How to Create a 300 Hour YTT

Yoga Blankets

So you’ve created a 200 hour and have been running it for a couple of years. Now your students are looking for more and are asking you to create a 300 hour advanced teacher training. Where do you start?

First of all, don’t panic.

Creating a 300 hour yoga teacher training may be easier than you think!

First: Why It’s Easier Than You Think

When students graduate from a 200 hour yoga teacher training, they often have a sense of how they should teach in theory, but precious little skill in practice. Part of the goal of a 300 hour is to help your students integrate, embody, and innovate upon these fundamental skills. This goal means that you will be spending a good chunk of time having your students working on the practical aspects of their craft, which will take a good chunk of time:

  • Practice teaching work with detailed, specific feedback from trainers ~ 50 hours
    • For example: 2.5 hours on Saturday and Sunday for 10 weekends, round robin of teaching or structured practice teaching
  • Assisting faculty in public classes ~ 30 hours
    • Students can observe classes or assist faculty in classes with select practice teaching moments when they’re ready; perhaps they teach a by donation class for the studio under supervision

Holy heck! You’ve just planned 80 hours of your 300 hour training!

Not too shabby.

Now, these hours can not be haphazard, abstract, muddy, inconsistent, or unplanned. You will need to create clear benchmarks for skill development as well as measurable and specific criteria for success. But reinforcing your cuing basics (direct language, cuing from the ground up, cuing misalignments, stabilizing transitions, etc.) will take time and practice. So ensure that you are creating time and space in your 300 Hour to yoga teacher training to work on these foundational skills until they are organic and second nature.

Content for Your 300 Hour

So now that you’ve planned 80 hours of your program, what else should you include?

Consider:

  • Class Styles. The class styles of your studio or community: which styles do students need to learn? How do you want your teachers to teach? What are current gaps in knowledge that you would address if you could?
  • Sequencing. Oh sequencing! There are so many possibilities here! Creating sequences, creating sequences in different styles, teaching these sequences, adapting sequences, evaluating each other’s sequences, working on pacing, creating well-rounded classes, creating a progressive series…the possibilities are endless.
  • Anatomy. Ahhh anatomy! You know how much I love yoga anatomy! If you’re looking for support here, I have a 50-hour online anatomy program for 300 hour programs led by Gil Hedley. Take a peek here and ask me for a backstage tour.
  • Specialty Yoga. Candidly, I’m not a fan of putting together a bunch of speciality styles and modularizing them into a 300 hour yoga training. Though it may sound tempting from a business perspective (hey, I’ll just have a bunch of a la carte offerings and turn them into a YTT!), it undermines your ability to create a powerful and compounding journey withe one group of students. That said, if you have a particularly strong specialty style at your studio, such as hot or Yin, then you may consider incorporating a style into your 300, such as a 50-hour Yin Training.
  • Philosophy. Which texts are important for your students to know? And if you’re looking for support with lesson plans, check out my Buy A Lessons and save some time! The History of Yoga, Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Ayurveda, Chakras, Koshas, Tantra, Hatha?
  • Pranayama and meditation techniques. What do you want them to know? Build first on the basics. Reinforce the techniques from your 200 hour yoga teacher training program (meditation and pranayama) and then add plenty of time to both practice and group teach more advanced techniques that you want your teachers to know.
  • Ethics and values. How does a professional yoga teacher comport themselves? How do they contextualize conflict or manage challenging situations? What thorny issues may emerge for a yoga professional and what tools do they need to navigate these challenges?
  • Yoga Business Modules. Teaching online is here to stay. By including practical business modules on branding, marketing, teaching online, how to plan a retreat, and creating a workshop can help position your trainees for success as a professional. (Want help? Check out my extensive business electives here.)
  • Other cool stuff. Hands on assists, theming, mudra, mantra, chanting, kirtan, the subtle body, adaptive yoga, teaching beginners, yoga outreach, trauma informed yoga, speciality populations.

Your task: consider your ideal graduate. What skills, attitudes, and knowledge must they have to be a representative of your business? Brainstorm! Create a wild and crazy list!

Sample Hourly Breakdown

Okay folks, so let’s say that I’m helping you out with come of your content. Let’s break that 300 hours down into manageable chunks. Here’s how you might start to plan:

  • 50 hours of practice teaching and feedback by trainees
  • 30 hours of actual practice (guided practice by faculty)
  • 10 hours of practicum (formal assessment)
  • 30 hours of assisting and observing classes
  • 50 hour: Yin teaching specialty
  • 50 hours: Gil Hedley’s Integral Anatomy for Yogis course
  • 10 hours of pranayama and meditation practices
  • 10 hours of mantra, chanting
  • 30 hours of philosophical study and ethics
  • 10 hours of hands on assisting
  • 10 hours of business

Uh…wait, we’re already at 290 hours, which is 20 past what we need for contact hours (Yoga Alliance only requires 270).

Feel more manageable?

Yoga Alliance

Yoga Alliance is currently (as of Feb 2024) more easeful and flexible with their 300 hour standards than they are with their 200 hour standards. There is a lot of latitude for studios to create trainings that are reflective of their mission and vision and as a result, they don’t dictate the “categories” of content as strictly.

Here are a few key points (see more here):

  • Faculty needs to be registered as E-RYT 500 hour teachers
  • 50 hours (at least) must be allocated to Techniques, Training and Practice
  • 5 hours (at least) must be allocated to Teaching Methodology
  • 30 hours (at least) must be allocated to Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Yoga Teachers
  • 30 hours (at least) must be allocated to practicum (practice teaching, observation, assisting)
  • And YES you can teach online.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully this has helped de-mystify the 300 hour YTT and put it a little closer into reach!

The 300 hour yoga teacher training is a powerful and exciting offering for your community that can support your teachers to gain confidence in their skills and authenticity in their teaching voice. Launching your 300 hour YTT may be closer than you think!

I’m here to help! Reach out anytime for an informational chat or brainstorm and let’s make it a reality.

Book a chat with me HERE.

12 Best Yoga Studio Software To Start Your Yoga Business

Offering Tree Yoga

If you’re running a yoga business without yoga studio software, you don’t know what you are missing! The best yoga studio software will save time, money, and stress. See for yourself how a yoga studio software can transform your business for the better.  

As a yoga studio instructor and owner, you are likely juggling many plates just to keep the doors open. There are some powerful tools out there to grow your business and keep your clients happy and coming back, so why not take advantage? We’ll help you understand and break down the plethora of options so you can make the best decision for your business.  

Create your own yoga website with a few simple clicks using OfferingTree’s website builder!

What To Look For In Yoga Studio Software

Whether you are just starting out your yoga studio or have been in business for years, a yoga studio software takes a lot of the guesswork and administrative tasks off your plate. Yoga studio softwares generally include a package of tools and features to help your business run smoothly. The right yoga software for teachers, business owners, and clients alike will include the most important features below. 

  • Online Booking
  • Payment Processing
  • Client Management
  • Email and Text Marketing
  • Analytics and Reporting

Best Yoga Studio Management Software

When it comes to shopping for the best yoga studio software, keep in mind that not all businesses are looking for or require the same thing. Some yoga instructors may already have a large client base and marketing team and just need help with a booking system. Other yoga instructors may want to grow their business in the virtual space, so a yoga studio software that places an emphasis on virtual yoga will be key. 

For most though, an all-in-one yoga studio software will give you the best bang for your buck and assist you in ways you may not have even thought of. There is a wide range of options out there, so we’ve broken them up into four buckets and will take a look at a few examples in each category.      

  • All-In-One Yoga Studio Software
  • Yoga Studio Management Software
  • Yoga Class Scheduling Software
  • Virtual Yoga Studio Software

All-In-One Yoga Studio Software

An all-in-one yoga studio software really streamlines your yoga business by keeping everything in a single place. No need to pay a handful of monthly fees for various services that you string together in order to keep your business running. Instead, pay for one service that covers it all, from online booking to marketing to reporting. Below we’ll uncover some of the most comprehensive options on the market. 

OfferingTree

When it comes to all-in-one yoga management software, OfferingTree is a top contender. This business-in-a-box solution is designed specifically for health and wellness professionals. As a newer option in the market, OfferingTree is less complicated and cumbersome than some of the larger yoga business software alternatives, allowing you to truly customize it to your business and needs.

Some of the major features of OfferingTree include custom branding; website, email, and text marketing; and on-demand content library. No need to schedule a lengthy sales call to learn more. OfferingTree offers a quick on-demand demo that you can watch on your own time. They also provide a free 14-day trial period which includes a quickstart course and guide to ensure you’re set up for success in under an hour. The simplicity of use, extensive list of key features, and affordability positions OfferingTree as one of the best yoga software options out there.  

GloFox

GloFox was founded in 2014 as a complete gym and studio management software with a focus on user experience and business growth. Designed for businesses of all sizes, Glofox aims to simplify the process for both business owners and clients. In addition to online scheduling and member management, Glofox offers easy online payment processing, brand personalization, and self-service check-in. 

Based on user feedback, some of the biggest pros of this software are its visual appeal and usability. Setup is straightforward, and the business dashboard gives you the most important tools right at your fingertips. The pricing for Glofox is on the higher end, and some customers have complained of a lack of service support to back up the product. While there is no free trial period, Glofox does offer a free demo to give you an intro to their platform. 

MindBody

Likely the most well-known software for yoga studios and fitness studios alike is Mindbody. Mindbody has been a leader in the space since its founding in 2000, so it has the upper hand when it comes to name recognition and number of users. This is probably the primary benefit to Mindbody – the sheer number of users on their app gives your studio exposure and potential new clients.

Mindbody’s basic Starter package includes class scheduling; business listing on the app; and website, point of sale, and limited reporting. If you’re looking for more advanced features like email and text marketing, reviews, and real-time reporting, expect to pay several hundred dollars per month. 

While Mindbody may be one of the best yoga studio management softwares out there, the steep cost is definitely a drawback and may be prohibitive for some. A couple of other common complaints include a lack of quality customer support and not the most user-friendly interface. Mindbody offers a free demo but no trial period to test it out for your business.

Hey Marvelous 

This is a women-owned business that was originally made for yoga teachers but has broadened to all wellness professionals. It is a great tool for both solo instructors and studios! Hey Marvelous has four different price tiers, so whether you’re a solo wellness professional just starting or have a network of professionals working with you, this all-in-one management software can meet anyone’s needs in any pricepoint. 

Hey Marvelous’ main draw is its simplistic setup and management tools. You can host livestreams, have a course catalog, and sell products with easy monetization capabilities. It can integrate social media profiles like Instagram or other services like Mailchimp so that you don’t have to bounce around different platforms. 

Yoga Studio Management Software

If you like the idea of an all-in-one yoga management software but do not need all of the additional features, a general yoga studio management software might be right for your business. The softwares covered in this section all have its unique angle and business proposition, but since they aren’t an all-in-one solution, expect to put in some manual labor or integrate other solutions.  

Fitli

Fitli is a fitness management software that offers a range of features for your business. Clients can book unlimited classes and workshops, rate and review, and purchase single classes and memberships. They also offer client management, employee management, and basic reporting. 

What’s lacking with Fitli is a personal, branded website with marketing capabilities and virtual class options. With four membership levels (all with a 30-day free trial) and flexible payment options, you can find the plan that makes the most sense for your business needs. 

