72. You Get Who You Get: Teaching Yoga to Unpredictable Audiences

I was teaching a free yoga class at an outdoor gear store in Edmonton when a woman walked in with a toddler and an infant. Not a sleeping infant in a carrier: these children were alert, wandering, making noise. And if you've ever taught yoga, you know exactly what happens to your nervous system in that moment.In this episode, I'm sharing what I've learned about staying composed—and student-centered—when you truly don't know who's going to show up. From the student who took my breath cues so literally she thought she wasn't allowed to exhale, to people showing up in jeans because they wandered in from the hiking boot section, teaching in unpredictable environments tests everything you think you know about holding space.Here's what saved me in Edmonton: I teach in chunks. When you structure your classes with clear segments-warmup, standing, floor, finishing—you create natural transition points that give you flexibility to redirect, check in, or offer someone a graceful exit.You'll learn why structure is actually what gives you freedom, how to stay student-centered when everything goes sideways, and when to be more explicit with your cues than you think you need to be.Listen now!Join the Comfort Zone Yoga 200-hour yoga teacher training—curriculum is open now and our live cohort runs September through November 2026. Be sure to tell your students who are interested in teaching, too!Read all about it here.Want to become (almost) everyone's favorite yoga teacher? Join Comfort Zone Yoga, my virtual studio focused on teacher development. I have a ton of Sage advice in there for you!For more insights, subscribe to Yoga Teacher Confidential, check out my YouTube channel, and follow me on socials:InstagramFacebookThreadsAnd come explore my mentorship program, Yoga Class Prep Station membership, continuing education and 200/300/500-hour teacher training programs, and my many books for yoga teachers. It's all at sagerountree.com....