Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

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Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

Sage Rountree

61 episodes

1 week ago

I've been creating yoga video content since the DVD era—and I've made just about every mistake you can make along the way. From losing the rights to my own videos to stress-recording live classes while trying to serve paying students, my journey with video has been full of hard-won lessons. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on 20+ years of creating yoga videos. I'll share what worked, what didn't, and the one mistake I will never make again. Whether you're thinking about recording...

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Alternative Health

Health & Fitness

All content for Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher is the property of Sage Rountree and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

I've been creating yoga video content since the DVD era—and I've made just about every mistake you can make along the way. From losing the rights to my own videos to stress-recording live classes while trying to serve paying students, my journey with video has been full of hard-won lessons. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on 20+ years of creating yoga videos. I'll share what worked, what didn't, and the one mistake I will never make again. Whether you're thinking about recording...

Show more...

Alternative Health

Health & Fitness

Episodes (20/61)

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

60. Teaching Yoga on Video—What I Learned the Hard Way

I've been creating yoga video content since the DVD era—and I've made just about every mistake you can make along the way. From losing the rights to my own videos to stress-recording live classes while trying to serve paying students, my journey with video has been full of hard-won lessons. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on 20+ years of creating yoga videos. I'll share what worked, what didn't, and the one mistake I will never make again. Whether you're thinking about recording...

1 week ago

25 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

59. Evolve Your Voice: The Power of Self-Assessment for Yoga Teachers

Most yoga teachers avoid watching themselves teach. The cringe factor is real. But self-assessment through video recording is the single most effective—and completely free—tool you have for evolving as a teacher. In this episode, we're diving deep into the second E in my S.E.R.V.E. Method: Evolve Your Voice. I'm sharing the complete framework I teach in Module One of Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing—the multi-pass review system, reflection techniques, and advanced strategies that transfor...

2 weeks ago

26 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

58. Phase 5: Mastery and Legacy—Teaching the Teachers Who Will Teach the Teachers

After two decades of teaching yoga and training teachers, I've noticed something profound: some of my most meaningful moments happen when I visit the teacher trainees of my former students. These metaphorical grandchildren—students of my students—represent what Phase 5 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline is truly about. Phase 5 isn't about age or years of experience. It's about the depth of your impact and your readiness to share what you've learned with the next generation of teachers. In t...

3 weeks ago

13 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

57. The Call to Teach: What Happens Before You Even Know You Want to Be a Yoga Teacher

There's a phase that happens before yoga teacher training even begins—a liminal space where you're no longer just a student, but you're not yet ready to call yourself a teacher. I call it Phase Zero. Maybe you find yourself mentally teaching along during class, wondering why the teacher chose that particular sequence. Maybe people keep telling you that you should be a teacher, or you're naturally the one helping other students find their way. Maybe you feel called to share yoga with specific ...

1 month ago

12 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

56. What Teaching Yin and Restorative Contributes to ALL Your Class Formats

I used to think teaching yin and restorative yoga were niche skills—nice to have if you wanted to teach those specific classes, but not essential to your development as a yoga teacher. I was completely wrong. After 20+ years of teaching and training teachers, I've discovered that learning to teach yin and restorative might be the most transformative thing you can do for your teaching—no matter what style you teach. These aren't specialty skills for specialty classes. They're foundational skil...

1 month ago

23 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

55. Phase 4: How to Thrive as a Yoga Teacher—Confidence, Boundaries, and Legacy

In this episode, I explore what it really means to thrive as a yoga teacher. Phase Four of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline—the Thriving Teacher Zone—is where teaching becomes intuitive, fulfilling, and sustainable. I share the signs that you’ve reached this stage, from having loyal students and diversified income to teaching from intuition rather than fear. I also unpack how thriving doesn’t mean being overbooked or burned out—it means working with joy, confidence, and clarity. You’ll hear ...

1 month ago

16 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

54. Phase 3 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline: Moving Beyond Teaching Plateaus and Building Your Yoga Career

Have you ever felt like your teaching has hit a plateau? In this episode of Yoga Teacher Confidential, I dive into Phase Three of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline: the Professional Development Zone. This is the stage where teaching starts to feel sustainable but can also begin to feel routine. I share the hallmarks of Phase Three, including confidence in delivery, steady students, and a desire to specialize or increase income—but also the risks of stagnation. You’ll learn how to embrace plat...

1 month ago

12 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

53. The Mindset Shift That Transforms Your Teaching

After 52 weekly episodes—a full year of this show!—one truth has emerged: the teachers who struggle most are still practicing yoga while trying to teach it. In this anniversary episode, I explore the irony at the core of our profession: yoga is an inward practice, but teaching yoga demands we look outward. I share my personal journey, the common struggles I see in teachers, and the shift that changes everything: moving from practitioner to teacher. You’ll learn practical ways to reframe your ...

1 month ago

13 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

52. Medical Emergencies in Class, Part 3: When the Emergency Is Yours

Emergencies happen in yoga class—and sometimes the emergency is mine. In this third installment of the series, I share practical steps for handling sudden illness, a coughing fit or lost voice, migraines, or a panic spike while I’m teaching. You’ll hear real stories, what I say to students in the moment, and how I decide whether to simplify, deputize help, or end early. The goal: care for myself so I can care for others, while modeling the self-management we teach. This episode completes our ...

