The Connected Yoga Teacher

Has your local yoga studio been able to survive the pandemic so far 2020 has finally ended, but it was the year the challenged us all as yoga practitioners and leaders to pivot, learn, connect, grow and breathe through all the changes. Studio owners have faced some of the toughest challenges in our yoga world. As many cities around the world went into lockdown and businesses were forced to close, studio owners have often had to continue to pay rent just to keep the sp...ace available, and as the lockdown stretched into eternity, covering those costs has been an enormous challenge that many small (and large) studios have not been able to sustain. Shannon met with Nicole Blackwood earlier in 2020 as she tried to figure out a way forward as a studio owner, and they worked through scenarios for keeping the studio alive in such a challenging time. Nicole opened Embody Yoga & Wellness in St John’s, Canada with a vision to create a space that allows people to experience the benefits of yoga regardless of age, physical condition, or experience level. Nicole focuses on offering a warm and intimate refuge for her students to focus on their wellbeing, and so her studio is a much-needed and valued resource in her community. She just needed to find a way to keep it going. Shannon and Nicole share how they worked through scenarios for keeping the studio alive in such a challenging time and ultimately, Nicole shares how she found the solution to make that work. This is an uplifting story of how Nicole found a bottom line that the studio could run on, marketed successfully for new students and ultimately has kept her studio ticking over, to make it through this challenge. So for everyone out there that is struggling to stay afloat throughout these challenge, take a listen to this episode and we hope you can find a way to also make it work. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/197

In the middle of all the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, one group of people in the yoga teacher community has been particularly affected - studio owners. On top of figuring out how to transition to virtual classes and serve their yoga students online, they also have to deal with the challenges that come with having a physical space. Nicole Blackwood is a yoga teacher and the owner of Embody Yoga & Wellness studio, who has managed to keep her studio open this year despit...e the challenges, and this episode is a replay of the live interview on how she managed to do it. Nicole opened her own boutique yoga studio in St. John's, Canada, to create a space that provides options for all bodies, and that allow people to experience the benefits of yoga regardless of age, physical condition, or experience level. Nicole focuses on offering a warm and intimate refuge for her students to focus on their wellbeing with a variety of yoga classes and her specialty is yoga to support fertility. In this interview, Nicole really opens up about how she has managed to overcome the challenges of keeping her yoga studio open through the pandemic. She shares the story of how she realized she might need to close her yoga studio, and how setting a goal of the number of yoga students needed to stay open helped her reach her target. Nicole also talks about her marketing efforts in attracting students, and how she has been managing her studio now that in-person classes are allowed but with certain restrictions in place. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/197

Hands up who could use a few tips on finding new clients? This year has been a challenging one for our industry and many of us have found ourselves in a very different professional place than we were back in January. It has also been a challenging year for our students and everyone around them, so perhaps it is even more crucial that we take a moment to examine and assess what our students need from us, right now, and how we can best serve them.... Steph Crowder is a business strategist and sales coach with a wealth of experience and success training entrepreneurs in all industries to attract more clients. She is also a former Director of Sales of a giant tech company, podcast host of @courageandclarity and grew her business to 6 figures in 9 months. In this episode, Steph talks to Shannon about how to create and build your yoga offer in a way that includes and resources your current client base, learning what they are interested in and what they would like to see from you. Reframing the idea of ‘selling’, Steph encourages us to open conversations around us and allow ourselves to be vulnerable; even to admit that we don’t know everything about being successful in or industry. This episode has a ton of information and some actionable steps that you can put into place right now in your business, ready for a successful 2021. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/196

Attracting students to our yoga classes is something we could all use help with. January is a time we want to hit the ground running as clients start to think about what they would like to commit to in the new year and so this episode of the podcast is just in time for you to consider changing up how you create your offerings, and to take an objective look at where you could be missing opportunities to bring new clients on board. Steph Crowder is the Founder & C...EO of Courage & Clarity, LLC. As a former Sales Training Director of a giant tech company who has helped thousands of entrepreneurs succeed across all industries, Steph has a depth of understanding and guidance to share with us. She is also the host of the podcast @courageandclarity and focuses on teaching her clients to sell with ease by building a small but mighty community who can’t wait to buy from them through courses, and webinars. Steph is adept at taking a concept like getting more yoga students and breaking it down into easy, actionable steps that you can put into practice immediately. In this episode, she walks us through the 4 steps that will help us to go from a small idea to new registrations and real students. She also explains the biggest mistake that business owners make that keep customers walking right past their offers, and gives us some of her tips to overcome that. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/196

