December slow down? It’s time to spruce up your yoga business before we get started planning for your best year yet as a Yoga Teacher in 2022.

This FREE 10 day business clean up starts on Monday 6th Dec, download your free resources today!

Download FREE Canva Templates for Your Yoga Business

We have 10 days to get through 10 stocking fillers, each is a 5 mins or less quick win for your yoga business.

Over the 10 days we’ll be cleaning up your yoga business before the New Year Rush. Complete each days task and tag my on Facebook or Instagram, we start Monday 6th Dec.

Day 1: Update your linktree

Day 2: Update your facebook page covers

Day 3: Update your Instagram highlights

Day 4: Share a social media post or email inviting students to purchase a gift voucher for Christmas

Day 5: Get one new google review

Day 6: Do a mini audit of your website, check all dates and events are accurate

Day 7: Update your Google Business Listing

Day 8: Send a thank you email and social media post

Day 9: Filter your stripe account my customers, and spend. Then send a Christmas present to your most loyal students

Day 10: Give our Christmas Cards at class with a ‘What’s On in 2022’ paper insert.

To help you take action I’m sharing with you my Canva Templates saving you both time and money AND for every 2 activities you complete in the Christmas Dash there’s an opportunity to WIN a one:one Social Media or Website Review with me, Laura Green, inside of The Yoga Teacher Collaborative Group  complete the following steps:

RELATED: Enroll in my 4-day FREE Business Summit for Yoga Teachers to Thrive in 2022

Join the Christmas Dash for a Chance to Win:

For a chance to WIN a one:one Social Media or Website Review with me, Laura Green

1. Join the Christmas Dash – head over to Instagram and announce you’re joining the Christmas Dash, maybe invite some of your fellow Yoga Teachers to join you as accountability buddies! Tag @lauragreeyoga so I can cheer you on!
2. For every two activities you tick off from the 10-day Dash you get 1 entry into the prize draw. The more you tick off the more chance to win!
3. Share and Tag Me @lauragreenyoga each time you tick 2 things off
4. The winner will be announced Wednesday 15th December

Download FREE Canva Templates for Your Yoga Business

So, you’re thinking of doing your yoga teacher training? Fantastic! It really is one of the most fulfilling experiences you can take part in. But, there are certain things you should know before you make that wonderfully exciting decision.

Yoga teacher training is about much more than increasing your yoga classes and getting a nifty certificate. It’s an enormous commitment; one that requires a lot of heart, determination and resilience. If you’re seriously considering turning your passion from yoga into a career, read on for my ten top things to keep in mind before starting your YTT.

1. You can’t escape it – studying is paramount.

If you avoid studying like the plague, then the reality is that yoga teacher training probably isn’t for you. Yes, there’s a lot of studying inside of the classroom/studio, but you also need to put the hours in outside of your actual ‘school hours’.

This matters because not only is it necessary to pass your course, but you also need to have the knowledge around what is needed of you once you step out into the real world as a teacher. Injuries can easily happen during a class, and unless you understand the risks and how to avoid them you may find yourself in a tricky situation. 
Your students are putting their trust in you every time they roll out their yoga mat. Get ready to put the time and effort in to rack up those genuine study hours.

2. Be prepared for hard work.

Yoga teacher training is no walk in the park. A YTT is hard. Really, really hard. It’s physically, mentally and emotionally demanding and it will seriously put you through your paces.

If this is something you are prepared for, then fantastic: the satisfaction that you’ll gain whenever you conquer a new part of the training is like no other. And afterall, nothing worth having ever did come easy, did it?

3. And a midway wobble.

Almost all of my yoga teacher students hit a wobble part way through their YTT. They’ll convince themselves it’s too difficult and that they can’t do it. The tears tumble, the smiles disappear and everyone has a bit of a rant. 

Believe me; this is totally normal! I’ve seen it before and I’ll see it again. But don’t worry. If this does happen while you’re on your yoga teacher training, your fellow students and teachers will be there to lift you back up again. It’s what they’re there for.

4. It will be emotional.

We’ve covered the wobbles, but there are SO many more other emotions that come with yoga teacher training. Highs, lows and everything in between. 

It isn’t just the sheer enormity of what you’re doing – it’s the impact it has on you as a person. You may find that during your YTT you uncover feelings that you didn’t even realise were there. Lean into them. There’s a power in allowing yourself to be vulnerable.

5. Self care is crucial.

Because of this, you really need to make sure that you are ready to give yourself some extra TLC during your yoga teacher training. 
Your body will hurt. It will ache. And there will be bruises. Plus, you’ll be tired: both your body and mind. Be sure to factor in additional time for self care. You’re going to need it.

6. Know your intention (and be ready to change it).

Before you sign up for yoga teacher training, ask yourself why you want to do it. What’s your intention for the course? Is it to start up a yoga business? To deepen your own practice? To move abroad and take your mat on the road?
It’s important to know that you’re doing your yoga teacher training for the right reasons… And to be aware that this intention may well change once you start doing your training!

7. Put yourself first and foremost.

Even if your intention is to build a thriving yoga business, if you want to get the most out of your yoga teacher training you should put yourself at the center of it. That means knowing and appreciating that your growth as a human being is far more important than getting your name onto the Yoga Alliance directory ASAP.

The best way to do this is by applying everything you learn during the course to your everyday life. Do this and you’ll be astounded by the amount you develop and change.

8. You will gain SO much beyond your qualification.

Of course your yoga teacher training qualification is gold dust, but it’s safe to say that it’s just the cherry on top of the cake.

You’ll embrace the beauty that can be found behind the asanas, as well as learning to be your own teacher. You’ll also (re)connect with your inner self and uncover ways to express yourself in unique and creative ways. These skills will support you both on and off the mat; it truly is such a gift.

9. You’ll make friends for life.

Your fellow students will become your support network. They’ll see so many different sides of you and will be with you, every step of the way.

They’ll be your cheerleaders. Your friends. Your yogi family. These relationships are special and everlasting.

10. It’s the experience of a lifetime.

There’s no denying it: yoga teacher training is an experience of a lifetime. It’s a spiritual, transformational and enchanting journey – one that will change you as a person and totally rewrite your path, whatever your intention for the course.

It’s the ultimate benefit of taking part in yoga teacher training. It’s an investment in the life you dream of, teaching the thing you adore. And what could be better than that?

Are you ready to take the next step in your yoga practice and teaching journey? Register your interest in my 200-hour yoga teacher training course or read my blog ‘Curious about yoga teacher training? Let’s explore!’

Would you like to be a full-time self-employed Yoga Teacher?

Well, this is what you need to know . . .

The role of a yoga teacher is 30% actual yoga teaching and 70% working on your yoga business.

Go in with your eyes wide open to this fact, learn a lot more about how to run a yoga business and you’ve got the BEST full-time job there is!

So what makes up the 70%?

Marketing

Building relationships with potential students, finding out about their day to day challenges so you can make qualified and personal invitations to try yoga. Start here with Social Media for Yoga Teachers training video.

Sales

Making that invitation, telling people about your classes, sharing posters, flyers and more. Learn more with my Guide on 60+way to Attract new Students.

Customer Service

One to one communication via email, text, social with students and potential students, email newsletter and nurturing. Sending thank you emails, confirmations and follow-ups from events, answering any and all messages, comments and questions at class. Need help on this point – here’s a 20 min training on how to cherish your students with good customer service.

IT

Working on your website, creating landing pages, updating your booking sites, keeping up with your google my business, using a blog to improve your SEO, building your email list.

