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| I am in the process of writing my bio.. since I am a new teacher, any suggestions on what to include and what not to? anyone want to share theirs? |
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| i have two:
the quick and dirty--Zoebird is a Yoga Alliance 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner. She has been practicing yoga for 25 years and teaching for 10. Zoebird loves to help people discover their own Yoga!
and the more involved--Zoebird is a gifted Yoga instructor and Thai Yoga Massage practitioner with a gentle way of leading her students to discover their personal Yoga talent through dedicated, observant, and intuitive instruction.
She began studying Yoga as a young girl. At 18, she started more formal Yoga training in Iyengar, Kripalu, and Kundalini Yoga while attending University. After graduation, she moved to Hometown and began to study Power Vinyasa and Astanga Yoga in earnest. Two years ago, she was introduced to Thai Yoga Massage through the Vedic Conservancy. Currently, she is excited to begin her studies with Dharma Mittra this fall.
Zoebird began teaching Yoga while at Penn State, leading classes and workshops during her time there. After moving to the Philadelphia area, she ultimately began teaching Yoga full-time. Over the past 6 years, Zoebird has taught thousands of clients from professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and active pregnant mothers to individuals who struggle with MS, GBS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a myriad of back problems and other various injuries—helping them to find their inner Teacher and Healer.
Zoebird loves to work with any individual who is interested in Yoga, even if they do not think Yoga is for them! Everyone can do Yoga—s/he just has to find the right Yoga practice!
Edited by zoebird 2006-01-18 9:45 AM
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| zoebird - 2006-01-18 9:43 AM
the quick and dirty--Zoebird is a Yoga Alliance 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner. She has been practicing yoga for 25 years and teaching for 10. Zoebird loves to help people discover their own Yoga!
Does this cause problems when people met you, and realize you're only 30? |
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| no. i have practiced yoga since i was a small child. there are photographs of me at age 2 and 3 with my mother and grandmother and great aunt doing yoga poses. but, i only count from when i can remember, which i assume to be age 5. my mother thinks that this is appropriate.
i explain to people that i've been practicing since childhood, and most people dont' question it beyond that. They'll take my class, and if they don't like me, they move on. |
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| Sure, but we're talking about a bio to be used for a job interview. |
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| so what? no one has had a problem with it. if they ask, then i say 'i've been practicing since i was a child.'
i've used this bio for years with no problems. I certainly have no shortage of jobs. And it's not a lie. |
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| Dear Jubu:
If you search on Yoga Studios and then their staff, you shall find thousands of bios to look at.
Best Luck. |
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| When I was a new teacher, I simply explained my yoga background (personal practice) and what kind of training I had done. Since that seemed rather short, I also added a "mission statement" - also sometimes called an "objective" on a resume. That should be one sentence, and summarize why you want to teach yoga.
Also, depending on where you are submitting this information, you may wish to explain a little bit about what your training focused on (active yoga, gentle, therapeutic, etc). In many circles, just saying Iyengar or Ashtanga might cover it, but to be safe you might want to explain what that type of yoga focuses on. |
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| zoebird - 2006-01-18 11:15 AM
so what? no one has had a problem with it. if they ask, then i say 'i've been practicing since i was a child.'
Almost everybody starts doing yoga as an adult, thus the implication is that you've got 25 years of experience as an adult. So when people met you, and find out that you're including childhood, I think most people would be surprised.
The general rule is also not to put down childhood experience on professional resumes/bios. I've been programming since I was a kid, but I wouldn't put that down, since it's not the same thing.
You statement "I've been doing yoga since I was a kid is much more truthful".
And it's not a lie.
I wasn't saying you were lying, though your quickness to make this statement makes me wonder. |
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| Thanks for the help, I am going to work on that today. I am now on the search for a job.. paying that is.. i have been volunteering at different places just to gain more experience and confidence.
