9. Holding Space When Times Are Hard

Life is hard—but how we show up for our students in difficult times can make all the difference. In this episode, I talk about ways to create a consistent, supportive space for yoga students during tough times—for them, or for us as teachers.Chapters:Introduction (0:00): Welcome to today’s episode, exploring how yoga teachers can support students during difficult times.Challenges of Showing Up in Hard Times (0:49): Teaching during national and global tragedies and navigating collective grief.Consistency and Ritual for Students in Grief (2:03): The stabilizing power of ritual and how to create a dependable class structure.Maintaining Clean Energy and Showing Up (5:26): Holding space with care and consistency, even in challenging circumstances.Personal Story: Teaching During a Family Crisis (7:52): I share experiences balancing personal grief and professional responsibilities.Nothing Lets Go Unless It Feels Supported (14:01): The importance of support in creating space for emotional release.The Importance of a Go-To Class Plan (18:45): Why every yoga teacher needs a reliable, adaptable lesson plan for tough days.Conclusion and Affirmation (21:10): Centering students’ agency with the affirmation: “I hold the space with sympathy and clean energy.”Additional ResourcesGet my go-to lesson plan for challenging days: Greatest Hits Back-Pocket Lesson PlanJoin 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....