Lesson Planning

Crafting wonderful yoga journies that keep your students coming back each week. Try theming your yoga classes with more in-depth journeys – here’s my guide on How To Theme a Yoga Class.

Project Management

Booking, planning, orchestrating events such as retreats, workshops. Liaising with venues, caterers and collaborators Ongoing Learning – getting to classes and workshops with other teachers, watching trainings on business, reading and networking with other teachers. Try a 3 month’s strategic business review, with this Yoga Business Plan guide.

Finance

Sending out invoices, paying supplies, booking, and creating a month profit and loss.

AND MORE!

Ready for this? Cause I’m ready to help you.

Make sure you’re a member of the Yoga Teacher Collaborative UK – a free community with weekly trainings on all this and more!

Book a coaching call with Laura

I offer 1:1 90 min laser-focused coaching sessions for Yoga Teachers, you can learn more here.

Are you fed up with trying to market your yoga classes online and not seeing any results? It’s so easy to spend time posting and scrolling on social media thinking that you’re marketing your yoga classes without actually seeing any results. Yet a few simple tweaks can make a huge difference. In this 20 min social media for yoga teachers, learn how to supercharge your online presence for improved visibility and impact.

For more support and FREE help join our Facebook community The Yoga Teacher Collaborative.

As a Yoga Teacher – when did you last review your business and make a yoga business plan based on strategy and insight?⁠

I’m an intuitive yoga business owner BUT that doesn’t mean I don’t sit down with a pen and paper, look at some facts and figures every once in a while.⁠

But, I like to keep it light and straightforward, cause I’d rather be meditating than creating my yoga business plan!

Pause, Reflect & Realign

I do a Yoga Business Plan every 3 months following my 3-part review method and love sharing this with other Yoga Teachers inside the Yoga Teacher Collaborative. Want to give it a try?⁠ Now’s a great time!

First review your yoga offerings

Sit down, grab a blank page of paper and put away all distractions as we take step one in your Yoga Business Plan. Review your current and past class offerings. And work out what to stick, grow and ditch.

Stick ~ all working well, good consistent yoga class numbers, no marketing needed, just rinse and repeat⁠

Grow ~ you’re loving teaching this yoga offering and getting great feedback from your yoga students but you need to focus on growing the numbers or scaling by adding more of it.⁠

Ditch ~ it’s not feeling good anymore, you’re not motivated, inspired to teach it, you and your students have moved on, it’s time to let it go and make space for something new! ⁠

Now plan out your next 3 months of class offerings focusing on the grow and scheduling in the stick!

Apply the same method to other areas of your business, such as marketing.

What types of yoga marketing has led to new yoga students and better engagement with your students?

What are you going to stick to doing, what do the numbers tell you are working really well and you need to do more of and what marketing yielded no results and needs to be ditched?⁠

Then plan out your next 3 months of yoga marketing focusing on only the methods that grow your business!

Would you like help to create your Yoga Business Plan?

I offer 1:1 90 min laser-focused coaching sessions for Yoga Teachers, you can learn more here.

Book a coaching call with Laura

Teaching private yoga is a great way to build a reliable income stream and hone your craft as a yoga teacher.
But building up a client base for private yoga classes can seem daunting and very slow at first. Many teachers write a nice little blurb on their website about offering Private Classes and then hope that someone requests one. If you decide that teaching Private Yoga Classes is something you want to do then you need to be proactive about building a client base and focus on maintaining it. Tell people you teach Private Yoga Classes – it really is
that simple.

Converting Private Clients from Group Classes

If you teach group classes, don’t make the mistake of presuming that just because a student attends a group class that they aren’t interest in a private class.  Truth is, they are your target audience, they already know you and like the way you teach.  Again don’t presume that just because it’s on your website that they know you teach private classes. 

Social Media

A really simple trick that is often used well by beauticians and hairdressers: on your business social media account such as instagram or facebook add a weekly/occasional post sharing your available times for a private yoga class this week consider including an enticing offer.  For example “I have two private yoga class appointments available for this week: Monday 7.30pm and Wednesday 1.00pm.  Message me if you would like to schedule in a tailored private one to one yoga session.  First person to book gets 10% off – usual price £__.”.  

The occasional free private yoga class can work really well if you have the time available and you’re new to teaching privately.

Freebies

• Offer a Private Yoga Class voucher for charity raffles etc.
• Use social media or email newsletters to run challenges such as ‘3 Sun Salutations a Day for 21 Days’ and offer 1 free private yoga class as a prize.
• Offer a free yoga class to potential referral partners such as GPs, Physios, Chiropractors
• Trade Private Yoga Classes for other services you want – such as a massage.
• Reward and thank existing loyal students of your group classes with a free private class.

What to Charge

Knowing what to charge for a session or block of session can be tough area for many heart centred and holistic business professionals.  You need to get comfortable charging what you’re worth and feel confident sharing this information with potential clients.

You’re Worth It

I’ve seen private classes being advertised for as little £15/hour and up to £125/hour for a class with well known teachers in London.  How do you decide where you stand?  Well there are many things to factor in:

• Your Time: the length of the class, travel time, preparation and follow up
• Your Costs: travel costs and any venue costs – for instance I have two rates, one for if you come to me and a slightly higher rate if I travel to you.
• Your Expertise: you have invested both in terms of money and time over many years to learn and train to teach yoga, you are a subject matter expert and your hourly rate reflects this. 
• Your Experience: it is reasonable that a newly qualified teacher and a highly experienced teacher’s rate would be different.  It is ok to revise and increase your prices every year or so as you gain experience and build your reputation.
• Market Rate: what other yoga teachers in your area are charging for a private session can be a useful bench mark but don’t make it the only thing that you base your decision on.

Block Booking

The more consistent you are with your yoga practise the more you will benefit from it but the most challenging part of yoga is making the time and having the discipline to get on the mat.  For this reason, I encourage private clients to commit to a block of yoga classes.  I like to teach a single initial introductory class and at the end of the session outline why I feel a block of classes would be the best fit and what results they can expect to see in that time.  I would then follow up on this in a thank you email the next day with an attached invoice, payment instructions and the date and time of our next session.   Blocks of 4 or 10 tend to work well.   This does two things, it ensures your clients see the most benefits and it enables you to have steady income coming in that you can rely on.

Final Points

1) Availability: It is really easy to be at the beck and call of your clients and end up travelling all over the place at all sorts of times.  This can waste both your time and energy as well.  It can also directly affect your teaching ability, for instance if you agree to see someone at 6am and you know this isn’t an ideal time for you, it might be ok for the first few weeks but then you will end of resenting the sessions which will impact your ability to truly ‘be there’ for your client.  Look at your weekly schedule and plan out set appointment times which work well for you – don’t want to teach on a Friday night then don’t.   When you create these set appointment times it is surprising how happy your clients are to work around these.  Don’t feel obliged to teach at a time that doesn’t work for you, this is your business and you set your opening hours – you wouldn’t demand that your dentist see you at 6am on a Sunday morning.

2) Safety: Teaching private classes usually means travelling to your client’s home or seeing them at yours, unless you have the use of a yoga studio.  This is a vulnerable position.  I recommend setting your own grounds rules and sticking with them.  Consider:

• Only teaching clients who you have a direct prior relationship with such as group class students
• Only teaching clients who come as a direct recommendation from someone you trust
• If you teach complete strangers, for at least your first session, tell someone else where you are, what time you’ll be leaving and arrange to call them when you’re finished
• Trust your instinct, if you don’t feel comfortable with your client tell them that you aren’t the right fit and leave
• If you teach a complete stranger, consider having an initial free consultation at a public meeting point, like a cafe, before going to their home.