Do you guys suggest ways to promote myself and get a job, I have been posting advertisements online with craigslist and sending my resume to studios.. I am going to hang up some brochures around my town to try and get some private clients... do you guys suggest anything else.. is it really hard to get a job??? especially since i am new to teaching? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State |
Getting a job will not be as hard as getting a job that pays well and doesn't
drive you up a wall. That's true of all jobs, but perhaps more so of entry level
yoga teaching jobs.
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| GJ:
my friend who works in computer security uses his childhood hacking on his resume, though it's no longer necessary, it was what got him an entry level job.
also, since my teachers indicated that it was appropriate to include all of my yoga experience (and many teachers include other athletic or non-yoga teaching experience on their bios), it isn't a problem in this region, nor have i considered it a problem nor has anyone (except you) pointed out that it is potentially a problem.
but, originally, it did concern me to use it, because i didn't want people to think i was a fraud when they found out how old i was/am. but, since it is the truth, and it is common practice (at least in this area), it isn't problematic, and it's no less truthful than 'i've been practicing since i was a child" which is 25 years (or more, actually, from photographic evidences). |
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| jubuliant - 2006-01-18 1:57 PM
Thanks for the help, I am going to work on that today. I am now on the search for a job.. paying that is.. i have been volunteering at different places just to gain more experience and confidence.
this is great, and a great resource for references. ask a few clients if they would be willing to be references for you and get their information (names, phone numbers and addresses). Also, people who helped you set up the volunteering ('bosses') are also a great choice for this. This will help you with applications and with private clients.
Do you guys suggest ways to promote myself and get a job, I have been posting advertisements online with craigslist and sending my resume to studios.. I am going to hang up some brochures around my town to try and get some private clients... do you guys suggest anything else.. is it really hard to get a job??? especially since i am new to teaching?
these ideas are a good start, but the best thing that you can do is actually hit the pavement. Go to the studios, take your materials, and follow up. You can email the studio to set up a meeting to meet with the person who coordinates the teachers, take your resume to the meeting, and then ask to be put on the sub list (if they don't have openings). this is a great way to get your foot in the door.
i also recommend going to gyms and wellness centers. most of my jobs came from just walking in and talking to people. usually the owner or fitness coordinator is there (on the premises) and will take a few minutes to talk with you. Sell yourself at this time. Ask what sort of yoga they offer, and then talk about how yours is different (and similar) and how it will reach a broader clientele and benefit their gym. This is agreat way to get work.
Another place to look is in alternative health/holistic health facilities. a lot of chiropractors, physical therapists, massage groups, spas, and other similar facilities have small meeting rooms or extra rooms and would be willing to hold yoga classes in their facilities. THey'll often advertise for you and then you split whatever comes in--60-40 is usually the split (they get 40). also, don't forget to consider unique places such as alternative spirituality bookstores and gift shops. there's a place here called "earth speak" that offers a number of seminars and i'm teaching a thai massage/energy workshop there in a few months. Also, our local health food store also has room above for lectures and meetings, as well as smaller offices for various sorts of alternative health professionals, and i've been able to teach a few classes there as well.
it can be hard to get a job, depending upon the market in your area. I have an established reputation and the ability to turn down jobs now, but when i first started, i took whatever i could get. I essentially 'beat the pavement' until i got the number of jobs that i wanted, and then i worked really hard for a number of years to make a name for myself.
now, i can choose where i want to work, and i choose carefully. i want to make sure that i'm getting the full benefit of the job--that i enjoy it, that the people are people with whom i want to work, that the location and time is good for me.
Of course, you don't have to take this course of action, you can be more particular. If you have a means of supporting yourself, and you can only work at certain times (because you have a day job or whatever), then choose wisely where you want to teach. Take into consideration things such as work environment (cleanliness, etc--prefering studios or private places to gyms, etc), commute time, duration of the class, types of clients, etc. Then, just court those places and wait to see what happens.
if you really want to work at a particular studio, i recommend that you 1. go to the studio for class as much as possible; 2. that you talk to the head teacher or teacher coordinator about teaching there; 3. that you ask to get on the sub list for teachers there; 4. that you sub whenever you have the opportunity. This will ultimately get you a 'perminant gig' as teacher turnover can be quite rapid.
