4 Essential Tips for Yoga Teachers: Content Planning

Time is short for those of us who are busy. Who is that? Oh, just everyone! Whether you are still working full time at another job, or you are busting your butt trying to start a yoga business, you are busy. And what is the enemy of productivity? Busyness.

You’ve got ideas. You’ve got big plans. But if you haven’t planned out those ideas in an organized way, you might struggle to achieve the progress you want. Progress and success can only be defined by you, but if you want to produce higher quality classes and content, keep on reading….

Tip 1: Get or create a content planner.

Spreadsheets work the best for this, in my opinion. And Google Sheets is something you can access anywhere - your laptop, your phone, your tablet - it is always there, with your most recent updates.

There are certainly apps that can help as well, but I like to see everything in front of me at once, it gives me the full picture.

You can find a free version of the one I use here. Please feel free to make a copy of it and use it too! I usually plan for at least three months at a time, but you could extend it to make it go further out in the future.

Do plans change? Absolutely! I update mine all the time, but there are critical components that keep me on track:

1) Planning separately for classes, social media, and other forms of marketing content. And, if you are posting to more than one form of social media, you’ll want a plan for each. There will definitely be cross-over (i.e. you may be posting the same content in more than one place, but sometimes you may not - since your audience might be slightly different, or may function differently, on each channel).

2) Create a list of the different types of content you’ll be creating. For example, for my @inspiredyogasequencing page on Instagram, I have a seven post-type rotation, so that I know exactly what kind of content I’m going to post based on the day of the week. You definitely don’t have to be that rigid, but you get the idea.

3) Make a list of all the class themes you have in mind and want to create. Want to do a 5 element series? Perhaps a yoga challenge? Or, a collection of classes, like Yoga for Happiness? Under each category, list the class themes - and before you know it, you’ll have a large list of upcoming content.

How often you teach, and in what format, will determine your content planning schedule as well. For example, if you have an online platform like lseayoga.com, you may be creating class content weekly, or even more than once a week. If you teach in person, you may be creating a new class every week, or you may have a catalog of classes you go through.

Tip 2: Create online content, so that students can sample your teaching style

So many of us are creating online platforms to share our yoga with the world, and that is an excellent way to expand your reach. But if you choose not to do that, and you prefer in-person teaching, you may still want to film some class content so that students can sample your teaching style and decide if they want to join you for an in-person class.

Maybe YouTube is the way to do that, perhaps some live classes on another social platform. Having regular content can enhance your reach, and all the while you are creating a catalog.

Once you have a catalog, you may want to get started with your own site, who knows?

Tip 3: Be intentional with your class planning

I used to think this part was all about the poses - and how they flowed from one to the next. Now, that is, of course, very important. But planning the class in a way that forces you to think through your strategy, lays everything out before you even start sequencing. You’ll want to think through:

Intention, the mood you want to create, how much fitness vs. relaxation you want to generate, the theme, the music you’ll use (if any), the space considerations, modifications for beginners, the offering/feeling you want to convey, quotes or poetry you are inspired by, etc…

There is so much that goes into planning a class, before we ever get to the poses.

Then, when we do get to the pose planning phase - my teacher, Eoin Finn, once gave me an excellent tip: as you create a sequence, test it out with one breath per movement - that will really show you if it has the flow you think it does.

That is so very true.

I use a good amount of paper when I plan a class, but it really gets me in the right headspace - and helps me convey what I’m trying to put out there. I helps me stay true to my teaching style and intention.

Every class is a gift from you to your students. Take the utmost care with that gift.

I happen to have created a sequencing journal for yoga teachers, and students who create their own sequences….you can find it here.

Tip 4: Make it achievable

An old boss of mine used to say, “eat the elephant one bite at a time”. I’m a vegan, so first, ew. But you get the idea. Go slow, be methodical, and make it achievable.

Planning your activity - creating content, posting, writing blog posts to share… Work those activities into your calendar, and make small progress every day.

You probably got into teaching yoga because you want to do and share what you love. Your relationship with yoga is intimate and sacred. Nurture that by making small steps every day toward what you want to achieve. Small wins are still wins.

When setting goals, be sure to:

Be specific, make them measurable (i.e define success), make them achievable (within grasp), take ownership of each task - or reach out for help, and make each time-bound (deadline). Also known as SMART goals.

Those are my tips, that help a very busy person be consistent in their approach. Thanks for reading, and keep on teaching! Your unique voice will connect with the right students, so keep putting it out there.

Namaste, and aloha,

Laura