3 Things Every Part-Time Yoga Teacher Needs to Know About Burnout
This article originally appeared on Yoga Journal
When I started teaching yoga back in 2007, I was working full-time for the city as an urban planner with a typical 40-hour, Monday-through-Friday workweek. Frustrated with my career, I found myself sitting at my desk thinking about yoga all day long.
At the time, I'd been practicing seriously for about a year and was considering taking yoga teacher training (YTT), thinking maybe I could teach part-time and bring some meaning back into my professional life. My yoga teacher could tell that I had a spark and encouraged me to consider signing up for training. I went for it.
Shortly after I graduated from YTT, I found myself in the right place at the right time. Or so it seemed. The Manhattan studio where I practiced and had taken my training offered me a few prime classes. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, "I can't turn this down," while simultaneously asking "Can I realistically fit this into my schedule?"
When I sought advice from my teachers, I was told this type of thing doesn't happen and I would be crazy to pass up the opportunity. Ultimately, I decided to accept. I wanted to start teaching yoga and a chance like this might not happen again soon--if ever.
How I Let Teaching Yoga Overtake My Life
I woke up every morning at 6 a.m. to practice my sequence. After my 9-5 workday, I hopped on the train and would have to literally run to the yoga studio, arriving minutes before class was scheduled to start. Without fail, a room packed with students expected me to deliver a dynamic and inspiring practice. And I certainly tried, even though I was feeling completely disheveled and anything but grounded.
Depleted, I'd come home and, instead of talking with my wife, I'd be thinking about the sequence for class the next night. My daytime career was also suffering, but I couldn't realistically give up the financial benefits of having a full-time job. Between my 9-to-5 responsibilities, the regular classes I took on as a teacher, and the sub requests I accepted, being present at any moment was becoming more and more difficult. So was finding time for my personal practice--or personal life--both of which had became almost non-existent.
Looking back, the disappearance of my personal practice was the first sign that there was a problem. The thing I loved most--and the entire reason for my current situation--had begun to feel forced. Because I was no longer being inspired by my own practice, I found myself trying too hard to create classes that were inspiring. I had nothing to draw on, so my classes became either forced creativity or just boring.
Still, I pushed to continue. When someone needed a sub, I volunteered. I was told that I had to take every opportunity to get in front of as many students as possible and build my following. But eventually I became disenchanted with teaching. It felt like a chore. And the thing about teaching yoga that all teachers share is we're not doing it for the money but because we love it. And for a short time, I no longer loved it.
I was tired and overwhelmed and not showing up as the yoga teacher I envisioned myself being. I didn’t feel like I was serving my students, myself, or my family. Burnout was real.
Eventually, it got to the point where I needed to take a break, step back, and reevaluate. When I finally gave myself that space, I decided to keep teaching but only if I approached it differently.
And that made all the difference.
It took years of experience and some serious self-reflection to understand how I needed to show up to myself as a part-time yoga teacher. The following insights have worked for me and many of my friends and students who are also teachers and find themselves in similar situations.
3 Things Part-Time Yoga Teachers Need to Know
1. It's okay to say "No."
Turning down opportunities to teach can be difficult, especially if there aren't many coming your way. But not all yoga gigs are created equal.
Only take on classes that realistically work for your schedule and that resonate with the way you teach. If you're a night person, maybe you're not an ideal teacher for the 6 a.m. class at a studio that requires a 30-minute commute. If you like to teach a meditative yoga nidra, then think twice about taking a class at a gym that blasts techno and positions the practice space mere feet from where weights are being dropped.
Keep your options open, as sometimes you will be surprised by what resonates with you and what does not. But when you know it's not a fit, don't be afraid to say that. You might feel guilty if another teacher secured you the interview or if you get along well with the owner of the studio, but if you want to take your teaching seriously and remain in the business for the long run, you need boundaries.
2. Take at Least One Day Off From Work a Week
If you're working a 40-hour work week, teaching no more than a couple classes per week will likely leave you enough time and space to show up and be truly present for your students and yourself. I tell the teachers I train to schedule no more than two classes per week, and ideally, you wouldn’t teach on the days that you have off from your full-time job.
Even if you love it, leading others through their yoga practice is work. Having at least one entire day off each week is essential. I shared this advice with a friend who transitioned from part-time to full-time yoga teacher years ago and they still thank me for that.
There will be times when you want to help out another teacher due to a last-minute emergency. It's fine to help out now and then if you can. But you can only be of service to others when you're also looking out for yourself.
3. Get on Your Mat
If you're teaching yoga, you need to be practicing yoga. What you share with your students needs to come from the insights you experience on your mat. Your personal practice is the fuel for both yourself and your teaching.
Be certain to take classes where you get out of your teaching brain and let yourself be a student again. If you catch yourself analyzing a cue, questioning the music, or trying to remember the sequence, take a breath and turn that part of your brain off. You want to experience what keeps drawing you back to the mat and what made you want to teach in the first place. Let yourself experience the practice.
Getting on your mat should be non-negotiable. I set my entire personal and professional schedule around my teachers' Tuesday and Friday morning classes. As much as you love teaching, you need to replenish yourself consistently to be the best version of yourself.
About Our Contributor
Patrick Franco, E-RYT500, is a yoga instructor and director at YogaRenew Teacher Training Online. He leads in-person and online teacher trainings all over the world, focusing primarily on yoga sequencing and the business of yoga.
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