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 common symptoms of Phase 1 (and why they’re totally normal)
• The one mistake that keeps new teachers stuck for years
• Why teaching the same sequence multiple times isn’t lazy—it’s liberating
• How the 6-4-2 Framework cuts your planning time in half
• What it really means to build confidence as a yoga teacher

If you’re tired of feeling like your training didn’t actually prepare you for real-life teaching, you’re not alone—and you’re not failing. You’re just in Phase 1. And this episode is here to help you move through it consciously and confidently.

For more support, check out Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing, my mentorship program where we turn the overwhelm into a steady, adaptable system you can grow with.

Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Get in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you—let's chat there!

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Chapters

• 0:00 Phase One: Post Training Overwhelm
• 1:15 Symptoms of Phase One
• 3:33 The Mistake of Constantly Creating New Sequences
• 4:54 The Capsule Wardrobe Approach to Sequencing
• 6:01 The 6-4-2 Framework for Class Planning
• 7:07 Embracing the Overwhelm
• 8:22 Practical Steps for Phase One Teachers

Transcript

0:00

Can I tell you something? I spent my first year of teaching frantically flipping through yoga books before every single class, trying to piece together sequences that made sense. I'd have three different books open cross-referencing poses and transitions, and I'd still walk into class feeling completely unprepared. Welcome to Yoga Teacher Confidential. I'm Sage Rountree, and today we are going deep into phase one of the Yoga Teacher Success Timeline, what I call the post training overwhelm zone. If you missed the overview episode, the last episode, go back and listen to that first, but if you're here because you're spending more time planning classes than actually teaching them, or if you're oscillating between rigid memorization and total improvisation, this episode is exactly what you need. Let me paint the picture of phase one for you. You finished your 200 hour training. You have your certificate. Maybe it's even framed. You understand the theory. You can name the eight limbs of yoga and explain the difference between a forward fold and a backbend. But now you're staring at an empty class plan template and your brain is completely blank. Sound familiar? Here are the telltale symptoms of phase one. You're spending excessive time planning your classes. I'm talking three to four hours to plan a 60 or 75 minute class. You're researching every single pose, checking alignment, details you already know, and second guessing every transition. You're oscillating between two extremes, the type A and the type B. Either memorizing your sequence word for word, like you're preparing for a theatrical performance, or type B, deciding to just wing it and hoping inspiration strikes when you get to the studio. You're anxious about creating sequences for a diverse student group. What if someone has a knee injury? What if they can't do Chaturanga? What if they're super advanced and get bored? You're trying to plan for every possible scenario you feel under prepared, despite completing your training. This is the big one. You have 200 hours of education, but somehow you feel like you know nothing. You're uncertain about your voice style and teaching identity. You might find yourself trying to teach like your favorite teacher from training or constantly switching styles because you're not sure what your yoga is. You have low confidence when teaching new populations, teaching athletes panic, senior citizens, terror pregnant students. You're Googling modifications frantically. Here's what's really happening in phase one. Your brain is trying to process an enormous amount of information while simultaneously performing a complex skill. It's like trying to learn to drive while also studying for your driving test. Your conscious mind is working over time, and here's the thing that makes it worse. Comparison. You're watching seasoned teachers who make it look effortless, and you think they must have figured this out in their first month. What's wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with you. Those teachers you're watching, they've taught that same sequence dozens, maybe, hundreds of times. Of course, it looks effortless now. So why does this overwhelm happen and why is it actually necessary? First, let me tell you about the one mistake that keeps teachers trapped in phase one for years longer than necessary. Are you ready for this? The mistake is trying to create a completely new sequence for every single class. I see teachers who think that being creative means never repeating anything. They think their students will be bored if they teach the same sequence twice. They think good teachers are constantly innovating. This is exhausting for you and confusing for your students. Let me share a story that illustrates this perfectly. I've been teaching the same Monday night class Yoga four Athletic balance for over 20 years, same time, same studio since March 1st, 2004, and for the first several years, I made this exact mistake. One week I teach Paul Grilley's yang sequences because I was studying with him the next week, maybe some Ashtanga, because the week Pattabhi Jois died, I decided to honor him by pulling out my Ashtanga books and teaching the primary series. That wasn't a great idea. Students coming to my class never knew what they were going to get. My students had no idea what they were walking into each week. They couldn't develop it. Any mastery because the target kept moving and I was spending hours every week reinventing the wheel. You know what changed everything. I started teaching basically the same sequence for a month at a time with only minor variations. And guess what happened? My students got better faster. They could focus on refinement instead of just figuring out what Pose was coming next and how I expected