Angelica GovaertOwner/Founder, Yogalebrity · Online Yoga Empire Builder

Learn to Teach Yoga and Love What You Do #yogateacher #yogateachertraining

10 Oct 2024 · 1 min

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In this candid monologue, a yoga teacher reflects on the often‑unspoken challenges of owning and teaching at a yoga studio. While many imagine the work as serene and uplifting, the speaker describes dealing with students who are frequently broken, disillusioned, sad, or depressed, and the emotional toll this can take. The teacher recounts experiencing gaslighting from peers who dismiss these difficulties, urging listeners to recognize that yoga classes are not a substitute for counseling. Emphasizing professional boundaries, the speaker asserts that yoga teachers are not therapists and should not feel obligated to tolerate abusive or manipulative behavior from students.

Chapters

You would think that owning a yoga studio is magnificent and fun and amazing, and it's all hugs and om. But actually, it's just dealing with people, and people are oftentimes broken and disillusioned and actually quite sad and depressed. And because of that, sometimes as a yoga teacher, people aren't always going to be as kind to you as what they could be. I've been gaslighted by a lot of my peers where they just tell me, well, you know what, hurt people hurt people, don't take it personally. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your experience as a yoga teacher. People will often come to yoga and what they really need is counseling. And no, you don't have to put up with someone's bullshit just because you're a yoga teacher. No, you don't have to hold space for that at all. We are not therapists, we are yoga teachers.