by guest author Laura Green What if there were a world where everyone practiced yoga? Human beings, being imperfect as they are, would probably still manage to mess things up. But, on the whole, life would be far better. Anger Management Violence, wars, envy, hatred, greed – they would all be reduced if everyone practiced yoga. Wouldn't it be great if we lived on a planet where, every time someone started feeling these urges, they practiced yoga? Some anger empowers us, urging us on to … [Read more...]
How To Overcome Your Fears During Yoga Teacher Training
by Kelly Fisher, Urban Yoga Kelly works as a mentor for students wanting to move toward teacher training, currently training as teachers, or fresh out of training. In these articles, she shares some of the questions she's asked. You can ask her your questions by sending her an email. Question: I am in teacher training and I feel as if my teachers aren't giving the structure or guidance I was expecting to find my "voice". They kind of just throw us in it and then critique us … [Read more...]
How Compassion Makes Yoga Relevant
by John Guthrie Sitting quietly, the dawn chorus yet to begin, I think of that one word, compassion. The image of a hermit in a cave somewhere comes to mind, and I reflect on this as the embodiment of compassion. Away from the world, yet radiating out the peace that arises from compassion, which has been birthed in the depth of their silence. A place that could just as well have its roots in suffering. There are those whose compassion has arisen from personal suffering. In the last … [Read more...]
How to Get your First Yoga Teaching Job
by Kelly Fisher, Urban Yoga Typically when you finish your first yoga teacher training it can feel as though you're bursting with equal parts fantastic information to share and uncertainty about how or where to share it. Unless you've completed teacher training with an organisation that rolls new teachers onto an existing schedule, it can be a challenge to figure out how you can get into teaching in your town. Often studios will want teachers with previous teaching experience and/or … [Read more...]
My Worst Yoga Class Ever
By guest author Zahir Gilani I have been doing Hot Yoga for six years. I have been nomadic in my practice and have tried many different studios and instructors. Some classes have been great, and some instructors have been amazing. I have left classes feeling tranquil, and have even carried on the rest of my day in an ineffable euphoric state. But even if I do not achieve an inner peace while there, at the very least I’ll know I have got a good workout in and had a chance to … [Read more...]
Have You Stated Your Intentions? The Importance of Writing a Yoga Business Plan
By Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living Recently I had the pleasure of having someone inquire about my services and in our discourse she asked two questions. 1. How much experience should she have before opening her yoga studio? 2. How much money does it cost to open a yoga studio? While I could not give her a definitive answer to her questions, I felt our discussion was still a positive one. You see, I gave my inquirer kudos for doing her research well in advance so she could plan … [Read more...]
The Yoga Clothes Challenge: Can We Have Both Style and Ease?
by Janelle Hope, Flip Your Dog Want to win a $100 voucher to Flip Your Dog? See the end of this article. If only I could live in yoga gear that doubles as all day wear, then I could practice, walk, run, workout anywhere, anytime while getting all of life’s other things done. Oh yes please! Since having my children (aged five and two) jeans are a thing of the past. Anything with a forgiving waistband - allowing me room to belly breathe, repeatedly get up and down from the floor with the … [Read more...]
Why Older Yoga Teachers are Often the Best Yoga Teachers
By Susan Grbic, Growing Younger So many younger people are taking to yoga these days, as opposed to forty years ago when I was cutting my teeth as a student and yoga was still considered way too esoteric for your average citizen. Nowadays there’s a dizzying confusion of yoga ‘styles’ to choose from. And precisely because yoga is attracting so many young people, hundreds of young yoga teachers are emerging. I started teaching when I was forty-five, pretty old by today’s yoga teacher … [Read more...]
Five Ways to be a Better Yoga Teacher
by Kelly Fisher, Urban Yoga After almost a decade of teaching yoga as my full time career, I have had the privilege of watching some of the students who have come to my classes eventually become teachers themselves. I have had the honour of fielding their questions and helping them through those uncertain first months and years of teaching. Plus, as a huge geek when it comes to neuropsychology, yoga anatomy, yoga physiology and yoga alignment, I often help new teachers from other lineages … [Read more...]
I do: What it Really Means to Commit to Your Yoga Business
By guest author Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living Welcome back for another discussion from The Business Side of the Mat. In this article I wanted to delve a little deeper into the idea of committing to your business. When I speak of commitment, I am not referring to your commitment to your clients and students. I know that you are committed where that is concerned. I am referring to your commitment to running your business and growing it. It's about truly making the commitment that you will treat … [Read more...]