Can’t You Teach More Yoga
Oh my loves, I do appreciate your love of my classes. Every time someone says, “If you added a class at such and such time, it would be perfect” I glow with warm fuzzies. And then I quickly crush your dreams. “I can’t teach all of the yoga.”
It’s the same with Cycle or Fit Fun Flex.
I’m a control freak. I’m in recovery. Believe me, there are times when I attend a yoga class and I’m grinding my teeth over some thing the instructor is cueing. I have agreed to cover too many fitness classes in a week with the idea that I’ll get to evangelize people with my brand of F*cking Yoga.
It never works. I kick my own ass and most of the folks in other classes love their instructors because of the brand they teach. I’m not punishing enough. I don’t move fast enough. I’ve been doing it this way the whole time, why should I listen to this crazy bitch? Oh, I see it.
The validation I feel when you ask me for more classes is off the charts. I’ve been teaching for over twelve years now and I’ve learned some pretty inviolable truths.
If I offer more classes, you end up coming less often not more often.
For over six years, I taught Evening yoga at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays AND Thursdays. And for six years, I would say seven out of ten times one of those nights would end up a no show night. I made the tough decision to eliminate Thursdays.
Guess what? Not only did folks show up on Tuesdays, but more folks than usual started coming. Procrastination. Yep, people would find all kinds of reasons to go on Thursday because Tuesday was too busy and they wouldn’t come to either. I don’t know why that is, but it’s true.
Once a month, someone now asks me, begs me to add another Evening yoga class. I recognize their sincerity and passion. I still say nope.
No matter what, I can’t teach all of the classes.
I’m just one person who also has a full-time writing career, a couple of part-time gigs, and laundry. This one I need to remind myself of frequently. I actually inherited some of my class schedule, but I built the rest of my schedule to accommodate my life. While I do wonder that my 6:15 a.m. classes are smaller, I also know I can’t pull off a 5 a.m. workout any longer.
Also, we all have lives. Busy, sometimes chaotic lives. That takes time.
Everyone has an ideal routine.
I know some of you drag yourselves to Fit Fun Flex and wish it was all Cycle. Some of you love Fit Fun Flex, but hit Bodypump because frankly, I’m not an insanely high energy teacher. Those of you who love Fit Fun Flex would never step into a Zumba class and hate that our warm up is dancing. And I’ll never see some of you in any of my yoga classes. It’s all good.
Variety keeps you improving and reduces potential injuries.
I’m a big believer in shaking things up. There are those gym hounds who lift weights Mon Weds Fri and do cardio Tues Thurs. Period. Some of you only workout in the morning (my personal favorite). Some of you have to hit the 5 a.m. classes because of work schedules and some of you couldn’t open your eyes to workout before noon.
Settling into one workout or one class can kill your motivation, but it can also lead to repetitive stress injury. It’s why my class routines are always different day to day. I’m trying to defy the rut.
I love that you love my classes, but you gotta trust me on this.
