Imposter Syndrome: Naming It, Meeting It, and Reclaiming Confidence
There are moments—often quiet, sometimes loud—when a voice creeps in and says: Who do you think you are?
It questions your credentials. It minimizes your experience. It tells you that at any moment, someone will “find out” that you do not belong.
This experience has a name: Imposter Syndrome.
And while it is commonly discussed in professional and academic spaces, it is deeply present in the wellness and yoga world—especially among instructors who are heart-led, service-driven, and constantly showing up for others.
My First Encounter With Imposter Syndrome: The Classroom
Before I ever stepped onto a yoga mat as a teacher, I stood in front of a classroom as an elementary educator. Even with formal training, certifications, lesson plans, and the trust of a school community, I remember questioning myself daily.
Was I doing enough?
Did I really know what I was doing?
Were the students learning because of me—or in spite of me?
From the outside, I looked confident. On the inside, I was often second-guessing every decision. I prepared excessively, over-functioned, and carried a constant undercurrent of self-doubt. I now understand that this was not a lack of ability—it was imposter syndrome quietly shaping how I showed up.
The Imposter Voice Followed Me to the Yoga Mat
When I transitioned into yoga instruction, I assumed that voice would fade.
Instead, it changed form.
Standing at the front of the room, guiding breath, movement, stillness, and sometimes emotion, brought up a new layer of vulnerability. Teaching yoga is not just instructional—it is relational, energetic, and deeply personal.
I found myself asking:
Am I experienced enough to teach this room?
What if someone knows more than I do?
What if my voice shakes, my cue isn’t perfect, or my sequence doesn’t land?
Yoga instructors are often placed on an unspoken pedestal—expected to be calm, grounded, confident, and self-assured at all times. That expectation can make imposter syndrome even more isolating. We are guiding others toward self-trust while privately questioning our own.
What Imposter Syndrome Really Is (and What It Is Not)
Imposter syndrome is not a lack of skill, training, or legitimacy.
It is a nervous-system-based response rooted in fear, comparison, perfectionism, and internalized expectations.
It often shows up as:
Over-preparing or over-working
Avoiding opportunities despite being qualified
Difficulty receiving compliments or praise
Constant comparison to peers
Feeling like confidence must be “earned” rather than embodied
For yoga instructors, imposter syndrome can quietly limit growth—keeping teachers small, hesitant, or disconnected from their authentic voice.
Why I Created the Imposter Syndrome Continuing Education Workshop
Over time, I realized two things:
First, imposter syndrome was not something to “get rid of”—it was something to understand, work with, and move through.
Second, I was not alone.
In conversations with yoga teachers across studios, trainings, and workshops, I heard the same themes repeated again and again. Highly trained instructors questioning their worth. Teachers afraid to speak up, lead workshops, raise their rates, or fully step into their role.
This is why I created the Imposter Syndrome Continuing Education Workshop—a dedicated, intentional coursework designed specifically for yoga instructors.
What This Coursework Offers
This workshop is not about positive affirmations or “pushing through” discomfort.
It is a grounded, reflective, and practical experience that helps instructors:
Identify how imposter syndrome uniquely shows up for them
Understand the nervous system patterns behind self-doubt
Explore personal narratives formed through education, authority, and visibility
Reconnect with embodied confidence rather than performance-based confidence
Reclaim their voice as teachers, leaders, and space-holders
Drawing from my background as an educator, yoga teacher, and wellness professional, this coursework blends reflection, discussion, nervous system awareness, and practical tools that instructors can integrate immediately—both on and off the mat.
Confidence Is Not Loud—It Is Rooted
One of the most important reframes I offer in this work is this:
Confidence does not mean never feeling doubt.
It means knowing how to meet yourself when doubt arises.
True confidence is quiet, grounded, and embodied. It allows you to stand in front of a room and say, I am here, I am prepared, and I am enough—exactly as I am.
An Invitation to Reclaim What Is Already Yours
If you are a yoga instructor who has ever questioned your legitimacy, hesitated to step forward, or felt unseen despite your training and dedication, this workshop was created for you.
Imposter syndrome does not disqualify you.
It is often a sign that you care deeply about your work.
Through awareness, education, and compassionate self-inquiry, it is possible to move from self-doubt to self-trust—and to teach from a place of clarity, confidence, and authenticity.
This is not about becoming someone new.
It is about reclaiming who you already are.
