Overcoming Fear

Teaching is scary. No matter how thorough your training is, you never feel truly ready for that first class. Your mind becomes a carousel of doubts: Am I ready? What if I’m not good enough? Is my plan solid? Will they even hear me?

For me, teaching Equipment felt surprisingly natural. The circuit-style format made planning feel manageable and structured. Reformer, though… that was a whole different story. Suddenly I needed a plan that flowed. Every move had to transition smoothly into the next. Springs needed to make sense. Levels had to match the class. “Overwhelming” doesn’t even begin to cover it. And honestly, my first class reflected that. I was nervous, my voice was soft, my plan felt clunky, and my confidence was basically nonexistent.

I left that class feeling defeated, wondering if maybe I wasn’t cut out for teaching after all. But after a little wobble, I decided to do something about it.

The next day, I hopped on my treadmill, blasted music, and practiced cueing every exercise out loud. I set a timer to check my pacing. I reached out to instructors I admired and asked how they structured their classes. Hearing their insights made everything feel a little less impossible.

Before my next classes, I arrived at the studio two hours early. I walked the space, rehearsed my plan, and gave myself time to settle my nerves. Because I live with anxiety, I brought my anxiety ring — something small and subtle I could fiddle with if my brain started spiralling. And then… the classes happened. They weren’t perfect, but they were better. And the next ones were better again.

For the next five classes, I taught the same plan. It gave me something familiar to hold onto while I worked on my cues, my timing, and my confidence. Slowly, things began to click. My teaching felt more natural. My plans flowed. I started having fun — adding props, playing with variations, letting my personality come through.

Now, I have a whole library of class plans I love, and clients who connect with my teaching style. We laugh, we move, we blast music, we make silly jokes — and most importantly, we move our bodies safely and with ease.