So… you dove into children’s yoga trainings, voraciously read and wrote about your experiences, apprenticed through the mentorship program, have been hugely inspired by your peers in training and how this work attracts so many different kinds of people, and now you are a fully certified Little Flower Yoga children’s teacher! Congrats! Your heart is beaming, and your brain is starting to think, “Okay, now what?”
Maybe this is completely your story, maybe just a piece strikes a chord, or perhaps you are just at the beginning, contemplating this path. No matter where you are, we all have those moments of wondering how this work fits into our lives in a practical way. By regularly reflecting on this, you can surely create a sustainable, thriving model for yourself to bring more joy into the lives of children, and your own.
Step 1: What is my grandest vision for myself in this work?
Ask yourself this over and over until you have refined your dream intro something that lights you up. Write it down and start sharing it with others. Let this vision lead you to your radiant future. It doesn’t matter how big it is, or how impossible it may seem at the moment. Put it out there to yourself that your greatest dreams are possible— just in the same way you aim to do for your students. If you are working through our whole program and have completed your vision paper, you already have done much of this work!
Step 2: Who do I want to teach?
Figure out which age groups and/or populations are most interesting for you to work with. This doesn’t have to be the group you are committed to forever, but aim to narrow your focus from all kids, to a range that is more specific to your interests and perhaps connected to your long term goals. As an example, let’s say you are interested in working with 8-10 year old girls. This doesn’t mean you won’t teach students outside this range, but it is wise to identify the population you most wish to work with.
Step 3: What is my availability?
Are you looking to transition to full time work, or teach a volunteer event once a year? Probably something in-between! Figure out what you are aiming for in the short term, and plan for the long term (if you see it changing) to accommodate your broader vision down the line. Be practical with the fullness of your current calendar and the demands on your time. Let’s say for now, you are available 2 afternoons per week, and you would like to teach on one afternoon and use the other to plan and reflect on your teaching for next week. (Don’t underestimate the time it takes to prep well for your teaching— especially in the beginning!)
Step 4: Who is in my network?
Once you have a clear, exciting dream for yourself, know the population(s) you most want to teach, and are solid on your schedule, you are ready to start tapping into your existing networks.
If you have children of your own, it may be easy to start there with their school, friends, clubs, and activities.
If you don’t, start to think about your network of family and friends who have kids and/or work with children. Expand your horizons. Begin to reach out to those who work with 8-10 year old girls and share your new dream with them, and the skills you’ve learned in training. In this example, you could research all of the local Girl Scout troops in your area and see if you might be able to work with them.
Let’s imagine some other possibilities: You want to teach preschool and you have an old college friend who runs a preschool and you’ve been liking her recent trip photos on Facebook? Turn that into a conversation about your new path teaching yoga to kids. You want to teach high school boys and your brother coaches a basketball team? Perhaps you can come warm them up for their next game. You pass by a bake sale at your local school run by the PTA? Strike up conversation with some of the members there about how you would like to get involved.
When you are starting out, you will likely be eager to explore all of these types of options— go for it! You might surprise yourself and open up new paths to pursue. The best way to start is to be fully passionate about your vision. This will be infectious to others, and give you the confidence to reach out to the widest group of people. It certainly takes your finest hustling skills, but you are more than ready for it. I can’t wait to celebrate your successes with you.