We've got it together, right? Of course we do. We are yoga teachers aligned with the universe and at peace with it. Until we aren't. The truth is that none of us get it right all the time. That's okay, it's part of being human. It is also why I believe so much in yoga teaching and business mentorship.

I have been honored to travel the world as an international yoga and Yoga Nidra educator. I am thrilled every time I have the opportunity to help someone as a mindfulness business mentor. But do you know what? I also love to work with yoga teachers, one-on-one, to help them become better teachers and conscious entrepreneurs. I make a great living doing what I love and I’m passionate about helping others do the same using the method I’ve created.

What I'm trying to say is that a mentorship could help you as a yoga teacher. Whether you are just beginning your journey or have been at it a while, mentorship offers tremendous benefits—benefits I have enjoyed from being mentored myself. I truly believe in mentorship for you.

The Basics of Mentoring

Before we go any further, it might be a good idea to explain the basics of mentoring. Mentoring is actually a relationship between two people. The mentor has knowledge and experience gained over time and worth sharing with the mentee. The mentee learns from the mentor with the goal of growth and improvement. The difference

Mentoring is normally discussed in a business setting. But it doesn't have to be exclusive to business. Any two partners willing to have such a relationship can do so at whatever capacity they wish. For me, it's about helping other yoga teachers by teaching them what I have learned over many years of teaching, writing, and practicing yoga.

Over the many years that I’ve been receiving mentoring, I’ve received some invaluable insight. One of these nuggets was this: “Find someone who is doing the EXACT think you aspire to do and hire them as your mentor. What has taken them decades to learn, they can teach you relatively quickly.”

A Coach Vs Mentor

What’s the difference between coaching and mentoring. Here’s a few things that I think make a distinction between the two:

Experience vs. Process: Mentors share the exact experience that they have lived, the practical wisdom they have gained from their journey in their domain. Coaches are often skilled at directing stratagies and processes that can sometimes transfer across different contexts.
Path-specific vs. Skill-focused: A mentor is great to expose hidden shortcuts AND obstacles for a very specific career path they've walked, while a coach might take a broader approach by focusing on developing transferable skills like communication or leadership.
Network Access: A mentors can provide invaluable introductions to their professional networks, whereas coaches typically don’t have these kinds of contacts.
Identity Development: Mentors model what success looks like in your field, whereas coaches sometimes help you optimize your existing capabilities to explore on your own how success might look.

Both can be valuable but there’s a special sauce to mentorships.

How Mentorship Could Help You

So, just how could mentoring help you as a yoga teacher? Let's start with your actual role. You are teaching this wonderful art to students eager to learn everything you know. You are teaching them to go deeper, become more conscious, and reach out to some very new things.

I’ve logged over 25,000 teaching hours in my more than 2 decades of teaching. I’ve learned a thing or two and would love to share them with you—things that took me decades you can learn MUCH quicker.

Yoga is a journey as much as a practice. In fact, it's a journey that should never end. Those of us on that journey should be open to learning new things. We should be open to new experiences. That is what mentorship offers. It's an opportunity for a more experienced yoga teacher to share their experiences with you.

From the standpoint of being a conscious entrepreneur, mentorship offers a lot:

Business Guidance — Teaching yoga as a business blends two things that seem at odds. But they can be blended—and blended well. A mentorship can help by giving you valuable insights into studio management, marketing, and business finances. Did I mention I’ve owned two yoga studios?
Professional Growth — Mentorship can contribute to the evolution of your teaching practices, enhancing your integrity, confidence, and professionalism as a yoga teacher.
Goal Clarity — We yoga teachers sometimes lack clarity on the entrepreneur side of things. Mentoring can help clarify goals so that your professional choices line up with your yoga journey.
Accountability — Working with a mentor creates a framework for accountability within your business. Accountability is essential to any entrepreneur committed to a business built on integrity.

As a yoga teacher, you face challenges every single day. There are very good things about what you do, things that you love and are passionate about. But there are also things you must do, as an entrepreneur, that don't bring you any joy. The path forward is about bringing all those things into harmony.

Whether you are brand new to teaching yoga or have many years under your belt, have you ever considered mentorship? Maybe it's a good fit for you.