Advertise on podcast: Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

I once sat next to the drummer from Loverboy on a plane, and we realized our lives were almost identical-city to city, same performance, different crowd, trying to find a salad somewhere. Except he was an actual rock star, and I was coming back from teaching yoga at an REI store in Minneapolis. In this episode, I'm sharing what sponsorships and brand ambassador deals actually look like from the inside. I'll walk you through my journey from cold-pitching Athleta in 2008 to a multi-year, five-figure deal with prAna that sent me touring REI and MEC stores across North America. You'll hear about the wonderful moments—meeting colleagues' parents, visiting cities I never would have seen otherwise, even writing most of my book Racing Wisely during airport downtime. But I'm also honest about the reality: most of the time wasn't spent teaching. It was logistics, travel, and trying to find fiber. If sponsorships aren't on your horizon yet, I've got something practical for you. I'm breaking down the discount programs that major yoga apparel brands offer teachers right now, including 50% off at prAna, 25% off at Lululemon, and 25% off at Athleta. These aren't sponsorships; they're perks of being in this profession. Listen now! Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

If you've ever spent three hours planning a sixty-minute yoga class—or shown up with nothing but vibes and hoped for the best—this episode is for you. I'm unpacking what I call the Planning-Confidence Cycle: the exhausting trap that keeps yoga teachers bouncing between meticulous overpreparation and chronic underpreparing. Here's the thing: neither extreme gives you what you actually want. Overplanning leaves you too in your head to see your students. Winging it leaves you uncertain whether your class is even balanced. And both feed the anxiety that keeps the cycle spinning. The ancient yoga teachers understood this tension deeply. In this episode, I'm exploring how sthira and sukha (steadiness and ease) and abhyasa and vairagya (practice and nonattachment) offer us a framework for finding the middle path—where preparation enables responsiveness instead of rigidity. You'll learn practical steps for breaking the cycle: recognizing your tendency, embracing the power of repetition, developing a framework you trust, and experiencing your sequences before you teach them. Plus, I'm inviting you to join the February Lesson Plan Challenge inside The Prep Station—four weeks, four complete lesson plans, practiced in your body and ready to teach. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Instagram can feel like a second job-especially when you became a yoga teacher to teach, not to perform online. In this episode, I share a simple reframe that takes the pressure down fast: your job on social media is not to entertain the algorithm. Your job is to help the right students find the next step into yoga with you. I walk through three struggles I hear from yoga teachers all the time: hating social media and feeling guilty, spending lots of time on Instagram without seeing fuller classes, and feeling confused about what Instagram is even for if you teach locally. You'll leave with a clear, minimalist way to treat Instagram like a calm little "foyer"-a reassuring business card for the nervous beginner who has already heard your name. Listen now! Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

When I started teaching yoga at the UNC Wellness Center, I had to complete hospital safety training about bloodborne pathogens and biohazard spills. I was teaching yoga in a gym. The odds of encountering a biohazard during downward-facing dog were essentially zero. But they paid me for that training time, and there were snacks at the meetings—so I wasn't complaining. Teaching at gyms and YMCAs isn't a consolation prize for yoga teachers who can't get hired at studios. It's one of the best possible training grounds for becoming a skilled, adaptable teacher. In this episode, I'm sharing why those six years at the UNC Wellness Center made me a dramatically better teacher than I would have been starting in a boutique studio. You'll learn why the straightforward application process, surprising benefits like free childcare and gym memberships, and exposure to large diverse classes build skills you can't get anywhere else. I'm also covering the real challenges—fluorescent lighting, multipurpose rooms, limited equipment—and how those constraints actually make you a more versatile teacher. Whether you're a new teacher looking for your first position or an experienced teacher considering a gym opportunity, this episode will help you see why teaching in less-than-perfect conditions creates the strongest foundation for your teaching career. LINKS: 🎙️ Listen to all episodes: https://sagerountree.com/podcast?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=e64_gyms 🧘 Join The Zone: https://www.comfortzoneyoga.com?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=e64_gyms 📚 The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook: https://sagerountree.com/the-professional-yoga-teachers-handbook?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=e64_gyms Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Most new yoga teachers approach studios completely wrong. They send generic emails, mention how much they need the work, and haven't taken a single class at the studio they're asking to teach at. Some even copy-paste so carelessly that they mention the wrong studio's name. In this episode, I'm sharing the exact approach that gets yoga teachers hired—the one that makes you stand out from the hundreds of other applicants studio owners receive every year. This isn't about luck or connections. It's about professionalism and intentionality. I walk you through the seven-step process I teach in The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook: from choosing your studio strategically, to becoming a student first, to writing an email that actually gets read, to following up professionally without being pushy. I also share what NOT to say in your initial approach—the red flags that get your email deleted immediately. Whether you're a newly certified teacher looking for your first gig or an experienced teacher relocating to a new area, this episode gives you the roadmap for approaching studios in a way that demonstrates you understand you're entering both a community and a business. Resources mentioned: The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook by Sage Rountree: https://amzn.to/3X7XknB Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