Yoga Trail

Yoga Trail is an online network for yogis and instructors. Students can search for classes, events, and workshops in their area and book directly on the Yoga Trail website. Your business listing will include a brief description of your offerings (styles of yoga and experience levels served), your certifications, client reviews, and upcoming classes. 

This is one of the most pared-down yoga studio management options, and you will notice it when comparing the user experience and overall features. Yoga Trail gives new and seasoned business owners alike a platform to find and retain clients without breaking the budget, but expect some added work on your end since this isn’t a complete management tool.  


Yoga Class Scheduling Software

As any yoga teacher knows, an easy booking system is vital to get clients in your door and coming back day after day. Some of the studio management softwares are built with the primary goal of helping you get clients scheduled without the extensive range of other features. Most are not yoga or even fitness specific, as scheduling is necessary for businesses of all types. Let’s take a look at some of the best booking systems for yoga studios as recommended by the yoga community.  

Acuity Scheduling

Marketing itself as a user-friendly scheduling assistant for businesses of all kinds, Acuity Scheduling is a Squarespace company that automates the process of getting clients scheduled. Your clients will be able to make payments, easily sign up for classes, cancel or reschedule classes, and receive automated reminder messages. It does also integrate with Zoom and Google Meet if you plan to teach any online classes. 

At an affordable price point, it’s a good option for your scheduling needs, and you can try it out for free for 7 days. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive yoga business management software, Acuity Scheduling might not be the product for you. Since it does not have all of the tools and features that an all-in-one yoga studio software offers, expect to integrate multiple products in order to get that complete solution for your business. 

Schedulicity

Another scheduling option not specifically designed for yoga studios, Schedulicity offers a free basic plan, but you’ll pay for all of the add-ons. Their ease of use and setup makes scheduling effortless for clients and small business owners alike. One unique offering is the ability for clients to book classes with friends, bringing more people to your classes. They also have a range of courses available on their website, all aimed at helping small businesses grow. 

It is missing some automated features for scheduling like appointment text reminders and automated billing on the basic plan, and if you plan to have more than 10 bookings per month, you’ll need to pay. You’ll also likely need to stack additional software for a complete management tool. 

SimplyBook.Me

A powerful scheduling software for service-based businesses with any type of scheduling need, SimplyBook.Me offers a decent free version, but if you have more than one instructor, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. The most basic paid plan includes online booking for up to 5 instructors, point of sale, and directory listing. 

It’s a good tool if you’re just starting out and don’t want or need all of the bells and whistles that an all–in–one yoga software provides. They offer a free 14-day trial period with up to 50 bookings, so you can test it out first to see if it’s right for your business. 

Virtual Yoga Studio Software

No matter what type of business you run, diversifying your offerings and revenue is crucial. This is especially true for yoga studios that have been around for the past couple of years. Studios that successfully pivoted to a virtual model fared better than those that didn’t. We’ve learned that consumers like the convenience of the virtual model, so even if you are primarily an in-studio business, why not try teaching a virtual class a few times per month? The following yoga studio management softwares have a robust teaching model just for the virtual world. 

WellnessLiving

WellnessLiving is a complete solution for managing your wellness business with some standout features for virtual classes. The built-in FitLIVE and FitVID eliminate the need to integrate with third-party video communication services. FitLIVE manages all aspects of your virtual live classes, while FitVID allows you to store an entire library of yoga content for your clients. 

WellnessLiving is often compared to Mindbody for its range of features but is a more reasonably priced option. Online booking, client management, payment processing, and more are all included in their Starter Plan. Still, if you need payroll reporting or marketing automation, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher tier. WellnessLiving doesn’t offer a free trial, but you can request a demo to see more.

Vagaro

For solo instructors, Vagaro’s platform offers an affordable solution, and their online marketplace may bring new traffic to your yoga business. Primarily marketed towards salons and spas, users of their website and app can utilize the search function to find services nearby. 

Vagaro’s 30-day trial period is one of the most generous out there. Online scheduling, email marketing, automated appointment reminders, and invoicing are all included. If you’d like more advanced capabilities or have more than one instructor, you’ll have to pay for add-ons. Vagaro allows for simple live streaming of your yoga classes, with automated integration that links with the booking and payment system.  

Momoyoga

One of the few studio management softwares dedicated solely to yoga, Momoyoga also offers a 30-day no strings attached trial period. In addition to online booking for yoga classes, payments, and website integration, Momoyoga makes it easy to teach yoga virtually. You aren’t limited to a single video streaming service for your live classes; Momoyoga works with Zoom, Google Meet, YouTube, and more. 

The recently added Momoyoga Video on Demand allows you to create and store a collection of pre-recorded classes for your clients to take advantage of. Momoyoga has truly thought of it all when it comes to virtual yoga. They even offer the ability to teach hybrid yoga classes, so you can satisfy all of your clients’ preferences.   

Try A Free Trial Of OfferingTree’s All-In-One Yoga Software!

A note from Rachel: You might already know that I have an OfferingTree site (you can check it out here) that hosts my online content, and I love the software because it’s easy to use, has great support, and manages all my needs at a super reasonable price. I love that it easily manages memberships for and drop in’s for my live classes and enables me to archive and sell recordings on my store. 

And in case you didn’t already know, the team behind OfferingTree are yoga and meditation teachers plus software engineers. Because of their knowledge of the wellness industry, they are on a genuine mission to improve the work/life balance of yoga teachers and studios by making the software as easy to use and functional as they can! YAY!

To try out an OfferingTree site for free (no credit card required),  click here to set up your 14-day free trial (you’ll also get 50% off your first three months of a monthly plan/15% off an annual plan with OfferingTree if you continue to set up a paid plan!)

How Do I Create My Own Yoga Teacher Training? How Long Will It Take?

create a yoga teacher training

Creating a yoga teacher training is an exciting opportunity to connect with your community, share your passion for yoga, deepen your own leadership skills – all while generating revenue for your business. So how you get started in creating your own yoga teacher training? And practically speaking, how long will it take?

The Student Manual

When you creating curriculum, it’s tempting to think that your yoga teacher training is all about your yoga teacher training student manual. After all, this seems to be the most tangible product that you will give to your students.

However, let me be clear: it is not.

While the yoga teacher training student manual is an excellent reference and supporting tool for your yoga teacher training, the real value and learning from your training comes in how the students spend those 200 hours with you. In short: the quality of their educational experience depends upon the quality of your lesson plans. A lesson plan describes what students will learn from you in a given length of time – and more importantly, a lesson plan is a roadmap for how they will learn it. Consider:

  • What lectures or presentations will you give?
  • What activities will the students do?(Asana labs, practices, sequencing exercises, worksheets?)
  • What quizzes or practicums will assess the students’ knowledge?

How To Start

To begin thinking about creating your own 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What will my students be able to DO as a result of this training (the full 200 hours) with me? How will I know that they are graduating as a good teacher? What will they need to demonstrate? (Check out my article on “the great mistake” if you haven’t yet :))
  • What individual topics (lessons) do I need to cover to move students from A to B? What content is needed? (I recommend doing a big brainstorm!)
  • How will I frame (schedule) these topics? See this resource for help!
  • What will the students be able to do a a result of each individual lesson?
  • And finally: what support materials will I use to support each lesson? (This is where you create your student manual :)) Need help? Check out this course.
  • Marketing. (Need help? Check out this course.)

Timing

So how long will create your own yoga teacher training? Well, as a rough guide, you expect to spend 2-3 hours creating each hour of curriculum. So parts will be faster, and some parts will be slower. So for a 200 hour YTT, you can estimate that you will spend 400-600 hours creating your program. Now, there are ways that you can mitigate this time expenditure.

Option 1: Buy A Training

  • Purchase a pre-made, high quality Buy A Training that you trust can serve as the foundation for your own yoga teacher training – as long as you can edit it and make it yours!
  • Naturally, I’m a fan of the one that I created 😉 and you can see it here: Rachel’s Buy A Training. But I strongly recommend that you investigate the options that are out there and see if there is a premade curriculum that is right for you. Things to consider if you are thinking of this route:
    • Can I adapt, edit and brand the curriculum?
    • Are the lesson plans clearly mapped out, effective, and detailed enough to support my training with activities?
    • Has the training been run and tested?
    • Who created the training? Do they have any instructional design or educational experience?
    • Do I get support with registering for an organization like Yoga Alliance?
    • Do I like the curriculum? Does it align with my own methodology for sequencing, teaching, and cueing?
    • Are there good visual support materials for topics like anatomy?
    • Cost: are there cost options? Are there annual fees? How soon would I be able to pay it off?

Option 2: Get Support and Buy Lesson Plans

  • Purchase some elements (like anatomy or sequencing lesson plans) to get some support on particular topics that may be challenging and time consuming to write yourself. Then flesh out the program with your own material.
  • You can see all my Buy A Lessons here – they may give you good ideas on where to start.

Option: Do It Yourself – With Guidance

  • Creating a yoga teacher training is exciting – but it’s a massive project. Knowing how to do what tasks and in which order will save you a lot of time and help your training be more effective, professional, and engaging.
  • If you want to do it yourself, consider reaching out for coaching, or I’ve also created a “Create Your Training” course that helps you do things right. It’s all you – but you’ll undertake the project in way that helps you creating everything you need, structure your program smartly and clearly, prepare to register for your oversight organization, and do tasks in the right order to make the most of your precious time. See the course here: Create Your Training.

Final Thoughts

Whichever option you choose, remember: you don’t have to go it alone!

Creating a yoga teacher training can initially seem overwhelming, but there are lot of people – including me 😉 – who love education and can be an ally and thought partner to make your dream a reality. As entrepreneurs, we often are ferocious do it yourselfers ~ but getting support for your YTT creation can help you to juggle all those balls more easily and make you’re yoga teacher training a reality sooner rather than later. Work smart – not just hard.

I’m always available for a free virtual coffee chat! Reach out to connect and get your yoga teacher training ball rolling 🙂

How to Develop Your Yoga Career Without Burning Out

avoiding yoga burnout

It is so ironic to admit but I have been in complete burnout twice as a yoga teacher. Doesn’t it sound funny when you hear someone acknowledge they are burned out and then you find out they are a yoga teacher!!! Burnout can happen to anyone—it doesn’t discriminate from one career to another—but it’s rather weird to hear a yoga teacher share that they are at the end of their energy! Usually the first thing people say is, “What’s going on? You’re a yoga teacher, you should know how to relax!” Yes, that is so true, however teaching yoga can take a lot of energy, especially if you are not aware of how to protect your own energy. Or you are starting your own yoga business.

In my case I experienced my first burnout when I had my own studio—the first year was really tough to get it off the ground and fill up the classes, but once it got super successful after a few years, it was really challenging to keep up the pace. I offered classes seven days a week and I was on the mat every day—no matter if I was sick, if it was my birthday or whatever—I needed to be at the studio.

Compounding the stress was the fact that I am a highly sensitive person, and often when I touched a person to help them into a pose, I felt what they were feeling. And if they were in pain, I could feel that pain. In the first few years, I did not know how to shield myself of other people’s energy and felt like a sponge, and I soaked it all up. Quite often I felt exhausted at the end of the day, even though I loved my job so very much.

Being an empath is something that requires learning how to adjust so you don’t take on everyone’s energies. It really didn’t matter that I was a yoga teacher, I could have been in any career, but I happen to be a yoga teacher and I touch people as part of my work.

