74. When It's NOT Your Choice: Losing a Class You Didn't Choose to Leave

Classes end in a variety of ways. Last episode, we talked about choosing to drop a class on your own terms. But what happens when the decision isn't yours?

Maybe the studio cut your class. Maybe an illness or injury forced you to step away. Maybe life circumstances made it impossible to keep showing up. This is a different kind of loss—and it deserves its own conversation.

I'm coming at this from both sides: over 20 years as a yoga teacher and 15 years as a yoga studio owner. I've had classes that didn't work out, and I've been on the other side of that conversation too. Studio ownership is hard, y'all.

In this episode, I'm walking through the different scenarios, validating the emotions that come with each one, offering reframes that might help, and sharing practical steps for moving forward. I'm also getting honest about what studio ownership looks like from the inside—because understanding the other perspective can take some of the sting away.

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Transcript

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Can I tell you something? Classes end in a variety of ways. In the last episode, we talked about choosing to drop a class on your own terms, how to recognize when it's time to let go and how to walk away with grace. But today I want to talk about what happens when the decision isn't yours. Maybe if the studio cut your class, maybe an illness or injury forced you to step away before you were ready, maybe life circumstances, a move, a caregiving responsibility, a job change, made it impossible to keep showing up even though you wanted to. This is a different kind of closure or even grief, and it deserves its own conversation. I am Sage Rountree, and this is Yoga Teacher Confidential, where I share the secrets of becoming a great yoga teacher. Today we are going to talk about what to do when you lose a class you didn't choose to leave, and how to move forward without letting it define you. I'm coming at this from both sides. By the way, I've been a yoga teacher for over 20 years, and I have had classes that did not work out, but I was also a studio owner for 15 years, so I've been on the other side of that conversation too. Studio ownership is hard, and I think it might help for you to hear both perspectives. Let's start by naming the different ways this can happen, because the details matter. Not every situation is the same. The first scenario is when the studio cuts your class. This is probably the most common. There are a few reasons this might happen. It could be low numbers. The class just isn't thriving, and eventually someone has to make a call. Often this is a mutual recognition. You can both see it's not working, but sometimes it catches you off guard. It could be schedule changes or a restructuring. Maybe the studio got new ownership and they're overhauling everything. Maybe they're consolidating time slots or shifting to a new format. It could be political. Your slot is needed for a teacher with a bigger following. This one stings because it often has nothing to do with your teaching quality. It's about the studio's survival math. Yeah, and sometimes, and this is the hardest to hear, it's a personality conflict or a not the right fit situation. Maybe your style didn't match the studio's vibe. Maybe there was friction you didn't fully see. The second scenario is illness or injury. This one is brutal because it often comes with uncertainty. Is this temporary or permanent? When can you come back or can you, how do you communicate with your students when you don't know the timeline yourself? And underneath all of that is the identity piece. If you can't teach yoga, who are you? That question can feel enormous when you're in the middle of it. The third scenario is life circumstances. You're moving to a new city. You've taken on a caregiving role. Your day job changed its schedule. The class is still there. You just can't be. This one can feel like grief without closure. You didn't want to leave. You just had to. Before we get to the practical stuff, I want to take a moment to validate what you might be feeling because when a class ends and it wasn't your choice, the emotions can be intense. You might be feeling shock, especially if it happened suddenly, even if there were signs, it can still feel like the rug got pulled out from under you. You might be feeling grief. This is a real loss. You had students, you had a rhythm, you had a place in that community that's gone now and it's okay to mourn it. You might be feeling shame. This is a big one. So many teachers think my class was cut, so I must be a bad teacher. I want to be very clear. That is not true. We'll talk about why in a moment. You might be feeling anger or resentment toward the studio that's natural. You gave them your time, your energy, your expertise, and now they have made a decision that affects your livelihood and your sense of purpose. You might even be feeling relief, and that's okay too. Sometimes we don't realize how much a class was draining us until it's gone, and you might be feeling identity confusion. Teaching this class was part of who I am. If I'm not that teacher anymore, who am I? All of these feelings are valid. Let yourself feel them. Don't rush past this part. Now let me offer some reframes. First, it wasn't the right fit of time and place. Different student populations show up at different times.