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| zoebird - 2006-01-19 12:09 PM
GJ:
my friend who works in computer security uses his childhood hacking on his resume, though it's no longer necessary, it was what got him an entry level job.
At which company?
EDIT: You also have to realize that your first job resume is a special case. Companies expect you to have no "real" experience, and attempt to remedy it, or do other things to distinguish yourself from the other entry level job seekers. Since you've been teaching for 10 years, it's not the same thing.
BTW, my parents also have pics of me at 6 months reading my dad's engineering texts. (Upside down of course) Still not putting it on my resume, though it's fun a parties.
also, since my teachers indicated that it was appropriate to include all of my yoga experience (and many teachers include other athletic or non-yoga teaching experience on their bios), it isn't a problem in this region, nor have i considered it a problem nor has anyone (except you) pointed out that it is potentially a problem.
I've asked a couple of people here, including a yoga teacher last night, they all think it's problematic. I think the big thing is childhood vs adult. Obviously the line is hard to draw, but 5 years old is probably a bit much.
and it's no less truthful than 'i've been practicing since i was a child" which is 25 years (or more, actually, from photographic evidences).
From a literal stand point, no, from an implication standpoint yes. The problem is that the literal truth is often times misleading, take for example the statement "I was almost busted for heroin possession while living in California." It's a literal truth, but the implications are completely wrong. (Maybe I'll write up this story next)
Edited by GreenJello 2006-01-19 3:00 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| Yes, I think we need to hear this story!
The age on the bio thing - well....hmmmm...the thing is yoga is not like anything else really, but if we were going to compare it with for example, dance or gymnastics, we would have to ask some teachers in those disciplines how they include their childhood experiences on a resume, because I am sure they must do it. To be taken seriously as a dance teacher, I would think you would need many years of experience and if you didn't start taking classes by the time you were 7 or 8, it would be unusual. In fact, if you started dance in your teens, you might be asked to justify that at the interview. For a gymnast it would be even more so, no?
I think in ZB's case, it is more of a point of interest, a novelty factor, something the interviewer can look at and say "wow - that is a lot of years considering how young you look. Tell me about that." Which gives her the opportunity to explain growing up with yoga and engage the interviewer on a personal level, potentially getting the person more interested and get the gig. |
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| It didn't really give me pause, nor did it when I read the same claim in Baron Baptiste's book. If your parents teach you yoga when you're a kid, what's the big deal? So that's when you started practicing. |
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| tourist - 2006-01-19 6:56 PM
Yes, I think we need to hear this story!
OTOH, torturing Canadians is a national past time, maybe I'll wait on that. Just for the record I had an apartment full of California's finest, including some FBI agents. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| See, if I said the room was full of BC's finest, I would be speaking of the dope, not the cops   |
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| It is completely normal as a dance teacher to include your childhood experience on your resume. It is expected. That training shapes the actual development of your body as you are growing and in turn shapes your ability as a performer and the inside knowledge you need to teach.
I have always done that on my teaching resume as well as my performer resume. Many people (myself included) joined the performers union (Equity, SAG, AFTRA etc.) when we were children and I have to tell you all of that early experience has a great deal to do with how casting people hire. You do add and take stuff off of these resumes (otherwise they would be 50 pages long) but you still must leave your training which often includes how long you have been at it!  |
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| tinyone - 2006-01-20 12:49 AM
It is completely normal as a dance teacher to include your childhood experience on your resume. It is expected. That training shapes the actual development of your body as you are growing and in turn shapes your ability as a performer and the inside knowledge you need to teach.
She's not a dancer. Most people start yoga as adults. In fact a lot of traditions won't even let you start the serious stuff until 25-35. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Oh all right. I give up  ZB, take that kid stuff off your resume or you'll never get a decent teaching job!  |
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| Man, between having a problem with ZB's resume and lecturing me about how to resign from a job (after I had already done it) . . .