The single biggest challenge faced by Yoga Teachers is how to attract new yoga students. It doesn’t have to be this way! Use this tried and test Guide for Attracting New Yoga students to your yoga classes.

Download your FREE Guide to Attracting New Students

Marketing your Yoga Classes is about relationship building and meeting new people. In my 11+ years of yoga teaching experience and through mentoring over 100 teachers I’ve tried it all and I know what does and doesn’t work!

To attract new yoga students to your class you want to focus on in-person community-based marketing rather than the next social media trend or platform.

Trust me, Instagram Reels are not the most effective way to get more students to your local class.

So many teachers put time and effort into their social media, feel like they are working hard to market their yoga classes but just aren’t seeing the results. I get it! Social media is more fun but at the end of the day, it’s not what works!

You need to get out into your community and focus on having Real Conversations, with Real People, building Real Relationships to build a sustainable and loyal student following!

Get started now by downloading my Guide for 60+ Ways to Attract New Yoga Students – this covers both in person marketing and of course some social media approaches as well!

This guide is a comprehensive list of all the components needed to run covid secure yoga classes. These include both physical requirements as well as administrative tasks you’ll need to do before, during, and after your class.

Download Your FREE Guide & Checklist

This guide and checklist is based on current information following the 2021 UK Governement Roadmap out of lock down.

This guide will give you ideas and inspirations for the sorts of in-person yoga offerings you can create as well as in-depth information on:

• Hall requirements
• Social Distancing
• Ventilation – 100 sft rule
• Maximum Class Numbers
• Admin – Booking & Payment
• Covid Declarations
• Track & Trace
• Touch Points
• Socialising
• Traffic Flow / Hygiene
• Props
• Masks

As well as summarising all actions in a simply checklist.

Download Your FREE Guide & Checklist

Register for Laura’s 4-day FREE Training on Resuming In Person Yoga – Learn More

If you’re a yoga teacher, chances are that at some point or another you’ve felt like an imposter. That’s natural, 70% of people experience Imposter Syndrome. We all have our moments of self-doubt and insecurity. But when these feelings become chronic, it can be difficult to feel confident as a yoga teacher.

Yoga teachers are some of the most compassionate people in the world. They put themselves outside their comfort zone and share wisdom with others, even when they feel like they don’t have anything special to offer. The reality is that we all have something special to offer. It’s just a matter of what you choose to share and how you show up for your students. Yoga teachers can overcome Impostor Syndrome by building confidence through understanding who they are as an individual, knowing their values, and trusting in the power of yoga!

It’s Normal to Not Be Confident

But first, let’s talk about confidence. It’s a common struggle to feel like we need to be confident no matter what, when in reality, it’s something that needs to be built up over time and with practice.

When was the last time you did something for the first time? Did you feel confident? Take ice skating for instance, the first time on the rink you wouldn’t glide to the centre and perform a double axel jump would you? More likely you’d hold on to the railings and take a few tentative steps. Then with every lap around the rink, your confidence would grow until you felt ready to glide!

Teaching yoga is just the same! Every time you do something for the first time it’s an emotional rollercoaster. Your first group yoga class, your first yoga workshop, first yoga retreat, your first marketing email or live stream on social media will feel scary – this is normal! But know this, if you’re a yoga teacher who suffers from impostor syndrome: the only way out is through. The more you put yourself out there and teach, the more feedback you receive from your students, the more you trust in the life-changing power of yoga, the more confident you’ll become.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

It’s a self-limiting belief created by you and given a label to make you think it’s permanent! What does this word mean, ‘Imposter’? Pretending to be someone else. Why do people pretend to be someone else? Usually because they want to fit in and be liked. We want to be the perfect yoga teacher. It’s time to realise that there are no perfect people in the world, no perfect yoga teachers and it’s ok to just be you!

What does a yoga teacher look like, well probably just the same as a yoga student. So what does a yoga student look like? Do they need to be slim, bendy and totally Zen – NO! They just need to be a human trying the best they can to show up authentically and with kindness. Students and Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, with all different backgrounds and interests and life stories and this is ok!

Don’t Fit In – Stand Out!

If you struggle with imposter syndrome as a Yoga Teacher, then it’s likely you’re trying to perform the role of the perfect yogi and fit it. Try exploring how you can stand out instead. You don’t want to be just another yoga teacher, the world needs you to step into your uniqueness, own your story and shine! So stand up against those insecure feelings of not being good enough by embracing what makes YOU special instead of fitting into the mould.

3 Layer of Differentiation

What are the 3 ways in which you are different from the world view of a ‘perfect yoga teacher’? How do these align with what you teach, your world view and the people you are here to serve? Did yoga help you overcome a specific life challenge/physical ailment, how does yoga filter into your hobbies and family life, what other passions do you have that add a flavour to your yoga classes? Share these publicly and openly so that people get to see and relate to the real you!

Your Value Statement

You’re at your most confident when you are being true to yourself. When your actions align with your values. Take a moment to reflect in your life and as a teacher what is your purpose and values that you live by. For me, my purpose and my life value is to Elevate others. I use this value to assess the truth of my actions. If I’m not feeling confident or feelings of Imposter Syndrome are bubbling up, I check back in with my value. Is the action I’m about to take Elevating Someone, if it isn’t I know that is why I feel off and then I course correct!

Finally, it’s important to give yourself a break! You’re doing the best you can and that is enough!

The Yoga Teacher Collaborative

If you want to find a community of Yoga Teachers that will celebrate, support and champion you, just the way you are, come and join us in a FREE community on Facebook. Join the Yoga Teacher Collaborative.

Mindset is everything when it comes to your Yoga Teaching Career. Our mind shapes our world, what we think is possible, what we dream of, what we say yes to and what we pull back from.

Your mindset can either move you towards your highest purpose or hold you back. Your mindset has the power to turn an obstacle into an opportunity or a permanent road block. But it’s your mind, and you can harness it in service of your best life as a Yoga Teacher.

Teaching yoga isn’t a path we choose. It chooses us. It is a calling to serve. To serve our communities and to also create a life that serves us.  

What does success look like for you as a yoga teacher? Seeing the shift that occurs in your yoga students in a class, the stillness in Savasana, the connection in a group, sustainable class numbers, a self-generated income that looks after you and your family, thousands of followers on social, a book, a podcast?  There are no hidden secrets, no quick tricks, no knowledge you’re missing in creating the Yoga Business of your dreams. There is nothing technically hard about business. So why do some Yoga Teachers succeed and some fail? MINDSET!

Whatever success looks like is up to you, it’s your definition but whatever it is, it’s going to take a little Manipura Mindset.

So what is a Manipura Mindset?

Manipura – is the solar plexus chakra. Associated with the fire element. It is our inner Agni, our fire that drives the engine. This fire can be used to step courageously into our power, to be brave, to know our worth, to go after what we want and to show up to do the work.

Manipura Chakra is the energy of ACTION. And it is Purpose & Action that create success.

Choose a mindset that says yes to action, yes to implementation in your yoga business. Take imperfect action every single day in service of a clear PURPOSE! So what does Manipura Action Look Like!