I was also burned out on a physical level because doing so many classes can totally wear you out because your body never gets any rest. I felt flattered that so many people wanted to come to my classes and therefore offered more and more classes and my schedule was packed. I did not realize that I no longer had a social life because I was on the mat teaching every night while my friends went out to the movies or to dinner. I always had to decline when they asked me to join because I was too busy teaching.

It took me a few years to understand that I needed to have at least one free night per week and therefore took one day off on a regular basis. My students were not happy about that because they did not want to accept a substitute, but it was necessary for my own balance and self-care.

Once I learned techniques to protect myself before I went into a class, and also adding some Yin Yoga poses into all of my yang-focused classes, my body slowly started to regenerate again.

I also find it very important to be authentic when you teach. If you pretend to be somebody you are not, it can be very exhausting and you can burn out easily because you are not real in what you do.

Here is one of my favorite techniques to protect yourself before your work on an energetical level with other people.

At night, before I go to bed, I practice this chakra meditation to clear myself of all the energies I picked up throughout the day.

On a regular basis I cultivate stillness and ensure I have time where I am just by myself, with no other people around. This is not always easy when you have a family, but for me, it is essential. I need the time to listen to my soul. Your soul will tell you when you are not on track anymore, and if you will not listen, it tends to send you an ailment or a burnout, so you have to pull yourself back and listen to it again. So my words of advice are to make sure you care for yourself daily, so you stay in touch with yourself and your personal needs. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have the energy to give the quality teachings you want to offer your students.

How Much Should I Pay My Yoga Teacher Trainers?

money

If you’re considering running a yoga teacher training, you need to consider how much you will pay your yoga teacher trainers – or associate faculty. Unless you’re teaching the whole training yourself, your faculty fees will probably be the largest expense that you have. And of course, faculty can make or break the quality and experience of your yoga teacher training and the student experience. So let’s take a look!

Yoga Teacher Trainer Roles

Once you have selected your faculty (based on their skill, emotional IQ, and professional responsibility), you will want to consider the role that they are playing your yoga teacher training.

  • Is your yoga teacher training bringing and teaching their own material, or are they teaching yours?
  • How much of the program (what percentage) are they teaching?
  • Are they part of your Yoga Alliance faculty or credentialing organization (i n other words, do you depend on them teaching to maintain your credentials with your registration body)?
  • Will the faculty help with marketing (getting students into the program through announcements, social media posts, and being a player in marketing efforts)?

My personal preference is that yoga teacher trainers – unless they are teaching a very specific subject – teach your curriculum rather than their own. I am a fan of studios and teachers owning all the material in their own yoga teacher training so that they are not reliant on an outside individual for the quality of their training. Trainers will of course add their own flair and voice to any subject that they are teaching, but you want to have the rights to your own manual and materials so that if your faculty leaves the studio, you don’t lose your training.

Payrates for Yoga Teacher Trainers

You can pay a yoga teacher trainer in two essential ways:

  • by the hour,
  • with a percentage of the training revenue. For example, if you have two faculty members that are teaching the program, you may think it’s a good idea to pay each of them 25% of the revenue, and the studio keeps 50%.

I usually suggest that you pay a trainer by the hour, as then you can estimate your own training expenses and revenue more accurately. I have also found that the burden for marketing your YTT (and of course other expenses) will generally fall onto the shoulders of the hosting studio. While you can implement referral ideas (hey, for every student you personally bring in, you get $100!), this can be challenging because students usually attend a YTT for a variety of reasons rather than simply for one faculty member.

Pay by Hour

Payrates per hour for trainers can range.

If you are providing the lesson plans and all the materials, then you may pay your trainers $50-$70 per hour. If someone teaches all 200 hours, the minimum they should walk away with would be 10K ($50/hour). Generally, YTT time should pay more than that teacher’s class rate, as it requires a higher degree of skill and knowledge. However, if you have experienced teachers who are using their own material, then you may pay them up to $125-$150/ hour.

You may also consider having YTT assistants who are learning the ropes whom you pay at lower rates. For example, you may pay an aspiring teacher trainer $15-$25/hour to assist the training ~ or even require that they take the training once for free as a student in order to learn the content ~ with the expectation that when they can pull their own weight, they will earn a higher wage.

Consider the following sample budget:

  • 200 classroom hours, paying your fairly experienced lead trainer $75/hour = $15,000
  • Your revenue for 10 students @$3000/student = $30,000
  • In this scenario, you’d be paying your faculty 50% of the revenue

After you pay for your space rental, manual printings, Yoga Alliance fees, processing fees, etc, you’d probably net 8-10K. However, for every student that you bring in, you’d have another 3K of revenue.

You could elect to do bonuses to incentivize trainers to promote the YTT while covering your own investment. For example, the trainer could earn one fee for 8-12 students, a higher rate for 13-18 students, and an even higher rate for 19-25 students.

Pay by percentage

The benefit of a percentage split is that everyone is taking a risk, and everyone is invested. However, as I mentioned above, my experience has been that the studio usually bears the marketing burden.

If you are interested in doing a percentage split, consider the following

  • Make sure that you are doing a split of the net, not the gross. In other words, carefully look at your expenditures and make sure that you are accounting for them (rental if needed, processing fees, marketing costs, manual printing) and for the trainer, perhaps their transport costs of (if they’re out of town), their lodging.
  • A percentage split makes more sense if the trainer is bringing all the intellectual property and training materials with them. In other words, if you’re partnering with a trainer and they are providing everything and you’re just providing the space, community, and registration support, then you’d likely do a percentage split of 70/30, 65/35 or 60/30 (in their favor). After all, they’re bringing all the goodies. Just make sure that you’re not taking too much of a hit on revenue in the form of cancelling classes, etc.

Contracts

Whichever way you go, have a contract. Have a clear minimum number of students that you agree must be signed up by a certain time for the training to run. For example, you may have an agreement that you must have 10 students signed up 14 days before the start date. If faculty is coming in from out of town, make sure you have cancellation clauses for their expenses (transportation, accommodation) or ensure that they’ve purchased trip insurance. Now, you could choose to adjust these last minute, but it’s important to have your benchmarks set and agreed upon in advance so you are not caught be surprise.

Number of Trainers

If you are paying your trainers a decent rate (say, $75/hour), then you’ll probably only want one teaching a time ~ unless you have over 20 students. In our example above, if you were paying two teachers to be there the whole 200 hours at $75/hour, it would cost you 30K. Schedule your trainers judiciously. You may have a lead trainer and assistant there the whole time, or you may have two trainers there at critical times (for example, the welcome at the start of the training as well as the final assessment and graduation).

Be savvy about how you schedule your trainers and when so that you are very clear on what you will be paying every hour of the training.

Final Thoughts

Your trainers will make or break the training. Choose them carefully (see my blog here about selecting faculty. And treat them well. Create clear contracts and make sure they feel good about their relationship with you. Pay them as well as you can, and be fair and transparent in how you are arriving at payrates (it can even be useful to share your budget with them so that they understand your expenses). Teaching a YTT is a great opportunity for them, as it creates an opportunity to enjoy a more substantial payrate. And having wonderful faculty represent your YTT is great for you, as they will be a personalized expression of your brand and your business. When this relationship is entered thoughtfully and respectfully, it creates a marvellous win win for everyone: you, the trainer, and your students.

How To Think Like An Educator, Rather Than An Expert

Lessons for yoga teacher trainers

When a yoga teacher decides to take the leap and develop a teacher training, there is a fundamental shift that needs to take place: we have to start thinking like an educator, rather than an expert.

And expert is someone who is passionate, experienced, and knowledgeable about their chosen subject. An educator is someone who can inspire others to a different level of performance. Let’s look at how these are different.

If we approach our teacher training like an expert, we may make what I call, “The Great Mistake.” The great mistake is thinking that education is about what I tell my students. If we think this way, then we are tempted to give students the contents of our heads. We think that if we just give them enough information, they will be educated. Although this is very well-intentioned, it often leads to a “fire hose” approach where we saturate students with information.

Instead, to think like an educator, we have to change our point of view. Rather than thinking that education is about what I tell my students, I change the focus. I reframe the experience and define education as what my students can DO.

By making education about what our students can do as a result of the learning experience, I change the focus of the experience from me (what I say or show) to the student (how the student can perform differently). From this point of view, I am now focused on the student’s measurable performance. I can set a clear benchmark for what I want the student to be able to demonstrate or articulate at the end the lesson.

This change may seem simple, but it will transform the learning experience in profound ways:

  • As an educator, I now need to set clear goals for student performance,
  • I take the focus off of me and put it on the student,
  • I get clear about what “inputs” the student needs to achieve the desired performance, which defuses the danger of “firehosing” them with unnecessary information,
  • I have a clear idea of how I will assess the student’s success.

Before you create your next lesson plan, workshop, or teacher training, pause to think:

What do I want the student to be able to DO as a result of this learning experience?

This simple inquiry will help you take the leap from expert to educator, and support your students to have a successful learning experience.

Going Online With Your Yoga Teacher Training: Four Things You Need To Know

We’ve all been going online with our yoga teacher trainings through COVID. But now that restrictions are easing up, what do we do now? Do we go back to completely in-person, stay with the hybrid, or stay completely online…and if so, what are best practices?

1. Know Your Audience

Step One in figuring out if and how to leverage online content is to know your students. While doing part of your yoga teacher training online may seem like a good idea, it’s best to step back first and consider who your students are. Here are some questions to ask:

  • Are my students comfortable with online technology (zoom and the like)?
  • Do my students have the materials they need at home (props, etc.) to do part of their work online?
  • Are my students local (making it easy to come into the studio) or far away (making doing work work online more attractive)?
  • What appeals more to your students learning style? Do they need in-person touch points, or can they work independently?

2. Know Your Content

If you elect to teach your entire course online, your students will not be evaluated in-person, nor can they easily develop in-person teaching skills. After all, it’s quite a different experience to teach on Zoom than to teach in a studio with real students. It’s important to consider the skillset you need your students to demonstrate in order to graduate successfully. If teaching live and in-person is an important aspect of your curriculum, then teaching live and in-person needs to be part of the experience.

Also, certain content cannot effectively be taught online. Hands on assists, for example. You simply need in-person feedback to teach this kind of skill.

On the other hand, there is some content that is excellent to teach online ~ and in fact, may even be better online than in person. More cognitive tasks such as sequencing exercises, worksheets, philosophical discussions, ethics discussions can all be taught online effectively.

Understanding what needs to be taught in person – and what could be taught well virtually – will give you a better idea of how much of your content would be appropriate for online delivery.

3. Know Your Assessments

It’s far easier to assess students live (whether on Zoom or in-person) than to assess their teaching through recordings. For one, other students can also observe the assessment, which gives them valuable insight into evaluating and honing their own skills. Also, it’s a lot better to give your trainees immediate, “just in time” feedback to students so that they can integrate adjustments in the moment. It’s not as easy for them to integrate feedback that comes much later in time. Also, it can take a lot of YOUR time to review videos for each student and to meet with them; usually it’s faster and more effective to evaluate them in person. For this reason, it can be helpful to have your assessments delivered in person.

4. Consider Faculty and Peer Interaction

One of the best parts of a teacher training is connecting with peers and the faculty. Many students take a yoga teacher training in part because they get to connect with faculty more closely. If you are teaching part of your training online, then take time to consider how you can also create community and connection virtually. Tactics such as creating study groups, having online mentorship meetings, hosting online discussion forums, and having shared projects can all increase student interaction, which can both increase learning as well as motivation.

Also, you need to know your faculty. Can your faculty handle the technical requirements of online delivery?

