{"id":9803,"date":"2022-12-19T17:29:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T17:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/?p=107052"},"modified":"2022-12-19T17:29:27","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T17:29:27","slug":"8-lessons-adriene-mishler-has-learned-from-being-youtubes-most-popular-yoga-teacher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/19\/8-lessons-adriene-mishler-has-learned-from-being-youtubes-most-popular-yoga-teacher\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Lessons Adriene Mishler Has Learned From Being YouTube\u2019s Most Popular Yoga Teacher"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"o-content-cta\">\n<p class=\"o-content-cta-text\"> Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, &amp; nutrition courses, when you &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/outsideplus&quot; class=&quot;o-content-cta-link&quot; data-analytics-event=&quot;click&quot; data-analytics-data=&quot;{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Element Clicked&quot;,&quot;props&quot;:{&quot;destination_url&quot;:&quot;\/outsideplus&quot;,&quot;domain&quot;:&quot;&lt;&gt;&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;in-content-cta&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;link&quot;}}&#8221;&gt;sign up for Outside+<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Adriene Mishler never intended to be a yoga teaching phenom. Eleven years ago, she was an actor juggling theater rehearsals and nanny gigs to pay the bills. In her spare moments, she was teaching yoga to everyone ranging from toddlers to seniors wherever she could\u2014studios, gyms, museums, schools, cafes, even birthday parties.<\/p>\n<p>Then she received an email from Chris Sharpe, a filmmaker she had met on the set of an indie movie. \u201cChris had been working on a YouTube channel already. I considered myself a performer. It was his idea to marry those two things together,\u201d says Mishler. The pair began filming and posting <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/yogawithadriene\/videos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yoga With Adriene <\/a><\/em>videos as a creative experiment in 2012.<\/p>\n<p>A decade later, Mishler\u2019s gentle, sincere manner of teaching is familiar to her more than 11 million YouTube subscribers. She has brought free and accessible yoga to students around the world, making and sharing videos as diverse as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4C-gxOE0j7s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">five-minute morning sequence<\/a> and an hour-long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GuLAETCDThU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shakti<\/a> power flow, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_Ki_-GM_5Ec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sequences for self discipline<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RoSO3_0Ufr0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">practices to anchor yourself in hope<\/a>. Collectively, her videos have been viewed more than a billion times, prompting the<em> New York Times<\/em> to dub her \u201cthe most popular instructor on YouTube.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3qck6T7rPjE?start=52&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Her success wasn\u2019t instantaneous. It\u2019s taken time and practice as she continued to offer yoga. \u201cBut little by little, with a consistent video offering each week, we delighted in the things we were learning,\u201d Mishler, 38, <a href=\"https:\/\/yogawithadriene.com\/10-years-of-yoga-with-adriene\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote in a blog post<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>As she continued to create and refine her online platform, Mishler also challenged and expanded her awareness of herself and what it means to be a yoga teacher. Here, she reflects on some of these lessons she\u2019s learned from starting as a casual production in the living room of Mishler\u2019s Texas bungalow with its \u201ccreaky old floor\u201d has evolved into something complex with more attention to camera angles and video equipment.<\/p>\n<h2>8 lessons Adriene Mishler has learned from being a yoga teacher<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Be yourself<\/h3>\n<p>In the early days of <em>Yoga With Adriene,<\/em> Mishler spent a lot of time poring over instructional yoga books and taking \u201ccopious amounts of notes\u201d for each video she taught, she recalls, despite juggling multiple jobs.<\/p>\n<p>It took experience and practice, but she slowly became more comfortable going off-script. \u201cThe permission to be myself and improvise really came from Chris,\u201d says Mishler. \u201cI\u2019d do it and he\u2019d say, \u2018Okay, this time try it again, but be yourself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Mishler explains, she had been \u201cmirroring what I saw in the yoga world,\u201d which was \u201cI know enough, I know everything, I am worthy of leading this.\u201d Her approach evolved over the years as she realized that the teachers she considered the best were the ones who were the most honest and authentic.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Know your audience and their needs<\/h3>\n<p>Unlike in a live setting where \u201cpeople need time to integrate and process,\u201d teaching yoga to a population that experiences&nbsp; instruction online requires a different strategy, explains Mishler.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there was too much dead air, they might think that the video stopped, or that they were doing something wrong,\u201d she says. \u201cSo I started to narrate more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This resulted in Mishler\u2019s trademark teaching style, a seemingly stream-of-conscious but very practiced approach to talking students through class. Mishler is careful to walk her students through the poses step-by-step, occasionally adding words of encouragement or making a joke at her own expense.