What happens when the Teacher/Leader/Healer loses Faith? Confessions of a burned out Yoga Teacher

I’m missing Yoga Retreats. Are you? It’s been almost 3 years since I led one.

We are all suffering from Pandemic Fatigue, 2 years in, I know…it’s a REAL THING. Right??? How are you doing???? I led an online Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in 2021; that fed my soul for 8 months.

But now, even though, I have been continuing my LIVE & Online classes, LIVESTREAMS on YouTube, Private clients on Zoom, Yoga by donation, FREE 40 day Meditations since then, my recent ‘launch’ of my online yoga course FLOPPED.

Only 2 people signed up (Thank you Patty & Katherine…also Liz Coleman & all my ladies who have bought my online courses over the years & did my teacher training online: Jen, RaqC, Emelie, Autume, Angela T.S., & Lyndsey-Ann) I love you guys and appreciate you so much!!!

I don’t want to seem un-grateful, I am not, just trying to express my truth in this moment and move forward. I am a Teacher. I am a Mother, I am a Caretaker. I am a Friend. I am a Daughter. I am a Wife. I am overwhelmed right now.

As many of you know, I started and Online Yoga Business in 2016/17 and was loving it and it was doing so well for 5 years! I worked for FREE soooo much to get it going, I led FREE weekly livestreams & webinars/master classes, FREE 40 day Meditations for 5 years, FREE FREE FREE….sooo much FREE, ….then started donation Zoom classes weekly over the pandemic, so anyone could come!

Then, I burned out, giving giving giving, answering every question, every direct message, every tag, every social post, every email ….it’s never-ending….I can’t anymore…I know that now. Now it’s 2022! Now what? I need to shift, swerve, shape-shift, pivot.

I’m struggling too, I moved my sister to Boise, Idaho in October 2021, which left me taking care of my elderly mother every day, alone, so now we are looking at moving her into a retirement home in Boise.

Everyone got Covid over Christmas (except me, my daughter & mom thank God we are boosted :)) Trying to participate in everything my daughter’s senior year of  High School (she’s on a competitive dance team). Doing my daily practice. Trying to keep everything going as ‘normal’ and keep my online business going. But it’s NOT NORMAL. It’s not working anymore.

I think everyone is burnt out of online courses? I really don’t know! Is everyone burned out? Please tell me how you are coping!

Now what?

All of the Yoga studios in my area closed!

I want to give up, quit, stop moving forward. 28 a years a Yogini. Amidst the pandemic, the science deniers, the riots, the civil unrest, so many Senior Yoga Teachers coming out as abusive & manipulative. I’ve lost my faith. I used to believe in so much! But now, I just don’t anymore.

Magical thinking is over for me.

So much loss these past 2 years, suicides, loss of life due to Covid, depression, anxiety rampant. You would think everyone would want to do Yoga & Meditation? Right? Well, apparently not with me, or they don’t want to pay me for it.

I’m taking everything personally right now, can you tell?

(I don’t want advice or feedback please, thanks, I’m in therapy)

I’m just letting you know!

I will be taking a break, that’s the only thing I know to do right now, wait, have patience lean into what feeds my Soul. Travel, Yoga & Meditation, my Family.

So back to the Question I posed:

What happens when the Teacher/Leader/Healer loses Faith?

I’m going on sabbatical.

We take a break. We wait, we watch, we meditate, we observe, we do things that bring us Joy.

I have a TON of online content I have been posting weekly for 5 years…please refer to that.

Everything you need is on my Website! All my links/socials/blogs/online courses you can buy and do on your own, etc.

As of now, I will continue my TikToks (they feed my soul too :)) and continue my YouTube series.

Reach out to me if you want to set up a 1:1 or a private group class or commission me/hire me to teach in your program, for your event or make a series for you.

I will continue to do work that pays me, for now (my live weekly classes/private classes, private Zooms etc…)

Thanks for listening, I love you,

Valinda Cochella, MA, E-RYT

https://SouthBayYoginis.com