The Bottom Line

Generally speaking, a hybrid yoga teacher training program (partially online and partially in-person) can give you the best of both worlds. You can put certain lessons online (either pre-recorded or synchronous via Zoom) that would benefit from online delivery. Putting some content online can be helpful because:

  • Students and trainers will have more flexibility with timing,
  • Reduces commute time,
  • When content is pre-recorded, you have given students access to a library of resources that they can access anytime,
  • Reduces your studio rental fees (see more on budgeting here),
  • Some content is even better taught online than in person.

At the same time, you can leverage your in-person time for the content that is best served by being taught in real life, such as:

  • Practice teaching,
  • Assessments,
  • Applied anatomy,
  • Teacher presence and body language,
  • Demonstrations,
  • Hands on assists.

It’s a brave new world! By being savvy about how you leverage our new online capabilities, you can create a yoga teacher training that is effective, engaging, and transformational.

Need help creating a great online course? Learn from the best!

How Do I Choose My Yoga Teacher Training Faculty?

Inviting other teachers to participate in your training can be a great way to share expertise, entice a new population of students, and off-load some of your own work. However, there are some drawbacks to consider and you need to choose your partners wisely.

Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s.

Pro’s of Collaboration

  • Have an expert share their personal passion
  • Off-load work of content creation
  • Off-load work of facilitation/ teaching
  • Offer different points of view in your training
  • Different faculty may appeal to different students
  • Different faculty offers may widen your marketing funnel to new students

Con’s of Collaboration

  • They may have a difficult schedule / not be available when you need
  • You may not own the material they present (unless they use your material)
  • You may not own the rights to the handouts they provide
  • They may cancel and leave you in a bind
  • They may contradict your teaching ideology in the classroom/ confuse the students/ use different language or vocabulary then you do
  • You are paying another person (expense)
  • If you’re running a retreat, it’s more expensive to bring them with you

Avenues of Collaboration

When you’re running a yoga teacher training, there are several ways that you may choose to collaborate with another trainer. Let’s look at the options.

  • Training Partner: you’re in it together! The training is your shared love child. You both create and own the whole thing.
  • Trainer: you are hiring them to teach YOUR material. You create it, they teach it. 
  • Outside Faculty: experts in a subject. They come prepared to teach with their own material, and they own all the content. 

Let’s look more deeply at each of these and the implications.


Level of InvolvementImplications
Training PartnerA training partner is a full partner in creating the course with you understands and shares your course vision. They probably teach the course with you (or teach a significant portion) and they probably belongs to Yoga Alliance or your credentialing organization as an E-RYT (if you choose to register). You’re on the same page in terms of your teaching principles (values, how to cue, use of language, how to sequence, etc.) and you are okay spending a lot of time with them.A training partner will own the copyright for the course with you (unless you pay them for their work and have a legal contract otherwise).
You’re probably splitting the training profits with them rather than paying them an hourly fee.
You both “run” the training. You’ll have to figure out how to manage administration and registration duties (the behind the scene work that goes into creating a YTT)
They likely need to be involved from beginning so that the content is cohesive and makes sense.
You’re stuck with them long term as business partners.
You must be on same page and crystal clear in terms of how you teach and the ideology of your training so that your students aren’t confused and the training is consistent.
This is a good option if you have a business partner / very like minded yogi, you want to collaborate, and you’re in it for the long-haul.
TrainerA trainer is a skilled “gun for hire:” you pay them come in and teach your course content and use your material. They may belong to Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT (if you choose to register ~ or whatever your credentialing organization is), and you’re on the same page in terms of your teaching principles (values, how to cue, how to sequence).
They do NOT own your content. You Do. They are teaching your material for you.
You’re probably paying them an hourly fee rather than splitting profits.
Unless you took your teacher training with them, you may have to train them to make sure they understand your course material, values, and your course concepts.
This is a good option if you already have a training and you want others to be able to teach it (for example, a studio with ambassadors), or, if you’re willing to do the legwork to create your training yourself.
Special FacultySpecialists in a subject area are a “gun for hire,” and you pay them to teach THEIR material they bring handouts, etc for students. They may not belong to Yoga Alliance.They own their own content likely paid by the hour great for diversifying your faculty roster and teaching their own material.
They are great for “niche” subjects such as philosophy, pranayama, ayurveda that don’t impact fundamental teaching methodology subjects like cuing and sequencing. 

Too Many Cooks

There’s a seductive gray area where you may think, “But Amanda is so good at sequencing…I’ll just have her come in and teach a section.”

You can have too many cooks in the kitchen. 

Remember, this training is about extending YOUR BRAND and YOUR VISION. And anyone who is teaching in your training must be totally on board with your teaching methodology. To deliver a consistent and effective training experience to your students, your teacher trainers must speak the same language, teach consistent ideas, and demonstrate the same teaching techniques.

Otherwise, you’re going to start to hear, “But Amanda said that we could teach handstand right before Savasana!” Or other such things that may conflict with your ideas of teaching.  It’s like parents contracting each other: it will confuse your students and undermine the training experience.

Best Practice: if you want to include additional “special faculty” in your training, outsource specialized topics that don’t impact your core teachings and training vision. Or be prepared to train your faculty to ensure that everyone is on board with the core ideas of your training methodology.

US Yoga Alliance and Faculty

If you want to register your course with YA (or another organization), then you – or a couple of your trainers – need the appropriate credentials. Before you choose faculty, it’s useful to ensure that they can meet these requirements.

Check with your organization’s requirements in advance to ensure that your trainers will meet their requirements.

Teacher Trainers: It’s More Than Just Teaching

Just because someone is a great yoga teacher, that does not necessarily mean that they are a great teacher trainer.

Let’s look at the qualities you will want in a teacher trainer:

  • Team Player: ability to be flexible, take direction, and work well with others ~ like your or their fellow faculty.
  • Emotional intelligence and positivity: ability to hold space as a leader for a group of students who may be emotional and vulnerable. They validate students’ experiences and support their learning rather than criticizing or diminishing. Ability to manage group dynamics.
  • Responsible and organized, good time management: ability to show up early, manage a space, deal with handouts and some administrative duties like attendance, and organize assessments. Ability to manage their time and stay on task.
  • Committed to continuing education: someone who is interested and passionate about learning and sharing.
  • Ability to put the students’ experience first (rather than needing to position themselves as experts).
  • Clear communication: ability to relay complex ideas clearly and simply so that students can learn.
  • Marketing: will this faculty help you promote your training?

Your primary faculty will need to act like den mama’s and papa’s; in addition to having a clear understanding of the content, they must be able to help to manage the emotional rollercoaster ride of a yoga teacher training. For many teacher trainee’s, teaching is scary! Your faculty should be positive and supportive forces for the trainees growth.

Final Thoughts

When you are creating your yoga teacher training, it can sometimes be easy to partner with someone early…and regret it later. Before you agree to collaborate, think practically about the future of your business. Who owns the training? What does it look like if this other person goes away? What does it look like if there is a divergence or a falling out?

There are many ways to partner with others, but you want to be savvy and bullet proof your business. Creating a teacher training is a big investment and time and money. Some patient forethought about your faculty can help ensure that you create a training that is not only an amazing experience for your students, but a lucrative long-term offering for your business.

How To Create A Budget for Your Yoga Teacher Training

The Financial Realities of Running a Yoga Teacher Training

 

One of the scariest parts of launching a teacher training is the paralyzing thought: “Will I make enough money?” Creating (or purchasing) a 200 hour teacher training is a big investment, and it’s wise to do a little legwork in advance to have a sense in advance of your return on investment. This process can give you a sense of how you might approach planning a ytt, and it will also give you sense of the minimum number of students that you need to run the training successfully. 

Your Revenue

First let’s take a look at your expected revenue.

Most 200 hour yoga teacher training have a price tag of about $3,000 – $3,300 per student. (For those of you thinking, “Should I charge less for an online or hybrid program?” my firm answer is NO. When it’s well-created, an online program provides just as much quality as an in-person training.)

You will likely run some early bird sales (offer discounts for early sign ups), and you will also be charged about 3% in credit card processing fees on your transactions, so let’s take the “worst case scenario” and say that ultimately you earn $2600 per student.

I would suggest that you run a yoga teacher training with a minimum of 6 students. So let’s see how the revenue would play out:

  • 6 students x $2,600 =  $15,600
  • 7 students x $2,600 =  $18,200
  • 8 students x $2,600 =  $20,800
  • 9 students x $2,600 =  $23,400
  • 10 students x $2,600 =  $26,000
  • 11 students x $2600 = $28,600
  • 12 students x $2,600 = $31,200
Obviously that could be a good chunk of change for your studio or business. But to really understand how much you would make, we have to look at your expenses.

 

Your Expenses

Expenses for your yoga teacher include the following:

  • Paying faculty
  • Space rental
  • Printing yoga teacher training student manuals
  • Marketing

Faculty

Of these, the cost of paying your faculty is the most expensive. If you are planning to bring in other teachers to instruct with you, then you want to be strategic about who you bring on board for faculty. For a variety of reasons, I would suggest paying your faculty by the hour rather than profit sharing, though you may wish to give them a bonus for students sign ups to incentive them to help market the training. 
 

Teacher training rates vary wildly depending on a few factors:

  • If the trainer is providing their own material (handouts etc) or they are teaching yours
  • Their experience
  • Your geographic location and current price point for teaching pay rates
As a very rough ballpark, let’s say that a new teacher trainer may earn $40/hour while a very experienced teacher trainer may earn $100/ hour. That is quite a range, but you could generally think about paying the teacher 50% more than their class teaching rate. 
 
For the sake of our sample budget, we’ll split the difference and assume you are paying your teacher trainer $70/hour. We will also assume that you are paying out all of these training hours. (If YOU teach the training, we’ll assume you are paying yourself $70/hour).
 
  • Faculty expenses = $14,000

Space Rental

If you own your own studio, you will not have to worry about these fees as you can schedule the yoga teacher training around your current classes. But if you are a solo teacher, you will likely need to rent a space to offer your training. Space rentals of course vary, but let’s say that – worst case scenario – you rent a space for $20/hour. As a worst case scenario, we’ll assume you are renting a studio for all 200 hours (rather than doing any of the program online). 
 
  • $20 * 200 =  $4,000

Printing Student Manuals

These days, you may just give your students a PDF and ask them to print out the manuals themselves. But just in case you decide to print out a 500-page black and white manual, you can estimate it will cost roughly $50/student.
 
  • 6 students x $50 =  $300
  • 7 students x $50  =  $350
  • 8 students x $50  =  $400
  • 9 students x $50 =  $450
  • 10 students x $50  =  $500
  • 11 students x $50 = $550
  • 12 students x $50 = $600

Marketing

For a yoga teacher training, the best marketing is often organic and unpaid (newsletters, website, social media posts, etc). If you do invest in paid marketing (Facebook promotions, boosting posts, etc.) I usually would suggest a more modest budget to start. 
 
For the sake of our sample budget, let’s say you spend $500 on marketing. 

 

Other Expenses

Other expenses that you may wish to include:
 
  • Processing fees (we calculated these and discounted them from the revenue, above)
  • Travel
  • Utilities at your studio
  • Admin time (registering and communicating with students)
  • Insurance (which you’ve probably likely paid as teacher/studio already)

The Bottom Line

So let’s take a look at where we’ve landed.
 

