Most yoga teachers end the year measuring what they didn't accomplish. The workshops they didn't lead, the certifications they didn't finish, the Instagram following that didn't grow. But here's what I've learned after two decades of teaching: you're probably measuring the wrong things.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the reflection framework I use in my mentorship—roses, thorns, and buds—and showing you how to create a Bridge Statement that turns your 2025 lessons into clear 2026 intentions. You'll learn about the Four Dimensions of Teaching Growth (consistency, connection, competence, and confidence) and discover why most teachers only measure one of them.

I'll show you how to identify what you're keeping, dropping, and adding in 2026, and how to turn that reflection into sustainable intentions instead of resolutions that fizzle by February. We'll cover the Three-Part Intention Framework: your structural intention, your skill intention, and your self-care intention.

If you want to do this work together, I'm hosting two free live calls in The Zone:

• December 18th at 2 p.m. Eastern: Your 2025 Teaching Year in Review (152)
• January 15th at 2 p.m. Eastern: Designing Your 2026 Teaching (153)

Both calls include workbooks, community discussion, and replays.

You're already a better teacher than you were a year ago. You just might not be measuring the right things.

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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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 ...

The most awkward yoga class I ever taught? When my husband raised his hand mid-class like a third grader to ask if he was doing it right. If you're teaching through the holidays, you're probably about to experience your own version of this—friends, family, and visiting relatives showing up to your class.

In this episode, we're diving into one of the most complex dynamics in yoga teaching: what happens when people who know you outside the yoga room show up to your class, and what it means when your students bring their loved ones to practice with you.

We'll explore why teaching friends and family is uniquely challenging (hint: it's about competing relationship dynamics, not respect), how to navigate these situations gracefully, and why a student bringing someone to your class is actually one of the highest compliments you can receive as a teacher.

You'll learn practical strategies for setting expectations, maintaining boundaries while staying warm, welcoming guests effectively, and handling those inevitable awkward moments when things don't go as planned. Plus, we'll touch on the ethics of romantic relationships in yoga teaching—because someone needs to say it.

Whether you're a new teacher worried about your mom showing up or an experienced teacher preparing for holiday visitors, this episode gives you the frameworks you need to turn these complex situations into opportunities for deeper connection and better teaching.

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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• 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 ...

I've been creating yoga video content since the DVD era—and I've made just about every mistake you can make along the way. From losing the rights to my own videos to stress-recording live classes while trying to serve paying students, my journey with video has been full of hard-won lessons.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on 20+ years of creating yoga videos. I'll share what worked, what didn't, and the one mistake I will never make again. Whether you're thinking about recording your first workshop video or building an entire online library, this episode will save you years of trial and error.

You'll learn my biggest regrets (hello, contract nightmares), the "two masters" problem of recording live classes, how to start with minimal equipment, and which platforms actually work for yoga teachers. I'll also share why I didn't pivot online during the pandemic—and why that decision was right for my studio.

Teaching yoga on video can be one of the most sustainable, scalable revenue streams for yoga teachers. But you need to know what you're getting into first. Let me help you avoid the mistakes that cost me time, money, and peace of mind.

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
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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 ...

Most yoga teachers avoid watching themselves teach. The cringe factor is real. But self-assessment through video recording is the single most effective—and completely free—tool you have for evolving as a teacher.

In this episode, we're diving deep into the second E in my S.E.R.V.E. Method: Evolve Your Voice. I'm sharing the complete framework I teach in Module One of Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing—the multi-pass review system, reflection techniques, and advanced strategies that transform video self-assessment from a painful one-time exercise into a sustainable practice for continuous growth.

You'll learn how to set clear intentions before recording, use the structured observation system to identify both strengths and growth areas, close the loop with actionable next steps, and track your evolution over time. Plus, I'm sharing advanced techniques like embodied review (practicing along with your own recording) and linguistic analysis that reveal patterns you'd never notice just by watching.

This isn't about perfection—it's about becoming more fully, more skillfully, more authentically yourself in service of your students. If you're ready to commit to your evolution as a teacher, this episode will show you exactly how.

Resources mentioned:

• Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing mentorship at https://sagerountree.com/mentorship?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=e59_self_assessment
• The Professional Yoga Teacher's Handbook: https://amzn.to/3X7XknB
• Join the Zone free community at https://comfortzoneyoga.com/c/the-zone?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=e59_self_assessment
• Descript (affiliate): https://get.descript.com/ug54o2d6yfaq

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 ...