Keep Moving Forward During Set Backs:

Please know it is not a straight line to success. But an up and down ascent.  We all have good days when everything is moving in the right direction and we’re feeling super motivated, the days it is easy to show up. But then there are the other days and what matters is not what you do on the ups but what you do to pick yourself up when you’re on the downs! When you hit challenges, when things don’t work, when there’s conflict. How do you respond? Do you pull back, get deflated and stop or do you see it as an opportunity to refocus, learn and try again?

Don’t fall for Imposter Syndrome – it’s self-imprisonment!  

I’m going to call it – Imposter Syndrome is a self-limiting beliefs created by you and given a label to make you think it’s normal! Let’s break it down – what does the word Imposter mean? Pretending to be someone else.  Why do people pretend to be someone else? It’s usually because they want to fit in! I don’t want you to fit it, you’re not here to fit in, to adopt a fake personae of the perfect yoga teacher. You’re here to create, to live. Start bravely showing the real you! Yes, some people won’t like the real you and that’s ok! But now you’re being real others will be able to make real connections with you and this is where the life-affirming magic happens! So, ask yourself, when you’re feeling imposter syndrome – who is it that you’re trying to be? Take a breath and know you just need to be you.

Tapas – Take Action in the Right Direction

Do you believe that what you want to achieve is possible? Could 1 hour/day of action in the right direction make it possible? When you don’t want to  – take action. Consistency is key. Showing up. Building relationships. Dedicate 1 hour a day, to do the most productive thing in your business, the thing you are best at – that will GROW your business.

Actively Build Your Audience

A lot of people focus on creating content for social media and email newsletters to nurture their current audience. This is great BUT it’s not going to grow your yoga class numbers. You need to spend time building your audience, which means getting in front of new people! How many new people have you connected with this week? I’m mean real connections with real people. 1:1 chats? Be brave and talk to new people.

Learn More About Business & Marketing

For every yoga course you go on, every yoga book your read also learn more about business and marketing as this is the means through which you get to share your yoga teaching with real yoga students. I would love for you to join the Yoga Teacher Collaborative – a FREE GROUP for Yoga Teachers where I share a 20 min business training each and every week!

Every Yoga Teacher’s number 1 question when it comes to marketing . . . How do I attract new students to my yoga classes, yoga retreats or yoga workshops?

Everyone hopes that the next new marketing trend, social media platform or online course will provide the magic formula for you to fill your yoga classes. BUT, that’s just not how it works – SORRY! You’re the one being marketed to, sold to when you buy into the hype about the next latest craze.

Attracting new students to your yoga classes has got nothing to do with reels, ticktock or facebook ads but the principles behind marketing and understanding buying psychology.  

There are many ways of putting our yoga class offerings in front of potential yoga students, from good old fashioned posters, flyering, attending local groups, having stalls at local fairs and community outreach, to the online world of Facebook group, ads, Instagram, YouTube etc but your marketing won’t work if you don’t understand and implement the 3  essential steps to attracting new students below.

It all comes down to Know, Like & Trust

Now in the world of marketing, this is a very clichéd term. A cliché is a phrase that has been used so many times that it loses its impact but that doesn’t make it any less true. There is a reason this phrase is said so often and that’s because it’s true.  People will only ‘buy’ from you when they Know, Like & Trust you!

But rarely do business owners actually stop and analyse their marketing right from their websites and social media down to posters and flyers – what decisions are you making that consciously cultivate the Know, Like & Trust factor?

Start with You

So think about you – what does it take for you to feel like you Know, Like & Trust someone.  Stop reading this blog for a moment and really ask yourself this. When you meet someone new, what does it take for you to feel like you Know, Like & Trust them.

Now let’s explore this a little more:

To Know You

It is going to take time for someone to get to know you.  You need to spend time cultivating relationships with people. You can’t just stick up one social media post a month, 1 flyer a year and expect new students to take action. Simple things that are essential to let someone get to know you.

• Your Name – how can I feel like I know you if I don’t know your name? Especially if you’re using a ‘brand name’ for your yoga business, please make sure your actual name is visible everywhere.
• Your Face – if I don’t know what you look like, how can I recognise you? If I can’t recognise you, I don’t know you. Stop using stock photography, stop hiding your face in your pictures. On your posters, social, website, flyers, put a photo of you with your face clearly visible. Smile and let me see your eyes. Let me see you!
• Your Voice – when you can recognise someone just from their voice you feel like you really know them. Now, this might be your spoken voice – in videos on your website, your social or just your tone of voice in your writing. I write like I speak, you can hear that here now – me, Laura, I’m writing talking to you!

To Like You

When you like someone it’s usually because you see something of you in them or you have a shared connection, interest, values or mission. To bond with someone, you have to open up and share a little about yourself. Let me know you. What are your interests, do you have any pets, what are you passionate about?

Now you don’t have to share everything about you. Boundaries are important (see my related posted on Boundaries for Yoga Teachers) so I recommend picking 3 topics that you’re passionate about that you share regularly and consistently. I share my passions for Cats, Travel and my Music (I’m a harpist). If you ask anyone about me, they’ll say, yoga teacher, crazy cat person, goes on amazing adventures and loves music. A great way to do this is through lifestyle photos, videos and sharing other posts from social media accounts that you follow personally.

To Trust You

Again this can take time, but an easy way to speed up the process is to help someone. If you go out of your way to help someone they instantly feel like they can trust you. Make time for people, answer questions, respond to all comments on your social posts, be available to people, be open. Make it easy for people to open up and talk to you. Invite questions, have your phone number easily displayed. And demonstrate your knowledge to build credibility. Share educational videos, blog posts. Top tips.

This can all be summed up as:

To attract new students build real relationship with real people focusing on the know, like and trust.

This takes time, there is no quick fix.

1 student at a time to build a sustainable business. It’s simple but requires consistent effort!

Your yoga business is not simply a way to put food on the table – it’s your calling to reach out to the lives of many; to bring real, tangible benefits to all areas of their lives.

Your yoga business has “doing good” as its central mission; physical health and spiritual growth at its very core – just like yoga practice itself.

A business led by the heart can certainly bring you emotional, spiritual and financial fulfilment. There’s no better way to facilitate that than by linking the spiritual aspects of yogic teachings with the day-to-day of running your business.

Connect the spirit of you and your business through the psychology of the Chakras

Root Chakra

❤️ Foundation – who are you, what do you know, what are you qualified to teach, what is your area of expertise. Get clear on these – lean into radical authenticity. These questions will bring you to your central mission statement and help all of your principles and values align. When you get clear on this part, you attract the clients who will adore what you have to give.

Sacral Chakra

🧡Create – craft your offerings – services, classes, content – that align with your gifts and the needs of your ideal client. This is why your business was born. You have gifts to share and the offerings you create are their vehicle into the world. Create freely, joyfully, and see your ideal clients respond in kind. 

Solar Plexus Chakra

💛 Courage – take action, commit to one of your offerings and create a clear step by step plan to put it into action. You don’t have to do it all at once. But you do have to do it! Your mission is to do good in this world, and your business is one of the ways you’ll do it. Don’t hide your light – take courage, be brave and put something out there. And if it scares you? Do it anyway!

Heart Chakra

💚 Passion – look back at your plans, your vision – do they still fill your heart with joy? Do they still speak to the person you are today? Share your passion, invite others to get excited about and invested in your shared vision. Together we can change the world.

Throat Chakra

💙 Communicate – build relationships, write about your offerings, share your voice in videos, podcasts. Talk to everyone and anyone about your work. Invite people to experience it for themselves. Start conversations. Communication is your key to sharing the joy of what you do.

