New in town

[yogachick123]

Hi - I have just moved to a new state and I would like some ideas on how to get myself started as a yoga teacher in a brand new place. I was thinking about starting as a substitute at established studios and move out from there but I would love some feedback.

[Administrator]

The number one issue I see in your post is one of mindset.

Why would you want to start as a substitute teacher?

I can't imagine a professional athlete having the goal of making the team
only to sit on the bench.

Making it as a substitute teacher means you'll only earn an income if someone is sick or absent.

Why not follow the steps outlined on this board about using Craigslist to grow a private clientele?

That's where the money is...

Peace

Harlan

[TouchtheSky]

Hi Harlan, Sara et al,

I've just been offered a rental space for a yoga/massage studio that is absolutely beautiful! It is on the second floor of a historical building and it has wooden floors, high ceilings, and a skylight. The thought of this simultaneously excites and terrifies me.

Presently, I am teaching yoga for a community college for two years now although I only have a 240 hour self-study teaching certificate. Despite this, I manage to drive 2 hours one way to another yoga studio for continuing education about once a month. I network with other yoga professionals from India on-line and I constantly read and/or practice to improve my teaching style/knowledge.

The issue is that I am facing my fears when it comes to opening up a real yoga studio here. There are no other teachers in this community so presently the entire class offerings would fall on my shoulders. My fear comes from judgment that this potential yoga studio would be a paltry affair. I only know Hatha yoga.

I have asked the other studios if they would send teachers here for maybe once a week advanced class or even 2x/month and that is an option too. My prior dream was to take a month off and go to a school/ashram but if I start the business how would I ever have time to do that?

The other fear comes from being overwhelmed with the initial set-up of the business. To counter that fear, I have been seeking online business plans and viewing other yoga/massage studio websites to see how they manage their time/space.

After reading many posts, I see clearly that my fear stems from my own belief that I do not know enough or have enough experience to offer much. I also see that I have never had a financial drishti ever and I can see how that it impairing me.

Congratulations Sara for your abundance and sharing that in another form with all of us here. I for one am very grateful! I am willing to change and stretch into a more receptive way of accepting abundance now too. I am a single mother of twin 9 yr. old boys with no other support. For far too long I have been in a "just scraping by" financial survival mode. Yes, I am ready to change!

Any advice or steps to ponder would be most helpful. The owner needs a decision soon. Thanks again.

[Administrator]

Hi touch,

you've caught me in a good mood. Let's get on the phone and discuss this because there are a lot of teachers who could be in the same situation.

So if I can share the call with all of our friends on the board, let's do a consultation.

PM (private message) me your details and we'll set it up.

[tentoes]

Hi TouchtheSky,

I am a single mum (my son is 10) and over the past few weeks I have experienced the terror and joys of opening a studio. So I'm really looking forward to hearing Harlan's suggestions and advice to you!!

Here are a couple of thoughts from my recent experience, though (may/may not be relevant to your own situation, but I offer them just in case):

Your intuition will tell you whether this is the right action to take - tune into your inner wisdom. Look for that peaceful "yes" feeling you get when you're in the flow of life and then trust it implicitly to give you confidence to move forward.

I mitigated the risk (and settled the fear that arose within me!) by only doing it part time. I share the space with another yoga business. Even better would be to have total possession of the premises and just rent it to a non-competing business for part of the week. (eg. dance/theatre groups that need rehearsal space, martial arts teachers etc.). That way you can supplement income received from yoga students with rental income and still have the flexibility to expand your yoga business as demand increases. A thought.

I have addressed my own feelings of inadequacy (experience/expertise) in two ways. 1. by being prepared to share what I can (eg. teach the classes I can and not over-extend myself or pretend I'm something I'm not). This takes some humility and confidence, which is a great PD exercise in itself! 2. by surrounding myself with people who have different backgrounds, trainings and fortes to me. You said your access to other yoga teachers is limited. What about other modalities that you could offer students? Feldenkrais, Pilates, Tai Chi? Your students might end up doing a whole range of classes each week because they can access more than yoga at your studio. You can either rent the space to these teachers or pay them a fee for teaching and collect money from students. (I do the latter in order for my students to be able to buy passes that they can use across any of our classes.) You might also be able to attract teachers from other areas to run monthly workshops - a great way to get extra training yourself as well as offer new teachings to students!

As for being a single Mum, I have talked to my son a lot about the studio. I've kept him involved in the preparation of opening the studio so that he feels a sense of commitment and excitement about it too. Sometimes I've expressed to him that I'm nervous (eg. prior to our Open Day etc.) and I've talked to him about successes etc. ("Today, we had 6 people in class! Isn't that wonderful?!") to encourage his support and enthusiasm. During classes, he understands that he must never interrupt, of course. He is free to join in the class or quietly read/play lego/do homework. I've been impressed by his commitment to playing by the rules at the studio. I recently overheard him proudly telling a group of people "My Mum is a Yoga teacher. She has a studio...". He watched it come together and shared the excitement when my website went live, postcards came back from the printers etc.

I will be following Harlan's advice to you with great interest, obviously! And if there's anything in the 'single Mum with a studio' realm that I can share with you, I'd be happy to - let me know!

Rachel

[Administrator]

Hi Rachel,

it's Harlan from the Las Vegas Vinyasa conference.

It's been amazing. Especially for a newbie like me.

I connected very strongly with Shiva Rea and we're buddies now.

I'll tell you guys about that this week in the newsletter.

Why am I mentioning this? Because I was exposed to Shiva's incredible mindset.

It only allows for success.

Now she is one sharp business person with a heart of pure gold.

But she lives her vision every step of the day and way.

Your mindset is at the heart of your success.

We'll take a look at what the early steps are in opening a studio.

You might just learn something.

Peace.

Elvis Has Just Left the Building

Harlan

[tentoes]

Originally Posted by Administrator

It only allows for success.

Now she is one sharp business person with a heart of pure gold.

But she lives her vision every step of the day and way.

Your mindset is at the heart of your success.

We'll take a look at what the early steps are in opening a studio.

You might just learn something.

Peace.

Elvis Has Just Left the Building

Harlan

Hi Harlan,

I'm looking forward to hearing more about Shiva's mindset and how it contributes to her success.

I'm also looking forward to your guidance on the steps in opening a studio. I'm expecting to learn A LOT! I've been making it up as I go along. Although things are going okay, they could be a lot better, so any advice you can give will be humbly appreciated.

I'll be keeping an eye on the forum for more information!

Om shanti,

Rachel

[Administrator]

We discussed this in our June newsletter and there will be a great interview I am recording this Monday with someone who has built up a studio through her blood and sweat.

We're going to discuss what to do and what NOT to do.

It will be in our October paid newsletter.

Peace.

Harlan