them to execute it. They developed confidence because they knew what to expect, and I became a better teacher because I actually learned my sequence inside and out. This is what I could call the capsule wardrobe approach to sequencing. You can read about it in my book, the Art of Yoga Sequencing. Just like you might have a few key pieces in your wardrobe that you mix and match with different accessories. You want to have a core sequence that you can adapt and modify rather than starting from scratch every time. Now, let me share the simple framework that can cut your planning time in half while actually improving your classes. This is also available to you in the Art of Yoga sequencing, available at your favorite bookseller or on order from your library so others can enjoy it too. Okay, this is called the 6 4 2 framework. Six refers to the six movements of the spine, forward fold, backward, bend, side, bend to either side, and a twist to either side. Four refers to the four lines of the legs, frontline backline, inner line outer line. Two refers to the two core actions, articulation and stabilization. That's it. Every balanced yoga class and probably every sequence within a balanced class should include all of these elements. When you're planning a class and you feel overwhelmed by infinite possibilities, just check. Am I including all six moves of the spine? All four lines of the legs, both core actions. This framework gives you structure without being restrictive. It's like having a recipe. You know you need protein, vegetables, and starch for a good meal, but you can make infinite variations within that structure. But here's what's really important to understand about Phase one on the Yoga Teacher's Success timeline. The overwhelm your feeling isn't a bug, it's a feature. That anxiety about creating sequences, that's your conscience working. That's you taking seriously the fact that people are trusting you with their bodies and their time. Teachers who don't feel this responsibility are the ones you should worry about. The over preparation that shows you care about doing right by your students. The uncertainty about your teaching identity. That's normal. You're not supposed to have it figured out yet. You're still discovering who you are as a teacher. Phase one is teaching you some crucial skills that will serve you throughout your entire teaching career. How to break down complex information into teachable chunks, how to hold space for uncertainty, both yours and your students. How to show up even when you don't feel ready. And how to care for students without taking on their problems as your own. Now y'all, the goal isn't to rush through phase one. The goal is to move through it consciously learning what it has to teach you. So what do you actually do if you're in phase one right now? First, establish your core values and your teaching philosophy. This doesn't have to be fancy. Just answer this question, why do you want to teach yoga? What do you hope your students will experience in your classes? Write it down. When you're overwhelmed by choices, this will be your North Star. There is a free mini course in the Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga called Finding Your Voice as a yoga teacher, I invite you to come through, sign up for that, move through it. It will help you with this. Second, create one simple base recipe sequence using the 6 4 2 framework. Start with something basic, maybe a warmup. Make sure it includes all six spinal movements, targets all four lines of the legs and offers both core actions. This then becomes your template for your warmup for the next several weeks. Third, practice your sequence in your own body before teaching it. This is huge. Don't just plan it on paper, actually do the sequence yourself. Notice how the transitions feel, where you might need more time. What cues would be helpful, and think about how you might modify this for the students who show up to your class. Fourth, teach this same sequence at least three times before changing anything major. I know this feels scary. You think your students will be bored. They won't be. They will appreciate the consistency and you'll get better at teaching it each time. Fifth, focus on student-centered language over perfection. Instead of trying to have the most perfect cue for every pose, focus on helping your students feel safe and included." Find your version of this pose" is often far more helpful than issuing a laundry list of detailed alignment instructions. And here is your mindset shift. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel for every class. Your job isn't to be endlessly creative. Your job is to create a safe, consistent container where your students can explore and grow. If you're ready for more support with sequencing, I'd recommend checking out Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing. It's a six month mentorship membership built around the exact frameworks I'm sharing in this series and what I teach in the Art of Yoga sequencing. You get done for you lesson plans, monthly live calls, and a suite community of teachers who are all working through these same challenges. There's a link in the show notes. But whether you join a program or not, start with that base recipe. Pick one sequence, learn it well, and teach it consistently. You'll be amazed at how much your confidence grows when you're teaching from what you truly know. Remember, your students don't need you to be perfect. They need you to be present. They need you to be prepared, and they need you to be genuinely interested in their wellbeing. In upcoming episodes, we'll explore the other phases of the teaching journey, including phase two, identity formation, where we'll talk about why feeling like an imposter is actually a sign that you're growing. Thanks for being here. If you're finding this helpful, please share it with a teacher friend who might be struggling with overwhelm, maybe your bestie from your yoga teacher training. I'm Sage Rountree. This is Yoga Teacher Confidential, and I'll see you next time.