Have you just finished your Yoga Certification or Teacher Training, and are struggling to ‘find your niche?’ Possibly, you’ve even accrued many years of experience in yoga, and you’re still unsure as to what is your exact thing.
In the modern world, where our sense of self-worth has become increasingly tied to our individual productivity and monthly income, and the term ‘unique selling point’ and obsession with locating it has pervaded our operations in nearly all fields and industries, it can be defeating to say the least when we still feel we’re searching for what makes us special.
When we’re lost in that search, and under the pressure of competition, it’s easy to succumb to the dark thought that there may be nothing at all unique about us to offer.
There are countless webinars out there, on monetizing your passion, where hundreds of people are given guidance toward finding their niche. The yoga industry, a sub-category under health and wellness, being no exception.
What Can We Take Away from This?
The first is that you’re obviously not alone. There are so many others who share this feeling of being lost, that there’s an entire industry making a profit from them.
The second is perhaps a little less obvious but more useful for our purposes. That so many people are searching outside of themselves, seeking the advice of so many external voices, that they forget to consult the highest authority: themselves.
Perhaps it’s worth considering the alternative – a return to some timeless, yogic wisdom – that the best answers are found by turning within. What if it’s all a case of recognising that which you already possess?
The search to understand our natural and individual niche undoubtedly starts a little closer to home. That being said, when we sit down and ask ourselves: what do we feel most passionate about, or what makes us authentic and unique against 100,000 other certified teachers, it’s understandable that we are first met with a blank headspace, unwilling to offer us guidance.
Don’t worry if the answers don’t come floating up to the surface immediately. These things deservedly require patience and time. In the meanwhile, we’ll go through some pointers to encourage their reveal, all won from my own first-hand experience.
People are All Different, with Different Needs
I am a Yoga Teacher and studied at very different schools from the traditional Indian school. I was the only foreign student to the multi-style teacher training course, a course complete with all the modern yoga props.
Before leaving for the first time to India, I shared brunch with some of my girlfriends. After I announced my decision to go to Delhi, one of my friends (who never had been to India) started to openly protest how I must go to Rishikesh.
‘Why would you even consider somewhere like Delhi? It’s far too noisy! You should visit Rishikesh instead. Everyone knows that Rishikesh is the only place to go for Yoga!’
I attempted to explain about a local yoga school there, how I really enjoyed the style they offered, and that just because I started in Delhi, it didn’t stop me from visiting other places in the future.
‘People are different. Understand that what you like, I might not like – ’
‘You’re a fool if you don’t go to Rishikesh.’ She interrupted me.
‘Let me put it like this.’ I carried on. ‘I used to love Bali. Though I found it hard to enjoy on my last trip. The vibe was completely different and mass tourism had changed it past some point of no return, for me. That said, if someone else loves Bali as it is now, that’s completely fine for me – all the better for them.’
‘Bali is amazing.’ She agreed with me, somewhat missing the point. ‘I’m returning later this year!’
Somehow, I realised my lesson of ‘each to their own’ had fallen on deaf ears. I was speaking to the wrong crowd. I gave up and changed the subject. Nowadays, I still live in Delhi and I’ve also visited Rishikesh. As it goes, I wouldn’t live there – at least not at this moment in my life.
The point is : what works for some doesn’t work for others. It’s up to you to learn and respect what works for you.
Pointer One: Be Yourself
This is fundamental in understanding that your niche, your speciality, is yours and yours alone. It is all of your passion, strengths and motivations combined. So, ensure you are honest with yourself at every step along this journey, only you know what works best.
If the yoga studio next door teaches ashtanga yoga and is fully booked out, but you feel that you’ve actually always wanted to travel the world and teach yoga, don’t be afraid of committing to your choices. Wherever they lead you, they are bound to form the paving stones of your own unique path.
Cut Out Your Slice from the Yoga Cake
Yoga classes own a huge variety of styles, topics and target groups, and your ability to create new ones is only limited by your imagination.
Imagine you have a big cake. Let’s call it Yoga Cake. You only need to cut out one slice from that cake, because you can’t eat the entire cake. Even if you could, you’re likely not to feel good afterwards.
The same applies when it comes to cutting out your niche. You cannot please or satisfy the needs of everyone, and you don’t need to. Your job is simply to cater to the needs of a select few, and where possible, exceed their expectations.
In a very real sense, all people (all future potential clients) turn to yoga seeking solutions to their problems. Whether that’s back pain, anxiety, flexibility, strength training, how to feel better or to lose weight, the list goes on. Understandably, they look to those specialising in solving their problems. If you can prove yourself as an expert in a specific problem solving, people will gravitate towards you.
