how to survive Instagram as a yoga teacher without losing your fucking mind đź«
A digestable and affordable guide for yoga teachers who currently have a love-hate relationship with Instagram, but want to make the most of it (without becoming full time content creators...)
You're a yoga teacher -
not an influencer...
But that doesn't mean you can't use Instagram as a phenomenal marketing tool. You just need to know how to use it in the right way, that doesn't feel like torture every time you think of 'creating content'
Social media can be the biggest pain in the ass for yoga teachers.
You might see the potential (and wonder if the answer to growing your business is in growing an insane following), but your opinions are likely to swing heavily toward the 'hate' end of that spectrum if you've been wasting hours trying to make this thing try and bloody work for you without any luck.
This guide won't tell you the exact steps you need to build a massive followingÂ
(because lots of you don't need a huge audience online to fill your classes).
I won't give you the secret sauce to master the elusive algorithm
(because there isn't one...IG changes the game ALL the time. But I DO explain how the algorithm actually works, and why it's not as personal as you think).
IÂ won't make any promises of overnight success or share complex strategies that require hours of content creationÂ
(because it takes more than quick tactics to build something that's actually useful to you).
What I will do is talk to you about everything I've learnt over the last year as I've been through an absolute baptism of fire in growing an engaged community of over 30k followers.
We'll look at how to use Instagram in a way that actually suits you, your teaching, and most importantly, your energy - so you can enjoy it as a decent marketing tool without it taking over your life or feeling like you want to launch your phone out the fucking window.Â
I'll talk about why content creation doesn't (and shouldn't) need to take hours, and how to come up with shit to share.Â
There's a whole section of overcoming all of the mental blocks that are stopping you from jumping in the Instagram ring right now, and what is and isn't worth giving your attention to.Â
Plus TONSÂ more.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
An 80+ pAGE WRITTEN GUIDE
I've covered anything and everything I could think of that's relevant to your journey on Instagram as a yoga teacher, but in my usual, totally digestable writing style.
An Audio version of the guide
Not a big reader or prefer to listen on the go? I've recorded the whole guide in podcast-style chunks so you can listen and learn whatever you're doing.
a supporting workbook
Guided exercises and prompts to help you apply everything from the guide to YOUR specific teaching business, so you can start taking some action.
You can expect...
- An understanding look into how Instagram actually works so you know what's worth paying attention to and what you can ignore
- A realistic approach to figuring out the best way you should be creating content for your business without sacrificing your time, energy, or soul
- Practical ideas around building genuine connection with the right people, not just grabbing for random followers
- Tools to identify and work around your specific barriers (physical and mental) to showing up online
- Ways to make Instagram fit YOUR teaching business, not the other way around
This guide is written by a yoga teacher, for yoga teachers -Â not full time content creators
Instagram can be an amazing resource.
It can help real people find your work, discover your classes, and connect with you in ways that lead to long-term relationships and real-life bookings.
It can help your message spread further than your postcode and be a place where you can shout about the things you love, and the changes you want to see.
It can help your teaching ripple out.
BUT NOT IF YOU’RE CONSTANTLY DRAINED BY THE PRESSURE TO SHOW UP LIKE A FULL-TIME CONTENT CREATOR.
Not if you’re stuck second-guessing every post before you hit publish.
Not if you’re comparing yourself to teachers who’ve turned their feed into a full-blown brand profile.
Not if you’re following strategies that don’t actually suit the way you teach, or live, or run your business.
I SPENT TOO LONG MYSELF TRYING TO SHOW UP ONLINE IN A WAY THAT WAS IRRELEVANT FOR MY BUSINESS, WASTING TIME, MONEY AND SO, SO MUCH ENERGY IN THE PROCESS.
In the last year, IÂ took a new approach to Instagram, prioritising the actual content of my content. I began paying more attention to what genuinely supported my business, brought the right people to my work, created a beautiful, engaged community online and felt doable (and enjoyable) week after week.
No hacks. No trends. No chasing irrelevant followers for the sake of it.
This guide is the result of that shift. It’s everything I've learned over the past year and all of the guidance I wish I’d had from the start.
This is for you if:
- You have no interest in becoming an influencer
- You want Instagram to support your real-life teaching, not become your entire identity
- You're tired of feeling like you're doing it wrong or wasting time on content that doesn't seem to be working
- You want to build genuine connections, not just chase vanity metrics
- You care more about building your IRL business than gathering random followers
This is NOT for you if:
❌ You're looking for overnight success or a magic formula
❌ You want hacks and strategies to go viral, or get thousands of random followers
❌ You're looking for advice on becoming a full time content creator
❌ You want complex strategies requiring hours of content creation every week
❌ You're looking for 'the secret sauce' or want to 'crack the code of Instagram'
about me
I'm Courtenay
a yoga teacher, studio owner, photographer, toddler mum + writer based in the sleePy cotswolds in the uk
After almost a decade in this industry, I can't keep quiet about the things I REALLY feel need to change - from toxic expectations and unsustainable business models, to the pressure of fitting a certain mould.
I share overly honest insights about life as a yoga teacher and business owner over on Instagram, and dive much deeper into teacher support and education through my writing on Substack.
I also have a new private podcast for subscribers over there that you can sample for free, giving you a taste of the kinds of things you can expect here from me (and whether you can handle my voice!).
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PART ONE
a little grounding
Before you even think about what to post, this part dismantles a bunch of the Instagram bollocks you've heard. We get super clear on who you're talking to, why you're on Instagram at all, and how to stop chasing vanity metrics.
PARTÂ two
taming the big bad algorithm
Get a proper breakdown of what actually matters to the algorithm (minus any conspiracy theories), so you’re not wasting your time shouting into the void or trying to game the system.
PARTÂ three
managing your energy & expectations
This part zooms out a bit, helping you understand how Instagram fits into your life, how to pace yourself, and how to stop worrying about needing to 'show up' all the time
PARTÂ four
finding your natural content approach
Explore the ways you can find a creative rhythm that fits your teaching, your voice, your business and your life, so that your content has an impact but always sounds like you.
PARTÂ FIVE
making Instagram easier
This part is full of practical information, quick-win ideas, and useful ways to reduce the friction and get content out there more speedily.
PARTÂ six
building actual connection with actual people
Start building the kind of engagement that actually matters in your real life business, but connecting with real people.
PARTÂ seven
your
barriers
Explore all the stuff that unconsciously stops you from posting (both practical, and on a mental level too…) so you can notice, name and move through those blocks.
PARTÂ eight
putting it all together
The final round up where we figure out your personal approach to Instagram going forward - based on what works for you, rather than just what’s trending.
