The “lack of money,” according to Paulse, is a fact of life for Bikram teachers. The lifestyle makes up for the lack of money.” “It’s just three hours a day with no boss hanging over you. He quit his job, spent $5,000 on the five-week training program that Bikram Choudhury runs out of his studio in L.A., and now teaches at Bikram’s on Commercial Drive full time. He made the switch from what he calls an “assembly line job-monetarily rewarding but not satisfying”-to teaching yoga just over three years ago. Mark Paulse, relatively new to the yoga scene, teaches 10 classes a week at a Bikram’s studio. And yet they say they’re content, leading to an important question: Can a yoga teacher truly be happy with a flexible back, an open mind, full classes and an empty fridge? But despite yoga’s popularity, with thousands of students in Vancouver, most yoga instructors barely make ends meet. The lifestyle itself is considered to be the greatest benefit dedicated yoga teachers receive for their work. For them, yoga is a practice, even an art form, which requires dedication to a certain kind of lifestyle. Her attitude is shared by many Vancouver yoga instructors-young, old, Iyengar or not. ![]() I wanted to live my life sustain myself.” It relates to one’s whole approach to life: why did you become a yoga teacher? I didn’t become one to make money. Iyengar, the founder of the form.īut given her reputation, her thorough training, and her steady practice, does Ettling feel she makes enough money for her hard work? She pauses to consider the question. “In Iyengar, you’re already a mature student when you enter the teacher training program.” Ettling studied Iyengar for eight years before deciding to become a teacher, a decision which then took her three years to complete, including a trip to India to study with Yogacharya B.K.S. Ettling, embarrassed by the kudos, credits the depth and discipline of her Iyengar training for such success. ![]() One, a recent surgery patient, credits Ettling with the kind of pain relief attributed to chiropractors or massage therapists. Short, with long brown hair, wide playful eyes and a confident demeanor, Ettling is clearly a woman born to be a teacher.Īt the restaurant where we’ve met for drinks, we run into two students who gush over how much Ettling has helped them with their own yoga practice. Twenty years later, she’s running her own Iyengar yoga studio (The Yoga Space) and teaching more than 12 classes a week at scattered locations around the Lower Mainland. “I was stiff.”Įttling started taking an Iyengar yoga class once a week at the False Creek Community Centre, and was soon hooked. Louie Ettling wanted to move her body better. FOR LOVE OR MONEY by Chad Hershler – Contributing Writer
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