By Krystal Norris
My journey into teaching yoga began after I moved to Houston, Texas. I moved to the area for a job as a recreational therapist at a psychiatric hospital and the position required me to obtain my yoga certification. I’ve always been open to continuing education, and to me, going through YTT was an opportunity to learn more about health and wellness. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was determined to meet all requirements for the job I committed to taking.
As I went through training, I was solely focused on learning the skills I needed to help me succeed at my new job. But, on my last day of YTT something changed, and I knew I wanted to bring this practice to people outside the hospital so they could breathe together, laugh, and heal.
After training I did what any good YTT graduate would do; I dove deeper into my practice to hone my skills so I could serve the masses. But having no following, I knew my teaching skills would only take me so far. That’s when I knew I’d have to get people’s attention in another way to have a thriving yoga business: enter branding.
Since I have New Orlean roots, I wanted to introduce something new to the area I was living in. I thought blending hatha and vinyasa flow with bounce music would do the trick. My first “Bounce Yoga” class was held in the park and I called it “Yoga in The Park with Krystal.” I partnered with the owner of a local organization for the event and over 15 yogis showed up! This event gave me the confidence I needed to continue on my path to spread light to my community through yoga. But, I knew I wanted to go beyond Bounce Yoga, which is why I decided to start my own brand so I could venture outside of the format I originally created. I named my new business Krystalight Yoga.
Under this new brand name I continued to contract with several local businesses. These meetups and classes started small with only four people, but they have continued to grow, and now I have several people who show up consistently to my weekly classes. I want other yoga teachers to know that they too can create a thriving yoga business, but there are some steps I suggest they take first:
Stay dedicated to your personal practice
If you really want to teach yoga, you simply must have a consistent personal practice. As a teacher, you already know yoga is about helping people. So in order to help people, you must first help yourself. Doing so will ensure that you are truly dedicated to self-fulfillment before helping others.
Build an Authentic Brand
You may be the type of yoga teacher who isn’t focused on turning teaching yoga into a cash cow business – and that’s fine! But, in order to get people into your classes, and to lead them to you, you have to promote yourself, your knowledge, and the benefits of taking your classes. Building a consistent brand will help you stand out, and businesses may be more likely to partner with you if you look like an established brand.
Partner with people/businesses to create a thriving yoga business
This element was essential for me! Since I was so new to holding my own classes, having studios and people who were already established helped propel my brand forward. Start small by contacting businesses in your area where yoga could be a benefit. Think coffee shops, health centers, or community centers.
Be Open! Opportunities are Everywhere
Yoga can be taught anywhere and to anyone. Don’t get bogged down thinking you have to teach at places that are already established as places for yoga. Think outside of the box. Think about apartment complexes, bars, hospitals, health centers and beyond.
Krystal Norris obtained her 200-hour certification from The Institute of Spirituality led by Lex Gillman in Houston, TX. She teaches hatha yoga and meditation throughout Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA. Her goal as a yoga instructor is to spread light to her students and to create a safe environment for them to breathe, sweat, laugh, and heal.
