determination, teaching, yoga

Beginning: What Babe Ruth Teaches Yogis About Landing Teaching Gigs

Christa Avampato
The late great Babe Ruth - a man who never gave up

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” ~ Babe Ruth via @Inspire_Us

Last week I attended a wonderful event put on by BizeeBee, the creator of software to help yoga studios and instructors better manage their business, and the always delightful Yogadork. Poornima and Jennilyn, the gracious hosts, put together a list of questions to get our small group talking and sharing ideas of how to grow our yoga businesses and what products and services would be helpful. To no surprise my pitta nature (a.k.a., my fiery, supportive, build-your-own-road persona) was present in full force. I was surrounded by really talented yogis who have something very vital to offer this world. I didn’t want to see them sell themselves short.

One woman explained that she was trying to grow her private client list through partnership and one of the partners she wanted to work with was a flake. I’m sorry to say that some stereotypes exist for a reason, and some yoga instructors are not known for their timely responses, nor for organization. I told this very talented, obviously caring teacher that she couldn’t let a flakey partner prevent her from moving forward. That flakey partner doesn’t deserve her – time to move on and find a new partner.

Non-yogic, you say? Isn’t yoga all about sunshine and rainbows and butterflies? Sure – just make sure you can live your yoga teaching existence in la-la land. I live my yoga teaching existence in NYC, and in case no one told you yoga teachers here are a dime a dozen. Now when I meet new people I just assume they also have a 200 hour certification or know someone else who does. It’s that prevalent. I don’t make my living teaching yoga, but it’s a nice boost to my bank account and it gives me a feeling of real purpose and usefulness. When I teach I am part of something greater than myself, and that’s why I want to teach as much as I can. This means I have to hustle, network, and dedicate a lot of time to drumming up new business. All teachers, particularly new ones, need to do the same thing.

What I find unconscionable is that yoga training programs don’t tell you that piece of the puzzle. They take your money to the tune of $2500+, leading you to believe that this brand new life is just around the bend waiting for you. They hand you a certificate of completion, maybe give you a couple of hours about the business of being a yoga instructor, and send you on your way into the big wide world. It can feel like someone just stole your wallet and tossed you off a cliff. How’s that for non-yogic? It’s sickening.

There is a “traditional” path that you can follow. You pledge undying allegiance to a studio where you trained, pay an additional boatload of money to take classes at that studio or take more training, and hope you may get to sub (which can be very last-minute and at unfortunate times like 7am on a Monday), do a community by-donation class, and then land a regular gig. That works very well for some people, and by all means I applaud them for finding their success! I couldn’t take that road. It didn’t feel authentic and my schedule is too hectic to take a road that I didn’t design myself. I also have a mountain of school loans to pay. Plus, I think the system really takes advantage of new teachers and I didn’t want to feed that system.

I put together this list of ideas of how to land your first yoga teaching gigs if that traditional road isn’t for you. I hope you find them helpful or know someone whom you can pass them on to. Got questions? Leave a comment on this post or contact me via email or Twitter.

5 ways to land your first yoga teaching gigs:
1.) Offer up your teaching services for free. This will give you experience and practice. Teaching is a muscle – to get better at it, you have to practice whenever and wherever you can. If you’re interested in teaching free classes through nonprofit organizations, check out my Karmi’s Angels program that I created through Compass Yoga.

2.) Check Craig’s List. That’s how I found my first gig. New York Methodist Hospital needed a yoga teacher for pediatrics, geriatric psych, and physical rehab. I wanted to teach in a therapeutic setting to see if that might be my teacher calling. Happily, it was a match!

3.) Get your basic business building blocks in place: business cards, a website, a blog, a twitter account, and a Linked-in profile. Not a blogger? Don’t worry – just post links to yoga stories that you find interesting and of course give credit to the sources. Promoting the work of others is a great way to network that has great karmic value. Start putting yourself out there and when you meet people who are interested in your expertise, you will have a place to send them for more info.