<\/p>\n<p>Yoga is a space of no judgment, explains Mishler. She wants to make yoga as accessible as possible to as many people as possible, preferring students move at their own pace and simply show up as themselves. Part of embracing that as a teacher has been becoming more conscious around the language she uses. For example, she no longer \u201crequests\u201d students make certain moves; instead, she \u201cinvites\u201d them.<\/p>\n<p>Mishler also no longer says, \u201cNow, I want you to do this for me.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t want you to do anything for me,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Stay true to your principles<\/h3>\n<p>The unexpected success of Yoga With Adrienne enabled Mishler to draw income from YouTube as well as brand partnerships. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/lifestyle\/manduka-with-adriene\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">She currently has a product line with Manduka<\/a> and is featured in the new Adidas Yoga Make Space collection made with recycled materials. These relationships are carefully chosen, intentional and make it possible for her \u201cto provide as much yoga to as many people as possible,\u201d explains Mishler. \u201cWe come back to that, again and again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, it\u2019s taken some experience and a misstep or two to understand which partnerships might, in her perspective, compromise her brand. Early in her career, she agreed to work with a brand that produces feminine hygiene products. It wasn\u2019t as aligned a relationship as she had hoped. As Mishler explains, \u201cThat was one that we were like, never again. We\u2019ll forget this ever happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CivTOuOJB0f\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\"><\/blockquote>\n<h3>4. Navigate your role as influencer with awareness<\/h3>\n<p>Through practice and experience, Mishler has found an approach to social media that works for her. \u201cIt\u2019s been interesting,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve had a bit of a journey with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mishler has witnessed the rise of yoga influencers and voiced frustration at the behavior of many in that position. Ultimately, for Mishler, it comes down to being responsible with the sway you hold over others. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to call yourself an influencer then you really need to influence in a positive way, otherwise it\u2019s a waste,\u201d she told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/en-gb\/yoga-with-adriene-interview\">Refinery 29<\/a> in an interview. \u201cThere\u2019s too much at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She remains intent on influencing her followers in a manner that\u2019s aligned with who she is. \u201cWe are all influencers,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd it feels irresponsible to ignore that.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_107062\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-aligncenter\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_107062\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8-lessons-adriene-mishler-has-learned-from-being-youtubes-most-popular-yoga-teacher.jpg\" data-lazy-load loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-107062\" alt=\"Adriene Mishler sitting outside alongside her dog, Benji\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\"><figcaption class=\"pom-caption \">(Photo: Courtesy of Find What Feels Good)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<h3>5. Care for yourself<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI get recognized really everywhere now,\u201d says Mishler. She\u2019s needed to adjust to the fact that she can rarely escape the attention of strangers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pressure comes from always feeling like you\u2019re being watched or recognized. I need a break from being on camera. I need a break from facilitating. I need to trust that that\u2019s important. I need to absorb, because I feel like I\u2019ve been putting out too much,\u201d says Mishler. \u201cWhen does my nervous system just be? And am I strong enough? Is anyone strong enough to just be in the wisdom of their body all the time when they\u2019re being seen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although she engages with her audience on social media and often integrates her followers\u2019 requests into her videos, Mishler has found that constant attentiveness to her online presence detracts from her teaching and her happiness. \u201cI need to be in my real life,\u201d she says, \u201cto spend time by myself, or even talk to Benji [her dog], instead of randomly talking to people on the Internet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While most yoga teachers will admit that it\u2019s challenging for them to take a break from leading others through their practice, they also explain that stepping back to take time for yourself is essential\u2014and that their teaching is better as a result. Mishler agrees.<\/p>\n<p>Before Covid-19 hit, Mishler was producing a new YouTube video every week in addition to running all the various aspects of her burgeoning business. And she was still acting. In 2020, she decided to release one video a month.<\/p>\n<p>At some point, Mishler realized that she was experiencing burnout. The decision to take a break wasn\u2019t easy. