As I work on a collective vision for my growing business, I have watched many other yoga studios and teachers surfacing over the years. It is wonderful to see so much variety for people to choose from! However, it can also make teachers doubt what they really have to offer: who am I against all these others?
If you are a teacher feeling deflated, take some time to explore your personal philosophy as a teacher (what is important to you in a class? In your private and personal practice? What are your likes and dislikes?), and nail down your own clear idea of what you have to offer others. You will never please every student, and it’s important to recognize when to suggest other teachers to your students (example: people who find my classes “boring” are not best suited for gentle classes, they need a teacher who can challenge them physically, and I recommend other instructors).
It’s okay if someone doesn’t like your class! Help them find a class that does work them. Ultimately, this isn’t about you at all, it’s about helping people get what they need out of a yoga experience, and we don’t always know what is best for them. They need to explore and discover that for themselves as a student.
After 20 years experience I am very clear on what I offer as a gentle yoga instructor: A safe place to pause, feel, explore, release and rejuvenate. My classes are not “fitness based.” They are not a huge challenge or workout, and they are certainly not for everyone! They are designed to address whole body (physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically), to bring all these fragmented layers of ourselves back into balance and wholeness. Ideally you leave a class feeling less-stressed, calm and a deeper sense of inner strength. Although our gentle hatha classes are not traditional “restorative yoga”, they hold a similar philosophy based on targeting the nervous system to “rest and reset.”
If you are highly stressed, burned out, or need a class that is more physically accessible, then come try one of our gentle yoga classes in Port Hope (Thursdays 10:30am) or Cobourg (Tuesdays 7:00pm).
OTHER SUMMER EVENTS IN NORTHUMBERLAND 2018:
June 2nd – Yoga Fundraiser for Sylas.
July 28th – “Home” an art show and sale, with acrylic paintings of Ontario landscapes.
August 11th – Meditation Workshop, calming the turbulent mind.
Hope to see some of you there!
In Peace and Gratitude,
Jennifer Anne Burke.
Gentle Hatha Yoga | Jenni Burke 