2 months ago

8 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

51. The Truth About Leading Yoga Retreats with Amy Boerner

Leading a yoga retreat isn’t just a vacation with yoga—it’s a business, a service, and a deep commitment to your students. In this episode of Yoga Teacher Confidential, I talk with retreat leader Amy Boerner about what really goes into hosting successful retreats. From requiring deposits that “hurt to lose” to learning the hard way why you should never cook for your participants, Amy shares both the challenges and rewards of creating transformative retreat experiences. We cover how to set cle...

2 months ago

39 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

50. Phase Two of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline: Finding Your Teaching Identity and Confidence

Five years into teaching, I realized I was sounding just like one of my mentors—same words, same tone, same everything. It made me wonder: who am I as a teacher when I’m not imitating someone else? In this episode, we’re diving into Phase Two of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline: the Identity Formation Zone. This is where you’ve moved past the overwhelm of Phase One and into regular teaching—but still feel like an imposter. We’ll unpack: Why imposter syndrome can be a sign of growth.How to se...

2 months ago

13 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

49. Space Management Secrets for Large Yoga Classes

Teaching yoga in a big space with dozens of students can be daunting—how do you connect with everyone and keep the class flowing? In this episode, I share practical strategies for managing large rooms so every student feels included. You’ll learn how to set up your space, move with intention, project your voice, and adapt to challenges without losing your connection to the whole group. These tips will help you feel confident in any teaching setting, whether you’re leading a festival crowd, a ...

2 months ago

15 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

48. How to Plan Your Yoga Class Quickly and Easily with the Prep Station

If you’ve ever found yourself spending hours on Sunday night scrolling Instagram for yoga class ideas, this episode is for you. I share the real struggle teachers face with planning: the overwhelm, the blank-page anxiety, or the temptation to just wing it. After 20+ years of teaching, I’ve discovered that the most successful teachers aren’t the most creative or the most flexible. They’re the ones who reliably deliver balanced classes week after week. That’s why I created the Yoga Class Prep S...

3 months ago

14 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

47. How to Find Private Clients Who Value Your Teaching

Teaching private yoga lessons can be one of the most rewarding parts of your teaching career—both financially and in the depth of connection you create. But finding clients who truly value your teaching can be a challenge. In this episode, I share exactly how I’ve built a roster of private clients who commit to regular sessions, respect my expertise, and pay my full rate without constant negotiation. You’ll learn how to identify your ideal clients, where to find them, how to communicate your ...

3 months ago

24 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

46. How to Build Community in Yoga Class—Before, During, and After

What makes students keep coming back to your classes? It’s not just your cueing or sequencing—it’s the sense of connection you cultivate. In this episode, I break down the art of building community in your yoga classes—not in a forced, overly social way, but in a grounded, intentional way that supports all types of students. You’ll learn what to do before, during, and after class to foster belonging, how to navigate common challenges like oversharing or cliques, and how to hold strong boundar...

3 months ago

22 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

45. How to Move Past YTT Overwhelm and Actually Feel Ready to Teach

You finished your 200-hour training, certificate in hand . . . but your class plan is blank and your brain is fried. Sound familiar? In this episode, I walk you through Phase 1 of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline: what I call post-training overwhelm. It’s that panicky season where you feel like you should be ready, but instead, you’re second-guessing every pose, bouncing between over-planning and winging it, and constantly reinventing sequences that never seem to stick. I’ll share: The most ...

3 months ago

11 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

44. The Yoga Teacher Success Timeline: Where You Are, What’s Next, and How to Move Forward

“I’ve been teaching for years and I still feel like I’m faking it.” If that sounds familiar, I'm here to reassure you: you’re not alone, and you’re not behind. In this episode, I share the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline, a five-phase framework that helps you name where you are in your growth as a yoga teacher—and understand what’s coming next. Whether you’re fresh out of teacher training or you’ve been leading classes for years, this roadmap gives you language, perspective, and permission. You...

4 months ago

10 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

43. Repetition Builds Confidence: Nyisha Rylander’s Journey Teaching Yoga on Kauai

What if the secret to confidence wasn’t doing something new—but doing the same thing, over and over again? In this episode, I talk with Nyisha Rylander, who teaches yoga in three very different contexts on the island of Kauai: at a local gym with regular students, at resorts with one-time guests, and online as part of her health coaching business. You’ll hear how she used one master sequence—what she calls her “resort yoga”—as a template that built her fluency and freed up her attention for h...

4 months ago

29 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

42. How to Use Music in Yoga Classes: Legal, Practical, and Energetic Tips

Whether you love crafting playlists or prefer teaching in silence, this episode helps you make thoughtful, legally sound, and energetically aware choices about music in yoga classes. I walk you through: the legal requirements most teachers overlooknuts-and-bolts tech tips to avoid disruptionand the nuanced ways sound shapes student experience.You’ll also get guiding principles and practical options for building your confidence and versatility—so your class can thrive with or without music. Li...

4 months ago

27 minutes

Yoga Teacher Confidential: Secrets of Becoming a Great Yoga Teacher

41. How to Teach Corporate Yoga Classes That Pay Well and Feel Great

Corporate yoga might just be the hidden gem of your teaching business. In this episode, I share everything you need to know to succeed in this unique environment—from landing gigs to crafting office-friendly sequences. You’ll learn how to approach HR and wellness directors, price your sessions with confidence, and teach diverse groups who may never have stepped foot in a studio. I break down exactly how to adapt your teaching whether your students are in skirts or in steel-toed boots—and why ...

4 months ago

28 minutes