GreenJello, I accuse you of being in a bad mood!  |
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| jeansyoga - 2006-01-20 10:21 AM
Man, between having a problem with ZB's resume and lecturing me about how to resign from a job (after I had already done it ) . . .
GreenJello, I accuse you of being in a bad mood!
 Nah, I'm just a little more serious and somber than usual. If you thought I was lecturing, I apologize. |
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| i see yoga as a special case just like dance--but i think the perspective is somewhat different. so, i guess the best that i can do is explain how i percieve my experience.
it certainly did have a huge impact on me growing up, as did the fact that my family prayed together daily and studied the scriptures (christian/jewish). I consider yoga to be one of the spiritual disciplines that i practiced from the time i was little. I started my formal religious education (catholicism) when i was 6. I tend to use terms such as "i grew up catholic" and most people understand that there are specific ritualized elements are certain ages--that we are introduced over time to certain concepts and constructs based on our ability to understand and our ability to participate in certain aspects of the faith practice. And we are not 'fully inducted' into the faith until we are 13 or 14--which is the common age across cultures actually. At that time, we are considered 'full, active, adult members of the community.'
aside from the 'formal education' in the form of sunday school (CCD) and sometimes catholic elementary education, my parents continued my spiritual education in a christian context with daily scriptural study and discussion, prayer and contemplation, community service and the active development of compassion through action, and participation in catholic rituals and practices outside of the home (mass, etc). I was taught to seek the spiritual within, and use the context (language, practices) of catholicism as a mechanism to discover this spirit-self, and ultimately follow that conscience.
I remember from the time that i went to school that my mother or father would pick us up from school or day care and drive us home. we would do homework or have time outside to play, while my parents did whatever it is that they do while i did those things. At a certain time, both parents would be home, and most of the elements of the meal prepped (ready for cooking), and then we would do yoga asana and pranayama. This would be followed by the rosary (only one per day, rather than the complete rosary of all three sets of mysteries, unless it was Lent or Advent), and then by a scriptural reading or inspirational reading of some kind. Then, we would prepare dinner, and during dinner prep, my sister and I would set the table and my family would discuss the scriptural reading. During dinner, we would then discuss our days with each other, applying various scriptural readings or other elements that occured to us during prayer, etc, and then we would share with each other our perspectives on the topic. I believe my parents were very generous in this matter--as children sometimes have odd perspectives, but thta is based on their own development, you know? In any case, we were never scolded, shamed, or disciplined for our perspectives--no matter how off the wall--but a socratic method was used to bring on more questions which often lead to different sorts of readings the next day.
after dinner, we would clean up, and our parents would check our homework. We then had quiet time and if a TV program was on that we wanted to watch, we would watch as a family. Often, my parents watched sports in the evening (my family is really into sports in general), and as i didn't like to watch sports on TV, i would often spend that time in my room in contemplation or simply imagining or playing until bed time.
When i was 11, there was a distinct change in my spiritual perspective and practice. Moving beyond the selfish or self-focused and the small community of my family, school, and church--a small group of peers really--my mind began to shift to a larger world. When my family would do community service--such as working in the soup kitchen--i simply accepted that these were the people there. I knew that they were poor, but i didn't have a concept of homelessness or large-scale suffering. I had a sense of small-scale suffering--my own, my family's, the struggles between my peers and i and the suffering that that caused, and the suffering of my peers. I rarely recognized the suffering of adults in general--such as teachers--and i certainly didn't consider or even comprehend large-scale suffering. And i remember this shift happening sometime around age 11, when in contemplative prayer i asked why so many people were so violent, so angry--as this was my school experience at the time, a fight every day in the school yard, and they were increasingly more violent as the children grew larger--and the answer came that there is a deep suffering in the world. And when we went to the soup kitchen again, i became distinctly aware of large-scale suffering, and this really set the tone for the next stage of my spiritual development.
