Do you want to become a full-time yoga teacher? Run your own retreats? Design your own teacher training? Maybe even write a book? Tova Payne shares how she did it on this episode!

Tova Payne is the business teacher for The Vancouver School of Yoga and The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. She’s been teaching yoga for 10 years, and in that time she has ran her own yoga retreats, designed her own yoga teacher training, and has written and published a book (and is currently working on her second!). Tova shares the business lessons she’s learned over the years, and how you, too, can become an entrepreneurial yogi!

Enjoy!

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Business Lessons

• Know what you want out of a teacher training
• Visit studios and ask to be on a sub list
• Don’t worry about being perfect, just bring an honest and authentic energy
• Say “yes” to teaching at places that aren’t studios because you can share yoga with people who may never experience yoga otherwise
• Learn about the things you want to do before you do them, like running retreats
• Ask people for help
• Don’t forget about the legal stuff! Waivers are important 😉
• Learn from your experiences and see how you can improve for the future
• When running retreats or workshops, it’s nice to give a little bit extra
• Pursue what feels right for you – take your teaching further as it feels appropriate
• Be mindful of legal contracts and copyright agreements when you develop your own teacher training
• Set boundaries for yourself
• Don’t count on a verbal agreement – get it in writing!
• You’re the only thing in your own way. Get out of your own way!
• Have structures in place
• Do the work even when you don’t feel like
• Meditate on what you want out of your career so you can have a clear direction
• Your practice is everything
• Be kind and patient with yourself
• A “failure” isn’t a failure, it’s a learning experience
• Give yourself some credit
• Be human & be authentic
• And much more… Here’s the episode!

Connect with Tova

• Tova’s website

Resources

• The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
• Vancouver School of Yoga