During the course of a lifetime, most
of us have heard the saying," Do as I say, not as I do."
We see this kind of leadership everywhere we go. All politicians,
religious leaders, police, sports professionals, parents,
academic teachers, and Yoga teachers, lead by example, even
if the example displayed is not a good one.
So, how does this concern you? You may not be a public figure,
but your students, and the general public, know who you
are. Some may even know more about you than you would like.
As a Yoga teacher, you want to keep your health, behavior,
and your ethics at a high standard - if you are going to
be in the "public eye."
As far as health is concerned, you should maintain your
Yoga practice and meditate daily. This is an irony with
many Yoga teachers because your time is also consumed with
the business of Yoga, maintenance of the studio, advertising,
and many more aspects that keep a business going.
My personal estimate of time that I spent on vacuuming,
cleaning, and maintenance of the Yoga studio is thousands
of hours before I hired someone else to do it. This does
not account for any of the time spent on many other duties
that go into running a Yoga studio.
The average Yoga student has no idea of the preparation
and support services involved before they come to a typical
Yoga class. In reality, you want them to feel relaxed, so
you don't want your Yoga students to feel stressed out over
the bookkeeping, marketing, and maintenance of your Yoga
studio.
Therefore, you have to put your best "game face" on during
class time. This is one very powerful reason for taking
the time to develop your own personal Yoga practice. You
still must expand your depth of understanding Yoga's many
facets.
Why do, or did, you want to be a Yoga teacher in the first
place? The most common reasons for becoming a Yoga teacher
are your passion for Yoga and to share the gift that has
changed your life. Your health and your personal Yoga practice
are an integral part of the Yoga teaching vocation.
Maybe you don't have a staff and you are busy all the time
preparing for the next Yoga class. What can you do? Budget
your time and make a personal Yoga, or meditation session,
for yourself. Spending thousands of hours on bookkeeping,
marketing, cleaning, and maintenance is part of many Yoga
studio owners' lives, but you must also make the time to
become a better Yoga practitioner.
You can also offer reduced rates to volunteers or "work
for trade" programs to those Yoga students who help you
with "domestic chores." You should consult your accountant
to make sure everything is legal and "above board." You
don't want to violate any child labor laws or set yourself
up for any legal problems, so make sure you are following
the law "to the letter." Remember also, that laws vary depending
upon your location.
It's too easy to let the business of Yoga become your new
reality. The business of teaching Yoga is more time consuming
than any of us can imagine as Yoga students. If you are
spending so much time working on your Yoga business, that
you have little time to practice, you must re-evaluate your
reason for teaching Yoga.
Make time every day to expand your knowledge about Yoga's
many aspects. If you don't take the time to be a Yoga student
and engage in learning, continuing education, and nurturing
your passion for Yoga, you risk burn out. The best Yoga
teachers are students for life, who love to practice this
wonderful discipline we know as Yoga.
When your Yoga studio, Yoga teaching position, or ashram
becomes a daily burden, and you cannot expand your knowledge;
the end result is no different than any other job. As a
Yoga teacher, you owe it to your students to keep your "internal
flames of passion" for Yoga going.
© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
About the author:
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at
Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and
Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote:
Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students
wanting to be a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
