I broke up with a student today.
Okay, not really, but kind of. This particular student WANTS to incorporate yoga into her life. And honestly, she already LIVES her yoga. She was looking to me and my teaching to incorporate the physical part of her practice into her very busy schedule.
We set up a system where I would send her recordings from my weekly live classes, and once a month we had a 15 minute zoom call to check in. It was her time to ask any questions that may have come up and also to help hold her accountable. If she knew I was going to find out, maybe she’d be more likely to get those videos done 😉
Over the last 4 months we talked about different ways to help her create (and stick to) the habit.
~set a particular day and time to do the recordings
~get a buddy to do it with you who will also hold you accountable
~start small: aim for a 15 or 30 minute class instead of a 60 minute session
~create the space (do the classes in the same room, have all the props ready, put on the clothes, leave the phone somewhere else to avoid disruptions).
The problem is…..well, LIFE! It just happens to be the stage of life that she is in right now. There are too many things pulling her in different directions all at the same time, and some of them are unpredictable. She has two kids, and runs a business with her husband. She has her own work to do for the business, BUT when staff call out, she ends up stepping in to help cover the day to day operations.
And that’s just where she is right now. And it’s okay. There will be other stages of life where there will be space for the physical practice. Today, in this moment, the yoga where she is takes a different form. Gardening. Walks with friends. Time with her family. A few deep breaths.
We gave it a solid effort together (4 months of trying to fit a square peg into a round whole), but today I suggested that maybe what we are doing isn’t working. And she agreed.
From a business standpoint, I know many of you may think that was just plain lunacy. But my goal as a teacher isn’t to to make as much money as possible. I want people to find VALUE in what we are doing together and in what I’m offering.
It’s the same reason I tell students who have been with me for a while that they might outgrow me as their teacher — and that’s okay. When they are ready to learn something different or strike off on a new path, then I know I’ve done my part. The door is always open should they choose to return.
I also have students who take a class or two with me and never come back. That’s okay too! I am not the teacher for every student (and not every student is right for ME). If what I’m offering doesn’t resonate with you or you don’t feel inspired by my teaching, I will happily point you in the direction of someone else who may be better fit.
I want the relationship with EACH of my students to be mutually beneficial — me learning from them, them learning from me, exchanging ideas and energy, holding space for each other, providing opportunities for growth. And so today, as I realized that our relationship was no longer benefiting both of us equally, I gave her an out. And I gave myself an out, so that I’m not taking more than I’m giving.
She’ll be back when the time is right.
Or perhaps when the timing is right in her life there will be another teacher better suited to her needs.
Either way, it’s okay.
