Empowering Yoga Instructors
10 Affirmations to Conquer Imposter Syndrome in the New Year - By Juliana Larochelle
Reading time: 4 minutes
“Who am I to teach yoga?”
“I don’t have enough experience”
“I don’t know enough”
“There are better teachers than me”
“What if I forget my sequence?”
“My classes are small…I must be a bad yoga teacher”
These are all real thoughts I used to have. There was a time when negative thoughts and imposter syndrome ran rent free through my mind.
When I was a new yoga teacher*, I had really bad imposter syndrome.
I remember going to my first audition to get a yoga teaching job. It was at my college gym. I needed to prepare a 30 minute yoga sequence.
The night before the audition, I could barely sleep. I was woken many times with my mind running through thoughts of ‘what if forget the sequence’ and ‘there are better teachers than me’.
Unslept, nervous, and excited, I arrived at my college gym the next day. I opened the door and smelled the mixed scents of sweat and cleaning supplies.
I entered the room to teach my audition - fluorescent lights bright, floor squeaky, and my sequence running through my mind.
I was sweating and I hadn’t even started to teach.
At that moment, I had 2 choices:
1) believe the inner icky voice in my mind or
2) channel my inner best friend.
I choose to channel my inner best friend and remind myself although I might be a new teacher, I bring something unique to the yoga teaching world.
With confidence, lots of sweating from nerves, and stumbling over my words I got the job.
I know you became a yoga teacher because yoga changed your life and you wanted to share this healing tool with others.
It’s easy to let your inner icky voice stop you from teaching. It’s normal to have yoga teaching nerves and yoga teaching fears. But you too also have the power to channel your inner best friend.
Here are 10 affirmations to overcome imposter syndrome and full step into your power as a life transforming yoga teacher in the new year.
Yoga Teachers say it with me:
- I am a life transforming yoga teacher making a massive positive impact.
- I attract the students who need and want what you have to offer.
- My students LOVE my classes.
- I am in tune with my students and give my students exactly what they need.
- Using my notes is a sign of a well prepared yoga teacher.
- I can be a work in progress learning and growing AND still teach.
- No one is me and the world needs my take on yoga.
- My students are okay if I forget a side.
- It’s an honour to be of service and share my gifts with the world.
- I am enough and my teaching is enough.
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