Third Eye Chakra

💜 Wisdom – look back over your journey with the wise eye of self-study. Have the wisdom to be totally honest with yourself. What do you do wonderfully? Which areas need to develop? Tweak things, adjust, evolve your work. You owe it to yourself, your business, and your clients.

Crown Chakra

🤍 Trust – when you walk your path, when you take action and when you show up for your dreams – you are not alone. Trust in yourself, trust in your business, trust in your gifts and your offerings. And trust that the universe will show up for you when you show up in service.

Have you extended your knowledge and practice of the Chakras to your business life?

For more Yoga Teacher Support and Mentoring, connect with Laura about a 1:1 90 Min Coaching Call.

Ever thought about having a Moon Business Planner for your Yoga Business? As a Yoga Teacher, how do you create plans and strategies for your yoga business?

My guess is you probably don’t! After all, as Yoga Teachers, our passion is yoga and that’s where we focus our attention. Lesson planning, creating sequences, connecting with our students and guiding yoga. I bet you didn’t get into Teaching Yoga to create marketing plans and business strategies! But . . .

You do need to attract new yoga students to share your passion for yoga with! You do need to create yoga offerings be theses class, workshops, retreats and you do need a plan for how to market these offerings and this my loves is what a business planning is all about!

Having strategic plans for your yoga business is also a great way to avoid overwhelm as you know what you’re doing and when. Good business takes patience and consistency a plan keep you on track with this!

I love to live in harmony with the moon’s phases and plan to harness the moon’s energy by using my Moon Phase Business Planner. As we all know, everything is cyclical and working in alignment with the moon can really help sustain energy and momentum in your business.

Think of it like the Moons Phases:

New Moon

Draw in, reflect and daydream about new ideas/offerings/growth in your business.

Waxing Moon

Take action behind the scenes, plan out the content, write your marketing, create your graphics, prepare your lesson plans, update your website.

Full Moon

It’s time to shine, launch your classes/workshops. Be really visible on social media, do your IG and Facebook Lives. Let the brilliance of the moon illuminate your offering.

Waning Moon

Drawback from public view a little and focus on your actual clients, give them your focus and delight them with your offerings.

Download Your FREE Moon Business Planner

Get started today with this free downloadable Moon Business Planner and start to harness the power of the moon to illuminate your yoga teachings.

For more FREE support and trainings to Thrive as a yoga teacher, come join The Yoga Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group, there’s a free video training every single Friday.

As a Yoga Teacher, your voice is a tool for healing and your words are medicine for the body, mind and soul. The words you use are the primary way in which your yoga students receive the teachings of yoga. Yes, you might demo yoga asanas and use hands-on assists etc but the main teaching modality which is delivered to each and every student in your yoga class is your words. The power of language as a Yoga Teacher is a key skill, for words matter. This is the key foundation or my Yoga Teacher Training Course here in Southampton. 

 

Get started with these 3 key areas.

 

How skilled and consider are you in your use of language as a Yoga Teacher?

 

Words have the power to heal and hurt. Remember that saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ – this is just not the case. Injuries caused by ‘stick and stones’ will heal quickly but the emotional hurt caused by badly chosen words can last a lifetime. We all remember a time someone in authority, a parent or teacher for instance, harshly rebuked or criticised us – often with the addition of shame and blame. The words from these interactions can remain in our psyche for a lifetime often shaping how we view ourselves and our own self-worth. Words can cause a huge amount of damage, especially when spoken by a voice of authority, power or high regard. As a Yoga Teacher, your yoga students will respect you greatly and listen to you intently so please use your words with kindness, awareness and intention for even greater is the power of language to inspire, uplift and heal.

 

Your words are medicine.

 

Updating Verbal Cues

Many of our verbal cues as Yoga Teachers have been passed down through the generations, we cue ‘engage your core to protect your back’ because that’s what we heard our teachers say, like a giant game of Chinese whispers. But the modern teaching of yoga has evolved a lot in recent years due to collaborations with sports scientists, anatomy specialists and bodyworkers and we need to update our cues to match our new knowledge of how the body works both physically and physiologically. The simplest way to do this is to ask yourself ‘Why?’. If you can’t explain the why behind a cue or statement you give when teaching you’re not really teaching. Go to your mat, your anatomy books, your teacher and work out the reasons why and ask if they hold true.  Your verbal cues will grow and evolve as your knowledge does.

 

Pain & Fear Based Language – The Nocebo Effect

Much of our inherited language has a base of fear and pain avoidance which can be restrictive when it comes to healing. Have you heard of the NOCEBO EFFECT? This is the evil twin of the PLACEBO EFFECT, where negative statements or beliefs can have negative effects on your health and healing.

 

A classic example of this is when a student experiences back pain and is told that they have a weak back and need to go to yoga to strengthen their core to protect their back. Have you noticed the vast number of people that believe they have a ‘weak back’? They move awkwardly, avoid certain types of movement and are nervous about everyday actions like picking up a suitcase because they are scared for their weak back. This belief is what’s preventing them from moving forward in their healing to a place of pain-free and carefree movement. The human body is not weak; it is strong, resilient and capable of healing and regeneration. A better approach would be to empower the student by sharing that their back and core abdominal muscles could benefit from further strengthening for optimum posture and function and that specific yoga poses could help achieve this.

 

As general guidance try to avoid whilst teaching your yoga classes the language of:

Pain / Tension / Tightness instead try Sensation / Awareness / Attention

Negative / No / Don’t instead try Please / Try To / Focus On

Fear / Protect / Never instead try to explain the why, educate and empower

 

A few phrases to consider:

 

Nocebo/Negative/Fear/Pain Language	Placebo / Postive Language
If you feel pain in your knee	If you feel sensation in your knee
Notice any tension in your shoulders	Bring your awareness to your shoulders
Don’t lock your knee	Please keep a micro bend in your knee
Engage your core to protect your back	Draw your navel in and up to engage your abdominals
Never let your knee go forward of your ankle	To feel more balanced stack your knee over your ankle
If you have neck pain don’t look up	How does it feel in your neck when you look up, would it feel nicer if you looked straight ahead?
Take care (insert student name) with your ‘bad’ knee	How does this feel in your ‘left’ knee?
If you feel pain in your knee but padding under it (e.g. low lunge)	For a little more luxury place a towel under your back knee in this pose

 

 

 

Hierarchical & Challenging Language

A key teaching of yoga is that it is non-competitive. The lessons contained within the Yamas and Niyamas remind us to practice in a way which is truthful, non-harming, and helps to conserve our energy.  Beginner students, however, do not know this; they are likely to enter your class with sports logic such as pain no gain, go hard or go home, no pain no champagne etc! We live in a world where society judges self-worth through accomplishment. It is our job to create a sanctuary where students can accept themselves just as they are and not have to strive to do more and be more. Create this space through the language of permission and self-inquiry avoiding hierarchical and challenging statements and phrases.

 

 

Hierarchical or Challenge Based Language	Language of Permission & Self Inquiry
Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 / Beginner / Advanced Option	Alternatively, explore, experience, experiment, maybe, or
To deepen the pose place your elbows on the floor	How does it feel if you lower your elbows here which variation do you prefer today?
To challenge yourself lift your back knee up and rise into a high lunge	For a grounded effect keep your back knee on the ground, for an energised effect try rising up into a high lunge
Never let your knee go forward of your ankle	To feel more balanced stack your knee over your ankle
If down dog feels too much / is too strong go into childs pose.	Give yourself permission to rest today.

