8 private yoga clients on Wednesdays?? {What my actual schedule looks like...}

A few weeks ago I published an article on DoYouYoga.com (here) where I wrote about how I manage to teach 8 private clients in one day AND not feel totally run down by the end of it.  What I didn’t mention is this…I love this day of all day teaching.  Truly, Wednesday is my favorite day of the week.Probably the most frequently asked question from my teacher friends and those who study with me is always…How do you do it?One of the ways is through the self care practices that have become a natural part of my daily life over the last decade of teaching private yoga.  You can read more about those here and here!

The other important note is, I created and scheduled this day on purpose. More on that in a moment. :-)

People always ask me what the day actually looks like, so here ya go:4:15am:: Alarm goes offIn a perfect world I was in bed reading something non-digital, {usually The Washington Post!} by 8:15pm the night before. That doesn't usually happen, but the attempt means I am in bed by 10pm at the absolute latest.4:30am:: I do the 7 minute workout from the NY Times.I use a great app by the same name, you should check it out! It is a simple {literal} seven minute practice that has a lot of planks, squats, jumping jacks, etc. Full disclosure:: I JUST started doing this recently, so we’ll see how long it lasts, but so far I am loving the the short, structured, self-focused start to my day. Okay...even more Full Disclosure?? I usually opt for childs pose and downward dog instead of jumping jacks and high running knees. Even so, the simple, guided movement practice is a great way to start such a busy day.4:45am:: Shower, Dress, pack snacks for the day5:15am:: Cab to first client5:45am:: Client #1Quick walk7am:: Client #2 {right up the street!}Breakfast {usually pre-made cold granola/greek yogurt} happens in this cab.8:30am:: Client #39:35am:: Walk 15 minutes to next client. I am now done with cabs for the day, and get to walk, bus, and subway around the rest of the day. {Much preferred. Cabs are expensive!}10am:: Client #4Bus to next client. Here I usually check and respond to emails and have a snack, but not at the same time. :-)12pm:: Client #51pm:: Client #6 {they are co-workers, so I don’t have to travel here. Yay.}Brisk walk. {No phone allowed.}2:30pm:: Client #7Grab a juice/snack and hop on the subway.4:30pm:: Client #8Walk from Chelsea to Gramercy Park. {Two of my favorite NYC neighborhoods!}6pm:: Early Bird Sushi Dinner with my dear friend, and fellow private yoga teacher, Aubrey!8:30pm:: Home to crash. No email, no other work. Just reading, resting, and getting ready for Thursday.This day, on it’s own, is pretty imbalanced. It is a massive amount of energy out, with little time to do anything other than teach. I am writing another post on A Week in the Life of a Private Yoga Teacher, and that will show much more balance. {Time for play, rest, grocery shopping, cooking, connection with family and friends, acupuncture, extended asana and meditation practice, and attention to managing and growing a thriving business}After years of teaching spacious but long and scattered days, I was finally able to fill my Wednesdays to the brim with teaching and I just love it.I really struggled with the long, spacious days. Teaching at 7am, 12pm, 5pm, and 7pm left me with so many holes in my day, and that meant that I had to move out of my role as teacher into another role {friend, daughter, grocery shopper, house cleaner, etc}. As I mentioned in this article, I found switching gears like that to be super energetically draining.Everyone that I teach on Wednesdays I have been teaching for many years. They are people I love teaching, and feel so grateful to have seen wildly meaningful changes occur in their lives. I am committed to working with them, and we have so much fun!

I have also been teaching this schedule, almost exactly, for YEARS, and so the whole routine feels very consistent and grounded.

Given that it is such an intense day, it requires an incredible amount of presence and focus, and spending a whole day In The Zone like that feels amazing.Teaching privately, especially this much, asks me to be clear, present, and vulnerable. Engaging in my teaching that way {as a daily practice} has had an amazing impact on the way I carry myself through the rest of my whole life. I have found the more I teach from an authentic, deeply present place, the more I show up in the rest of my life in the same way.Having so many classes packed into one day is a personal choice, that works so well for me, but of course, it is not for everyone! We all get to decide how we show up in the world as teachers and as people, and I wanted to share my story and thoughts here in the hopes of inspiring you to create the schedule and life that works best for you.Tell me loves. What does your teaching schedule look and feel like now? How might you like it to see it shift?