Social Media for Yoga Teachers: Being Unapologetically Authentic Online

Many of you know that at the beginning of this year I made the distinct decision to focus on healing over improving.

I adopted the simple, yet powerful mantra, “I am healing”

At the beginning of most years, I would set unrealistic goals masked as “intentions.” Things like:

• Stop eating sugar
• Run a marathon
• Lose 20 pounds
• Do a handstand

And every year without fail, I’d look back in disappointment because I wasn’t disciplined enough, didn’t try hard enough, or didn’t impress anyone along the way. I had no before and after pictures and no progress to show my efforts.

So I thought I’d try something new...

Instead of setting goals, I would choose to heal.

As a part of this healing journey, I‘ve done some things that I never thought I’d do and also some things I thought were impossible. I’ve leaned in to look at parts of myself I didn’t even know existed. And I’ve read and listened to a lot of personal growth books, podcasts, and teachers.

As I type, Amazon is packing up The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown and it will be in my mailbox in a couple of days. Brene Brown is one of those transformational teachers that has so much to give. And I know this book will be no exception.

I’m not always much for waiting so I decided to take a sneak peek into what she teaches in this book. And after I saw the 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living, I truly can’t wait.

In this book, she encourages us to let go of…

• What people think
• Perfectionism
• Numbing & Powerlessness
• Scarcity & Fear of the Dark
• Need for Certainty
• Comparison
• Exhaustion as a Power Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth
• Anxiety as a Lifestyle
• Self-Doubt & “Supposed to”
• Being Cool & “Always in Control”

And to instead cultivate…

• Authenticity
• Self-Compassion
• A Resilient Spirit
• Gratitude & Joy
• Intuition & Trusting Faith
• Creativity
• Play & Rest
• Calm & Stillness
• Meaningful Work
• Laughter, Song, & Dance

After reading these 10 Guideposts, I felt inspired to translate them into the work that I am doing with Yogi CEO. Since I am a social media coach for Yoga Teachers, it feels natural for me to relate everything back to social media.

In so many ways, these platforms we spend so much time on mirror humanity and culture. And that’s what we all want deep down. We don’t want to take the humanness out of social media, we want to amplify it.

In doing this, we can forge deeper connections and make a bigger impact. And I don’t know a Yoga Teacher who doesn’t want that.

And sure, sharing your voice to the masses can be scary, uncertain, and can feel inauthentic or fake. But what if you had 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Social Media Use to keep you on track?

Let’s dive in by setting some reframed mindsets around our social media use…

Let Go of What People Think and Cultivate Authenticity

Social Media Translation: “What will people think of me if I start sharing my voice and what I offer online?”

Whew… this one is a DOOZY! It’s by far one of the biggest fears that my clients share with me. What will people think of me?!

And this fear is so valid. Because once you decide to start showing up online, you are no longer hiding. Anyone can see what you post and judge you for it.

This manifests in a lot of different ways but here are a few I see the most:

• Spending a lot of time to appear perfect in photos and videos
• Hiding, staying silent, never posting
• Posting something then obsessing over it
• Deleting posts that don’t get engagement

Reframe/Affirmation: I am letting go of what people think in order to cultivate authenticity on social media.

How powerful would it feel to start feeling exactly like yourself online? Showing up powerfully and unapologetically you?

Put it in action: Post a photo of yourself doing something you love with no filter — completely and unapologetically you. In the caption, explain how this is YOU in your element, doing something you love.

Let Go of Perfectionism and Cultivate Self-Compassion

Social Media Translation: “My online presence must be perfectly curated and professional.”

It’s a total myth that you have to appear professional online to be successful online. Remember people are following YOU, not the perfectly curated version of you.

We’re tired of seeing a bunch of models in impossible yoga shapes. You will show up in a more relatable and powerful way if you share the completely unfiltered, unapologetic, imperfect person you are.

Here are some ways perfectionism manifests on social media:

• Over-filtering your photos
• Over-organizing your feeds
• Over-planning so there is no room for organic, on-the-spot posts

Reframe/Affirmation: I am perfectly imperfect and I am not afraid to show it.

Think about a world without photoshopped images, perfectly polished models, and impossible standards?

How healing and powerful would it be for you, your body image, and self-worth to show up as you without a filter? As you in your struggle? As you in your sadness and pain?

Put it in action: One time this week, allow space for ideas to come and post organically without a plan.