The “Worst Case Scenario”

This sample budget is looking at the “worst case” expenses. I’m assuming that you are paying a trainer (rather than teaching the training yourself), renting a space, doing the entire training in person (rather than leveraging the ability to teach some of it online), and printing out a substantial manual. 
 
  • Faculty: $14,000
  • Space Rental: $4,000
  • Student Manuals (assume 6 students): $300
  • Marketing: $500
  • Total Expenses: $18,800
  • You pretty much break even at 7 students. For every additional student, your business will earn an additional $2550 in profit.
If you look at your revenue, you’ll see that this means that you need to have 8 students in order for the business to break even on your training.  But the benefits of running the training (even at break even) are substantial: you’ve given your faculty a substantial earning opportunity, increased your brand, and connected with – and supported – your community. 
 

The “Best Case Scenario”

Let’s look at another scenario, in which you are teaching the training yourself, do not need to rent out a studio space, and give the students a PDF of the manual rather than printing them yourself.
 
  • Faculty: $0 (rather than paying yourself an hourly, you will pay yourself whatever the profit is for the program)
  • Space Rental: $0
  • Student Manuals: $0
  • Marketing: $500
  • Total Expenses: $500
  • Profit starts with 1 student. In this case, if you have six students, you will earn $15,100 and increase profit $2,600 for every additional student.

Final Thoughts

Every studio is different, and it’s important to assess your own budgetary needs so that you can weigh the pro’s and con’s of offering a teacher training. Questions you may wish to ask:
 
  • Are there any unique expenses for my situation that I need to consider (for example, taking time off of work)?
  • Is there an appetite for teacher training in my community? (Will students sign up? Have students expressed an interest?)
  • Do I have the bandwidth to create (or resources to purchase) a 200 hour yoga teacher training? 
  • Am I ready to teach a yoga teacher training? 
Taking the leap to offering a yoga teacher training can at first feel daunting, but by creating a budget, you are better able to ascertain whether offering a training is a wise investment for your particular situation. 
 
And – this probably goes without saying – I am a huge fan of yoga teacher trainings, for reasons far beyond their potential to be profitable. Offering a YTT can become a pathway to elevating yourself as a leader in the community and enriching your own understanding of the practice. They are often a calling to “step up” and take our own teaching and leadership skills to the next level. In addition, teacher trainings provide an opportunity to connect deeply with your community and students, and to create an inspirational environment for growth and change. 
 
If you’re interested in offering a yoga teacher training, but aren’t sure where to start, feel free to connect with me for a virtual coffee 🙂

Should I Buy A Yoga Teacher Training?

Yoga teacher trainings can be a profitable offering for teachers and studios…but it is worth it (and is it cheating) to buy one that is pre-made? Here’s what you need to consider if you are thinking of buying a pre-made yoga teacher training.

Financial Realities

The reality is that yoga teacher trainings are the highest priced product that a studio or teacher can offer. While you could sell a lot of classes for $10 a pop, a 200 hour yoga teacher training has a ticket price of about $3,000. The revenue opportunities of a yoga teacher training can help with the bottom line of a business that often struggles to make ends meet. Additional benefits of offering a yoga teacher training include building your community, elevating your teaching staff (or yourself), creating new financial opportunities, and creating a network of new teachers who are aligned with your teaching methodology.

Time Realities

However, creating a good yoga teacher training takes a lot of time. Like, a LOT.

From an instructional design perspective, you should expect to spend about 4 hours of time planning and creating for every hour that you are teaching. If you are planning to teach online, this number goes up to 8 hours at the very minimum. Some of the training hours (like asana practices) will be quicker and easier to plan, while other hours (the anatomy portions for example) will take longer. But let’s say that you are very fast in creating your curriculum and it only takes you two hours of planning for every instructional hour. Well, you’re still looking at 400 hours of work, which translates into ten full-time weeks (!). If you are running a studio (and a family, or other jobs), then it may be hard to create that kind of time to get your program off the ground.

Here’s where purchasing a pre-made program could help you save some time and effort so that you don’t have to “recreate the wheel” on your YTT.

Am I “Cheating?”

Especially when you’re a do-it-yourself entrepreneur, it’s natural to take a pause and think, “Wait a minute, is it cheating to buy a yoga teacher training? After all, I want this be MY school!” The short answer is, well, it depends on how you do it!

  • Are you committed to running the training with integrity?
  • Are you able to adapt the program so that you can ensure it matches your studio’s values, teaching methodology, and brand?
  • Are you committed to doing the required preparatory work to make the training an excellent and elevating experience for your students?

If so, then purchasing a YTT can be a valuable way to work smart, rather than just hard. Purchasing the right training can be a very wise way to put your work in the right place. Rather than “recreating the wheel” for your 200 hour training, you can instead spend your time more efficiently by adapting the program, preparing your own training skills, and getting the training marketed to your community.

What You Need To Consider

Not all programs are created equal, and there are some important questions that you need to ask in order to make sure that you investing your resources wisely. Here are a few essentials to get you started.

What is the training’s teaching methodology, and does it match my own training’s vision?

This question is essential ~ and can easily get overlooked. Yoga teacher trainings vary wildly in their focus and methodologies, and you need to ensure that the training you are selecting aligns with your own teaching style and vision. Some questions to consider:

  • How does this yoga training teach students to cue?
  • How does this yoga training teach students to sequence?
  • What does this yoga training teach students about alignment?
  • Can the seller describe their teaching methodology?
  • Can the seller articulate the yoga training’s lineage and influences?
  • What topics does this yoga training prioritize (what kind of pranayama, philosophy, and anatomy does it teach)?
  • Does it include all the necessary topics and competencies that would allow you to register with your organization of choice (for example, Yoga Alliance)?

Can I edit and adapt the training?

Being able to edit your training is essential. While you want the training to give you a robust foundation for your work, you also want the ability to edit the training as needed so that it reflects your studio’s unique vision, brand, and values. You are not a cookie cutter studio or yoga teacher, and you will want the freedom to let the program grow with you.

What is included in my purchase?

A teacher training is much more than a student manual. From an instructional design perspective, the student manual is really the last (and easiest) component to create. Knowing the full extent of what your training includes is essential:

  • Does it include the training’s lesson plans (detailed and clear notes on how to teach each hour of the training)? (Here’s an example of a free lesson plan that you can download and use.)
  • Does it include presentations or visual materials (very useful for anatomy and philosophy topics)?
  • Does it include a robust and well-organized student manual? Is the student manual created with appropriate graphics (paid for or royalty free so that you are using them legally)?
  • Does it include quizzes and practicum rubrics?
  • Does it include coaching and support?

Reputation and Expertise

Get to know your seller.

  • What is their yoga background and experience? What is their lineage?
  • What is their instructional design/ education background and experience?

Great yogis aren’t always great instructional designers. Your training needs to have high quality content that is all well-organized and structured for an educational experience.

Registration Bodies

If you are planning to register with an oversight organization (like Yoga Alliance), find out if the training has a track record for successful registrations or offers support for navigating the registration process.

Financial Planning

Purchasing a pre-made yoga teacher training is an investment, no question. And you want to make sure that you will get a return on your investment. Here are some important questions to answer:

  • Does the training require you to pay each year, or is it a one and done?
  • Does your provider offer payment plans?
  • Is there any limitation on how many times you can run the teacher training per year?
  • How long would it take you to recoup the investment of the training?

Final Thoughts

Teaching a YTT can be inspirational, exciting, and deeply rewarding. And purchasing a pre-made yoga teacher training program can be an excellent way to use your time and resources wisely. But you want to make the right choice and be savvy in your decision. Asking the right questions can help you to ensure that you will choose a training program that will not only elevate your business, but also help support you in your own growth and expansion as a leader in your community.

To get a sneak peek of Rachel’s 200 Hour Buy-A-Training, click here.

Three Impactful Ways that Yoga Helps Decrease Anxiety

As social interactions and human connection remain limited, anxiety continues to surge through our society. To combat these anxious feelings and emotions, people are trying everything that they can to experience the levels of joy they once knew. Yoga, whether at home or in person, has been an extremely effective solution to calming the past two years of turbulence. Many people have added a yoga practice to their weekly routines. Additionally, during times of lockdown, yoga group classes via Zoom and yoga recordings were utilized in droves.

When experiencing bouts with anxiety and depression, it’s important to remember that we are not alone and that we are always supported. Wellness practices like yoga exist for us to recenter ourselves by bridging the gap between our minds and bodies. Through a consistent yoga practice, we can connect to our hearts and souls on a deeper level.

If you’re ever dealt with anxiety before, you will be excited to learn about these three impactful ways that yoga can help you experience more joy and live your best life.

1.Movement is Crucial

Oftentimes, anxiety can stem from thoughts about the future. For example, you could be nervous about a future event that you are required to attend, or an upcoming interaction with someone that you’ve been avoiding. Anxious thoughts can begin to spiral our minds into a whirlwind of uncertain beliefs about what the future holds. It’s a rabbit hole that many of us have been down and can relate to!

By practicing yoga, you give your mind the launchpad that it needs to jump out of that tornado of anxiety and into a happier state of mind. Moving your body is a key component of breaking through anxious thoughts or emotions. Since yoga requires extreme focus, it is difficult to think about the stresses of life while in your class or session. The gap between your mind and body is now diminished.

Yoga allows you to feel whole. Your body, mind, heart, and soul are now one. The flow of energy through the movements of your body allows your anxious mind to become quiet. The voice of your monkey mind that once influenced every thought that you had now sounds faint, or even silent. As you perform different yoga positions, your mind becomes clear and anxiety slowly drifts away.

2.Control Over Your Breath

There is an insurmountable amount of power in your breath. Our breathing has a direct impact on how we can feel emotionally. Our nervous system can become heightened, or relaxed, based on our breathing.

Yoga frequently integrates different breath patterns into each session. Breathing into certain stretches allows your body to relax more and stretch deeper. After a thorough yoga class with focused breathing patterns, your body can be permeated by feelings of euphoria, joy, and oneness. Breathing deeply reminds our minds that we are living, breathing humans on this planet that we call Earth. It provides a greater perspective on life and reminds us to be humble.

Controlling your breath is a great way to help treat anxiety. You can also integrate different breathing exercises into your normal routine outside of your yoga classes to help encourage calmness throughout your nervous system and being.

3.Support

The emotional support that you can feel from a yoga class is potent, even when no words are spoken. Whether it be a group class, or 1-on-1, there is a level of positive energy that is nearly tangible which you can experience. This is especially true for group yoga classes. You can experience a deep connection to community when practicing yoga in a group setting classes. While expressing yourself physically through yoga positions, you are also expressing yourself emotionally through energy and breath. The energy within the room slowly blends into one cohesive sense of support. You then realize that your yoga class is your community, and everyone will stand with you to help support you.

Yoga instructors hold the space for all to come and express their emotions through movement within a class. You can set different intentions for each class that you take. There is no judgment when expressing yourself during yoga. You are always supported. Consider trying out a local yoga class near you to help squash any anxiety that you’re experiencing.

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” – Brad Meltzer

You are not alone in how you feel. Yoga groups are here to support you in your journey to healing.

Final Thoughts

Yoga is a powerful wellness practice that you can add to your routine to help decrease anxiety. Through movement, breath, and support, you can break through old limiting beliefs that are negatively impacting your life. There are a variety of yoga techniques and styles that you can explore to find the one that calls to you the most. Some, like ashtanga, are more physically demanding than others, while some styles, like restorative and yin, are more focused on stillness and relaxation. Whatever your needs are, you can find a yoga style that will meet your level and pace.

