Do You Spin Every Time You Cancel A Class? 12/24

Even when you are wondering about cancelling a class, there will seldom be an easy answer. The truth is that it will throw you into all of the questions that drive you crazy in this philosophical path. And you wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?

To cancel or not to cancel, that is the question… Lucy and I were talking about this because she asked what my decision process was when owning a studio.

It is such a hard call!

Just this morning, I cancelled my 10am class because there was a heap of snow that landed in our driveway, piled on top of the previous heap. I was going to have to shovel and so would everyone else in my class. I knew that a lot of my students would drop off for that reason, not to mention the message from the OPP that we should only travel for necessity. Yes, yoga is a necessity but I’m not sure that is what the powers-that-be meant…

All of this was on the heels of that crazy blast of winter that left 100kms of highway 11 closed for a couple of days. I was stranded halfway home (thank you my sister who lives there) after having gone to Toronto for a funeral. I was safe, sheltered, and amongst loved ones which made me one of the really lucky ones. However I was unable to get home for the necessary prep and rehab time before a busy week of teaching, including an upcoming YTT weekend. I had planned on doing a bunch of household chores on Sunday and Monday so that I would feel relaxed going into the six day week. The snow had other ideas.

When I saw the snow return on Wednesday I weighed out the energy I would gain by staying home to do those chores vs the energy of teaching an ever dwindling class. I wondered who on my list would end up canceling due to unplowed roads or sheer lack of desire to face the trudge. Many of the people might have made it, but arguably for the first time in my life, I chose me. I decided that there would be enough gain for me and that that gain would last all the way into a better YTT experience.

And that is the hardest choice for me. I really struggle with choosing myself.

I stayed with my friend Sandra in Toronto. She and her husband both told me that she had said no to a family dinner date, not because she was busy but because she needed a night of un-busy. WHAT? You can do that?

It forced me to stop and reflect on why I found that so odd. What was it in me that couldn’t choose my own serenity?

Yes, this might be an economic question vs a family commitment question but, in the long term, does pushing yourself to work when you shouldn’t really pay off?

I thought I would take this newsletter to talk about this. Why, when, and where to cancel, plus I’m going to share some insights that I’ve had around this career that we have chosen that can be a slippery slope to burnout. I’m going to talk to you about how to have a long career that is fruitful and fulfilling.

I hate canceling.

Lucy’s question was more around those moments where your class has no registrants a couple of hours prior. When do you pull the plug? Or do you wait until just before class starts in case one person might come? Do you want to teach one person for $20 when a private session with you costs a heck of a lot more than that?

Let me say right away.. I hate cancelling. I think it creates inconsistency and can lead to a reputation of being unreliable, which no one wants. However, there are also really good reasons to cancel including “I am really not up to teaching one person if no one else is coming.”

But this is very subjective. Where are you in your yoga career? How long has your studio been open?

If you are a new teacher who is trying to build their reputation and practice, try your best to never cancel. Even if there is no one signed up for your class, teach it. Build the energy. Build the enthusiasm. Do that for at least 12 weeks before making a hard choice about a class's existence. It takes time to get people to feel safe enough to trust you fully. It also takes time to find the right schedule for you and your clients to-be.

Once you have your peeps in place, it is less risky to cancel, but it still is risky! Consistency matters but so does your well-being.

If you are a new studio, same. However, there is also the dance of figuring out how to serve without killing yourself. As Lucy said, you can’t please everyone! And she is right, nor should you try. I worked with a personal trainer once who said I should never allow my clients to set my schedule. He was a little nutty but he did have a point.

Here are some ideas I have about creating a long career of consistent love for the practice.

How many classes should I teach per week?

When I first started teaching (a long time ago), I taught lots of different levels. I even taught Power Yoga. Oh yes I did!

My max number of classes has been 14 per week. I will say that my sweet spot was 12/week. Honestly, 14 was 2 too many to be effective and excited by my work. Bearing in mind, I didn’t only teach. I also did private sessions in yoga, yoga massage, and coaching.

It is tempting to put a lot of classes onto a schedule to please everyone. We all do it for great reasons! But then the elastic snaps back and we realize that we are not going to be able to do this for very long.

So, find your ideal number. Be realistic and also honouring of yourself. If you want a long career, then pace yourself.

When is the ideal time for a class?

I would never have predicted that 10am would be my perpetual waiting list time but it is. My assumption would always be that evenings and early mornings would respect work hours more. Nope.

I don’t like teaching evenings. I like home. I am a morning person with a dimmer switch that starts around 8pm and is pretty much out by 9:30. If I insist on running classes out of my comfort time, I am going to become resentful. And I have. Also, I am a morning person but don’t you dare ask me to teach early. This is my sacred time. My attempts at early morning classes have never worked other than the slow build of Saturdays at 8am.

Instead of wondering what is ideal for your client, please wonder what is ideal for you. When is your best time of the day to serve others? Chances are what is right for you is also right for your people.

Read that again.