4.) Fill a niche. Think about what you have to offer as a teacher, and then find a population that needs your skills. There is no end to the number of places and types of people who need more yoga. I wanted to work with underserved populations, people who don’t have access to regular yoga classes. Nonprofits were perfect partners for me to contact, and I sent off email after email until I filled up my roster to the point that I had to start passing gigs to other yoga teachers. It’s a lot of work, but I really wanted to teach and the work paid off.

5.) Don’t give up. Seriously. You will be tempted. You will kick yourself wondering what on Earth ever possessed you to spend all that money on teacher training. Instead, channel that energy into determination. Take a note from the late great Babe Ruth. It’s really true – you can’t lose if you never give up. You’ll find your road, I promise you. There may be some wrong turns and dead ends. Don’t let that deter you. If you really want to teach, you’ll find your students.

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Published by Christa Avampato

The short of it: Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day. The long of it: My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events. While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series. A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist. My company: I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media: • I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference; • I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable; • I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me. Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.

46 thoughts on “Beginning: What Babe Ruth Teaches Yogis About Landing Teaching Gigs”

  1. Congratulations and thanks, Christa. You are really providing some great tools for emerging yoga teachers. I finished YTT in 1999, in a time and place where yoga teachers were much in demand Moving back to NY in 2003 was a real eye opener for me in terms of availability of work. I am not actively teaching right now, but grateful for my training, which serves me in all my endeavors. I like your blog very much. – Solange

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    1. Hi Solange! Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your experience. It’s amazing how much the yoga landscape has changed, particularly in NYC. I hope you find your way back to teaching!

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  2. As a writer by profession and passion, I’m astounded at how many of your tips cross over to my side as well! Seems there are many similarities between being a freelancer and a yoga instructor.

    Best of luck to you. 🙂

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    1. Hi Mikalee,
      There are absolutely so many crossovers between yoga and writing. I have found that the two reinforce one another in my life in tremendous ways. I’d love to read some of your writing – where can I find it?

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  4. Great article. It makes me nuts how certain studios churn out instructors but neglect to tell them the market is flooded. The mantle of “teacher” is a sacred one and unfortunately in Los Angeles there are many that do not respect that title. They are more like personal trainers than yogi’s but I suppose this is their path. Your suggestions are really good ones and obviously come from a pure place. I’m an Iyengar fruitcake and am very lucky to practice with those that have been teachering for over 30 years.

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    1. I agree – being a teacher is a true honor and has to be treated a journey. Where do you practice Iyengar? Any LA studio recommendations?

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  6. Great post! Love the quote, “…you can’t lose if you never give up.” I think it applies to any thing that a person may want to pursue to life. Often times, when things go wrong, it seems like you made the worst choice in the world, but it’s precisely during these times that you need to pick yourself up again and keep trying. And you may have to repeat this pattern several times over before thigns work out!………..My favourite quote: “the path to success is often riddled with failure!” 🙂

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    1. I love your quote! Failure leads us to awareness, which can only help lead us eventually to success in so many areas of our lives.

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  7. Great points for any new venture. The market is never flooded with excellence in any field. If you have in mind serving with integrity and add business smarts, you are going to do well. Christa, maybe you would like to start a post grad class to help the less business oriented grads of yoga schools get a handle on this stuff. I’m sure you would be in demand.

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    1. Trish – what a great idea! I never thought of just doing a class on the subject and it makes so much sense. Will need to figure out how to market and where and when to hold. Thanks for inspiring (and always supporting!) me.

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  8. From one Christa to another… first of all- congratulations on being selected for FP, and I totally agree with your points on starting a new venture- it could be yoga or anything else, really- you have to put yourself out there and seek out opportunities. In this day and age- with so much uncertainty in the job market etc- we all have to put in extra effort and be a bit creative. Great blog you have here!

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    1. Another Christa? How exciting! It is true that these tips work well for just about any venture. Creativity and effort in combination never fail us. Need to check out your blog!

