately, and hold space for others. I would do this by tapping into resources that were in abundance – Seasoned Yoga Teachers.
In India, yoga teaching is approached like an apprenticeship. You study under a master teacher whose previous experience and breadth of knowledge you are able to tap into on a daily basis. You shadow them, assist fellow students and absorb your teacher’s expertise.
Why the ever loving heck did we stop doing this??
There are so many YTTs offered by studios. From my experience, and from countless conversations, these programs fill people with knowledge and passion, but leave many teacher trainees floating off into the great unknown of the yoga industry, not exactly sure what the hell they should do next.
Granted, not all YTT graduates are interested in teaching. YTT programs are a great way to deepen your knowledge of the practice and embark on a self improvement journey you will most likely not regret.
However, there is a palpable gap between the end of your first YTT and your first “official” yoga class or private session.
How do you hone the skills of sequencing, pacing, application of anatomy knowledge, client gathering and retention, adjustments, playlist creation not to mention social media, and web design. How do you navigate networking in a very nuanced world where business and spirituality (which, by the way, are not mutually exclusive) begin to intertwine in a complex dance of well intentioned, yet bottom line driven yoga studios and hopeful yoga teachers. Teachers whose overall demeanor is usually “I want to help all the people” leaving them in a vulnerable position where they undervalue their skills and may end up being taken advantage of.
I actively sought out the advice of veteran teachers, writing down and taking to heart all their words of wisdom. I sought out a program at Downward Dog Yoga studio in Toronto that focused specifically on intelligent hands on adjustments. I taught an average of 12 to 20 classes a week for 5 years – sharpening my abilities as a yoga teacher. I was invited on as a faculty member for Yogatree Studios 250 hr YTT. I was determined to figure things out and then help others do the same.
It’s really helpful to get fed up. Usually when we are fed up with a situation there are a few choices 1) eat your feelings 2) Binge Netflix 3) Give up 4) Make a change. After completing numbers one and two, I moved on to step 4.
At the close of that hot July day, I began creating a program that would help new yoga teachers find their way. A program that would involve in-class learning, diving deep into what to expect and how to properly prepare for a life that involves yoga teaching – full or part time. It would also include the unparalleled opportunity to assist an established teacher, shadow them, learn from them, get better at hands on adjustments, and more comfortable in a classroom setting. – taking a page from the books of yoga history.
I am so proud of this program. I’ve been testing the waters, telling people who are new to the yoga teaching game about it and getting responses that sound something like,
“OH MY-LANTA WHEN CAN I SIGN UP?!”
If you’re interested in knowing more, I will be offering a free information session at Yogatree Studios. It will be at their beautiful Bay and Dundas location Saturday, June 23rd – 10:30 am. Come! Click Here to Register — Ask questions, get together with others in the same boat as you.
We were not meant to do this alone.