Let Go of Numbing & Powerlessness and Cultivate a Resilient Spirit

Social Media Translation: Mindlessly scrolling and consuming content to escape real-life or the pressure of being online for your own promotion.

Let’s face it, social media is now a way to numb out and stop participating when things get tough. This makes it doubly difficult when you are trying to be online to promote your services.

Trust me, I’ve spent countless hours scrolling on social media without accomplishing anything. It’s an easy way to tap out when I am feeling anxious, depressed, and the myriad of other negative emotions that come my way.

But tapping out leads to us consuming instead of creating…

Let’s talk about some ways numbing and powerlessness manifest on social media:

• Blaming outside circumstances on your success
• Mindlessly scrolling for hours and feeling unaccomplished afterwards

Reframe/Affirmation: I am in control of the time and spend online and the success I receive online.

It’s time to take our power back.

Remember, it’s possible to get organized, set time limits, and set some serious intentions around your social media use.

It’s possible to stop wasting time online.

Put it in action: Set time limits around your social media use this week. How many minutes a day do you want to spend on social media engaging and being an active participant? (I’d recommend 5–15 minutes a day)

Let Go of Scarcity + Fear of the Dark and Cultivate Gratitude + Joy

Social Media Translation: Saying and believing things like, “The online market is oversaturated.”

When Yoga Teachers first enter the online space, they are overcome by the amount of Yoga Teachers that are actually on social media. It feels like there are millions. And the truth is, there are.

This can very quickly spiral us into a scarcity mindset; the belief that there isn’t enough to go around and there are already too many people doing what you want to be doing.

It is our work to shift into an abundance mindset.

You have to remember that although there are plenty of people teaching Yoga and taking up space on social media, there is no one like you — no one with the unique value you offer.

Let’s talk about some ways scarcity and fear show up on social media:

• Comparing ourselves to other successful yogipreneurs
• Again, hiding and shying away from our power — not posting at all
• Copying what other people are doing instead of tapping into our unique creative potential

Reframe/Affirmation: What I offer is unique and there is more than enough success to go around. I expand in abundance.

What if the universe is responding to the thoughts, words, and actions you are putting out? What if instead of cowering in scarcity, we expanded into abundance?

The internet is HUGE, the internet is worldwide, but the universe is BIGGER. And it’s on your side.

Put it in action:

Write down 10 reasons you are grateful for social media.

Then, adopt an abundance mantra around social media that feels super powerful for you. It could be something I mentioned above or it could be unique to you. Write it down, repeat it, meditate on it, manifest it, and see what happens.

Let Go of Comparison and Cultivate Creativity

Social Media Translation: Comparing ourselves to other Yoga Teachers online who seem “more successful, more perfect, more knowledgeable, etc”

Again, comparison comes up a lot here. It’s just a natural reaction to seeing people on social media. Especially when most of the world is choosing to share only the highlights.

What do you do when comparison comes up? There could be some envy, some feelings of not being good enough or as good as whoever you are seeing.

Her are some ways comparison can manifest for us online:

• We spew hateful feelings or words towards people who make us feel those uncomfortable or negative emotions
• Maybe get intimidated and believe what we do will never measure up
• Maybe we end up hiding again and staying silent about what we offer

Reframe/Affirmation: I am perfect, whole, and complete. What I offer is unique, creative, and makes a big impact.

Reframe/Affirmation: I am perfect, whole, and complete. What I offer is unique, creative, and makes a big impact.

What if you shared only what makes you happy and lights you up? What if you created a joyful and brave space for yourself online? How would that impact you? How would that impact your community?

Can you take any feelings of envy and turn them into fuel? Can you take people who inspire you and create something similar but make it your own?

Put it in action:

Write down 10 of your favorite people to follow on social media.

Borrow an idea from one of the accounts. Does something they share each week inspire you? How can you share something similar and make it your own?

Let Go of Exhaustion and Cultivate Play & Rest

Social Media Translation: Burnout and not giving ourselves proper breaks from social media or working. Believing that we have to *always* be working in order to prove our worth.

Here’s your permission slip… you can take a break from social media now. Maybe it’s time to close this article and take a breather.

Nonstop stimulation, engagement, sharing, and consuming = burnout.

Social media in itself is a recipe for exhaustion so it’s important for you to schedule time away. This is the only way to sustain an impactful social media presence. I repeat, this is the only way to sustain an impactful social media presence.