THis was also the time that i was introduced to thomas merton. my parents were active members of the church, my mother attending bible study (in fact, my mother and father were part of the community that developed the current catholic bible study that is widely used throughout the US) and both of my parents leading evening 'stewardship' groups once a week. One of the books my mother was introduced to was "new seeds of contemplation" by Thomas Merton, and as a voration reader and generally curious kid--interested in this issue of suffering, my own, others, etc--i began to read the book in earnest, and i still have that book today, virtually destroyed from use. This began one of the cornerstones of my practice--a seed planted many years before--but the contemplative practice became imperative to my spiritual life. In fact, if i don't take contemplative time, i about loose my marbles.
it was a strange occurance for me to begin to shift my prayer practice into a contemplative one, even during our family's traditions in this manner. We still prayed and studied together, but i also found a different mindset in contemplation as merton describes it and earnestly practiced it. After dinner and TV, but before bed, i would often strive to enter this contemplative space again, and find it difficult. But, i often didn't find it difficult after yoga.
And this began my independent yoga practice--beyond the 'formal/informal' education in asana and pranayama that my mother gave me. I began to do about 20 minutes or so of yoga after dinner/tv, and then move into contemplative prayer on any number of topics. in fact, long before i ever saw the title of the book, i called these "conversations with God." I found that yoga was necessary to this, as it established the mental space for this deeper spiritual practice.
When i was 13, i discovered buddhism, but was chased off of it by well-meaning methodists. I came to it again when i was 14, by starting my buddhist studies with a teacher in my home town. My parents, after talking to our priest (who is still my confessor) felt that it was appropriate for me to attend and drove me there one evening a week after dinner. I am always so amazed at what parents do for their children. I knew that my mother had concerns with buddhism--mostly because she was afraid that i would no longer be christian, which she admits is an emotional thing and not at all logical, but i do honor her fears even if i don't believe that they're necessary even if i were to become buddhist and leave catholicism completely. IN any case, the priest settled my mother's fears, and htis began my earnest study of meditation.
The monks and other practitioners were surprised to discover my yoga practice. I would arrive at meditation early--20 mintues early--to do asana and pranayama in preparation for meditation sessions. They asked me why i would do this, and i expressed my experiences with contemplative prayer--that it somehow prepared me or made me more receptive to that discipline, such that i would get more benefit. For the most part, the monks would giggle and knock me over, and one of them found a very ancient used yoga book from the 1940s and gave it to me. it was supportive and playful and certainly not problematic.
This is when i began the philosophical study of yoga. I was 14. i began to see yoga as something more than movements and breathing, and that it was another spiritual resource for wisdom--just as buddhism is and catholicism is. At this time, i was also a part of a multi-faith class where groups of teens from various churches and religions would go from church-to-church-to-temple-to-whatever each week and learn about that religion. We studied islam, sufiism, b'hai, judaism, catholicism, greek orthodox, methodism, southern baptist, buddhism, hinduism, jainism, and even a neo-pagan group. i began to realize that there was wisdom everywhere, and that i could use these things to help me with my central question--you know, that one about suffering.
I began to study scriptures in earnest, having convinced my priest to teach me greek (as i was taking latin in catholic school) and the rabbi from the multi-religion exchange teach me hebrew. I tried to also study sanskrit and pali, but found myself confused, so i backed off and stuck with these three until later. I still do not study sanskrit and pali in the same earnest fashion of a 14 yr old, but i do take some time to study sanskrit and i'm beginning to get a handle on it. (well, at least the alphabet). This study was a great deal of fun for me, as i translated the bible from original languages (with just a smattering of aramaic, which the rabbi helped me with), as well as many church documents throughout history. I also read the writings of many saints--from many traditions--and my buddhist teacher would often give dharma talks and pointed out certain buddhist scriptures that he thought woudl pique my interest.
At 18, i began academic in the process, and this is when i began formal training in yoga asana/pranayama as well as studying buddhism and the vedic religions in an academic context. this also began the time when i would start teaching, as i had never considered teaching prior to this. i had considered variations on religious life--joining convents and the like--but i hadn't considered teaching yoga. and this, then, brings us closer to where i am today--spiritually and otherwise. I could bring you through the next 11-12 years of study, if you want it. but i figure this is long enough as it is.
