As most of you know, I’m a new Atma Kriya Yoga teacher. What is Atma Kriya Yoga? It is an incredible meditation technique that transforms you and helps you to learn to give yourself a lot of love. That’s the biggest benefit of Atma Kriya Yoga (AKY) in my experience and that simple little thing, having “love for myself” has completely changed my life. I’m now a teacher of this incredible meditation technique. It is a big job. It is a big responsibility. And the fears that are coming up around being a teacher of this awesome thing, are equally big.
When you become a new yoga teacher, and have to go out and find your own students, it is a really scary thing. Applying to yoga studios and going on payroll with them is easier, but when you are teaching a technique that is not commonly taught in the studios, like Kundalini or AKY, it is all up to you to find your own students.
So how do you go find students as a new yoga teacher? I share 3 steps below that I took to help me find students, and not just any student, the best ones who are super eager to learn and are very high vibration. The kind of students who I feel honoured to be able to teach and the kind of students that make me realize it is actually my blessing to be able to teach them.
Step 1: Hold a free information talk or some kind of free event.
I don’t know how I got this idea in the first place, but I knew I had to tell people why AKY is special personally. I knew that I have to share the incredible benefits of AKY with people face to face, because they would see those benefits visible within me, they would see my love for it on my face! When you stand in front of people and talk about what you love, your truth becomes visible to everyone and they are attracted to the thing you are talking about. Then, they are attracted to your yoga that you teach.
Step 2: Become a student again of the yoga you teach.
Here’s a story to show you what I mean by this. I set the date and the intention to teach an Atma Kriya Yoga course on Dec 7th and 14th, 2014. On Dec 3rd, I didn’t have any signups. As I was paralyzed in this fear and didn’t know what to do next, I sat down and became a student of Atma Kriya Yoga again.
I sat upright to do my usual daily Kriya, and found myself smiling. I became a student instead of a teacher and remembered all the reasons why I loved this yoga. My love for it gave me the strength and confidence I needed to go out and be a fabulous teacher. And above all, to attract the exact right student.
Step 3: Share, tell, put it out into the Universe. So that the Universe can deliver to you the reward.
I put my little story up on Facebook. Here’s a screenshot of it.
You know what happened after I posted this? Within 24 hours, my friend who had been at a free talk I gave on AKY contacted me and told me he wanted to take the course! He is one of the purest, loveliest people I have taught AKY to and it is genuinely my honour and my blessing to be able to teach him. One day, he will be teaching far many more people than me, I feel it.
So, to all my new yoga teachers out there, just follow these steps: hold a free info session, become a student again and put your intention out into the Universe. Then just wait for the perfect students to show up. When they do, hug them, teach them, love them and honour them. You have done well and you deserve all the joys and blessings of teaching.
With love and respect,
Ritu / Krishnapriya (that’s my spiritual name!)
