The Mentor Sessions

There is no cookie-cutter approach to private yoga teaching. The most effective private teachers learn to listen carefully, think critically, stay curious, and trust their ability to adapt. Private teaching is not about giving someone a customized version of a group class. It's about creating a collaborative practice that responds to who they are, what they need, and where they are right now.  That requires both clarity of intention and flexibility of method. In today's episode we are looking back at one of the foundational ideas behind my work as a private yoga teacher: how to create a yoga practice that actually meets the needs of the person in front of you. We'll walk through four key principles for tailoring a private yoga session, including building trust, questioning the idea of a well-rounded practice, understanding the intended benefit of a pose, and staying creative and flexible in your teaching. In this episode, you'll hear: Why teaching private yoga lessons requires a different skill set than teaching group classes The difference between a teacher-driven group class and a student-driven private lesson How to distinguish between what a student wants and what they may actually need How to maintain the depth and heart of yoga while adapting the way you teach it Why students who appear "easy" to teach may actually require more creativity and attention How understanding the intended benefit of a pose can transform individualized teaching Helping students develop discernment about whether a practice is actually useful to them Creative alternatives to traditional centering practices at the beginning of a private lesson This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months or 15% off any annual plan!   

In this episode of The Mentor Sessions, Francesca talks with Andrew Tanner, founder and CEO of the American Yoga Council (AYC), about his vision for creating a healthier, more sustainable yoga ecosystem. Andrew brings more than 20 years of experience as a yoga teacher, studio owner, business consultant, technology leader, and former Yoga Alliance executive. His career has taken him from teaching and owning multiple yoga studios to working at Kripalu and Yoga Alliance, co-founding the Berkshire Yoga Festival, and now building a new credentialing and professional organization for yoga teachers. The conversation goes far beyond the American Yoga Council itself. Francesca and Andrew explore the problems with the current yoga teacher credentialing system, why yoga teachers need better business education, how mentorship can transform professional development, and why Andrew believes the yoga industry needs to "grow up." They also have an unusually candid conversation about Andrew's experience leaving a high-demand spiritual organization, the power dynamics that can exist within yoga communities, institutional resistance to change, and why transparency is one of AYC's core values. In this episode, you'll hear: The challenges of power, money, loyalty, and authority within spiritual communities About Andrew's work at Kripalu and his belief that institutions heal by creating something new rather than remaining stuck in the past Andrew's work at Yoga Alliance and the Standards Review Project Why he became disillusioned with the existing credentialing and accreditation model The creation and mission of the American Yoga Council Why AYC operates as a public benefit corporation rather than a nonprofit Why Andrew believes yoga studios should be viewed as "third places" and hospitality businesses Andrew's vision for the future of yoga and the American Yoga Council Resources Mentioned:  www.americanyogacouncil.com Listeners can use the code FRANCESCA30 for 30% off an AYC membership. This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.  

If you've ever felt like building a successful yoga career means becoming an influencer, constantly creating content, or perfecting your personal brand, this episode is for you. Today I'm sharing a different perspective—one that's rooted in the way I believe sustainable yoga careers are actually built. While marketing and visibility have their place, the longest-lasting teaching careers aren't created through algorithms or viral moments. They're built through relationships, trust, referrals, collaboration, and genuine participation in community. I explore the difference between building an audience and cultivating an ecosystem, and why focusing on your local yoga community, complementary professionals, mentorship, and authentic connections will serve your teaching career far better than chasing online attention. If your goal is to spend more time teaching and less time performing online, this episode offers a practical and deeply encouraging roadmap. In this episode, you'll hear: Why social media has encouraged yoga teachers to think like influencers The limitations of personal branding in a relationship-based profession How referrals become the foundation of long-term private yoga teaching The role teacher friendships and mentorship play in career longevity Creative ways to collaborate with studios and local businesses How building relationships with physical therapists and other practitioners can grow your private practice Why content creation should support your teaching—not replace it How community, reciprocity, and collaboration create a resilient yoga career Resources Mentioned:  Mentorship for yoga teachers This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree!   Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).  With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online.  

Many yoga teachers are intrigued by the idea of teaching private clients but feel held back by self-doubt, uncertainty, or the practical realities of self-employment. In this episode, I unpack the most common concerns I hear from teachers who want to teach one-on-one but don't yet feel confident enough to begin. Drawing from more than two decades of experience teaching private yoga clients, I explore why confidence isn't something you achieve before you start—it's something you build through experience, observation, relationships, systems, and practice. We talk about the difference between technical knowledge and relational skill, how vulnerability shows up in private teaching, and why teaching one-on-one can actually accelerate your growth as a teacher. I also address concerns about safety, imposter syndrome, and the administrative side of running a private yoga practice. Throughout the episode, I offer practical strategies and mindset shifts that can help you move from hesitation to action. If you've been waiting until you feel "ready" to teach private clients, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you'll hear: The difference between knowledge, expertise, and teaching capacity How vulnerability shows up in private yoga teaching Why relational skills matter more than having all the answers Why more certifications don't automatically lead to better private teaching Practical safety systems for working with new private clients How consultation calls help establish trust and assess fit The realities of self-employment and administrative labor Financial systems that simplify private yoga teaching Boundaries and communication practices that reduce overwhelm Resources Mentioned:  The Science of the Private Lesson Previous episode: The Hidden Labor of Yoga Teaching   OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).    

Teaching yoga involves far more than the hours we spend with our yoga students. Behind every yoga class we teach there is a significant amount of planning, relationship-building, scheduling, administration, marketing, and financial management. In this episode, I share the practical systems that have helped me build a sustainable yoga teaching career over the last two decades. Following up on our recent conversation about the hidden labor of yoga teaching, this episode focuses on solutions. While we absolutely need collective action and systemic change to better support yoga teachers (and other freelance workers), there are also concrete systems we can put in place right now to make our work feel more manageable, organized, and sustainable. I walk you through six essential systems every yoga teacher should consider implementing, whether you're brand new to teaching or have years of experience. In this episode, you'll hear: Why sustainability requires both personal systems and collective advocacy The financial systems that create consistency and reduce stress My approach to managing a yoga teaching schedule without burnout Two proven strategies for finding new private clients How to simplify class planning while improving the student experience Why an email list is one of the most valuable marketing assets you can build The six systems every yoga teacher needs  Resources Mentioned: Book Private Clients OfferingTree You Need A Budget (YNAB) Monarch Money QuickBooks Wave Bill.com Stripe Square Calendly YouCanBookMe Acuity Scheduling ConvertKit is now Kit Flodesk Mailchimp Working Families Party   This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!