 

There is so much more I would love to explore about the use of language with you today but this is about lifelong learning and slowly evolving your verbal cues so get started with these key areas to elevate your students’ experience of your yoga classes. If you would like to discuss more look at my Yoga Teacher CPD offerings and Yoga Teacher Training.

It’s a new week, a new yoga class to plan, maybe a yoga workshop or course you are designing.

You’re sitting on your mat, in front of you awaits  . . . THE BLANK PAGE

and in a few hours time await . . . YOUR STUDENTS

What’s the plan – what are you teaching this week?

I’ve been teaching for over 9 years now and yes I still ALWAYS plan my yoga classes.  I want to share inspiring, heartfelt themes with well-constructed yoga sequences that are poetry for the body, mind and soul – NO PRESSURE HEY?

So how do you get inspired? How do you come up with yoga class themes, design beautiful yoga flows that are adaptable and accessible to all your students?  There are MANY ways, but here are a few ideas you can draw on when you’re feeling less than inspired

1. MUSIC: For me, music is the easiest way to tap into my creativity. I roll out my mat and put on some new music. I find myself a still posture (seated, standing, or reclining) close my eyes, connect to my breath and open my whole body to ‘HEARING’ the music. I allow the music to lead my movement; I follow the sounds wherever they take me. It’s not dancing, it’s different to a kitchen boogie, I stay on my yoga mat and explore yoga related movements. I keep a piece of paper nearby and something always emerges. Maybe just a little repeating arm movement, a new transition or sometimes a whole sequence. I love SPOTIFY for this.

Top Tip: If you have a premium Spotify account every Monday Spotify creates you your own bespoke playlist based on the things you like and listen to. It’s called Discover Weekly!

2. A PROP:

 As a Vinyasa Yoga Teacher I don’t always use props but when I do I like to get some bang for my buck! If I want to use a specific prop for a certain pose, say a strap for a reclining hamstring stretch, I then think how else I could incorporate this prop in the rest of my class to either make poses more accessible or teach an alignment cue or muscular activation.

Top Tip: Explore the use of props in your own yoga practise, even in poses where you wouldn’t usually ‘need’ a prop! It’s so tempting to Google ‘yoga poses with straps’ but try and make your own practice your first point of reference rather than Google.

3. Change The Mat Layout: This one messes with my head! And my students but it’s a great way to shift things up. If you usually teach with your students’ mats in the ‘portrait’ orientation for say the Sun Salutations from the top of the mat. Try for 1 week turning the mats to ‘landscape’ and designing a whole flow facing the long edge. Or put the mats into a circle and design flows that travel around the mat in a Mandala.

Top Tip: Check out my YOUTUBE playlist for some Mandala Yoga Sequences or the Chandra  Namaskar sequence is perfect for a landscape mat layout.

4. Nature, The Universe & Her Cycles: The world around us is full of inspiration and affects how we feel on so many levels. Lean into this first in your personal practice, and share it with your students when you feel you can speak from personal experience. A few suggestions:

~ The Lunar Cycle: Grounding Full Moon classes with Chandra Namaskar or energising and uplifting classes on the New Moon. You can find my Full Moon Guided Meditation here.

~ Summer Solstice / Winter Solstice: Acknowledge these moments of peak light and maximum darkness with classes that align with the energy. A fiery heart opening flow with lots of Sun Salutations in midsummer or a slow comforting restorative flow for mid-winter.

~ Change of Seasons into Spring / Autumn: The season shifts are hard on the immune system as we see an increase in coughs and cold. Build a serious of classes around this time that boost your student’s immune system with twists and inversions.

~ TCM & Meridian Line: Learn a little about Traditional Chinese Medicine & the organs that come into focus during the different seasons. Design yoga flows that stimulate the meridian line of each season’s organs.

Top Tip: Check out the book ‘Seasonal Yoga’ by Sue Woodd & Julie Hanson

5. Words / Images: Intention cards, oracle cards, poems, postcards, quotes, a newspaper article can all become great muses. Find your seat on your mat, connect to your breath and bring to mind or look at your chosen muse. Breath into your heart space and ask ‘how does this speak to me?’, ‘how does it make me feel’, ‘what is the message I’m drawn to share from this?’. Then free write, journal, scribble down words, doodle, stickyogis, just keep your pen moving. Then after a few moments, sit back, take a breath and see what recurring thought is on the page. How does this thought make you feel? What yoga poses, meditations, pranayamas help you access or work through that feeling? How you can design a whole class based around this feeling or sentiment?

Top Tip: I’m currently loving the Intention Cards from Iris Hill

5. YOU: Be your own muse! As they say, ‘teach what you need to learn’. Yesterday I sat on my mat, feeling tired and uninspired. I asked myself, ‘If I was to attend a yoga class today what would I be hoping for? What do I need from my Yoga today’. The answer was, I’m tired but for no reason, I wish to be gently coaxed from my legarthy and my shoulders/neck feel tight – they could do with some TLC. I proceeded to give myself what I needed in my personal yoga practise and then wrote it down as the class for this week. I shared with my students where the inspiration had come from and they all, I’m mean seriously 100% of them, felt the same. Yes, we are all unique but you know what invariably we tend to be feeling or going through relatable life stuff!

Top Tip: Trust yourself, ask what do I need today? How can I serve my students today? Listen to the answer and plan accordingly!

LEARN MORE: If you’d like to get really inspired, I’m teaching an 8 Hour CPD Day on the Art & Science of Sequencing on Sunday 21st July 2019 at Chilworth Village Hall, Southampton. Email for more information laura@lauragreenyoga.co.uk.

The Art of  Using Music in a Yoga Class

Support for Yoga Teachers Looking to Add A Little Something Extra To Your Class

Melodies, chants and song have been a part of the music in yoga for as long as yoga has existed. The ancient texts such as the Vedas & the Upanishads are full of melodious chants especially the Samaveda, which means the song of knowledge. This in addition to the vast culture of classical Indian music as seen music, song and chanting weaved throughout the practise of yoga.

The vibration of sound whether made by you, a musical instrument or recorded leaves a vibrational imprint on the surface of your body and every cell in the surface tissues receives the sound.

“Yogas chitta vritti nirodha”

If we take it back to The Yoga Sutras and the 8 Limbs of Yoga, the practise of yoga is a journey to stilling the thought waves of the mind so that the practitioner may achieve enlightenment. You need to ask yourself, does playing music in your yoga practise support this intention or not? Be careful to not mistake stillness and silence as the same.

For many, the skilful use of music can in fact help to calm and soothe the mind however for others, or as a result of the selection for music, it may in fact have the opposite effect of stimulating the mind as music can be thought provoking, bringing memories to the surface or evoking an emotional response.

It is also worthwhile remembering the 5^th limb of yoga, Pratyahara – to withdraw the senses. Playing music is an external stimulus which draws on the sense of hearing. However, if by appropriately working with sound we can withdraw our senses to the immediate environment around us and to the present moment we are progressing on the path towards total Pratyahara.

For me personally music is a big part of my yoga, it brings me into the ritual of my practise, it connects me with my creative flow, my soul’s dance and focuses my mind of the sacred devotional journey of yoga. Music frees me from the mundane and elevates my experience.

Nada Yoga

An ancient India metaphysical system, it is the yoga of sound and healing. It holds true that universe and all that exists in it, is the manifestation of sound vibrations, called nāda. This concept states that it is sound energy in motion which form the building blocks of the universe. In this model, by working with the vibrations of sound we can rebalance our energy for greater harmony with the world around us. Nada sound healing can be used to support healing in the energy body and physical body.