Reframe/Affirmation: I do not have to hustle for my worth.

What would it look like for you to take 1–2 days a week off of social media? How would that impact you? Your loved ones?

When this practice consumes us, it’s no longer fun.

Put it in action:

Plan one day a week to be off of social media.

Extra credit if you schedule time at the beginning and end of each day to be off of your phone.

Let Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle and Cultivate Calm & Stillness

Social Media Translation: Letting anxiety take over and getting desperate to make social media work for you.

When we start showing up online, it can be incredibly easy to start cultivating a lot of anxiety around it all.

Are people seeing my posts? Why did only 2 people like my post? No one is engaging. People are ignoring me. What I have to say doesn’t matter. No one is listening. People are probably judging me.

It can quickly spiral out of control. Instead of showing up confident and calm, your energy becomes desperate and needy.

Here’s how that anxiety manifests online:

• Coming to posting and interacting with a desperate or needy energy
• Checking our phone all the time to see if people have interacted with our posts
• Doing TOO much (aka posting too often, saying too much, bothering people in messages)

Reframe/Affirmation: I am confident in what I have to offer. The people who need what I share are listening.

The way I combat this feeling is by creating some space around what I create and publish. As I am writing posts out, I imagine the perfect person will receive what I am saying.

In addition, when I hit publish, I imagine people responding, engaging, and showing up for what I have to offer.

It makes me feel so much more confident and clear when I show up online.

Put it in action:

Try sending some positive energy out each time you post for a week. Take 5–10 seconds before you publish to send that energy out so the perfect people will receive what you are sharing.

Let Go of Self-Doubt & “Supposed To” and Cultivate Meaningful Work

Social Media Translation: Constantly rethinking and doubting what we are saying and sharing online. Believing we have to be someone else in order to succeed.

There’s a tendency to move into panic after we publish a post. Especially if we got vulnerable, honest, or confronting.

This is natural when you are putting yourself out and sharing your voice with the world but it doesn’t have to be this way. After many years of posting online for this purpose, I have found that time and practice help.

Here’s how this self-doubt manifests online:

• Only showing the brightest, lightest, most perfect parts of your journey
• Avoiding vulnerability
• Becoming robotic in our posting and sharing

Reframe/Affirmation: When I show up as myself online, I attract my tribe.

I like to say there are many people waiting on you to show up, share your story, and change their lives.

They may not know they’re missing your unique voice, but they are. And when you step in to take up space, it’s like the hole is filled.

People don’t want perfection, they want authenticity. Give them your whole self and see what they give you in return.

Put it in action:

Take 5–10 minutes to brain dump in your journal. When you are done, ask yourself, “Is there something to share here?” If there is, make it into a post and hit publish. Don’t spend too much time with it and try to include everything that feels safe to share. If nothing comes out of your brain dump, no worries. Sometimes it’s there and sometime’s it’s not.

Let Go of Being Cool & Always in Control and Cultivate Laughter, Song, and Dance

Social Media Translation: Acting like the person you think people want you to be instead of the person you actually are. Only showing the beautiful and polished parts of yourself and your life.

Social media is perhaps the easiest place to be in control. We can think about everything we are saying and sharing. We can polish each thing until it’s absolute perfection.

But this is no way to share and certainly no way to live. It honestly makes us all crazy.

Here are some ways being cool and always in control show up online:

• Deleting photos and videos that show your flaws
• Over-filtering, over-editing, and over-producing your content

Reframe/Affirmation: My whole self is perfect and worth sharing with the world.

Let’s make weird, goofy, silly, and messy cool again. What would it feel like to see a fuller depiction of the people we follow online? What if we could forge deeper connections and friendships in this way?

Sounds pretty cool to me.

Put it in action:

Take some time to look through your camera roll and find something that you created and never posted. Try putting it out there — you can even share that you hesitated to post because it wasn’t perfect. See how it feels and see how it’s received.

Resources:

Here’s a 12 minute Visualization Meditation I recorded around the theme of Authenticity.

And here’s the script for that meditation if you’d like to share it with your students.

Needing more?

Whew! We made it through all 10. I am going to be talking through these on Yogi CEO in the coming weeks so come check it out.

I am there everyday with free resources, tools, and tips to transform the way you use social media so you can build an abundant yoga business.