Have you ever felt like a broke-ass yoga teacher?

Yeah, me too.

Today in the podcast is Haley Niichel, talking about how she is working in break the mold of the broke-ass yoga instructor -- and we can learn a few lessons from her. One of the reasons it is important to talk about this is because job-reporting sites like Indeed say often that yoga professionals are making upwards of $50,000 per year, when most independent yoga professionals make well less than that. While I see why Indeed and others got their data from simple multiplication, the fact is it is not physically healthy to be teaching 40 hours of yoga classes per week. Almost nobody does that, and there isn't generally speaking enough work for people to be doing that.

So enter Haley Niichel. A disruptor and pranayama teacher from Des Moines, Iowa, who is actively working on breaking this mold. She works creating and facilitating event for people in-person, and also has a digital studio and online pranayama-focused yoga course to connect with students from all over the world.

She is honest, talking about her struggles, her journey, and how we are all still a work-in-progress -- even in our businesses.

Here are our key takeaways:

-we don't need to accept the broke-ass yoga teacher model as our only business option.

-honoring Yoga in the fullness of the tradition is often seen as unpopular, and in today's current industry many haven't been taught to teach this way.

-our businesses are all a work in progress, and it is okay to learn along the way.

-we all have friends & family members who have said "what do you really do?" to us. It is okay, and you aren't alone.

-Our personal evolution is tied to how we run our businesses as yoga professionals.

Show Notes:

Haley's Website

Haley's IG

Working In Yoga

Rebecca's IG

A link to Haley's workshop at Sunlight Yoga + Apothecary on March 31, 2023.