Over a decade ago I finished my first 250 hour yoga teacher training. We spent days doing the things you would expect from such a program. We dove into yoga philosophy, anatomy, teaching theory and taught each other until we were blue in the face. We also had two hours with someone who came in to teach us the "business" of yoga. I remember nothing of that time, but I do have some random pages in my teaching manual about taxes to prove I was actually there. For the years that followed however, I learned a considerable amount about what the "business" of yoga really looks like.
I wish I could tell you it was smooth sailing but like many instructors, this journey was often frustrating and demoralizing. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching yoga. There is nothing more beautiful to me than watching a student break through a self-imposed mental barrier or see the light of understanding in their eyes as they find a pose that has long alluded them. My confusion was around the periphery of the yoga mat.
The Most Important Thing You Didn't Learn in Teacher Training
Anyone who has been teaching long enough has probably had the same rude awakening that I had- that their early yoga education was missing a key component; basic business and entrepreneurial skills. In fact, the most crucial skill you need to learn under this umbrella is marketing and self-promotion.
When I was a new teacher I naively believed that if I simply started teaching, my perfect students would find me. I eschewed any kind of self-promotion thinking it was cheesy and sleazy. Very quickly, I learned that if I didn't know how to effectively and confidently explain to potential students my unique offerings, my classes would forever struggle.
Marketing For Yogis
You don't need a business degree to master one of the most effective marketing techniques out there; Inbound marketing. This is an authentic way to become visible to your ideal student base. Learning how to customize your teaching and workshops and target the right people will help you grow a group of interested and engaged students who want to work with you more closely. This type of marketing allows you to deliver helpful and customized offerings to the right people every time. Building strong bonds with your students is something any great yoga teacher naturally does, which makes this a business essential.
Even if you don't fancy yourself a brilliant business mind, learning how to promote your work in a way you feel good about is crucial to success. In the end, having a solid marketing plan can mean all the difference between having students in your classes (which helps to pay the bills) or being broke and burned out. If your yoga education didn't teach you how to speak with confidence about your offerings, there is no better time like the present to perfect this skill. Start by speaking to the needs of your ideal clients and connecting your offerings to those needs. To give you a head start, check out my new book: The A-Z of Being a Successful Yoga Teacher. You can buy it in print, audiobook and ebook formats to get your hands on some simple tips and start to authentically promote your classes right away.
Do you feel like your Yoga Teacher Training Program gave you enough support in starting your teaching business? Did you walk away feeling confident in self-promotion? Share your experience in the comments below.
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