As Yoga practitioners, we often refer to other healthcare providers when our clients have specific issues in their bodies, and when it comes to the pelvis, especially in a postpartum client, it is so important that we have a solid referral process in place to help our clients recover. Shannon dealt with pelvic girdle pain through her pregnancies, and it was through her steps to healing that she found a love of Yoga for Pelvic Health. With guidance from skilled practi...tioners such as Cecile Rost, PT and Dr. Sinead Dufour, Physiotherapist, Shannon was able to create a yoga sequence that helped with her recovery, and that she has since shared with hundreds of people who have felt the benefit of it. In this episode Shannon shares that gentle yoga sequence which can also be useful to treat low back pain, for issues with sciatica or sacroiliac joints and in helping to keep the pelvis in symmetrical alignment. Whether you are looking for relief from your own pelvic girdle pain or you have students dealing with this issue, this yoga sequence can be a valuable addition to your arsenal. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/193

The bladder is a very important yet very much overlooked part of the anatomy, and dysfunctions in the bladder are equally overlooked, or - if you are suffering with urinary incontinence - often normalized. Through your teaching, you will have students dealing with urinary incontinence, whether they are ready to talk about their issue or not. And while these issues are common, our students do not have to live with them. Shannon teaches us how to help, in this episode. ... There are three types of incontinence, and Shannon talks is through these as well as some of the misconceptions and the ways in which yoga can help. She also has some tips on giving your yoga students some basic information about the bladder. If you or your students are struggling with urinary incontinence, this episode is a great introduction, with many resources linked below. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/194

When your business hits a wall and you’re unsure how to move past it, sometimes another set of eyes on your problem can make all the difference. Megan Mulrine is a yoga instructor and teacher trainer and she created her business, Yogatrotter, though a passion to share Yoga throughout her travels around the world. Currently living and working in Bali, Indonesia, Megan’s teacher trainings and classes have been severely impacted by the travel restrictions imposed during t...he COVID-19 pandemic, so she booked a consultation call with Shannon to get some perspective on how to move forward. In this consultation call, Shannon helps Megan peel back the layers of her business by digging into where her true passion lies and how she can specialize to share her passion with more people. Shannon also advises Megan on how to build a sustainable business that serves her audience, while also supporting her lifestyle and finances. This episode has lots of great advice for yoga teachers trying to create a sustainable business model in a very challenging climate. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/198

How important is niching down for your yoga business? In this Consultation Call, Shannon helps Megan Mulrine of Yogatrotter dig into her true passion in yoga and how she can specialize to share that with more people while creating a sustainable business.

Have you spent time this year working to, or considering how to, create a more inclusive yoga space or yoga offering? While we like to imagine that all yoga spaces are inclusive in their nature, sometimes we need to step into the shoes of a yoga student to truly appreciate the perspective through another lens. Erin Ajayi is the Senior Director of Development at I Live Here I Give Here, a nonprofit organization with the mission to make Central Texas the most generous ...community in the nation. Erin is also a part-time yoga teacher who has taught in studio spaces, and college and university spaces. Erin came to yoga as a result of a running injury but since then, her relationship with yoga has evolved. Today, Erin teaches restorative yoga "to help her students show up to the moments in their lives." Erin and Shannon connected earlier this year when Shannon asked for help on the topic of inclusion in yoga spaces. Erin has graciously shared her personal experiences and insights, as well as offering tips on how to be more inclusive in an authentic way, that avoids tokenism and can enable all students to feel seen, safe and supported in the space. This is such an important topic, and this episode is a great resource on the learning journey toward inclusivity for all yoga students and practitioners. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/199

This year has been a tough year on all of us in the Yoga world, and especially for those that own a yoga studio. Earlier in the year, we likely thought the lockdowns would pass quickly and life would return to normal, but as the days turned into weeks and months and we moved online, the thought of being inside an enclosed studio space became too much for many clients around the world. So how can a yoga studio survive in this climate? This week on the podcast, Shann...on talks to Nicole Blackwood, a studio owner in St Johns, Canada, about how she handled the restrictions and reduced class sizes in the pandemic. Nicole is a yoga teacher and studio owner of Embody Yoga & Wellness, who has managed to keep her studio open this year despite the pandemic, and this episode is a replay of the live interview on how she managed to do it. Shannon and Nicole talk about how close she came to closing, what made her reconsider and how she figured out her bottom line survival numbers and decided she was not going to succumb. This is an inspiring story for anyone struggling to stay afloat through the pandemic. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/197