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    1. Thanks for checking out my Tumblr blog, Georgette! You have quite a varied and exciting life – will check out your blog, too.

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  12. Great post! Wow, this hits a nerve with me. I’m a pharmacist but also teach and practive holistic healing and love to write and have been extremely frustrated with my lack of understanding of how to turn my creative life into a more lucrative venture. Getting a job is all I’ve ever known (for 25 years I’ve received a paycheck every 2 weeks) so it’s terriflying to imagine how I can nurture my creativeness and make that work for me instead of me being “strapped” to my job. I have so much respect for those who seem to know how to navigate the world of “drumming up business, networking, finding your niche.” Thanks for sharing your tried and true list!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the post! I encourage you to just give it a shot in building your own income from a creative venture. Start small and no need to give up your secure income to do so. I actually teach yoga and and write on a freelance basis all while working full-time in financial services. The variety keeps all my projects fresh and interesting. Let me know if there’s any advice / help / support I can offer!

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  13. Loved this post. I’m ashamed to say that I started off thinking I would have little interest in the topic i.e. yoga but this is smart and punchy with very transferable advice. it is what I love about freshly pressed – sometimes the posts you least expect turn out to be the best! Congrats on being freshly pressed yourself.

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    1. Thanks so much for reading the post and being open minded. I’m so happy that it was better than you expected it to be! Will check out your blog, too.

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  14. Christa,

    What a terrific post. So many interesting tips you have shared.

    However, all said and done, I think we need to say three cheers to you for your hard work and dedication–it shows.

    I just know in my heart of hearts that there are so many lost souls out there who need your kind of expertise and would stand to benefit from your yogic instructions.

    Already, you have added value and changed the lives for the better for so many people who have been lucky enough to be taught by you or who have met you in person.

    You have been in this game for the longest time and please continue with your yoga teaching and training and pursue it to its logical conclusion.

    I would imagine there are thousands and thousands of people living in the Big Apple who need to de-stress and seek relief from their hectic lifestyles.

    For them, yoga is a catharsis that can heal broken hearts and help to relieve them of the pain and pressures of daily living.

    I know that, in my case, every time I sit down to meditate, I cannot help but feel thankful for this inner journey and there is a sense of gratitude.

    It would have been great to have had an instructor like you, years ago, when I felt the pangs of ignorance and suffered in silence because I did not know about the therapy of yoga.

    Thanks for enlightening us and providing so much of your earthy wisdom. We feel deeply grateful to you. Cheers.

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    1. Hi Archan,
      You are always so supportive of my efforts and endeavors. I’ve been lucky to have so many guides and teachers along the way – some were tough to deal with but I learned something from each. now it’s my turn to give back any way I can.

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  16. Babe Ruth was a man not to be soon equalled or outdone. He shared the limelight with greats such as Lou Gehrig,and
    Joe DiMaggio. He had a positivity that Yogis would find inspiring. Great ball player and man. Like the blog. Today I’ve added another article on my blog also. http://thor27.wordpress.com

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  21. Great article. It makes me nuts how certain studios churn out instructors but neglect to tell them the market is flooded. The mantle of “teacher” is a sacred one and unfortunately in Los Angeles there are many that do not respect that title. They are more like personal trainers than yogi’s but I suppose this is their path. Your suggestions are really good ones and obviously come from a pure place. I’m an Iyengar fruitcake and am very lucky to practice with those that have been teachering for over 30 years.

    Like

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  22. It was an uneven episode. Even Fey couldn’t save some of it. There were some good sketches, but they over did Bin Laden. I think Bill Hader stole the show again this week as he does most weeks. He is the only cast member that delivers laughs and week after week. This was a better than average episode of snl, but that’s not saying much. Can’t wait for Ed helms though.

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    1. Thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment and for stopping in. This blog has been a labor of love for 4+ years and I feel so lucky to show up here daily with such a wonderful community. It has been such a gift for me!

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