I've spent twenty years watching yoga teachers struggle with the same pattern. They finish their training, start teaching, and then something happens. They're standing in front of three students wondering what they're doing wrong. They're scrambling every Sunday night to plan Monday's class. Or they never start teaching at all because the imposter syndrome is too loud. Here's what most teacher trainings won't tell you: more knowledge doesn't cure imposter syndrome. Clear, confident teaching cures imposter syndrome. That comes from having practical systems you can actually use. In this episode, I'm walking through how we can work together in 2026—not what trainings you should collect, but how working together could actually transform your teaching. Whether you're the teacher staring at a blank page every Sunday night, ready to master core sequencing skills, drawn to specialization, or not even a teacher yet—there's a pathway designed for exactly where you are right now. You'll learn about the Yoga Class Prep Station for immediate help, Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing mentorship, specialization programs that build toward your 300-hour advanced training, and the 200-hour training I'm co-teaching with Amy Boerner in Dominica this May. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Most yoga teachers feel secretly terrified about teaching meditation. You know how to cue a vinyasa, but when it comes to that moment where you ask students to sit still and turn inward, the panic sets in. Who am I to guide someone's meditation practice? In this conversation with Gabrielle Harris—author of Lessons in Meditation, The Language of Yin, and The Inspired Yoga Teacher—we unpack why teachers struggle with imposter syndrome and what to do about it. Gabrielle shares her evolution from hot power yoga to yin, how her daily writing practice informs her teaching, and why the simplest meditation techniques often go the deepest. We talk about the difference between mindfulness and meditation (yes, there is one), the Daoist principle of the middle way, and why your students came for the movement but are staying for the stillness. Gabrielle also shares the Navy Seals research on optimal meditation time—spoiler: it's only seven minutes. If you've ever wanted to bring more meditation into your classes but felt unsure where to start, this episode will give you permission to begin simply and trust what you already know. Resources: Gabrielle Harris: https://gabrielleharrisyoga.com Gabrielle on Instagram: @gabrielleharrisyoga Lessons in Meditation: https://amzn.to/4pJuo0V The Inspired Yoga Teacher: https://amzn.to/4rDHU8b The Language of Yin: https://amzn.to/4rDHU8b Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