3: 5:01

00 PM is generally a terrible time slot, but it worked great at Carbo Yoga for a class called Yoga for Daily Life, which attracted retirees the exact same class at a different time or a different studio might thrive or wither on the vine. The fact that this particular combination didn't work does not mean you are a bad teacher. Second low numbers are not always about you. Neighborhood demographics shift competing studios open. The economy changes, student schedules evolve. You can be an excellent teacher with a struggling class. The two things are not the same. Third studios have constraints that you cannot see, rent, payroll, insurance, politics with other teachers, pressure from landlords or investors. The decision to cut your class might have nothing to do with your teaching and everything to do with the studio's survival math. And let me be honest with you, this has happened to me for over a decade. I taught regularly at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts once or twice a year. I loved it. Maybe we connected there, but after the pandemic, the numbers were never the same. And eventually they stopped inviting me. Did it sting? Oh yeah, but I'm pretty good at blocking memories of failure. However, I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but I also understand it as a yoga studio owner. I know sometimes the numbers just aren't there and you can't continue to offer workshops that aren't going to break even. It's math, not malice. I have also had this experience as an author. I have pitched book ideas that got rejected, and every time I have to remind myself it isn't personal. It's about the market. The publisher isn't saying you're a bad writer. They're saying, we don't think this particular book will sell enough copies right now. The same thing applies for yoga studios and yoga classes. It's not a verdict on your worth. It's a business decision about fit, timing and numbers. Fourth one, data point is not a verdict. A class that didn't work at one studio might be exactly what another studio needs. Don't let this single experience define your entire teaching career. Fifth, sometimes the fit was wrong from the start. Maybe your Vinyasa style didn't match the studio's gentle yoga brand, or vice versa. Maybe your humor didn't land with that particular community. That's not failure. That's information. Now you know more about where you do belong. Okay, so what do you actually do when this happens? First, let yourself feel it. Don't rush to fix or spin the story. Don't immediately start marketing yourself to other studios. Give yourself a beat. The grief can feel real, honor it. Second, get clarity on the why. If you can ask the studio owner directly, not to argue, but to understand, you might say something like, can you please help me understand what led to this decision? The answer might hurt, but it might also give you useful information for your next opportunity. And sometimes just knowing helps. Third, consider whether there's recourse. This depends entirely on the situation. Could you propose a different time slot? Can you offer to market the class more actively? Is there a trial period possible? Is the decision final or is there room for conversation? Sometimes the answer is no, and you have to accept that. But sometimes asking opens a door, you won't know unless you ask. Fourth, think about saying goodbye. This depends a lot on how the studio handles it. Best case you get a final class to close the chapter with your students. That's a gift. It gives you closure and lets your students process the transition. But sometimes the studio handles the communication themselves and you don't get that opportunity. I know that can feel abrupt if that happens. Please know that it's not personal. It's often just how businesses operate. And here's an important caveat. If you are leaving to open your own studio or teach at a competitor, do not expect to say goodbye. That's a non-solicitation issue, and studios are right to protect themselves from the studio's perspective. In any severance situation, the less said, the better. They will often be vague about where a departing teacher is going, and that is not malicious. It's just business. But here's what I want you to know. If you are leaving to open your own studio, trust that your students will find you. They're not dumb. They all have Google. You don't need a dramatic farewell to maintain those relationships. The people who want to practice with you will find a way. Fifth, resist the urge to badmouth. I know this can feel hard when you're hurt. It's natural to want to vent, but the yoga world is small. Your next opportunity might come through someone who knows the studio owner, leave with grace. Even if you're upset, your reputation will always be one of your most valuable assets. Sixth look for the next door. What does this free you up for? Another studio? A different format teaching online private clients. The ending of one thing is always the beginning of something else. It might not feel that way right now, but doors do open. I want to take a moment to speak from the other side because I think it might help to understand what's happening in the studio owner's head. Studio ownership is hard, y'all. In 15 years of owning Carolina Yoga Company, which at one point comprised three studio locations, I had to cut teachers classes. Most of the time it was mutual. We both saw it wasn't working, but sometimes it wasn't. One time it was political. We needed the slot for teachers who had an even bigger following. That teacher felt surprised, and I still feel bad about how that landed. What I wish teachers understood is this, we are not trying to hurt you. We are trying to keep the studio alive. Rent is due every month, payroll has to be met. Sometimes that means making decisions that feel personal but aren't. It's the hardest part of the job. Okay, let me tell you a story about a lesson I learned the hard way. When my business partner and I first bought Carbo Yoga, the two biggest draws on our schedule, left to open their own studio, literally a block away. We were so new to the game, we didn't know what we should be doing, so we let them teach for another. Weeks. Around that time, I was leading a private workshop for a hedge fund manager. When I told him what was happening, he looked at me and said, what on earth are you doing? If they worked for me, they would be escorted out by security. As soon as they announced that they were leaving and not allowed to touch a file, that was a wake up call. I was being a little too yoga and not enough business. Later on, I learned if teachers are leaving to go to another studio or to open their own, be clear they're not coming back to yours. Be vague about where they're going. In any severance situation, the less you say, the better. I'm not telling you this to scare you. I'm telling you so that if this happens to you, you can understand what's going on. It's not personal vendetta. It's business protection and knowing that might help it sting a little less. Here's what I want you to remember. You are not your class. You are a teacher with so much more to offer. A class ending, even when you didn't choose to end, is not a verdict on your worth as a teacher. It's one chapter closing and new chapters will open. If you are going through this right now, I want you to know you don't have to process it alone. Talk to a therapist if you have one. Talk to a coach or a mentor who understands the yoga world. Find an in-person yoga teacher community. And if you're not already part of one, I would love to invite you to The Zone at Comfort Zone Yoga. It's my free community for yoga teachers, and it's a place where we can have honest conversations about exactly this kind of stuff. The losses, the wins, the hard decisions, and the way forward. I would genuinely love to have a conversation about what this experience is like with you in the zone. If you're not in the community yet, join us at www.comfortzoneyoga.com. It's where yoga teachers gather to support each other through exactly these kinds of challenges. Thank you for listening to Yoga Teacher Confidential. I'm so glad for your time. I'm Sage Rountree, and I'll see you next time.