There are few things in my life that have been as challenging (or frustrating) than marketing my yoga business. I don’t know about you, but I was formally trained in Journalism and Downward Facing Dog. Until recently I had very little training in marketing and/or running a business.

It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that I struggled for years. And I have made SO many mistakes.

But the biggest problem I had wasn’t a lack of education, but a deeply-rooted fear of putting myself, my yoga, out there.

Marketing my yoga business felt terrifying, so I just opted out.

I never wanted to be sales person.

I don’t want to shove yoga down anyone’s throat. (It’s not for everyone, and that’s cool.)

Before I hit that “post” button, I used to pause and think about what people would think—the wrong people who would never take my yoga classes anyway but that’s beside the point.

It felt like a stab to my heart when someone unsubscribed from my email list. So to avoid this feeling… I just didn’t emails regularly.

I’d use the old “I don’t have time” excuse. Sometimes, I lamented about how “commercial” my beloved yoga had become. And my yoga classes? Well, they didn’t exactly flourish because people didn’t know about them. Or they forgot about them.

Or was it just that I was a terrible yoga teacher and nobody LIKES ME!… 😩 😢 😭

I’m being dramatic here to make a point.

But it actually feels pretty true to how I’ve felt about marketing my yoga business—too scared to move, too scared to make a mistake.

It wasn’t fight or flight. It was deer in the headlights.

Maybe you can relate.

How Things Changed for Me

It’s been a process, and I’m still learning. But I can say I have mostly overcome my BIGGEST fears about showing to market my yoga classes … and I didn’t do it by hustling more or forcing myself to do things that didn’t feel authentic to me. 

I’ve made the most progress by approaching marketing my yoga business in the same way I’ve learned to approach challenging yoga poses that have brought up fear for me.

See 5 Mistakes almost Every Yoga Teacher Makes.

5 Things Handstand Taught me About Marketing My Yoga Business

1. It’s OK to feel scared.

In business, boldness is often treated like some sort of prerequisite. Don’t wait for the net–just jump! Go all in! Don’t have a back up plan! I’m sorry, but how is this good advice for people who have bills to pay? Working with challenging (and sometimes scary!) poses like Handstand has helped me to realize that it’s OK to feel how I feel. In fact, it’s human. That fear of my head crashing into the hard floor is not only a reasonable concern, it’s there to protect me from doing somethings stupid. And it’s the same in business. Am I scared to quit my day job and go all in on teaching yoga when I’m making $20 a class, YES! And that’s not a bad thing.

2. Create safeguards. 

You know where a good place to learn handstand is when you’re feeling scared… a wall! In a supportive environment with a teacher you trust to keep you safe. When it comes to marketing your yoga business, consider surrounding yourself with other people who you know will support you and cheer you on (like my Facebook group for yoga teachers!). Then, by all means, set yourself up so that your yoga classes aren’t your only source of income-keep that day job, find a side hustle, and don’t be ashamed to lean on it until you’ve developed the skills you need to balance on your own.

See also Is It Safe?: Inversions During Pregnancy

3. Patience, Grasshopper. 

No one expects to be able to nail a challenging yoga asana the first time they try it. There are the few outliers who were born with just the right body type or who have been studying gymnastics since they were 3, but most of us have to build up to it slowly over a long period of time. Most of the financially successful yoga teachers are not overnight successes, but have been working at this for decades. If this is really REALLY what you’re born to do, you’ll get there when the timing is right, too.

4. Be consistent and steady.

If I tried Handstand once, fell on my face, and then declared it impossible.. it would be impossible.

Growing a yoga business is the same way.

You have to keep showing up–even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. You have to be willing to lose your balance and try again. You have to keep tweaking things, shifting, approaching it from a different angle. You might have to say the same thing 14 different ways before it clicks. (You should be a pro at that, since that’s a part of your job description as a yoga teacher!)

5. Find a guide.  

Can you learn the most challenging yoga poses from locking yourself in a room by yourself and trying them over and over and over again. Probably.

Would it be much faster, more efficient, and pleasant if you went to a yoga teacher who can show you the techniques, give you tips, and celebrate with you when you finally nail that pose?

YES!

So, why do we yoga teachers hesitate so much to get help with our yoga businesses? Why do we keep trying to do it ourselves, reinventing the wheel, when those who have gone before us are willing to share their formulas?

Learning from someone else is the only real shortcut I know of!

If you’re looking for strategies to catapult your growth as a yoga business, you need a coach or mentor who can help guide you.  

I’d like to help you the same way my coaches and mentors have helped me.

So, I’m offering a free training next week to share some things I’ve learned.

Here’s what we’ll talk about:

• The 3 most important things to consider before you plan out your yoga marketing strategy. 
• How to stop wasting your time on tasks that aren’t helping you build your business (so you have more time to spend making your classes amazing!)
• Creating more ease in your day through building a plan and sticking to it.

Sign up here.

I can’t wait to strategize with you!