Unfortunately, i cannot help that many people didn't discover yoga until they were older than me. I am truly blessed that my spiritual experience with yoga and many other disciplines has always been positive and beneficial. it is an aspect of my spiritual training, which does go back to childhood and deeply impacts who i am today and how i got here.
as with a dancer whose body has been trained in certain ways, my spirit has also been trained in certain ways. By mentioning this, those who are 'in the know' about the spiritual aspects of yoga will know what i'm refering to. And, i do not think that my 25 odd years of study and development are better than or less valuable than an adult's. In fact, theirs may be more difficult--or less--depending upon the person. But this is who i am, and this is how i got here.
Since we're also speaking specificly to asana and pranayama in regards to yoga teaching, my body has also been trained in specific ways. While many of my friends who played the same sports as i did/do have had multiple joint surgeries and various injuries--i never had them, and i play rough. When i would have a sports related injury of a minor sort, i would use yoga to help with it--as taught by my mother, particularly when i was younger. It also turned me on to various natural methods of healing myself--even intuitively as my mother noticed a strong inclination to both massage and acupressure as well as nutrition for healing--and ultimately others. So, this does give a strong indication of how i percieve yoga beyond asana.
when i wrote out my resume, i put down all of the yoga experiece that i have (starting at age five) and then have a second that says "yoga education" and another that says "buddhist education." the yoga education outlines my teachers and studies from age 18 on. the buddhist education section outlines my teachers and studies from age 14 on. When i applied for a position at the local catholic college, i also included my scriptural studies from 14 on, and references from ALL of my major teachers--yoga, buddhist, rabbi, and catholic priest. Unfortunately, we were not able to negotiate a class time that suited my schedule, but they were very interested in having me nonetheless, and i ended up teaching private lessons to the eldest nuns--all over 85. it was cool. I also included my catholic leanings (such as franciscan and cicstercian influence, with strong marion leanings and tendencies, and a strong dedication to the poor as demonstrated through the missionaries of charity). Since i volunteered with the MoC since i was 14, i also included that.
I would also say that this perspective is very different than a child, who is obviously unable to read, 'reading' engineering books upside down. A child does have access to spiritual experience and to physical experience of asana, as well as having spiritual experiences and physical experiences shaping their developing bodies and minds. In this way, a child is no less capable than an adult to access the wisdom and benefits of yoga. But, it is likely harder for a child to access the advanced theories of engineering before s/he can read or do basic mathematics.
similarly, as tourist said, it sometimes becomes an area where we can discuss my experience in general, and also why--after so many years of practice--i opted to go ahead and get teacher training. My teachers (for my formal education in yoga) thought it was funny how i resisted teaching for the first year with them--even though they asked continually--because they figured that i was experienced enough in asana, since i'd grown up with it, and knowledgeable enough spiritually, since i'd grown up with and studied it, that i was more than capable of teaching a class *without* teacher training. But, i decided that teacher training would help me gain skills such as how to structure a class, how to maintain a class, how to reach the diverse needs of multiple students in a single classroom setting, etc. And, the training did give me that. I also focused much of my training on getting a descriptive language for asana, energy, etc, which i wasn't connecting to through my brain as easily as i had access to it through my body. I could do it no problem, but could i explain it? And then this lead me to the concept of a 'teaching practice' in which i spend 30 or so minutes doing a pose and then finding ways to describe it. I do this every day, to help me be a better teacher.
so, yeah. sharing. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| And so we see our zoebird is a bird of an entirely different feather and she is going to have a strange looking resume compared to the rest of us no matter how you slice it. It would be interesting to write yourself up one that is totally "by the book" and sort of normal and corporate as you can get it and see what sort of response that would get on a cold call, wouldn't it? It has had me thinking today about the various people whose resumes just can't look "normal" - corporate or diplomatic families who travelled all over the world while they were growing up and folk like that. I saw someone like that interviewed - an actor, I think - and when that came out it all sort of made sense. The accent wasn't clearly any one country, the outlook was sort of really open and just plain different. Square pegs |
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your bio...
