Wow! Four years on after graduating from the 200 Hour Teacher training with Yoga London!
So what has changed since last year?
Well, the obvious thing to mention is Covid-19! That was a bit of a blow, especially for someone who only started to be full time self-employed from last year. Essentially no financial support available. However, where there’s a challenge, there’s an opportunity!
If you had asked me last year if I wanted to teach online I would have laughed. Me really? *Cue lots of self-deprecating and unworthiness thoughts, (and yes, I know better than this to listen to those thoughts, well sometimes!)
Well, it turns out I can and do teach online now and see it as a new valid part of teaching. Don’t get me wrong, it really doesn’t make up for teaching face to face and being able to see people, but it has been such a relief to keep my own regular classes going and even start some new ones, with new clientele.
I’ve got myself a webcam Logitech C930e and a Rode Wireless Go mic. Both of them feel like a game changer. However there is still more tech to be had. Once the nights start to draw in then I’ll need to invest in some studio lights. The mic and the lights will mean I can comfortably record sessions and I’m looking forward to creating some pre-recorded online classes for Yoga, Pilates and Meditation.
Another big change for me this year was having a brand re-fresh and having some photos taken! This was a great experience. Again, I feel very lucky to have had the photos taken just at the end of last year.
My big project of the year was also starting a podcast! If you haven’t listened yet, go and check it out. Check out the previous blog post for details of guests.
The transition from in-person to online.
This pretty much happened over night and rather than retreat, I went straight into challenge and solution mode. I gave everyone two weeks of free classes so we could all have the opportunity to learn the online world together and I’m amazed that so many transitioned with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was great to keep up some of our old routines and see regular faces. Important particularly in this time of uncertainty and lack of in-person social connection.
I still have more to learn, but step-by-step, we’ll get there.
The transition from online to in-person.
Now this is a tough one, as gyms can now re-open, but community halls and churches will be slow to follow as they need to get their heads around the risk assessments and how to co-ordinate everyone.
For now I still feel comfortable teaching online, and I imagine there may be a possibility that we’ll just be teaching online for a couple of periods throughout the winter months.
The added bonus of being able to teach online, means we can also teach if:
The heating in the venue is broken
We have a snow day – Let’s face it, a little snow and everything shuts down here in the UK!
The hall is booked up for an annual event
My car is out of action
Additional training
This year I intended on going to a retreat instead of training, sound familiar? Yes, I actually said that last year too! Maybe 2021?!
Additional training this year has included:
Teen Yoga with Yoga Bananas®
The Art of Sacred Sound with Anne Malone
iRest® Level 1 Teacher
What’s next for training?
The list is always long, but I will continue to put into practice what I have already learnt.
For me it’s going to be pursing how to keep my website fresh and up to date.
I’ve loved all the training I have completed so far, and I’d like to explore more of what I have learnt and develop those skills. One course that is currently helping me is Sianna Sherman’s RASA yoga.
What have I missed this year?
Face to face classes!
What have I loved?
I’ve loved how we’ve all adapted to this online world and feel very grateful for it. I’ve loved the variety of teachers available online and really wanted to practice with so many previous teachers, but sadly I didn’t have all the time in the world during lockdown as I needed to learn, study and focus on adapting.
Tips from year four
Dare to dream! Don’t just write down your monthly plan. Write your plan for year one, year three and year five. My first dream was to teach yoga and when I reached that I never dreamed beyond that. Review the dreams and build on them. Don’t be afraid to dream big! Looking at my first dream it seemed really small, but it was such a change from my then ‘normal’ that it really did just feel like a dream.
Keep learning – even if you revisit similar material you’ll still pick up something new or think about somethings in a different way, which broadens your thinking and learning.
Be adaptable! See a challenge and make it an opportunity to learn.
Mix things up. If you get stuck in a routine, try something different. It might give you a fresh look at things and inspire you. I’m not saying routines are wrong, but if you feel ‘stuck’ in a routine then that’s the time to mix it up.
Keep topping up your ‘rainy day’ fund! You might now need to call it the pandemic fund or the lockdown fund.
Thank you – As always, thank you to all of those who have supported the transition, attended classes, and presented opportunities. I’m looking forward to sharing more yoga and Pilates with you!
*First published July 2020
Comments