Now, let’s have a look to some examples of yoga niches. As you can notice, niche doesn’t mean only asana practice, but other yogic practices as well.
Style: Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Yin Yoga, Acro-Yoga.
Yoga Therapy: Yoga for Anxiety & Depression, Yoga for Back Pain, Yoga for Obesity, Yoga for Pregnant women.
Target Group: Yoga for Children, Yoga for Women, Yoga for Men, Yoga for the Elderly.
Other Yogic Practises: Pranayama, Mantra-Chanting, Shatkarma, Meditation.
Yoga with Props: Yoga with Ball, Chair Yoga, Stick Yoga, Wheel Yoga.
Pointer Two: Follow your Nose
Let your instincts guide you. Where do your interests lie? What elicits a gut reaction inside of you? Take all the time you need to reflect upon the niches that naturally draw you in. Some of them you may have already explored, some of them you compulsively return to – a tell in itself – and some you might have no experience in, but something about them piques your curiosity.
Trust the curiosity. Don’t be afraid to try out any and all possibilities. Even where you are not an expert in an area yet, remotely or otherwise, don’t let that discourage you. We all have to start somewhere, and with enough passion fuelling us, there’s really no stopping us.
Desires, Fuelled by Passion, Equals The Greatest Results
Passion is the surest and most endurable motivator in your journey. Sooner or later, you will come across challenges that appear insurmountable, and you will have to overcome them. Those who strongly believe in what they are doing will not be held back. Passion is a gateway to happiness.
Which brings us to the origins of yoga. The ancient psychological origins of yoga come from the desire for sukha-pravritti, the Sanskrit expression for the attainment of happiness and the end of misery, dukha-nivritti.
When it comes to defining passion, we simply know it as ardent affection towards something or someone, a powerful feeling that can almost seem otherworldly at times and yet seems to drive us from the inside-out, sometimes against all rationality.
Where we meet unbridled passion towards something in our life, we stumble on a vital clue as to where we might head next. There’s a reason it’s one of most common questions at the job interview to ask, for your answer reveals to the interviewer with clarity as to who you are and what can be said to drive you.
Pointer Three: Methods to Isolate Your Niche
In order to define your passion(s), take some time for self-reflection. If you feel stuck with your thoughts, try some of these methods to start with:
- Journaling: List all the things that make you feel happy or passionate, and return often to make note of these things as they evolve. Include even the smallest things that bring you joy.
- These things don’t have to be confined to yoga only. As an example, if you feel helping others brings you joy, that’s a clear indication as to how you might combine it with yoga. Perhaps you can create a niche around Yoga for People with Special Needs, even Yoga as a form of charity. If travelling and Hatha Yoga thrills your bones, why not consider a Yoga Travel Blog, or organizing Hatha Yoga Retreats around the world?
- Meditation: Sometimes it’s good to just calm the mind and go inwards. A relaxed mind makes for a better travelling companion.
- Don’t stress about your niche, allow all the time that is necessary to better understand yourself. Each of us has our own timeline, and it’s completely natural that some things remain unknown for a while.
- Try New Styles and Courses: Dip your toe into experiencing other styles that pique your interest.
- Take the plunge. Forays into experiences beyond our known experiences tend to give us an alternative point of reflection as to who we are and where we’d like to locate ourselves in life. New styles and courses can offer us these fresh perspectives.
- Take a Trip: A change in environment is another means to seeing ourselves from a different angle.
- A retreat or trip abroad might just be the next and necessary stepping stone. Did you always want to go to India or Bali? Or camp in the forest? Pick a place on the map you feel the passion driving you towards, and go for that trip you always wanted to go for.
Final Pointer: Enjoy the Journey
We are constantly evolving creatures. What is true of us yesterday might not be so today. Indeed, with enough reflection, we’ll come to see that all is impermanent and we are no exception. Respect and embrace that. Grant yourself time to understand where you’re at now and what your passions are pointing you towards, and allow yourself to change along the way.
Start from somewhere, even if it’s not the most ideal position (often there’s no such thing). Start teaching your friends and neighbours. Reach out and connect with your community. Make this all a glorious fun in experimentation. Accept working in someone else’s studio while you are coming to understand your niche.
You will pick up new skills and experience along the way. You will come to appreciate what makes you tick, things will begin to unfold, and before you know it – you’ll have found that thing, that special thing, the thing you can share with all the world, that thing that makes you you.
