Teaching studio yoga classes as a Mum – is it worth it?
Having kids completely changed how I felt about my work and teaching studio yoga classes. Especially when my boys were babies. Have you found this to be true as well?
Before kids, I didn’t really give a second thought to the hours I put into work. I was aware of the fact that I was only paid for an hour long class, despite having to be present for 2 + hours for set up and clean up. But it didn’t matter when my time was my own. I enjoyed the pre/post class space and I didn’t question that it was unpaid.
It didn’t matter to me that yoga teaching was in 1 hour blocks, usually early mornings and late evenings. Before kids, it didn’t matter because I could rest whenever and didn’t need to stick to anyone else’s schedule.
Then I had my babies.
Suddenly I felt like every minute away from them needed to be accounted for.
When I did the maths on hiring someone to watch my boys for 3 hours, less what I was being paid to teach in a studio, it simply didn’t add up.
This of course is not the whole equation when it comes to working as a mother. I do believe that there is more to working than just the money you receive for it. My work also gives me purpose and energy and inspiration. Something that can’t be accounted for in the time for money equation.
But when I weighed up the effort required to organise a babysitter, get the kids prepped, manage the anxiety that comes with me leaving them AND not getting paid very much – teaching in-person studio yoga classes stopped making much sense for me in this season of motherhood.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. (Teaching workshops that I organise and run myself are always more profitable, and opening a home studio space can make the family / work juggle easier.)
I also know this won’t be forever.
I imagine I will be teaching more in-person daytime classes again once all my boys are at school. (Which is next year by the way. I’m still not okay with this.)
But making a living purely from teaching regular studio classes means lots of early mornings and late night classes.
I simply don’t want a work life that looks like that when my boys are school age.
Get clear on what you want your work life to look like with kids
I want to be there when they wake up.
I want to drop them to and from school.
I want to be present for the after school activities.
I don’t want to feel like I’m hustling them to the next thing all the time so that I can get to work.
This is WHY I teach in the way that I do now and why I have intentionally created my business this way.
The majority of my teaching is online and most of my income is somewhat passive (I.E I don’t have to be present and available to earn the money, but I do have to do the work initially to create it).
It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for studio classes. I still love them and get a LOT from teaching them.
But I get to CHOOSE to do them for the community and energy they give me, rather than the money they pay.
It’s an amazing feeling to have the freedom to take sick days and weeks off and my income barely changes (because a lot of the behind the scenes in my business is automated and happens without me. The screenshot below is from my WooCommerce store. All of these sales came through on automation and gratefully continue to do so each day).
I love that I can be present with my boys on the school holidays and choose to do a few pockets of work at night time when they sleep, or not if I choose as well. (Hello, by the way. I’m coming to you from my pjs on the couch while my boys sleep.)
What you need to know about teaching studio yoga classes once you’re a Mum
You CAN continue (or start) teaching yoga as a Mum and make a great income.
You DON’T have delegate your yoga teaching to “just a hobby”.
You may just have to rethink HOW you teach.
You CAN build a business alongside having babies and being present with your kids.
You DON’T have to burn out doing it.
If you’ve been wondering how, or perhaps you’ve been trying to do this yourself for a while now, I’d like to offer you some support.
The offerings below are for you.