From Sherry

As for being burnt out about teaching yoga…. how long have you been teaching? And what kinds of classes do you teach?

I have been teaching since 2005 and have surely evolved in my teaching and in the students I teach to. I have seen this happen with other Yoga teachers as well. Where we start our yoga journey is not where we stay… we are constantly evolving and changing our focus. So, I would first give yourself a lot of grace as you do this soul-searching. No path in life is perfectly smooth. Then second, I would ask if you are feeling drained after you teach. If that is the case, then you may be over-extending yourself and your energy, or that you feel consciously or subconsciously that the energy exchange is not balanced. How much do you get paid for teaching and does it feel fair to you? I tell many of my teachers that they will know intuitively that it is time to drop a class, or change the pay rate, or change the focus of the class. These are all important questions that only you can ask yourself.

I find that I can teach quite a few low-pay classes when I balance it with enough high-pay classes to make me feel balanced. Money is not the most important thing, but it DOES make a difference. It is an energy exchange. When that is off kilter, burnout usually surfaces. You cannot continue to serve only from your heart.

And lastly, I would look at your self-care priority. I get bi-weekly massages, I take time to color in my mandala coloring book every day, I make special time for my husband and I to get away, I hang with my pets on the couch and just pet them and love them…. all of these simple nurturing things are important for us to stay grounded and to retain/re-gain some of the outgoing energy we expend teaching and giving. Take care of YOU!

I hope that helps! I owned a yoga studio for 10 years and I would say about 10-15% of my yoga teachers got burn out. I could see it coming before they did by the drop in attendance in their classes. Students pick up on subtle energy before you really realize you are giving out burnt-out vibes.

Take a few minutes for self care with this guided relaxation!