Bhakti Yoga

This is a spiritual path of love and devotion, acknowledging the divine in everything. It is practising love and gratitude for love sake, a sweet connection to the sacred magic of this universe and our precious human lives. Music, mantra and chanting are key tools in this yogic path. Chanting and kirtan (devotional song) bring mantras alive with melody and rhythm to elevate their vibrational quality. It is the meaning of the mantra, the resonances of the vibrations and the intention of devotion that make Bhakti Yoga such a powerful and transformative experience.

To Raise Vibration

In offering yoga, we bring positivity into our communities. Simply put we want people to feel better, more alive, more present, more connected. Yoga creates an upward spiral to joy, positivity and happiness. Music is a powerful tool to raise vibrations so we can oscillate at a higher more positive frequency. Through music we can tap into our feeling centres to explore and release negative emotions we’ve been suppressing and make more space to open our heart and welcome in joy.  Be warned, though sequencing yoga asanas which can stir strong emotional reactions, such as backbends, with highly emotive music can have a huge effect on your students. If you choose this path be skilful, respectful and make sure to do no harm.

Not a Crutch

Often times newer yoga teachers rely on music in class to cover awkward silences and support them in creating an atmosphere. It becomes a crutch, and then you forget your iPod one class and panic ensues. Music is there to enhance your classes and should be as skilfully curated as your yoga lesson plans and sequences so that it is deepening, guiding or motivating your class.

Creating a Playlist

Planning the perfect yoga playlist is art and a science. You can’t just throw random songs together and expect the class to flow well.  So how do you plan a yoga playlist to elevate your class?

• Sign up to spotify premium to make your life a lot easier! The £9 / month is worth every penny and I swear Spotify knows me better than anyone else in my life!
  • Unlimited music – never buy a record again
  • No adverts
  • Stream music, create playlists, save your favourite songs, find inspiration, share with students
  • Download your playlists so that you can play on your phone in class without internet access

• How to use Spotify as a Yoga Teacher
  • Create playlists to categorise the music you like, have a playlist for each category or pace of a class
    • Centre & Connecting, Warm Up, Sun Salutation, Standing Flows, Seated/Supinne, Savasana
    • Still, Slow, Medium, Maximum
  • Start listening to music and if you like a track click on + sign to add it to your list of songs and the © to tell Spotify you like it! Also add to any of your above playlists if you really like it! This information and interaction is really important as the more Spotify gets to know what you like the better the algorithms will work and then Spotify will start recommending music for you.
    • Discover Weekly – a personalised Spotify playlist generated for you every Monday with new music
    • Release Radar – a personalised Spotifty playlist generated for you every Friday with new releases from Artists you like
  • Listen to other people’s playlists, and Browse. Spotify has it’s own playlist which you can listen to for inspiration, I love:
    • “Peaceful Piano”, “The Most Beautiful Songs in the World”, “Cinematic Chillout”, “Yoga & Meditation“
  • Now you’re building up a library of music you like start to create playlist to share publicly in your yoga classes. Start by creating a few generic playlists that you can use any time that you trust with work for you such as:
    • “Slow & Steady – a 60 Min Yoga Playlist”
    • “Powerful & Pumped – a 60 Min Yoga Playlist”
    • “Chilled & Mellow – a 60 Min Yoga Playlist”
  • Progress to creating yoga class playlist specifically for individual classes matching the theme, asanas and tempo progression of that lesson plan

Other Considerations

• Licensing, be aware of licensing laws!
• Personal Taste, you can’t please everyone, if it works for you go with it!
• Look for inspiration everywhere
• Choose songs with lyrics work with your theme
• Careful with songs with lyrics, can be really distracting
• Does your voice blend into the tone of vocals if so talk between the vocals
• Cover songs and acoustic variations of popular music work well

I hope you find this useful and come to love the addition of music to your classes as much as I do.

For further inspiration, check out my workshops pages and join me on a CPD Workshop.

Love,

Laura

The Art of Theming a Yoga Class | Support for Yoga Teachers Looking to Add A Little Magic

So first off, let me be clear you do not need to theme your yoga classes. Teaching Yoga is a tough (but awesome) gig and there is enough pressure put on Yoga Teachers with the expectations of things we should and shouldn’t do, and don’t get me started on social media. But if you’d like to mix things up a bit, bring a more immersive yoga experience to your students and make lesson planning a whole world easier then let’s look at How To Theme A Yoga Class.

So here’s why Theming a Yoga Class works:

INSPIRES YOU & YOUR STUDENTS

• As a yoga teacher, theming your yoga classes helps inspire your creativity and directs the selection of asana, meditation, pranayama, music, quotes, language and imagery.
• It enables you to bring your authentic voice and your unique experience as a yoga teacher to your classes.
• Only you can do you! When you theme your yoga classes it creates a unique experience and helps you to stand out as a teacher.
• For your yoga students, a class theme is a great way to layer a deeper experience, learn about yoga philosophy and explore how the practice of yoga can step off the mat and into life.

WHAT TYPES OF YOGA CLASS THEMES ARE THERE?

Really anything can be a yoga class theme if it is honest, heartfelt and authentic but here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Yoga Philosophy – delve into the yoga texts, find and explore the lessons contained within that most speak to you, and communicate these through your experience and your perspective.
• Yoga Mythology – everyone loves a good story and the mythology behind the yoga asanas will give you endless inspiration.
• Body Anatomy – the sacred sacrum, psoas the muscle of the soul, aligning with your core!
• Yoga Anatomy – the anatomy of the subtle body such The Chakras, The Nadis, The Koshas, The Movement of Prana (WARNING – you need to really know your stuff and be working with it in your practice before bringing it to class!)
• Life values, lessons & moral – your inspiration doesn’t have to come just from yoga whatever inspires you – if it has depth go with it!
• The Natural World: the lunar cycles, the changes in the seasons.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD YOGA CLASS THEME?

• Personal Experience – you can’t teach what you don’t know!
• Simple & easy to understand
• Universal & accessible to your students
• Connects to both yoga and life off the mat

WHAT MAKES A BAD YOGA CLASS THEME?

• Cliches – it’s better not to have a theme than a clichéd theme! “Let go what no longer serves you” – please no more!
• Inauthentic – you need to speak your truth, your students will know when you’re simply repeating another teacher’s truth.
• Too Messy – if you’re still working through a life lesson this is not the time to make it a class theme. You need to have come through the other side, to have learnt the lesson before bringing it into your teaching, even then be careful of Too Much Information!
• No Depth – you need to work through your themes and make sure they have enough depth.

GOLDEN RULES FOR HOW TO THEME A YOGA CLASS

• 5 Mins Tops – when your students arrive at class normally they’re ready to get going, get moving and get their yoga on! So set yourself a maximum of 5 mins until you start physically moving. This 5 minutes is time to Introduce Your Theme, Centre and Connect with Breath Awareness and Pranayama. You can further develop your theme during the class.
• Relate the theme to the whole class – Introduce at the beginning, expand in 2-3 points during the class and recap during or after Savasana, then give a final takeaway thought or quote.
• Find different ways for expressing the same concept so that it is accessible to all your students.

NOW IT’S TIME TO FIND YOUR YOGA CLASS THEMES

• What lessons have you learnt through yoga?
• What are important human morals and life values to you?
• What inspires you?
• These give you ideas of your potential class themes.