Anxiety may be something that never officially ‘goes away’ in your life. Through wellness practices, like yoga, we can recenter ourselves and calm our minds, allowing up to truly experience life in the present. Experiencing and practicing yoga reminds us how supported we are in our community and in the universe. Yoga helps provide us with the greatest opportunity to be the best versions of ourselves and experience life optimally.

You Are Not Your Bad Thoughts

“The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the thinker.”

– Eckhart Tolle

Many of us go through life believing that our thoughts are who we are. Thinking is so familiar to us, so much part of our moment-to-moment reality, that we can’t imagine who or what we would be without it. 

Of course, we need thinking in order to navigate our lives. Reflective thoughts enable us to learn from our experiences and hopefully make wiser choices moving forwards. Thinking about the future means we can plan the lives we wish to live. As a species, our ability to think creatively has allowed us to increase our comfort, improve our life expectancy and fashion everything from skyscrapers to silicon chips.

But what happens when we are overtaken by thoughts that seem to be working against us? What happens when the same thoughts loop round in our minds on repeat and we feel powerless to stop them? What do we do when our thoughts are telling us that we are worthless, unlovable, destined to fail, or even that the world would be a better place without us?

The Secret Self

I struggled with my own thinking patterns a lot in my 20’s. I was my own worst critic, believing I was not good enough, not smart enough, not interesting enough for the world around me. Inconsequential problems would lodge themselves in my head and refuse to leave me alone.  I did what I could to escape them but even if I found a temporary reprieve they were destined to bounce back more aggressively at some point.

At times my thoughts could be dark, random and even disturbing. Because I believed I was my thoughts, it followed that I must be a bad person.

Not wanting to let anyone in on this secret self, I attempted to contain it and fake normality. I tried to be nice on the outside and just hoped that no one would notice otherwise. Needless to say this was a lonely and imprisoning experience.

Awakening The Witness

I remember the first time I tried meditation in my 20’s. It did not feel at all helpful. In fact it felt like being in confinement with my worst thoughts. The experience only added to my feeling that there was something wrong with me. How come meditation could work for other people but only made things worse for me? What was I missing?

It wasn’t until I came across The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle that I experienced the ability to step back from my thoughts and observe them. Here is an exercise from the book that stays in my mind:

“Try a little experiment. Close your eyes and say to yourself: “I wonder what my next thought is going to be.” Then become very alert and wait for the next thought. Be like a cat watching a mouse hole. What thought is going to come out of the mouse hole? Try it now.”

In waiting for the next thought to come, I found that a gap opened up in my mind. In this gap there were no thoughts and yet there was something alive that felt like me. It was peaceful, spacious and clear. By practicing the exercises in the book, I continued to access this thoughtless place. With time, I found I could shift into it more readily, without needing to do anything in particular.

What I had come across in The Power of Now was ‘the witness’ – the part of us that sits beyond the thoughts, is able to observe them and know it is not them. It was life-changing for me because I now knew I was something more than my thinking mind.

The Power To Choose

As I practiced more yoga, I discovered that the concept of the witness (Sakshi) is central to yoga. The witness enables us to observe not only thoughts but physical sensations and emotions too. We discover from this observing place that thoughts, sensations and emotions come and go whilst the witness is always there, unchanging. The analogy that is often used for this is a clear open sky (the witness) with clouds passing through it (thoughts and sensations).

There are many ways that yoga helps us to access this witnessing capacity. Whether we are meditating or moving through our asana practice, focusing our attention on a particular object such as the breath makes it easier to notice when our mind wanders and thoughts arise. The more we get used to doing this on our mats, the more it becomes natural in our everyday lives.

Over time, we start to notice our habitual patterns of thinking and find we have a choice as to how we engage with them. We might, for example, choose to challenge self-criticism by reminding ourselves of our positive qualities. Other thoughts we might observe but allow them to just pass on by. And when we notice the kind of thoughts that support the vision we have for lives, we can choose to engage with them and act upon them.

This act of witnessing our thoughts also helps us to change our behaviour. So if I’ve decided I don’t want to drink alcohol every night, rather than just going along with the voice that says ‘it’s the end of a long day, you deserve it’, I can observe this as a thought that’s not serving my best interests. Then I have some space to weigh up my decision – do I actually want to have a drink tonight or might I make a different choice?

The witness gives us the gift of the gap; the space in which choice becomes possible.

Gateway To Freedom

The important thing about witnessing is that we are not trying to push anything away. Dark thoughts may arise and we notice them but we learn not to react to them. We discover that just as the sky can accommodate a myriad of clouds, we can make space for a whole range of thoughts.

In fact, difficult thoughts can even become a gift.

It’s easy to be complacent with a continuous stream of thoughts when they are mostly peaceful and pleasant, but when our thoughts start to trouble us, it can remind us to take a step back from them.

In stepping back, we release ourselves from the limitations of the thinking mind – the belief we are trapped, separate and alone. We find a gateway to our true nature which is expansive, peaceful and free.

In the words of the late spiritual teacher Ram Dass:

“Eventually, floating in that subjective awareness, the objects of awareness dissolve, and you will come into the spiritual Self, the Atmān, which is pure consciousness, joy, compassion, the One.”

– Ram Dass

Putting It Into Practice

Here are a few ideas for accessing the witness:

  1. Take your awareness to your breath as it moves in and out of your nostrils. Feel the sensation and temperature of each breath. When a thought pops up, notice it and return to the sensation of the breath. Notice your ability to notice the thoughts
  2. Try free-flow writing. Write three A4 sides of whatever is going through your mind, without judging, analyzing or stopping. When the thoughts are on paper, it creates a sense of separation from them and it’s easier to see that they are not us. (This technique is taken from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. She recommends doing it first thing in the morning and it’s therefore known as Morning Pages.)
  3. Practice witnessing sensations in your body, both during your yoga practice and throughout the day. Let go of the labels (‘my achey hip’, ‘my indigestion’) and bring a sense of curiosity to the sensation. Notice the part of you that’s doing the noticing and see if you can rest in it for a time.

Did you enjoy this article? You may also like Not everyone who practices yoga is happy; and that’s okay.

Types of Meditation

Hi all! I liked this sweet little infographic from Health Perch; it’s a nice quick reference for meditation styles and tips:

“If someone says “meditation” to you, what do you think of? You might think of Buddhist monks, chanting together. Or you might recall a bunch of yoga devotees sitting together in silence and thinking deep thoughts. But meditation can benefit everyone, even if you’re not an expert and even if you just tackle some sort of meditation for a few minutes a day. And you might be more encouraged to tackle meditation if you know that there are various kinds of it and that you can probably find the type that best fits your personality and your goals.

For example, Kundalini meditation is inspired by the yoga practice of the same name. And in fact, it integrates a physical approach with breath work, with thoughtful approach to moving up the spine and connecting mind and body. Want to learn more about why meditation may be a good thing for you and what types you want to try? This graphic has some ideas.”

Link to original article.

How To Teach An Awesome Livestream Online Yoga Class

How can you teach yoga classes online skillfully and effectively? In this article, we’ll look at the three components you need to consider to deliver an authentic, valuable online experience for your student. (Looking for technological tips? Check out this article on teaching online, or teaching pre-recorded yoga classes.)

Own Your Classroom

Just like teaching a studio class, you need to own your classroom. Owning your classroom means that you actively and mindfully manage the class environment so that you can create the best possible experience for your students.

Consider: when your students enter your “studio” (your online classroom), what do you want them to feel? Choose your background, lighting, and accent pieces (plants, sculptures, paintings) to create the mood that you want for your online studio. Think of adjectives that may describe your ideal environment, and create your space accordingly. For example, creating a studio that is “restful, calm, and soothing” is different than a studio that is “uplifting, vibrant, and funky.” Have fun designing your space in a way that supports your class intention.

Treat your online studio like a real studio experience and create guidelines that will manage the experience accordingly. For example:

  • Do you request that students keep their videos on?
  • If so, do you help students to position their mat and cameras so that you can see them (this is akin to helping students place their mats at the beginning of class)?
  • Do you allow latecomers into class?
  • Do you address students who leave early? (Or provide expectations around those who need to leave?)
  • Do you provide a link to a curated playlist for music?
  • Do you educate your students in advance about props or items they may need for class?
YYoga At Home

Demo’ing vs. Watching

The most impactful component of your online teaching is your decision to demo the class or watch the class. When you demo the class, you do the practice on your mat with the students. When you watch the class, you turn on gallery view and instead watch the students’ practices. There are pro’s and con’s to each.

Demoing: Pro’s and Con’s

  • Allows students to see the teacher practice (good for new students or visual learners)
  • May be easier for you to cue the class if you are doing the practice
  • You may be able to offer more complicated transitions since students have a visual reference
  • Students may not feel “on the spot” as they may be when the teacher is watching them
  • You cannot see the students or interact with them while you demo

Watching the Class: Pro’s and Con’s

  • Opportunity to give students personal feedback and use their names; helps create connection and community
  • Could make students self-conscious of being watched
  • Requires very clear verbal cueing if students don’t have a visual guide for practice
  • May be more challenging for students to follow the class who aren’t native to your language
  • May be harder for beginners to follow

Your choice to demo or to watch will be determined by the level of your students and your class intention. You can elect to partially demo and partially watch if you wish, or you could choose to spotlight (pin the video) of a willing student who can demo the class so that you can watch your students.

Tip: if students’ names appear on their video profile (as they do in Zoom), you can ask your students to rename their profile as “No Assists” if they prefer to not be given verbal assists.

Creating Community

Teaching online can provide a nourishing opportunity for students to connect with you and with their peers. Here are some suggestions for creating community online:

  • Arrive 10-15 minutes early for the class to connect with students
  • Stay 10-15 minutes after class to connect and answer questions
  • Have students turn off their mics before and after class to connect
  • At least before and after class, ask students to turn on the video to say hello
  • Use students’ names; if you are offering verbal assists during class, point out what students are doing well and acknowledge them
  • Ask students to input their names (so in their profile, their names are visible (rather than listed as “IPhone 768” or the like)

Final Thoughts

Even though online teaching is a different than teaching in person, you can still take care to create a specific and intentional experience for your students. By embracing the particular opportunities of teaching online, we can still help support a powerful, connecting, and engaging experience for your students.

How to Create an Authentic, Awesome Virtual Yoga Studio

So, you want to teach yoga online? Alrighty then! We have a comprehensive guide to getting you set up and practising with your students in a way that works for you. We know how important it is for you to reach your students, helping them to move and look after their physical and mental wellbeing whilst they’re at home. In this comprehensive article, we dive into a variety of different themes and topics to help you set up a successful digital yoga practice that will be a sustainable success. 

Finding the right mindset

First up – when it comes to creating your online yoga studio, think of it as a long game with quick wins. You want to teach yoga online, and that’s awesome! And once you’ve made that decision, it’s super tempting to jump straight in, building as you go. Just as a yoga teacher training course takes time, creating an online yoga studio practice benefits from careful planning and thoughtful action. 

It’s a cliché, of course, but we really are living in unprecedented times. That’s why the first tip we have is to set yourself up for sustainable success. 

Starting up a digital yoga studio doesn’t need to be difficult (we’ve built an app for that!) but we’re really cautioning teachers against burn out – creating in a frenzy and falling off the radar within a few months, getting so tired by the work you’re doing that you can’t keep it up. No, thank you!

