3 things to do now to break free of yoga studios as a teacher

I am a wellness and personal branding photographer and before that I was a full time yoga teacher.

I went through the grind of teaching for studios, running across London, chasing private students in order to make ends meet. I am fortunate enough that my photography business took off and I was able to take a step back.

This might be a controversial opinion but whilst I love teaching, I rarely felt valued as a teacher as even though teachers are essential to yoga studios, they are never remunerated accordingly.

With the pandemic studios have started to close down, or to reduce teachers pay, or they hired yoga influencers in hope that it would attract more students. And whilst all of that was happening, teachers had to rely only on themselves to earn a living and some realised that they COULD live in abundance and conserve their energy for their student as opposed to commute, do auditions after auditions and teach 20 covers in hope to be given a permanent class.

And as a photographer, I have met COUNTLESS yoga teachers who have created the life they want for themselves and broke free from yoga studios. So here are some tips I can give you so you can do the same.

Treat yourself like a business

I know it can feel icky to put yoga and business together, but there are many ways one can run a business consciously. Being at the mercy of a yoga studio is no different than being the pawn of some corporate job. Except that you don’t even have sick pay or paid holidays. The sooner you realise that YOU have the power and YOU ARE a business, the faster you’ll notice a shift in how you want to spend your energy.

Find a niche

You are UNIQUE. There aren’t two people who look like you, who have your story, who went through your struggles. You have a unique message that will attract your people. There are students out there who need to hear about you, about what you’ve been through. If you keep watering down what you actually want to talk about, you will not be remembered as quickly as if you start teaching authentically.

Take yourself seriously

If you don’t show the world you believe in yourself, your potential students might struggle too. It is difficult at first to take the first step forward as it might require time and financial investment. But invest in the business education, in branding photography, in social media marketing knowledge. You will see the results quicker than shooting in the dark. Your business can only go as far as how much you believe in it.

I still work for yoga studios. Now that I am privileged enough to have another stream of income, teaching has become something I can enjoy without having to hustle (although I do catch myself taking one too many covers from time to time). I do feel valued by some of the places I work for. And I do feel sadness for some of the studios that close down - because often they are letting go of a dream.

I don’t think all yoga studios are bad, in fact I have met wonderful studio owners with really strong ethics who have the interest of their teachers and students at heart. I have met studio owners who have created thriving communities, and are taking care of underrepresented people.

What scares me though is having my income relying on someone else, without having any worker’s rights, paid holidays or sick days, and still being underpaid.

If I had to do it full time again, I would not rely on another business (or several) for me to thrive. They are protecting their own interest, which means I would have to protect mine.

Book me for your branding photoshoot and figure out how I can support you and your business.