YOGA CLASS THEME PLANNER

Right here we go! Open and print off the Free Yoga Class Theme Planner to work through your theme.

Below are two examples:

• Description of how to use each box

Worked through example for the myth of Eagle Pose:

If you’d like to explore in greater detail the Art & Science of Sequencing, I run regular Yoga Teacher CPD Workshops both Online and in Hampshire

Laura x

When we come to our mat so often we hear the words “switching off” and that’s the magic of yoga, it gives us the time, space and permission to do just that. To move from being busy to mindful. From fast paced to slow and measured. However, as a yoga teacher, we need students to connect with us and come to our classes and other offerings, so being “Present” online is a matter of course.

According to a recent article in Forbes magazine, “Multiple studies confirm that consumers report using the Internet first (80% of the time) when they need a new product or service.”

Google is the 21st century yellow pages. Any time I want to find out something, or find a product or service, my go to solution is pulling up Google Search. Before I even think about making a call to enquire about the product or service, I first find out as much about you as I can, either through your website, if you have clickable links to Facebook or Instagram.  So if you haven’t set yourself online yet, see my quick step guide below to getting started and building your online presence.

Creating your own website

There are many free sites available to you to set up your own website. Check out Squarespace  or Wix

Having a simple website with your details, sign up to newsletter options, contact and about details is all you need to get started. As you have more time and money to invest you can start to fluff out your website.

Google Business Listing

Google for business has two main objectives:

• help business owners increase their online visibility.
• help people find and review businesses in their local area.

It’s quite possibly the most comprehensive and accessible business directory ever created.
Anyone using a Google search function which Google determines to have local area intent, such as ‘yoga teachers Southampton’ or ‘chiropractor Winchester’, links to 3 Google My Business listings will be displayed below a map of the local area.  When clicking on a business’s Google My Business listing, people can see the following:

• The business’s name, address and phone number.
• The business’s location on a map.
• The business’s opening hours.
• A link to the business’s website.
• Photos related to the business.
• Reviews of the business left by previous customers.
• A rating out of 5 for the business (based on scores given by previous customers).

If you haven’t yet added your business to the Google Business listing, I suggest you visit the Create Page and look for the option to create a Google+ Page and get started! Follow the wizard (it’s much like Facebook’s Pagewizard), and choose the most appropriate option to classify your business. You’ll be able to select from the following options: Local Business or Place.

Facebook Business Account

This one is an easy win, who Doesn’t have Facebook these days. Make sure to set up an account that is separate from your personal Facebook account, and that isn’t a group. There is limited functionality using a personal account or group.

From your Facebook profile page, click the Pages header in the left-side navigation. Or head over here Create a Page.  Next, click the Create a Page button, and select the type of page. You’ll see a number of fields to fill out, such as your business category, name, and address.

Engage your followers with information about your class schedules, what’s on, and fun pictures of workshops or offers you have running. Think about how to engage your audience, and how to interact with them. Facebooks algorithm works in such a way that the more Likes and shares you have the more visible your content will be in a subscribers news feed.

Instagram

Instagram has over 700 million monthly active users, less competition and a more engaged audience than other social media giants like Facebook or Twitter

Head over to  Instagram to get started! Having quality photos, and relevant #Hashtags will raise your profile. Go check out people who inspire you, who have a huge following and see what they are doing. Is it photos, video or what hashtags they are using. The more likes you have to your post, the more you will raise your profile and presence.  Be creative, Instagram is more about selling a lifestyle rather than a product.

Tip: Use your personal work email address. Assuming you save your clients email addresses, clients have your address saved in their phones or have their email connected to their address books. So, when one of your contacts uses Instagram’s “Find Friends” feature, you should show up on that list. Therefore, your direct work email address will get you the most hits

Twitter

Using Twitter is an easy quick way to market yourself. Limited to 140 characters per tweet you have to be word savvy, but it’s also a great way to establish yourself in your field with fun bursts of knowledge, tips or offerings. Click here to set up a free account and get tweeting!

YouTube

YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world and 1 billion people visit YouTube each month. Marketing your business on YouTube will help you get found on google due to Google Search function. Videos, images, news, books and local searches are combined together in Google’s search results. If you enjoy being creative in front of a camera then perhaps YouTube is another platform to extend your creative content. Youtube is owned by Google, so any google search will also bring your video !

Tip: Don’t forget to also include call-to-actions inside your videos, with annotations that link to:

• Other videos
• Content on your website
• Email auto-responder series
• Products and services on offer

You can use a Brand Account to create a channel that has a different name but that’s still managed from your Google Account. Learn more about about Brand Accounts.

Snap Chat

Snap Chat has two very useful functions.

• Story telling
• Providing value added content, with helpful information, hints and tips.

Using the video function you can give your audience great insight to yourself and your business. Consumers buy from trusted businesses and using snapchat as a platform to engage your clients is an easy way to engage them. Remember, using social media is about selling a lifestyle.

I’ve linked two useful articles below, the first is, what is the point of snapchat anyway and how does it work?

And this one is a very handy guide to see if Snapchat is going to add value to your business.

Download the app on your phone and get started.

Pinterest

OK, so you might be thinking, NOT ANOTHER SOCIAL MEDIA website.

However, Pinterest is the fastest growing social media platform with over 75 billion ideas and 10 million unique visitors. Sharing, liking and commenting on users pins is an easy way to increase your visibility on the net. Linking your blog or website photos to Pinterest creates an easy cross platform access for various users. Use Canva, or any other collage maker to create fun and informative picture pins.

Visit website to get started.

Below is a list of Yoga websites for advertising your services. These pages get a lot of traffic, some of them are free to use, however it’s worth considering investing in a monthly subscription.

Yoga Near By

Find yoga classes, workshops and holidays all over the world.

It’s FREE to join

• Add all your yoga classes
• Add your yoga workshops and holidays
• Upload your yoga images

Visite website to get started.

Yoga Hub

Yoga Hub is an online community for Yoga, its also an online directory of Yoga Teachers, Yoga Classes and Yoga Courses.

Visit website to get started.

Yoga Classes Near You

Find A Local Yoga Class Near You

Our yoga class search allows you to access a database of thousands of yoga classes all run by qualified yoga teachers in local venues, yoga studios, health clubs and spas around the UK.

Visit website to get started.

Yoga Trail

YogaTrail is where yoga providers can communicate with their students and keep them in the loop about classes, workshops, news, and events.

Yogis: simply follow your yoga providers to get all their classes in one simple place. No more scouring tons of websites and Facebook pages for schedule info!

Yoga Teacher? Studio owner? Join YogaTrail. It’s free.

Visit website to get started.

Yoga Village UK

The aim of the Yoga Village UK website is to use the wonderful potential of the internet to put yoga people in the UK in touch with each other – internet interactions hopefully leading to fruitful meetings and enlightening student-teacher relationships and friendships.

Visit website to get started.

Annual Fee £35

Independent Yoga Network

In 2004, a number of independently-minded teacher trainers in the UK decided to get together and offer a creative response to the fitness industry’s ill-informed attempt to define acceptable Yoga training.

Visit website to get started.

Yoga Finder

A business listing site for classes, workshops, retreats and teacher training.

Visit website to get started.

Subscription from $23

Yell.com

Be seen in local Google searches. 84% of Yell customers say Yell.com helps their business to be found on Google. Adding your business to Yell.com is the first step to appearing in your local Yellow Pages – the UK’s leading print directory found in over 76% of UK homes

Visit website to get started.