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to make it about myself. I also didn\u2019t want to appear weak,\u201d explains Mishler.<\/p>\n<p>She eventually paused\u2014for a while. \u201cI thought, \u2018Okay, I had a little break, now let\u2019s do 30 days! Let\u2019s say yes to everything! I can take care of my Mom. Take care of my partner. Teach. Show up online!\u2019 The things we all want and try to do,\u201d she says. \u201cI fell right back into the same trap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As with most things in life, learning self-care takes practice. Mishler makes it a point to journal and take long walks in nature with Benji as ways to center herself.&nbsp; She feels it\u2019s important to have conversations about the things we do for ourselves that help us survive. (She raised such points in her videos on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nlUbK7uUnd4\">Yoga for Self Love<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/yogawithadriene.com\/meditation-for-self-love\/\">Meditation for Self Love<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<h3>6. Give yourself space to be interested in more than one thing<\/h3>\n<p>Mishler turns to journaling as a form of self-care to help clear her head. \u201cJust freestyle, not for work,\u201d she explains. The type of writing where you simply \u201cdump it on the page in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s also taking notes that she refers to as \u201cbits and pieces for a book idea.\u201d Not a memoir. Nonfiction. \u201cI have a lot of ideas for things I want to publish and I have this weird order right now that I want to do it in,\u201d she explains. \u201cI should probably surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>7. Remain a student<\/h3>\n<p>Mishler considers herself an eternal student. Although her mother is from Mexico, Mishler didn\u2019t grow up speaking Spanish. She is currently taking lessons twice a week on Zoom. She also visits Mexico City fairly regularly to take in-person classes with the goal of one day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/lifestyle\/yoga-trends\/future-yoga-spanish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">teaching yoga in Spanish<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another interest is neuroscience. \u201cThat language has really inspired me,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot about our bodies that can be more accessible, that we can easily understand and implement in our daily life,\u201d she said. \u201cThis will change our whole mental health entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>8. Let yourself feel proud<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWhen I see that something I\u2019ve cultivated or created has landed with someone, it\u2019s really hard to not feel giddy and be happy,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s one thing I feel like I\u2019ve not let myself feel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I think it\u2019s okay to say, \u2018Yeah, it makes me feel proud. I feel really appreciated,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s really meaningful and it does inspire me. It shows me, \u2018Wow, you are not working in a bubble, girlfriend!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>About our contributor<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"gmail_default\"><em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hopereese.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hope Reese<\/a> is a journalist based in Budapest, Hungary. She has written for dozens of publications, including <\/span><\/em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\">The New York Times<\/span><em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\">, <\/span><\/em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\">The Atlantic<\/span><em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\">, <\/span><\/em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\">Vox<\/span><em><span id=\"m_-3991820324844457759gmail-docs-internal-guid-3602e65f-7fff-911b-d2e4-376b3ee1d980\">, and many others. Her work covers a range of subjects\u2014from culture to politics to technology\u2014and she is a featured author in the Verso Books collection,<a href=\"https:\/\/mailtrack.io\/trace\/link\/2c8a3b5d4e9db86ad275156b7040dbe13373a2a8?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.versobooks.com%2Fbooks%2F2773-where-freedom-starts-sex-power-violence-metoo&amp;userId=4759937&amp;signature=960f65f3f3299e04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/mailtrack.io\/trace\/link\/2c8a3b5d4e9db86ad275156b7040dbe13373a2a8?url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.versobooks.com%252Fbooks%252F2773-where-freedom-starts-sex-power-violence-metoo%26userId%3D4759937%26signature%3D960f65f3f3299e04&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1670670902018000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0S6PVzNY9TT58NLgvkNUz4\"> Where Freedom Starts: Sex Power Violence #MeToo: A Verso Report<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8-lessons-adriene-mishler-has-learned-from-being-youtubes-most-popular-yoga-teacher-1.jpg\" alt=\"8 Lessons Adriene Mishler Has Learned From Being YouTube's Most Popular Yoga Teacher\"><\/figure>\n<p>She teaches yoga to millions. And lately she&#8217;s been teaching herself to slow down.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/lifestyle\/adriene-mishler-youtube-yoga-teacher\/\">8 Lessons Adriene Mishler Has Learned From Being YouTube&#8217;s Most Popular Yoga Teacher<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\">Yoga Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37,35,36],"class_list":["post-9803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayurveda","tag-blogs","tag-yoga","tag-yogacourseware"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}