Whether you’re a yoga teacher in a studio or forging ahead with your own wellness business, you’re inevitably going to hit some stumbling blocks on the road to success. That’s normal! But many wellness professionals don’t realize that they are often the cause of the obstacles they’re facing, and it’s a form of self sabotage. The good news is, awareness is the first step. Today I’m sharing with you the most common ways I see yoga teachers sabotage themselves, so you can get ahead of these sneaky bad habits and prevent them from derailing you as you continue on the path to success
1. Over delivering
Can I get a hands up if you’ve ever booked a client in for a 60 minute appointment but ended up spending 90 minutes with them? Let me guess, you didn’t charge them for 90 minutes. This might be something you do every single day, even if it causes you to rush and run behind schedule for the rest of the day. This is called over delivering. How else does this show up for wellness professionals? Let me count the ways! Your studio classes end on time, but instead of getting home for an early dinner you spend an extra 30 minutes chatting afterward. You’re doing the studio’s social media each week, even though it’s not included in your pay rate (I see this all the time). In a nutshell, you’re putting everyone else’s needs instead of your own. Why? Maybe you’re scared people won’t like you if you have boundaries around your time and energy. Maybe you’re distracting yourself with busy work to avoid feeling intense emotions. Get your journal out and ask yourself what’s behind the need to please, because if you want to run a successful business, you’re going to have to get used to saying no.
2. Undercharging
If you weren’t already aware that many yoga teachers and wellness entrepreneurs had money issues, the COVID-19 pandemic put them on display for all to see. All you had to do was spend 5 minutes on social media to witness the onslaught of free yoga that came at you from every direction. It was a generous gesture when everyone thought folks would be locked down for a week or two. But after week 3, I was seeing teachers and studios unrolling go fund me pages to pay their rent while STILL offering classes for free. Why not charge appropriately from the start so you can operate sustainably for the long term? Also, when you give away too much for free you end up with a really entitled audience who doesn’t want to pay for anything.
Check in with yourself. If you need 90 minutes for a client session, then charge for that! Don’t charge for 60 minutes just because you think that’s what you’re supposed to do and then feel resentful of how much time you’re spending on your students. Healers prioritize others’ needs before their own, but doing so quickly becomes a fast lane to burn out. Charge appropriately from the start so you can finally step out of lack and scarcity. Not sure how? Keep reading.
3. You let people pick your brain
This has happened to me and I’m sure it’s happened to you too. You’re at a party and someone inevitably finds out you’re a yoga teacher, so they saunter over and start asking you how to cure their back pain. Instead of handing them your card and telling them how to book a session, you start answering their questions on the spot, offering to make them free videos, etc. I know it seems like you’re being helpful, but you’re actually not. What are the chances this person is going to actually do what you recommended on their own? Ask yourself what would happen if someone approached a dentist instead of a yoga teacher at this gathering. Would he examine him or her right there at the party? Of course not, because he can’t provide the appropriate attention, resources, or expertise in that environment. Neither can you. Start acting like a professional and requiring those who want your support to book in as clients, just like with any other professional.
I was recently approached by a man on the beach who wanted me to “show him some yoga moves”. As I probed him further, I discovered he had two knee replacements and a spinal issue. There was no way I could get him the appropriate protocol with people milling around and his kids pulling him into the water. He kept pressing, though, so I told him how it works when someone hires me. Maybe he wasn’t pleased in that moment, but he certainly respects my professionalism and knows I don’t mess around. Plus, I got to have my family time at the beach like I wanted.
4. Putting work ahead of their own practice
This is far more common than you think. Yoga teachers and healers are so caught up in trying to make their business work, they shove their practice progressively lower on the priority list. Here’s the problem: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Your energy influences your mindset which influences your business strategy. You’ve got to take care of your energy before you attempt to manage anything else. Otherwise, you’re on track to get lackluster results. If you’re stuck in fear and taking action from that place, what kind of clients and projects do you think you attract from that place? In the rare moments I have tried to put my business ahead of my practice I ended up getting half assed results in both areas. BUT when I prioritize my practice I feel so phenomenal, everything else in my life, business included, works out beautifully because I have the energy to show up and handle it like a professional. I’ve given to myself, and therefore have plenty to give to others. I’ve met many yoga teachers who keep trying to pour from an empty cup, and unfortunately, the longer their practice stagnates, the more their career does too.
5. They get caught up in codependent studio relationships
This might be the most ubiquitous of all the sabotages, and I was certainly guilty of it during my first few years working as an independent contractor. You know exactly what this looks like: You have a really nice friendship with a yoga studio owner, so you don’t push back to when your paycheck bounces. Or when they give your packed class to another teacher. Or when you ask for a raise and they accuse you of being greedy and “not yogic”. Let me break this down for you quickly and easily: you are entitled to earn enough wealth you to thrive in life and you deserve to do it without getting tripped up by anyone else’s drama or toxic behaviors. If every single Yoga Teacher out there committed to holding them selves to higher standards in their work environment, this problem will be rectified in matter of months. But they don’t, so they tolerate poor communication, for financial management, and “bosses” with no business or leadership skills. Sounds familiar? I opted out from this BS many years ago and you can too.
Want to know how?
Click here to register for my free webinar how to finally make money. We go live on June 22 EST. The event will be recorded, so don’t worry if you can’t attend live. The replay will be sent to all registrants to use as they continue to step up their career game.
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