Plan, plan, plan

Instead, try and break down the aspects of setting up an online studio into a plan with clear steps you can take. Other things to consider include:

  1. Is the platform user-friendly for you? Any tech you use should be set up to make your life easy.
  2. Can you film and upload 2 videos as week, and host a single live class? Starting small can be the key to success.
  3. When you’re ready to add more classes, how can you make these flex with your schedule?
  4. Offering ‘snackable’ content in place of full classes can be a way to gently increase your offering without sending you over the edge. Try specific pose guides, meditation moments, or morning breathing exercises to keep students engaged. 

Be okay with starting with the smallest action that you can take. Just like learning a new pose, you wouldn’t expect to go from newbie yogi to a full crow pose without progressing through the natural stages! Building things up slowly, trusting in the process and the journey – these things will help you and your students have great experiences alike as you head out on your online yoga journey. 

Choosing a platform

Now you have a sustainable plan to teach yoga online – you need a platform! When it comes to choosing one, there are a few key things to consider:

  • What are all the functions you need to teach classes?
    • Do you want to do live-stream videos, or just video on demand?
    • Do you want a space to write blogs?
    • Do you want a platform that lets you host other kinds of content, such as photo galleries or forums?
  • How important is accessibility to you? 
    • What student needs does your platform need to cater to?
    • How can you make life as easy for your students as possible?
    • How much admin work (sending reminders, chasing payment) are you prepared to do?
  • Does the platform in question integrate with other tools you use, such as Google Cal, Mailchimp, or social media?
  • How is payment taken, is it secure, and what are the costs associated with using the platform?
  • Does the platform let you devise flexible payments for your students?
  • Are the platform creators on hand to help you with any tech issues you might have?

Brainstorm your own questions and add them to the list!

Calendar planning and creativity!

Right, you’ve chosen your fantastic platform, and you’re ready to start creating content. But wait! What are you actually going to make?

In some yoga studios, practice can last anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours (looking at you, Mysore!) For students that are joining you from home, this may no longer be a feasible amount of time to expect of them. This is where a bit of careful calendar planning and some creativity can work wonders.

By plotting the classes you want to offer in advance, you can link sessions together with common themes, moon phases, or the seasons.

The great thing about a digital yoga studio is the flexibility that’s offered. Try shorter sessions, longer sessions, meditations, coffee circles and more!

For example, you could put together a 15-minute morning wake up yoga session, or a fast and fabulous Friday night power flow. By choosing a platform that automatically records live-stream sessions as video on demand, you’ll also getting two classes for effort of one.

Getting creative

Thinking of your content calendar a month in advance gives you a real overview of how it is that you are going to best serve your students, and look after yourself. This will help to ensure that you have a greater degree of sustainability around setting up your digital studio. And, best of all, you know exactly what you’re doing for the month ahead – no surprises, and no thinking ‘what the heck do I teach?!’ when another week rolls around and you’re bereft of content. 

Bonus tip – if you’re using a platform that enables it, you can also gather data to help you to make more informed decisions your classes. Data capture enables you to see how popular certain classes are, what the uptake is, or if students drop off after a certain point (is a pose too long for comfort, perhaps?). 

Flexible payment for flexible people

Be open to considering flexible payment options, and consider a variety of different ways in which people can engage with you. A Karma class on a weekend, where people can pay what they want, enables your students to enjoy a community session and a pause in their busy lives to reconnect and recentre. 

Other flexible payment ideas can be different block bookings – students could book in blocks of five, 10, or more. Single live classes could also be made available with a limited-time replay, and you can always offer an unlimited class pass with a subscription fee.

Safety first!

A quick word of caution – make sure that you have a really solid payment system set up.

Rather than send out a PayPal or Venmo link and then having to check everyone’s paid before commencing class, or doing all the tracking of who’s got a membership or who hasn’t, choose a platform that integrates safe, secure payment for you. If nothing else, it avoids awkward conversations with freeloaders who haven’t paid.

An automated system leaves little room for human error, you ensure you’re getting paid on time, and students know exactly where they stand. 

The result? Confident students and teachers that can get on with doing the yoga they love. 

Planning content around you

When it comes to teaching yoga online, the temptation may be to do all live classes to begin with – and if that’s your style of yoga, that’s fantastic. But if you’re new to the technology, may we make a case for video on demand? The great thing about video on demand is that you can take a couple of days at the start of every month and record as much as you are able to or would like to! By concentrating your efforts and taking some dedicated time, you might find you get into a real ‘flow’ so to speak. And, on top of this, you then get the time to tweak and polish your classes before you release them.

Once they’re all ready to go, just upload them, and your students can practice with you whenever it suits them best.

Making it user-friendly

Speaking of making things user-friendly, there are a number of things to bear in mind when choosing a platform that works for you and your students.

Ideally, you would choose a system that enables you to set up automatic notifications and emails. For example, when a student books into a live class, you would both get a confirmation email and an invite to add it to their calendar. Then, a few hours before your class, the student will get a reminder email. And if they didn’t manage to make it to class? Another email should go out to let them know there’s a replay option.

This kind of user-friendly focus not only helps your students get more practice in, it helps them feel cherished and cared for, just as they’d be in your studio. 

Accessible schedules & booking systems

Is it easy for your students to see your schedule? Are they able to access a calendar of upcoming classes and how will they know when they can practice with you? Is your content playable and optimized for mobile and TV apps? Another word on user-friendliness – make sure you have a really robust and user-friendly booking system. 

The last thing you want to do is for your students to have to jump through 400 different hoops for them to be able to book class with you.

Not only is that going to be frustrating for them, it also means you could potentially miss out on classes, and therefore on revenue.

Live-stream or VOD?

If you are doing a live stream class, make sure it’s set up to make your life as easy as possible! Try a couple of practice run throughs, to make sure there aren’t any gremlins in the system. This is especially true of classes that are set to music. Unless you’re using a platform that offers a music and voice-streaming service so both can be heard distinctly, consider sending a playlist over in advance of music for your students to play whilst they practice. 

Consider having a waiting room for students and opening them up a good few minutes in advance so that people can get settled before they practice with you.

We also recommend that you make sure that you’re managing expectations in terms of what people can see when they engage with you – is it two-way video, or just one? And because you aren’t there in person to support people with pose adjustments during a class, make sure that you also encourage people to come back and rest in a child’s pose or Savasana when they need to. 

This helps people to find their stillness and space if something is becoming too challenging and will help them avoid preventable injury.

Marketing with heart 

Of course, some of the most impactful action you can take is outside of your platform! Marketing with heart and honesty is one of the best ways to educate students about your new online yoga classes. One of the biggest things to consider if you’re choosing to teach yoga online is making sure that your yogis are aware of everything on offer in your digital studio before they sign up. Not only will you increase the likelihood that they’ll come on board, but highlighting the benefits of your digital studio could also capture new students.

Try a fun weekly newsletter, a monthly update, or a gentle daily nudge on social media to remind people of the great stuff that you have coming up in your calendar. Making sure your marketing is all focused on your customers’ perspectives will lead to success in the long run. 

A word on vulnerability

And lastly, have fun!

Your people love you for your practice and for your authentic self. Make sure that that’s what you bring to the camera, every single time. If you’re having a rough day (and yes, it’s 2020 – we’ve all had at least one!) – that’s okay! Share it with your students. The chances are that your vulnerability will help them to realize that there are spots that they’re avoiding getting in touch with, so they don’t feel their feelings. 

Showing up and being human and vulnerable when we teach yoga can only be beneficial, for us, and our wider community. 

Just Like the Ocean: A Yoga Journey For Parent And Baby

baby book for yoga

A decade ago, I was a new mother, trying desperately to make the most of my maternity leave before returning to my job in the creative field. I was living in San Francisco at the time, a city regarded as one of the best for maternal care and resources. I had my pick of plenty of mommy-and-me classes and I dove into them, dreaming of bonding and entertaining my daughter while I recovered some semblance of my pre-baby body. 

Time after time, my experiences fell into two categories — a class focused almost entirely on my baby (fun for her, but not much use for me), or focused entirely on me (useful for me, but missing the opportunity to bond.) Let me be clear — mothers NEED classes expressly for mothers. It’s a wonderful service to moms allowing infants to come to fitness classes. Through my journey of motherhood I have relied on the community I have found in mother-centered fitness. But — as my return to the workplace loomed, I found myself longing to pick up my daughter, to interact with her and engage her while I was exercising. And as a new mom with an aching back, diastisis recti, incontinence issues and emotional overwhelm, yoga seemed the best way to attend to my mind and body. My prenatal practice became my postnatal savior. 

Bringing My Baby Into My Practice

As a result, I started looking for ways to bring my daughter into my postures. Over time, we developed a little routine together and in an inspired moment, I jotted down a few rhyming verses about our playtime. Lightbulbs flashed above my head and I realized I could share this sweet interaction with other mothers and fathers; the idea for Just Like the Ocean was born. 

Creating This Book

What happened next can only be described as life … my return to work, a cross country move, several launched businesses, a failed marriage, and continually adjusting to my daughters’ (I have two now) evolving stages. I developed illustrations, had the poses evaluated and approved by a prenatal yoga expert, and submitted my book to publishers. And … nothing. As a first time author, it’s very hard to get a foot in the door with well-known publishers. But I kept pushing, believing that someone, somewhere would see the value in a partnered yoga flow benefiting both mom and baby. And so, I waited. And waited. And finally, finally, I found a boutique publisher who loved my book, and they were ready to help me share it with the world. A full decade had passed since I’d started this journey, and when I held it at last in my hands, I cried. I am thrilled beyond words to see my book available to share with other parents!

About The Book

The book itself is 19 interactive yoga poses, paired with a rhyming story about exploring a jungle island. There are poses to help ease back pain related to bending over a nursing baby, poses to strengthen the pelvic floor, exercises to mend diastisis and poses to bring mindfulness and relaxation. Each pose is accompanied by simple illustrations and instruction for those new to yoga. Perfect as a gift for a new mom or dad, Just Like the Ocean allows parent and baby to bond while building physical strength and balance, engaging with baby to share the emotional and physical benefits of yoga. 

Just Like the Ocean can be purchased on Amazon here.

The Power of Mala Beads & Sacred Rudraksha

A mala or japamala is a string of prayer beads used in Hinduism and Buddhism for the spiritual practice known in Sanskrit as Japa. They are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various religions often known as a “rosary”. While you may have seen many yogis and fashionistas alike rocking them in a Yoga class or in a magazine, a mala or mala necklace is not just a beautiful piece of jewelry.  It’s important to remember their origin and how they can help those on a spiritual path.

Mala: A piece of jewelry? What are they really for? 

Malas are traditionally used to aid in meditation or chanting. The practitioner uses the mala to track how many recitations they have completed. The main body of a mala is made of 108 beads and a Guru bead; the 109th bead is often of a distinct size or colour, and a tassel. Sometimes a mala may include additional decorative beads. An authentic mala is hand-knotted, and every knot in between each bead is there to help you keep count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra. Even though rudraksha are known to be the oldest prayer beads in India, Nepal and Bali, many other beads are often used. In India for example, they also use sandalwood whereas in Nepal and Tibet, they use bodhi or lotus seeds.   

Traditionally, Japa is the repetition of a mantra or a divine name in a meditation practice. However, a Japa practice can also be as simple as chanting Om or taking a full breath cycle for each bead on the mala. You can also softly recite an affirmation or an intention in your own words or in your mind. 

