Stress: Self-Care & Burnout

• If you wish to teach yoga for some time, a key learning is that stress is as likely as in other career choices.
• In an excellent Yoga International article, James Keogh gives solid and detailed information, inspiration, support and tools for yoga teachers facing stress and burnout. The article includes stories of high-functioning yoga teachers and studio owners who have faced struggles and how they got through them. The article covers the following:

Yoga Teacher Stressors – The author provides an excellent summary: money woes, business stressors, compassion fatigue, loss of practice and a sense of isolation. Read examples of not having the ability to hold space any longer and the burnout from having a studio.

Making Changes – Reducing stress levels and learning to manage stress better are explained through examples of how teachers and studio owners made changes and how long it took to get through them.

Overcoming Burnout – Sweetly categorized as “replenish, restore and connect,” there is information on stages of adrenal stress, adaptation, adrenal exhaustion, and physical burnout.

Not for the Faint of Heart

Teaching yoga is a soulful, satisfying job, but it’s not for the faint of heart. You’ll go through significant financial ups and downs. You’ll have your ego over-inflated one day and raked through the coals the next day. And, you’ll probably work more hours than you think. This isn’t to dissuade you from being a teacher. It’s to help you have clear expectations about the livelihood you’ve chosen. When your expectations are in-line with the reality of teaching yoga, you’re much more likely to be happy and satisfied as a teacher. – Jason Crandell