After two decades of teaching yoga and training teachers, I've noticed something profound: some of my most meaningful moments happen when I visit the teacher trainees of my former students. These metaphorical grandchildren—students of my students—represent what Phase 5 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline is truly about.

Phase 5 isn't about age or years of experience. It's about the depth of your impact and your readiness to share what you've learned with the next generation of teachers. In this episode, I'm exploring the signs that you're entering this Mastery and Legacy Zone, from having significant recognition in your specialty to feeling teaching become effortless and joyful.

I'm also sharing what I've learned about the tricky ego dynamics that can emerge when people start looking to you as an expert, the responsibilities that come with holding master's knowledge while maintaining beginner's mind, and how your impact multiplies when you shift from being a great teacher to becoming a teacher of teachers.

Whether you're already in Phase 5 or steering toward it, this episode offers a vision of what's possible when your growth serves not just yourself, but everyone around you.After two decades of teaching yoga and training teachers, I've noticed something profound: some of my most meaningful moments happen when I visit the teacher trainees of my former students. These metaphorical grandchildren—students of my students—represent what Phase 5 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline is truly about.

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
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• 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 ...

There's a phase that happens before yoga teacher training even begins—a liminal space where you're no longer just a student, but you're not yet ready to call yourself a teacher. I call it Phase Zero.

Maybe you find yourself mentally teaching along during class, wondering why the teacher chose that particular sequence. Maybe people keep telling you that you should be a teacher, or you're naturally the one helping other students find their way. Maybe you feel called to share yoga with specific populations—your stressed coworkers, your athletic friends, your aging parents.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the eight signs of Phase Zero, why this awakening period is actually necessary, and how to navigate the doubts and fears that come up. I'm also sharing practical steps you can take right now to honor this calling and prepare thoughtfully for what comes next.

If you've been secretly wondering whether you could teach yoga, or if you're feeling drawn to teaching but aren't sure you're qualified, this episode will help you understand what you're experiencing and how to move forward with confidence.

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 ...

I used to think teaching yin and restorative yoga were niche skills—nice to have if you wanted to teach those specific classes, but not essential to your development as a yoga teacher. I was completely wrong.

After 20+ years of teaching and training teachers, I've discovered that learning to teach yin and restorative might be the most transformative thing you can do for your teaching—no matter what style you teach. These aren't specialty skills for specialty classes. They're foundational skills that make you better at teaching everything.

In this episode, we explore eight ways that yin and restorative training transforms your teaching: understanding what's happening at the tissue level, developing functional anatomy knowledge, getting radically comfortable with silence, mastering the deluxe savasana, developing precision in your language, learning to read the room at a deeper level, working with props as tools (not theater), and developing patience with your students and yourself.

If you're ready to become the teacher who creates transcendent savasanas, who knows exactly when to speak and when to stay silent, who can read a room at the level of the nervous system—join me in the Fundamentals of Teaching Yin Yoga or Fundamentals of Teaching Restorative Yoga. Both courses are self-paced with video, audio, and reading formats, complete pose libraries, done-for-you lesson plans, and 20 CEUs. Visit comfortzoneyoga.com/yin or comfortzoneyoga.com/restorative to learn more.

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 ...

In this episode, I explore what it really means to thrive as a yoga teacher. Phase Four of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline—the Thriving Teacher Zone—is where teaching becomes intuitive, fulfilling, and sustainable.

I share the signs that you’ve reached this stage, from having loyal students and diversified income to teaching from intuition rather than fear. I also unpack how thriving doesn’t mean being overbooked or burned out—it means working with joy, confidence, and clarity.

You’ll hear stories from my own teaching career, including what it feels like to teach two classes at once to a football team, why setting boundaries is a hallmark of professional maturity, and how mentorship and legacy naturally emerge from years of consistent quality.

If you’re catching up on the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline, you can revisit:

• Episode 44: The Overview
• Episode 45: Phase One: The Post-YTT Overwhelm Zone
• Episode 50: Phase Two: The Identity Formation Zone

If you recognize yourself in this phase, now’s the time to refine your systems and deepen your influence. Inside Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing, we’ll work together to develop your signature sequences, strengthen your teaching voice, and help you mentor the next generation with confidence and grace.

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 ...