Instagram can feel like a second job-especially when you became a yoga teacher to teach, not to perform online.

In this episode, I share a simple reframe that takes the pressure down fast: your job on social media is not to entertain the algorithm. Your job is to help the right students find the next step into yoga with you.

I walk through three struggles I hear from yoga teachers all the time: hating social media and feeling guilty, spending lots of time on Instagram without seeing fuller classes, and feeling confused about what Instagram is even for if you teach locally.

You'll leave with a clear, minimalist way to treat Instagram like a calm little "foyer"-a reassuring business card for the nervous beginner who has already heard your name.

Listen now!

Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there!

For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials:

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• Facebook
• Threads
• Bluesky
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And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

When I started teaching yoga at the UNC Wellness Center, I had to complete hospital safety training about bloodborne pathogens and biohazard spills. I was teaching yoga in a gym. The odds of encountering a biohazard during downward-facing dog were essentially zero. But they paid me for that training time, and there were snacks at the meetings—so I wasn't complaining.

Teaching at gyms and YMCAs isn't a consolation prize for yoga teachers who can't get hired at studios. It's one of the best possible training grounds for becoming a skilled, adaptable teacher. In this episode, I'm sharing why those six years at the UNC Wellness Center made me a dramatically better teacher than I would have been starting in a boutique studio.

You'll learn why the straightforward application process, surprising benefits like free childcare and gym memberships, and exposure to large diverse classes build skills you can't get anywhere else. I'm also covering the real challenges—fluorescent lighting, multipurpose rooms, limited equipment—and how those constraints actually make you a more versatile teacher.

Whether you're a new teacher looking for your first position or an experienced teacher considering a gym opportunity, this episode will help you see why teaching in less-than-perfect conditions creates the strongest foundation for your teaching career.

LINKS:

🎙️ Listen to all episodes: https://sagerountree.com/podcast?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=e64_gyms

🧘 Join The Zone: https://www.comfortzoneyoga.com?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=e64_gyms

📚 The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook: https://sagerountree.com/the-professional-yoga-teachers-handbook?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=e64_gyms

Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there!

For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• Bluesky
• Pinterest

And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...

Most new yoga teachers approach studios completely wrong. They send generic emails, mention how much they need the work, and haven't taken a single class at the studio they're asking to teach at. Some even copy-paste so carelessly that they mention the wrong studio's name.

In this episode, I'm sharing the exact approach that gets yoga teachers hired—the one that makes you stand out from the hundreds of other applicants studio owners receive every year. This isn't about luck or connections. It's about professionalism and intentionality.

I walk you through the seven-step process I teach in The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook: from choosing your studio strategically, to becoming a student first, to writing an email that actually gets read, to following up professionally without being pushy. I also share what NOT to say in your initial approach—the red flags that get your email deleted immediately.

Whether you're a newly certified teacher looking for your first gig or an experienced teacher relocating to a new area, this episode gives you the roadmap for approaching studios in a way that demonstrates you understand you're entering both a community and a business.

Resources mentioned:

The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook by Sage Rountree: https://amzn.to/3X7XknB

Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there!

For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• Bluesky
• Pinterest

And come explore my mentorship program, my Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education workshops and 300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at ...