Understanding and Preventing Burnout in Kids Yoga Teaching

🎥Watch the video here

Do you ever feel exhausted and drained? Does it make you feel like a hypocrite because here you are talking about well-being and here you are struggling with your own?

If so, this video might be useful to you. I’m going to be sharing why we experience burn out as kids yoga teacher, ways to prevent or address burn out and also signs to watch out for.

When I was a Primary Teacher I experienced burn out. It was something that I felt ashamed of at the time. I was embarrassed, I felt like a failure and didn’t want to talk about it. During my research for my MSc for Mental Health and Well-Being in Education, I discovered just how prolific it is for educators (very!).

I left full time teaching because of the stress, anxiety that I felt, the juggle of work and home and feeling like I was failing everyone and so, I became a yoga teacher.

Problem solved right?
Wrong?
I quickly found myself hurtling towards the same old familiar feelings.
So yeah, burn out happens to us kids yoga teachers too and today I’m talking all about that because it is hard and it is shit and I think it is something that we SHOULD talk about!
While teaching yoga to children is often joyful and rewarding, it can also be physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing, especially when managing behaviour, meeting expectations, or juggling multiple sessions in a day.

Why Do Kids Yoga Teachers Experience Burnout?
I think that there are many aspects that can contribute to burn out, here are just some that I've experienced personally at various times over my yoga teaching career.

Emotional Exhaustion
Teaching requires constant energy, patience, and adaptability, which can leave you feeling drained, particularly with energetic or challenging groups.
This can be a lot, especially if you also have other relational commitments -such as young children or caring for other family members.

Physical Fatigue
Demonstrating poses repeatedly and moving around to support children can take a toll on your body, especially if you’re teaching several classes in one day.
Too many frog jumps is usually the cause of this for me! So fun at the time...

Behaviour Management Stress
Managing a group with varying attention spans, energy levels, and needs can be overwhelming, particularly without additional support.
This can be made even worse if you have adult 'support' that is less than supportive!

High Expectations
Parents, schools, or organisations might have unrealistic expectations about what your sessions should achieve, which can add unnecessary pressure.
Or perhaps those expectations come from within ourselves too (where are my fellow perfectionist idealists?!)

Creative Drain
Continuously coming up with fresh ideas, themes, and activities can feel like a constant challenge, leading to mental fatigue- followed by mild panic!

Lack of Support
Unlike classroom teachers who often work in teams, yoga teachers can feel isolated, with fewer colleagues to lean on for advice or encouragement.
School teachers have line managers / supervisors / senior teachers who can offer mentoring and ideas to try. This isn't common in the kids yoga world- which is why I offer mentoring and also why I set up the community for School Yoga Teachers.

Financial Pressure
Kids yoga isn’t always highly paid, and balancing finances with a packed schedule can lead to stress.
I think that also money can be a taboo subject in the yoga world sometimes, some people think that wanting to earn money isn't very 'yogic' which can lead to feelings of shame around this topic. This is just ridiculous, we all need to live, there is nothing wrong with earning money in our businesses. In my opinion, money is neutral, how you choose to spend it isn't!

Neglecting Self-Care
Teachers often pour all their energy into their students, forgetting to prioritise their own well-being. This is a habit that I bought with me from my teaching career and had a hard time 'un-learning' it.

How to Prevent or Address Burnout
Ok, we know it happens and some reasons why, but is it unavoidable?
I think that with a lot of self awareness and conscious choice, we can make moves to avoid burn out. Here are some things that I have found vital in my own journey:

Set Boundaries
This is hard and it's personal to you, your life, your family and your preferences, but some ideas are:

• Limit the number of classes you teach each day or week.
• Learn to say no to commitments that stretch you too thin.
• Decide on days or times that you won't work.
• Consider limiting the types of classes that you are offering- are there any that are draining you that you can decide to just not teach anymore?

Prioritise Self-Care
I find using my calendar or diary really useful here! For some reason, if I've written it there, I'm more likely to do it. Also, maybe getting accountability from friends could be a fun way to ensure that you do this.

• Make time to practice yoga, mindfulness, or relaxation just for yourself—not for teaching.
• Schedule downtime to rest and do things you enjoy.

Seek Support

• Connect with other kids yoga teachers through workshops or forums to share challenges and solutions. Get some mentoring support with me or join my group.
• Ask schools, parents or organisations for help managing groups when needed. Knowing when to ask for help is a really useful skill!

Plan Efficiently

• Reuse themes, sequences, and games rather than creating something new for every session. Check out these videos about planning:
• Build a library of activities you can pull from when you’re feeling uninspired.

You might find these planning videos useful:

Celebrate Small Wins

• Focus on the joy and impact of your work, such as a child mastering a pose or calming themselves with breathing.
• Keep a journal of positive moments to look back on when you need a boost.

Ongoing Professional Development

• Attend workshops or training that inspire you and give you fresh ideas. Perhaps one of these e-courses will inspire you!
• Learn new techniques for managing challenges and keeping your classes engaging.
• This could be as simple as watching a video check out these free ones, reading a blog (like this one) or reading a book.

 Honour Your Body

• Our bodies need different things at different times, it's ok for your teaching to reflect this.
• Take breaks in class by letting children lead or demonstrate poses, use cards like these to help to illustrate a point.

Some signs of Burnout to Watch For
Are you concerned that you might be experiencing burn out? Here are some signs to be mindful of:

• Feeling constantly tired or low on energy.
• Becoming irritable or frustrated more easily.
• Struggling to come up with new ideas or excitement for teaching.
• Physical aches or pains from overexertion.
• Dreading your classes or feeling apathetic about them.

If you’re concerned about burnout, addressing it early is key. Small adjustments like reducing your schedule, seeking support, or prioritising your own needs can make a huge difference.

Would you like any help finding ways to streamline your work or focus on self-care? Here's two things that might help:

💞Join my free community and talk about it there! Consider it like a staff room!
👩🏻‍💻Get some personalised support and work with me.

Are you finding some sticking points in your business?

Why not make 2025 the year you invest in yourself and your kids' yoga business?

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Sign up in December, and you can kick off your mentoring package in January while enjoying immediate access to all my courses and resources.

That’s a whole month to dive into my trainings and tools, getting a head start before we officially begin working together.

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Do you have a question? Would you like me to talk about anything in particular?
📨Email me at [email protected] I love hearing from other kids yoga teachers!