When Lana Boone first started teaching formats beyond her familiar Baptiste sequence, she was terrified. Today, she's the lead teacher at Yoga Six in Potomac, Maryland, confidently teaching everything from power to restorative to sound bath—and her classes are filling up. In this conversation, Lana shares how the 6-4-2 framework and chunking approach completely transformed her lesson planning. She went from spending hours trying to memorize set sequences to creating balanced classes in fifteen minutes. And her students? They love the consistency of practicing the same sequence for a full month. We also talk about Jenny Rawlings' biomechanics work and why it pairs so perfectly with what I teach. Lana shares how understanding the "why" behind alignment gave her the confidence to answer student questions she never could have addressed before—including the moment a student declared her "the only one who understands biomechanics" in the entire studio. If you've ever felt stuck in a teaching rut, scared to branch out into new formats, or overwhelmed by lesson planning, this episode will show you what's possible when you have the right frameworks in place. Resources Mentioned: Jenni Rawlings' Biomechanics Courses: https://jennirawlingsyoga.comFind Lana at lanaboone.comMMM Open House Private Podcast: https://podcasts.helloaudio.fm/subscribe/f6d50821-7933-49f6-9c1c-c8b2c16160d2/Jgbbr1r0b5MMM Open House YouTube Course: Watch on YouTubeWant to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Most 200-hour yoga teacher trainings teach you how to do yoga—but they don't teach you how to teach yoga. If you've been through a training yourself, you know exactly what I mean. You spent weeks learning Sanskrit names, memorizing muscles, and perfecting your own poses. Then they handed you a certificate and said you're a yoga teacher now. Except you didn't really feel like one. In this episode, I'm taking you back to 2003 when I chose my own 200-hour training by looking through the printed pages of Yoga Journal. I'm sharing what made that training brilliant, what I learned from watching my business partner go through a different program, and how running our own training for nearly a decade taught me what works and what doesn't. Then I'm telling you about the 200-hour training I'm building right now with my colleague Amy Boerner. It's designed to teach you how to teach first—giving you the pedagogical foundation most trainings skip—and then lets you practice teaching real humans at a gorgeous eco-resort in Dominica. The online portion opens January 1, 2026, and the on-the-ground intensive runs May 12 through 26, 2026. If you've been thinking about becoming a yoga teacher, or if you've already done a 200-hour and know something was missing, this episode will show you what's possible when a training prioritizes teaching skills over pose knowledge. Listen now. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Most yoga teachers end the year measuring what they didn't accomplish. The workshops they didn't lead, the certifications they didn't finish, the Instagram following that didn't grow. But here's what I've learned after two decades of teaching: you're probably measuring the wrong things. In this episode, I'm walking you through the reflection framework I use in my mentorship—roses, thorns, and buds—and showing you how to create a Bridge Statement that turns your 2025 lessons into clear 2026 intentions. You'll learn about the Four Dimensions of Teaching Growth (consistency, connection, competence, and confidence) and discover why most teachers only measure one of them. I'll show you how to identify what you're keeping, dropping, and adding in 2026, and how to turn that reflection into sustainable intentions instead of resolutions that fizzle by February. We'll cover the Three-Part Intention Framework: your structural intention, your skill intention, and your self-care intention. If you want to do this work together, I'm hosting two free live calls in The Zone: December 18th at 2 p.m. Eastern: Your 2025 Teaching Year in Review (152)January 15th at 2 p.m. Eastern: Designing Your 2026 Teaching (153)Both calls include workbooks, community discussion, and replays. You're already a better teacher than you were a year ago. You just might not be measuring the right things. Listen now! Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

The most awkward yoga class I ever taught? When my husband raised his hand mid-class like a third grader to ask if he was doing it right. If you're teaching through the holidays, you're probably about to experience your own version of this—friends, family, and visiting relatives showing up to your class. In this episode, we're diving into one of the most complex dynamics in yoga teaching: what happens when people who know you outside the yoga room show up to your class, and what it means when your students bring their loved ones to practice with you. We'll explore why teaching friends and family is uniquely challenging (hint: it's about competing relationship dynamics, not respect), how to navigate these situations gracefully, and why a student bringing someone to your class is actually one of the highest compliments you can receive as a teacher. You'll learn practical strategies for setting expectations, maintaining boundaries while staying warm, welcoming guests effectively, and handling those inevitable awkward moments when things don't go as planned. Plus, we'll touch on the ethics of romantic relationships in yoga teaching—because someone needs to say it. Whether you're a new teacher worried about your mom showing up or an experienced teacher preparing for holiday visitors, this episode gives you the frameworks you need to turn these complex situations into opportunities for deeper connection and better teaching. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

