When I think about how to explain how to find your authentic voice as a yoga instructor, one concept comes to mind: it takes more effort not to do something you feel called to do than to do it.
This means that when you feel called to do something, it comes from an inner momentum, and the force you’d take to hesitate or stop yourself is a greater amount of energy than if you just shared what you were trying to express or do what you set out to do.
Even if it comes out wrong….
If you’re feeling polarized by social media, I get it, but also, that’s not all bad.
Why?
Because it’s probably an indication that you have a decent amount of emotional intelligence.
Before I discovered yoga, I was on the academic path. My dream was to be a scholar, writer and linguist. This meant I’d eventually get to the point where I’d be giving lectures and going on sabbatical to study.
This path always felt like something was missing even though I was going after what I want, which was to be a scholar.
After years of studying yoga and a series of trainings, I suddenly had a home yoga practice, which my friends kept begging me to share.
I started teaching on campus at college and in the community. I learned a different type of return on investment unlike any other job or volunteer work I’d ever done: the ability to help people calm down.
The insights I’d learn while teaching private and public yoga classes inspired me to eventually make yoga my career. However, I did NOT know how it’d look.
Over the years, I discovered my own style of teaching vinyasa, and started “Yoga for Reintegration” at the local county correctional facility because of my passion for social change.
I did everything I could think of to evolve my teaching business, but it was overwhelming to think about and create stability and consistent income around something that evolves. Everything about my yoga teaching, my personal yoga practice and my yoga business evolves. This fear also kept me from identifying my authentic voice, because I didn’t want to stick to one idea, if everything would be changing again very soon anyway!
I knew who I was as a teacher and I knew I didn’t want to run a yoga studio.
That’s how I decided on the most organic next step for me: hiring my own coach to learn how to develop my business online.
Hiring a coach meant I had to dig deep and share my authentic voice, which is how I learned to help other people do the same .
My style of teaching is totally different than my style of home practice!
The key to figuring out where and how you’re meant to teach yoga and find your authentic voice is to incorporate your existing expertise, teach what you know, and deliver your message.
What do you want to share with the world? What do students get from your class every time they come to class with you?
Once you’re clear on this, you’ll naturally stop teaching at studios that I’m not aligned with energetically.
Today, I support women in two ways, both as a private yoga instructor and as a private coach in career & clarity for certified yoga instructors looking to land job offers and build businesses that light them up.
I support women as I continue to cultivate my awareness around my own beliefs, and stay current on the most relevant, impactful trends in marketing.
In order to fully step into my true self as a teacher, where I’ll make the biggest impact and thrive, I just have to stay fully committed to personal development, which I’ve always done.
As someone who has taught yoga and coached yoga instructors, I’ve seen that it continues to be the case that thriving in the business of yoga is all about your commitment to your own personal development and your ability to continue to show up as you are. It’s also about staying dedicated to sharing your unique message, even repeatedly, in order to help others.
This means cultivating my awareness around my beliefs and what determines my decision making and getting creative about how I make a difference in the world first, and then in the way I teach yoga.
When I learned how to create consistent income, unlock my authentic voice, shift my mindset, and focus on my strengths and what I have the capacity to create, I began working for studios that I’m aligned with because I became super clear on who I am as a leader as well as help other yoga teachers thrive and do the same.
I am glad for commenting to let you be aware of of the terrific experience our princess experienced studying your web page. She picked up many pieces, including what it is like to have a marvelous coaching mood to let certain people quite simply have an understanding of some specialized subject areas. You undoubtedly did more than readers’ expectations. Thank you for offering the invaluable, safe, educational and fun thoughts on that topic to Evelyn.
I am only commenting to make you know what a brilliant discovery my wife’s girl went through visiting the blog. She even learned such a lot of pieces, with the inclusion of what it’s like to possess a marvelous giving character to get most people with ease fully grasp a variety of advanced subject areas. You undoubtedly surpassed visitors’ expectations. Many thanks for imparting such good, safe, informative not to mention cool tips on that topic to Lizeth.