The Real Reason My classes Started Filling up Again
by Jennie Wadsten Sharma
There was a time when I kept wondering if people would return to my classes. I was working so hard to give my students everything. New flows. New playlists. But something was missing.
Then I tried something simple. I started using a flexible theme each week. Nothing fancy! Just a clear thread running through the class. And something shifted! The room felt more focused. The feedback changed. The students told me they felt more held and inspired. And the students came back. Not just once. They kept coming back, over and over again!
Turns out it wasn’t about offering more. It was about offering something that meant more.
Feeling uninspired and wondering if your students will come back?
You sit down with a cup of tea, open your notebook… and nothing comes. Or too much comes. Hips maybe? Or a heart theme? Hmmmmm. Wait, did I already do that last week? Again?
Sound familiar?
I’ve totally been there
In my early years of teaching I spent hours preparing. I wanted my classes to be meaningful. I wanted to give a lot. Probably too much sometimes. And still, I kept worrying.
Is this too similar to what I taught last week? Am I saying anything that really sticks? What if they don’t come back?
The more I tried to come up with something new each time, the more stuck I felt.
But the classes that actually landed with people were not the most polished or clever ones. They were the ones with a clear thread. A feeling. A direction. Something the students could take with them, into everyday life.
Now I really believe this:
Having a theme doesn’t limit you. It supports you.
It is not about being clever or saying fancy things. It is about offering something that holds the class together and holds you as the teacher.
A theme can be one word. A question. An intention. It can be something you say out loud, or just something you quietly hold while you teach.
But maybe you have tried theming and it felt awkward
That makes sense. I have heard that from many teachers. That it feels contrived or can feel like a performance. Or that it leads to too much talking and not enough feeling.
But theming doesn’t have to mean talking more. In fact, when your message is clear, you often say less, and that give the students the chance to really feel and explore the theme for themselves.
And if you teach more intuitively, I hear you. That’s an important part of teaching too. Using a simple theme gives me a structure to stay grounded, while still having space to intuitively respond to what is actually happening in the room.
When you find a way of theming that works for you, something shifts
You stop overthinking. You stop wondering if you are repeating yourself. You start trusting your voice more. And teaching becomes lighter, easier, even fun again. You feel more inspired and your students will FEEL that, for sure!
I am not saying you have to use themes. Not having a theme can absolutely be a theme too! 🙂
But if you’re been feeling stuck, uninspired, or unsure whether your classes are really landing, theming might be something worth exploring. In my 1- day livestream course for yoga teachers, this is what I will share with you. How to bring themes in as a secret ingredient to enliven and enrich your classes, workshops and even your yoga retreats.
Much Love Jennie