I've been creating yoga video content since the DVD era—and I've made just about every mistake you can make along the way. From losing the rights to my own videos to stress-recording live classes while trying to serve paying students, my journey with video has been full of hard-won lessons. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on 20+ years of creating yoga videos. I'll share what worked, what didn't, and the one mistake I will never make again. Whether you're thinking about recording your first workshop video or building an entire online library, this episode will save you years of trial and error. You'll learn my biggest regrets (hello, contract nightmares), the "two masters" problem of recording live classes, how to start with minimal equipment, and which platforms actually work for yoga teachers. I'll also share why I didn't pivot online during the pandemic—and why that decision was right for my studio. Teaching yoga on video can be one of the most sustainable, scalable revenue streams for yoga teachers. But you need to know what you're getting into first. Let me help you avoid the mistakes that cost me time, money, and peace of mind. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Most yoga teachers avoid watching themselves teach. The cringe factor is real. But self-assessment through video recording is the single most effective—and completely free—tool you have for evolving as a teacher. In this episode, we're diving deep into the second E in my S.E.R.V.E. Method: Evolve Your Voice. I'm sharing the complete framework I teach in Module One of Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing—the multi-pass review system, reflection techniques, and advanced strategies that transform video self-assessment from a painful one-time exercise into a sustainable practice for continuous growth. You'll learn how to set clear intentions before recording, use the structured observation system to identify both strengths and growth areas, close the loop with actionable next steps, and track your evolution over time. Plus, I'm sharing advanced techniques like embodied review (practicing along with your own recording) and linguistic analysis that reveal patterns you'd never notice just by watching. This isn't about perfection—it's about becoming more fully, more skillfully, more authentically yourself in service of your students. If you're ready to commit to your evolution as a teacher, this episode will show you exactly how. Resources mentioned: Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing mentorship at https://sagerountree.com/mentorship?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=e59_self_assessmentThe Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook: https://amzn.to/3X7XknBJoin the Zone free community at https://comfortzoneyoga.com/c/the-zone?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=e59_self_assessmentDescript (affiliate): https://get.descript.com/ug54o2d6yfaqWant to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

After two decades of teaching yoga and training teachers, I've noticed something profound: some of my most meaningful moments happen when I visit the teacher trainees of my former students. These metaphorical grandchildren—students of my students—represent what Phase 5 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline is truly about. Phase 5 isn't about age or years of experience. It's about the depth of your impact and your readiness to share what you've learned with the next generation of teachers. In this episode, I'm exploring the signs that you're entering this Mastery and Legacy Zone, from having significant recognition in your specialty to feeling teaching become effortless and joyful. I'm also sharing what I've learned about the tricky ego dynamics that can emerge when people start looking to you as an expert, the responsibilities that come with holding master's knowledge while maintaining beginner's mind, and how your impact multiplies when you shift from being a great teacher to becoming a teacher of teachers. Whether you're already in Phase 5 or steering toward it, this episode offers a vision of what's possible when your growth serves not just yourself, but everyone around you.After two decades of teaching yoga and training teachers, I've noticed something profound: some of my most meaningful moments happen when I visit the teacher trainees of my former students. These metaphorical grandchildren—students of my students—represent what Phase 5 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline is truly about. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

There's a phase that happens before yoga teacher training even begins—a liminal space where you're no longer just a student, but you're not yet ready to call yourself a teacher. I call it Phase Zero. Maybe you find yourself mentally teaching along during class, wondering why the teacher chose that particular sequence. Maybe people keep telling you that you should be a teacher, or you're naturally the one helping other students find their way. Maybe you feel called to share yoga with specific populations—your stressed coworkers, your athletic friends, your aging parents. In this episode, I'm breaking down the eight signs of Phase Zero, why this awakening period is actually necessary, and how to navigate the doubts and fears that come up. I'm also sharing practical steps you can take right now to honor this calling and prepare thoughtfully for what comes next. If you've been secretly wondering whether you could teach yoga, or if you're feeling drawn to teaching but aren't sure you're qualified, this episode will help you understand what you're experiencing and how to move forward with confidence. Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there! For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials: Instagram Facebook Threads Bluesky Pinterest And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...