You have to think about when you serve best. Set your schedule around that while also being aware of what you have seen work for others.

Dilution, the silent killer

It is easy to fall into the trap of trying to please people. Just last week, I had a special class for school teachers. Afterwards they said they would love to do it weekly. Not to sound flippant but that is a statement that people say after a good experience. Will all 12 follow through for the next 6 weeks? Not likely. Will 3 of them? Maybe. Do I want to teach to a class of 3 that I began specially for them? Not likely. It is draining.

If I add another class to my schedule, 12 new people don’t become clients. It is more likely that people who were populating other classes will now switch to that time. So, instead of having 10 classes of 10 people, I now have 11 classes of 8 people. Per hour, this is not helpful.

If you want a long career, per hour matters. Work smarter, not harder.

The Server’s Dilemma

If you have ever been a server then you know this story. It is 7:30pm and the restaurant has been dead all night. You are watching the clock and polishing the cutlery again waiting for the 8:30 closing bell to ring. At 7:35, in walks a table of 6 people wanting drinks and dinner. Normally you would be so enthusiastic but this dead night has sapped you of all of your energy and it is hard to now muster the joy. These people are not getting the best of you.

When your class has zero sign ups and it is one hour before it starts, do you cancel? If one person signs up, how is it going to be for you? Are you going to teach anyway? If yes, then hang on and hope for the best. Above all else, plan to teach the class whether that person registers or not. Maybe you could have an hour of your own practice!

But if you are tired and holding one eye closed while looking at the clock, cancel it! Whoever comes is not getting the best of you. I have, hell, we have all had those times where we are literally praying “Please, no one sign up!” Is this how you want to welcome people into your practice? Unlikely.

I find most people to be really understanding when I cancel. I imagine a lot of that has to do with the fact that I have built my integrity up over 27 years. I have proven my reliability and consistency.

The Dark Side, Martyrdom

I am one of those women (and I am not implying that this is simply gender specific) that defines herself by giving. If I pushed it, I might even say that I am a fawner on the fight/flight/freeze/fawn spectrum. When things are going south, I have tried to bend over backwards to make people stay north.

I have most definitely worked myself into burnout many times. It isn’t pretty. I know now the tell tale signs – jealousy of my clients who are on the mat; envy of those that I project as having it ‘easier’; irritability; and you know the rest I’m sure. I have this weird default question of why I didn’t choose to be a dental hygienist. No idea why I use that as a default but I digress…

Crawling back from burnout is hard, particularly if you are a full time teacher reliant on the income. There is no EI, there is usually no net to fall back into.

I actually believe that I have built scarcity into my life on some subconscious level, to keep me working and creating. Trust me, I am trying very hard to change this pattern but it is a stubborn one! Time and again, when the ball bounces to the bottom of overdraft, I almost get excited at the workshop or class that I can create to change it! It is a challenge!

Needless to say, this is an exhausting pattern and incredibly defeating.

I said earlier that I have trouble choosing me. I got into yoga teaching because I wanted to offer a tool for well-being that people could then pick up and own. I didn’t do the normal process of falling in love with yoga as a practice for myself! Yoga teaching has always been for others.

That being said, when I teach I become a better person. I learn, I grow, and I love myself more. It is all the things that keep us all coming back to the mat, but for me, I had to be in a role of giving it to others first.

The slippery slope of all of this is the potential of martyrdom. I am not a chronic martyr but she sure does live in me and is one of my excellent saboteurs.

The martyr loves to be needed. This is an uncomfortable truth. She will put her own health at risk if it means greater meaning and love. Ouch.

Somedays, I might martyr for a client’s well being by offering them more than I can viably give. Other times the martyr might show up in my sacrificing to be able to pay the mortgage. There are so many ways to dance her dance!

Are you resisting cancelling because you are being driven by Ms Martyr?

If you want a long and fulfilling career, you’ll have to get to know your saboteurs so you know when they are driving your bus to burnout.

Okay, so how do I decide whether to cancel or not?

There is no simple answer to "should I cancel?" As with all things yoga, you need to look at yourself. How is your ego running the ship right now?

As an aside, ego is great! You need that sucker to understand who you are in life and that you are able to accomplish great things! However, we get into trouble and build karma when we act for the sake of the ego.

Am I cancelling because I am afraid to step forward to teach? That is an ego issue.

Am I not cancelling because I think people can’t live without me? Ego.

How about that they won’t love you as much if you let them down? Ego.

This line of work is tricky and fabulous because it is a soul based career. You must face your issues, including trust in your path and your choices. You are going to be thrown into many ego waltzes to know better when it messes you up. You will always be questioning your path, your dharma and your ability to fulfil it. That is the beauty of this line of work.

Even when you are wondering about cancelling a class, there will seldom be an easy answer. The truth is that it will throw you into all of the questions that drive you crazy in this philosophical path. And you wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?

We do yoga to know ourselves better and it doesn’t matter how far into your career or life you are, there will always be more to learn about you!