Are you ready to build your Dream Business, yoga teacher? Join Shannon & other presenters to work on your yoga business dreams for 2020! During this online conference, you’ll learn:... Biz Basics to Stand Out from the Crowd Sheryl Jackson Wellness Financial Well-Being for 2021 Nica Bautista - Brand + Marketing Coach for Yogis Specialize to Stand Out Shannon Crow Keep Marketing Simple & Grow Your Yoga Business Amanda McKinney - Yoga Marketing Coach Upgrade your Social Media Messaging! raudhah.rahman From Chaos to Clair-ity in Your Calendar: Time Management Reneé Clair How to Create a Great Yoga Teacher Website M.B.Om: Mastering the Business of Yoga How to Use Email to Get Consistent Income in Your Yoga Business Aleia Walker This one-day event will set you up for success in 2021! And yes, replays are available for 6 months. ;) When: Dec 14, 2020 Where: All online Cost: $49 if you use Shannon’s discount code TCYT2020 ($30 off)

To celebrate our 200th episode we are thrilled to have Judith Hanson Lasater and Lizzie Lasater on the podcast talking all things parenting, yoga teaching and running a yoga business. Judith is a Ph.d. and physical therapist, as well as one of the best known and leading yoga teachers in the US, having taught yoga for 50 years. Judith helped found a nationally-known yoga teacher training program in San Francisco, CA, which has trained thousands of teachers since 1975 and... collaborated with other yoga teachers to start the Yoga Journal magazine. She has also authored 10 books, including her latest: Yoga Myths - What You Need to Learn and Unlearn for a Safe and Healthy Yoga Practice, and she specializes in restorative yoga. Judith is also a mom of three and one of her children, Lizzie Lasater, is now her business partner, a yoga teacher in her own right and a mother of twin boys. Lizzie teaches restorative yoga globally and runs the Restorative Yoga Lovers community, as well as offering teacher training and events around the world from her own digital platform. In this episode, Judith and Lizzie share their insights into what it’s like to parent as a yoga teacher and to grow up with a Mom that is also a famous yoga teacher. The conversation turns to enlightenment, living yoga in our daily lives as parents and as yoga practitioners, and letting go of the need to be perfect parents. Judith also talks about cueing and why she doesn’t teach it to her yoga teacher trainees, which myths she challenges in her new book, and why her learning as a yoga teacher is never complete. This is a wonderful discussion full of insights and tips for yoga teachers and an awesome way to commemorate our 200th episode. Enjoy! https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/200

How do you stand out online as a yoga teacher? How do you stand out in your community? Are you ready to have classes full of PAYING students?... No one on the planet has the combination of life experience, curiosity and training that you do. Niche work isn't easy, but I know the difference it has made for my business. I’ve helped hundreds of yoga teachers define their niche, so that they have a clear and focused message. Let me help you. Join my class Specialize to Stand Out at the Dream Business Yoga Teacher Conf. When: Monday, Dec 14th from 11:30am - 12:30pm EST // 10:30am - 11:30am CST. Recordings are available! Check out https://yogateacherconf.com/dream-business/ for details on registration! And don’t forget to use my code: tyct2020 to save $30!

How does yoga relate to parenting, perfectionism and your own practice? Judith Hanson Lasater (she/her) and Lizzie Lasater (she/her) share from their unique perspective as a mother-daughter team about raising children, running a yoga business and more.

Through the pandemic, yoga studio owners have faced additional challenges. Nicole Blackwood (she/her) shares the story of how she realized she might need to close her yoga studio Embody Yoga & Wellness, and her efforts to keep it open through these challenging times.

Specialization is an ongoing process, and times of change and uncertainty can sometimes be just the push you need to niche down and specialize in something that really lights you up. Megan Mulrine is the founder of Yogatrotter and a yoga instructor who has trained more than 600 yoga teachers in 200 and 300hr YTT programs in Bali. Through her years of practicing and teaching yoga, and discovering more about Buddhist meditation, Hindu philosophy and the history of yoga, M...egan discovered her passion for Hindu mythology as it relates to Yoga. When travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced Megan to close down her in-person Yoga Teacher Trainings, she quickly put up an online training. It sold well at first but has started to slow and Megan is now worried about being able to sustain her yoga business while supporting her team of teachers as much as possible. In this consultation call, Shannon helps Megan peel back the layers of her business by digging into where her true passion lies and how she can specialize to share her passion with more people. Shannon also advises her on how to build a sustainable business that serves her audience, while also supporting her lifestyle and finances. If you have been thinking about creating a more sustainable yoga business, and questioning whether specialization and niching down is the way to go in the midst of all the uncertainty, give this episode a listen. https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/198