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Managing Burnout as a Yoga Teacher

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Managing Burnout as a Yoga Teacher

Feeling burnt out as a yoga teacher? You’re not alone. Teaching yoga is a rewarding career, but it can also be exhausting if you don’t care for yourself. Burnout doesn’t just affect you—it affects your students, too. When you’re drained, it’s hard to bring the energy and enthusiasm your students deserve.

Burnout is more than just fatigue. It’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. The good news? There are ways to prevent it and recover from it.

burnout vs. nerves

Before a class, I feel a little nervous—that’s normal and even healthy! Nerves mean I care. The day I stop feeling them is the day I should retire.

But those jitters always fade once I’m teaching, and often the moment the first student arrives. If the dread or exhaustion sticks around, it might be burnout. Learning to distinguish between nerves and true burnout is an important first step in addressing the problem.

lessons from exercise physiology

As a (retired) endurance sports coach, I know that stress and recovery go hand in hand. Athletes improve by balancing effort with rest. Yoga teaching works the same way. If you teach too many classes without downtime, you’ll eventually burn out. Finding the right balance for your schedule is key to longevity in your career.

practical tips to manage yoga teacher burnout

prioritize self-care

Take a day off, step back from teaching, or treat yourself to something restorative.

optimize your schedule

Stack classes to minimize transitions and give yourself more consistent time off.

set boundaries with your yoga students

Don’t overextend yourself before or after class—your energy is valuable.

streamline your teaching

Revisit sequences and themes to save time and mental energy. I’m here to help! The Art of Yoga Sequencing gives you lesson plans and a model for building your own without reinventing the wheel.

Consider dropping one or more classes and replacing them with workshops! The Workshop Workbook gives you everything you need to create sell-out workshops.

Taking care of yourself allows you to serve your students more effectively and enjoy your career for years to come.

ready to reclaim your energy?

For more tips and tools to avoid burnout, check out:

You deserve to feel inspired and energized in your teaching. Let’s make it happen.

for more

Listen to S1E13 of Yoga Teacher Confidential, wherever you get your podcasts!