experiencing anxiety before teaching vinyasa

Hi everyone,

So I’m a 200hr RYT and I’ve been teaching for a little over 2 years now I believe. I recently got a job at a new studio on top of working at the gym at my university.

I wanna start off by saying that I’ve never had any serious anxiety surrounding teaching yoga. It’s my passion! Nothing makes my heart feel more full than teaching yoga and connecting with students. However, lately I’ve run into a bit of a problem.

I teach a gentle yoga class at this new studio, and it’s been a big hit. I have a lot of regulars and it’s my favorite part of the week. I always look forward to teaching it because slow flows are my favorite and I usually know everyone that shows up to class. Because of the success in that class, my boss asked me to teach an all levels vinyasa class on fridays. I was super excited when she asked me and obviously I said yes.

Yet… I’ve been getting SO MUCH anxiety before the vinyasa class. The night before class, I can barely sleep because I’m so nervous for it. I’m not sure why I’m experiencing these feelings, because I love teaching. I thought maybe it’s because I’ve gotten so used to teaching gentle, and it’s a completely different vibe than vinyasa. But I’ve taught vinyasa before many times at the gym. I’m just not sure what’s going on.

My boss tends to give me a lot more feedback and critiques on my vinyasa classes, so maybe I’m just feeling more pressure to do well? Idk it’s all so odd. I’ve never felt this way about teaching before. It’s almost to the point where I want to give up my friday teaching slot.

Any advice?