What are rudraksha and why are they so magical?

While some modern mala necklaces or bracelets are made entirely of gemstones, traditional malas beads are made of more environmentally friendly materials like rudraksha, sandalwood or bodhi.

Unlike gemstones and crystals (which are sourced from mining), rudraksha are 100% sustainable. They are seeds found in a vibrant blueberry-like fruit of the evergreen Elaeocarpus ganitrus trees, also known as rudraksha trees. This tree flourishes in Southeast Asia and can be found in the Himalayas across India and Nepal as well as in Indonesia where the volcanic soil is favorable to its growth.

Rudraksha literally means “the tears of Shiva” in Sanskrit and you’ll often see rudraksha mala necklaces worn by Lord Shiva in images. 

  • Rudra: one of Shiva’s vedic names
  • Aksa: teardrops

It is said that Shiva emerged from a long meditation on mankind and began to cry tears of compassion. When his tears reached Earth, they transformed into divine seeds for the benefit of humanity, to help them be more at peace and alleviate their suffering.  

Rudraksha malas are said to be the most powerful tool in the quest of self-realization. They can help calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and dissipate fear. At OhanaTribe we closely work with the artisans of Aum Rudraksha Designs to make and create our exclusive designs. It is important for me to encourage the local economy of Bali where the rudraksha we use in our designs are harvested, blessed and hand knotted. With each mala necklace and bracelet we help them spread their mission to make our world more peaceful with the healing power of rudraksha beads.  

How do I use a mala in my meditation practice?

By now you’ve come to understand that mala beads are meant to help you quiet your monkey mind and feel more at peace. If you would like to use your mala to help you feel calmer and more peaceful, start with finding a mantra, an intention, or an affirmation that supports this state of mind. You can also simply take a full breath cycle (inhale and exhale) as you hold each bead. 

  • Find a comfortable seat and hold your mala necklace or bracelet in one hand. 
  • Close your eyes if it feels comfortable.
  • Start off with three deep, clearing breaths. 
  • Once you are ready, simply start turning each bead between your thumb and middle finger. 
  • Stop at each bead to recite your mantra. 
  • If you are using a bracelet, simply stop whenever you feel like you’ve reached the state of peacefulness you desire. 
  • If you are meditating with a mala necklace, you’ll be reciting your mantra 108 times and then when you reach the Guru bead, you take a pause to give thanks to your Guru or to dedicate your meditation to someone. And you can also start all over if you wish to meditate longer. 

If meditation is not yet part of your practice or some days you are running out of time, you can simply wear your mala necklace or bracelet as a reminder to reconnect to your breath. Wear them close to you. During your day when you inadvertently reach to your neck or wrist and feel your mala, you can use these tiny moments to serve as a reminder to come back to your breath and become aware of the present moment.

How should I choose a mala for myself or as a gift for someone?

Choosing a mala for yourself is as simple as following your intuition and choosing the one you are spontaneously drawn to. Once you’ve chosen a mala based on your intuition, then investigate the meaning of the gemstones and intention with which the mala was designed.  Often you’ll notice that the one you selected has the qualities you may be working on or trying to cultivate into your life. The mala that you are attracted to is the one for you; it’s as simple as that. 

When choosing a mala for someone else, think of what they are going through in their lives. Are they going through a break-up, a grief, or starting a new job? Look for the mala that would be the best one for helping them get through their life event or cultivate the energies they are trying to amplify in their lives. 

How do I care for my mala?

Rudraksha are very sacred and should be treated with care. When not in use, store your mala beads in a special space and keep them off the ground. 

In order to cleanse your mala beads you can: 

  • Gently wash them with a gentle natural soap and warm water.
  • Bathe them in the natural light of the full moon. 
  • Smudge them with either sage, incense or Palo Santo. 

While malas are very beautiful and visually appealing, they are also intended to be an aid to your personal spiritual journey. When you are choosing your mala, select one that is made with intention, made sustainably, and resonates intuitively with you. 

Even if you begin wearing your mala for its appeal as jewelry, as you wear it you may be inspired to explore its deeper potential as a tool for your own meditation practice. 


I have been part of Rachel’s community of students for many years and would like to give back. If you wish to explore the malas I have designed, visit OhanaTribe’s Mala beads and make sure to use the Promo Code “RachelYoga20” at check out to get a 20% discount on your choice of any Mala Necklace! 

Much love and peace to everyone.

– Namaste

How To Offer An Online Yoga Teacher Training

Photo of woman with laptop

Given the challenges of meeting in person during COVID, most yoga teacher trainings have had to move their trainings online in order to accommodate social distancing. Yoga Alliance – notoriously sticky about allowing for online course hours – is allowing schools to teach online through the end of 2020 as a way of supporting studios to keep teaching during this strange time.

However, part of the magic of a yoga teacher training is that it is in person. So how do you take a course that has been designed to be face-to face and move it into the online space?

Take a deep breath, studios and teachers! Here are five tips to help you out.

1. Livestreaming Tips

There are actually some nice benefits to livestreaming your yoga teacher training rather than teaching it in person:

  • You can require students to keep the video on (make this mandatory), which keeps them from hiding in the “back of class.”
  • You can record the session so students can have access to the material again. Yay!
  • You can share your screen to easily present online resources, such as presentations, images, videos and other fun links.
  • If you’re using Zoom, you can use the “breakout room” feature to have students do activities together as a smaller group – which can mimic in-class activities.

When you’re livestreaming, I highly suggest that (like your classroom experience) you vary your activities. Lecture a bit, then have students use break out rooms to do activities or reflect in a smaller group, lead practices, get them on their feet, have them take a poll, have them do an online quiz on the material you just covered, show them online presentations or other relevant and curated material.

As a best practice, restrict your “lectures” to small chunks. I recommend that you talk for no more than six minutes before having students engage or work with your material. Also, whenever possible, engage them students actively. Put the onus on them to do activities, come up with solutions, or even present on a topic that they have researched.

2. Practice Video Tips

The greatest challenge to taking a yoga teacher training online is that students aren’t teaching other humans in person. If you want someone to learn to teach an in person yoga class, then they need to practice teaching an in person yoga class. Teaching on Zoom is not the same, because you don’t have to “work” the room the same way, see students, use your physical body language, deliver as many verbal assists, do hands on assists or hold space.

Your greatest challenge in delivering an online yoga teacher training is addressing these limitations. Here are some ideas:

  • If possible, meet in person for practice teaching while social distancing. You can put a mat 6′ from someone else. You can meet in smaller groups. Though the student can’t walk around the room in the same way, the trainer can assess the student’s body language and vocal projection.
  • Have students practice teach in environments that mimic a real classroom. Have them teach family members, or put down mats or objects to represent students in a classroom. The more “real life” their practice teaching can be, the better equipped they will be to teach when they leave your training.
  • Use video. Have students record and submit assessments to the trainer, as well as practice teach live to your online group. When they record themselves, they will invariably wind up practicing a few times before they submit their recording – bonus!
  • Provide clear rubrics that detail what skills students need to demonstrate in order to achieve success. Not only can you use these rubrics to assess their practice teaching, they can use them to record themselves and self-assess, or assess their peers.

Need help with your livestreaming? Check this out.

3. Use Pre-Made Resources

Let’s be honest: livestreaming an entire 200-hour yoga teacher training can be tiring. Are there already built resources that you can use to support the student experience outside of livestream hours? YouTube videos, recorded classes from your studio, articles from reputable magazines, assigned reading in your manual?

Now, there is a HUGE caveat to this: all resources must directly support the learning objectives of your teacher training. If you choose to let students use outside resources – or you use them during class time – you must be very clear that they serve your learning intention, the training’s vision, and are very clear. Putting together a bunch of disparate resources because they’re interesting won’t work; carefully curating resources that directly support your training objectives does.

4. Plan For Interaction

This may seem obvious – and it’s actually less relevant to livestreamed yoga teacher trainings than to asynchronous trainings – but it’s important to deliberately create opportunities for student-student interaction and faculty-student interaction.

For student-student interaction, consider putting students in buddies, small study groups, assigning group projects/ activities, having peer-peer practice teaching assessments, or integrating discussion forums.

For faculty-student interaction, consider personal check ins, small group mentorship, email availability for questions or “office hours,” or Q&A forums (for example, create a Google Site). Also, be very clear upfront how students can get in touch with faculty for questions and what the response time should be.

5. Assess

Assess, assess, assess. Remember, the training isn’t about what you tell your students, it’s about what they can do. Regularly provide opportunities to assess their skills and give them personalized feedback. Covering less material and incorporating practice/ feedback is far better than covering a ton of different material. By assessing your students regularly – and giving them real tasks – you will set them up for success, online and off.

Bonus: here are some tips from the Yoga Alliance site on offering online yoga teacher trainings. Also, check out the “student-side” article that I’ve written. It includes a list of questions that all online teacher training programs will want to be able to answer.

How To Be A Great Yoga Teacher Trainer: Assign Real Tasks

A sign saying Next Steps

I know it’s tempting. You want to assign your yoga trainees to do something fun, like write an essay on how the chakra system developed in India or describe their personal relationship to their dosha. But as diligent yoga teacher trainers we have to ask: do these assignments get them closer to their training goal?

Prioritizing What To Teach

When we first start creating a teacher training, 200 hours sounds like a long time. But once we start factoring in asana labs, practices, practice teaching, cueing techniques and sequencing exercises…suddenly 200 hours is really very little time. 

When you design – or refine – your yoga teacher training, consider: What am I asking students to do at the end of the training to demonstrate that they have learned the necessary skills to teach? What is the primary task that they must perform for me to say, “Ah-ha! by Jove they’ve got it!”

For many yoga teacher trainings, the primary task is teaching part of an asana class. We rarely ask students to lecture on Ayurveda or describe key events from yoga history. So our focus as yoga teacher trainers must first prioritize the learnings, tasks, and activities that will help students to teach asana effectively.

Incorporating the Fun Stuff

This doesn’t mean that we can’t include more theoretical subjects. After all, students come to teacher training to deepen their relationship with themselves and investigate the yoga tradition, not simply learn how to cue asana. Most of us would probably agree that having a healthy respect for the yoga tradition and its many facets fosters essential knowledge, respect and humility in our teachers in their relationship to the practice.

However, if you want your students to have a working and applicable knowledge of these aspects of the tradition, then you can support their learning by making this information immediately relevant to their teaching. We can do this by assigning real tasks.

Real Tasks

A real task is one that practically supports the student’s work as a teacher.  By ensuring that we are assigning real tasks in our training, we help our students transfer theoretical knowledge into real-world skills. For example: 

  • Rather than assigning students to write an essay on the chakras, task them to create a class themed around manipura chakra.
  • Rather than ask a student to describe their relationship to their own dosha, task them to create a sequence for someone who has an excess of vata.
  • Rather than test students on their yoga history knowledge, ask students to teach a meditation practice described by Patanjali, an asana practice rooted in the concept of the Bhagavad Gita’s definition of yoga, “yoga is skill in action,” and a pranayama practice as described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. \

And if you feel that the more theoretical aspects of the yoga practice are essential the style of yoga that you wish your students to teach, then include these elements in their primary task and final assessment. By tweaking your tasks to be “real,” you will help students refine their skills more quickly. Also, students will recognize the practical value of the assignment, which will motivate them to do it well. 🙂 

Livestreaming? Get tips on how to do this in the online format.