Becoming a certified Yoga Teacher can open up exciting career opportunities. Your yoga teaching career can even take you around the world! New yoga teachers have many fulfilling paths, and the growth prospects are enormous. But if you are considering embarking on the exciting journey of becoming a yoga teacher, what exactly are the responsibilities of a teacher? Where will you find teaching opportunities? How can your yoga teacher career evolve and grow?
In this article, we’ll discuss the options available once you’ve completed a yoga teacher training. Being a Yoga Teacher is a rewarding career and will allow you to share your passion for yoga with others!
Job Responsibilities of a Yoga Instructor
Teaching yoga isn’t just about showing up to teach a class with a sequence. There are varying job responsibilities you’ll need to consider as a new yoga teacher. You’ll need to be able to plan, instruct and deliver effective, safe yoga classes suitable for a range of abilities, from having appropriate modifications for beginners while teaching different variations of poses for more experienced students.
Leading a class as a new teacher can seem daunting, but you must improve your leadership skills to teach a yoga class effectively. Make sure everyone in the class can hear you. Demonstrate postures in a place where students can easily see you. You’ll need to accurately instruct alignment and know when to modify a sequence depending on who attended the class that day. Knowing the correct terminology and not mixing up your downward-facing dogs with your upward-facing dogs is also important!
A yoga teacher is considered a fitness and wellness professional in many wellness settings. So you’ll need to demonstrate high levels of customer service while teaching in a patient, calm manner. Remember what it is like starting a new yoga class for the first time as a student. Be motivational and encouraging to your students too. It’ll help your students feel supported in your classes to keep them returning.
Another important responsibility is to promote meditation and breathing practices in your classes. Making sure the count you have isn’t too fast or too slow. Practice your meditation script on a friend or family member to know it flows smoothly. You’ll need to incorporate different relaxation techniques into your classes, manageable practices that students can use at home. Encouraging mindfulness will go hand in hand with improving your student’s well-being.
Promoting your yoga offerings is crucial to being a yoga teacher, mainly if you teach in a more independent setting, i.e., in community centers. You’ll need to learn how to advertise your classes or workshops on different social media channels. As well as knowing who your target audience is and how to reach them. Consider sharing your love of yoga through images on Instagram or starting a yoga blog through your website.
What teaching opportunities do I have as a Yoga Instructor?
Group classes
The most common opportunity for newly qualified yoga teachers is teaching group classes. They are a great place to start, as you’ll learn new skills and teach different abilities. It’s an excellent way to build rapport and a connection with your students and watch their yoga journey transform and grow. In group classes, you can introduce weekly or monthly themes, work to a peak pose and create classes that coincide with events such as the full moon, Halloween, or summer solstice. You will also be able to use your knowledge of adjustments and yoga props to help students get the most out of a pose. Teaching group classes will build your confidence as a newly certified teacher.
One-to-one classes
Another opportunity is to offer classes in a one-to-one setting. You may teach yoga classes at a student’s home or private space. Teaching one student is very different compared to a group class; you can offer individualized sequences and poses. It gives you time with the student to troubleshoot any postures they find aren’t working for them. As well as create personalized yoga sequences they can practice at home. Some of the most rewarding classes I’ve taught have been one-to-one classes. It also gives the student time to ask you any questions they have and for you to impart your yoga knowledge to them.
Yoga courses
Over time when you have regular students, you can create and deliver yoga courses. I did a Yoga for Beginners course when a group of new students joined my group classes. This gave them a foundation to build when trying new poses in group classes. It gave me more time to teach breathing techniques that sometimes I only had a shorter amount of time to teach in a group. In turn, it gave the students more confidence in their practice and in trying more advanced pose variations. You could teach courses such as yoga for runners, improving posture, and yoga for stress relief.
Yoga for events
Creating classes for celebrations and events, such as hen parties or birthdays, is a unique and fun way to teach yoga. In a group of friends, try offering partner yoga postures to connect the group. Or link your event to a suitable theme. Advertise package deals for private yoga groups and research venues with stunning locations.
Yoga Workshops
Running regular yoga workshops is a fantastic way of reaching more students and allowing your regular students to learn more about yoga. Focus on a theme or an annual event and weave that throughout your workshop. Workshops help connect students and help build a yoga community. Find your yoga theme, research, plan, advertise, instruct, and deliver your workshops.
Yoga training programs
When you become an experienced teacher, you may build your own yoga teacher training programs . Yoga training can be taught over a 23-day intensive program or you may run the courses on a part-time basis over a couple of years. Teach students how to create classes, how to teach alignment, and how to advertise their classes. Training new teachers can be rewarding as you watch your trainees find their voice as yoga teachers.
Further training
Through regular teaching, you may find there is a certain group, age range, or demographic that you feel drawn to help. You may find yourself wanting to expand your yoga knowledge by furthering your yoga education. Courses such as pre and post-natal yoga, yoga for seniors, aerial yoga, yoga for menopause, yoga for teens, or kids yoga will help you expand your teaching knowledge and ability. Having more training under your belt will open up your teaching options even more!
What are the different yoga teacher career paths?
Teaching yoga classes doesn’t just start and end at a yoga studio, which is still an excellent place to teach! There are many other settings where yoga teachers run successful classes with regular students.
Yoga Studios
Often seen as a gateway to yoga, yoga studios have busy timetables offering many different yoga styles and teachers every week. Some studios will take on new teachers as apprentice teachers after successfully completing a yoga teacher training. New teachers will be expected to audition and teach their classes to senior teachers before being given a regular teaching spot. Teaching in studios is a great way to get constructive feedback and guidance from experienced teachers. You’ll also be able to reach a wide range of students who regularly attend other classes. Studios will also help with advertising your classes to their students too. It’s a great way to meet other teachers, network, and build relationships within your yoga community.
Gyms/Leisure centers
Teaching classes at gyms and leisure centers are another popular way to build a following of students. Gyms and leisure centers often have booking systems so attendees can quickly book slots for classes. Many gyms also encourage other aspects of wellness and fitness, which is usually where yoga classes come in. Tailor your gym classes to encourage mindful stretching and a greater mind and body connection – you may even help students increase their PBs!
Spas, wellness retreats, and resorts
Wellness settings such as spas or resorts provide a calming and luxurious backdrop to teach from. Teaching at retreats and resorts may even take your yoga teaching career around the world! Work with the center to create different yoga classes and how you would like them advertised to cater to different students. Make use of any stunning outdoor space, and consider using nature as inspiration for your class themes. I spent some time teaching on a Private Island in Cambodia and set flowing Vinyasa classes next to the ocean!
Corporate classes
Branching out to large companies to offer classes is another unique career path for a yoga teacher. Many companies are pushing employee wellness, and yoga at the office is the perfect place for a class! Some companies may pay a standard rate, or you may be able to set a rate per student. Some companies may pay for yoga classes, or students may be expected to pay for the classes themselves. Corporate classes are often most in demand in the early mornings, at lunchtime, or after working hours. Explore deeper relaxation techniques in evening classes or help students build up a sweat in an early morning class.
Schools
As yoga becomes more popular, many schools seek to provide classes to students of all ages. If teaching children inspire you, think about reaching out to local schools. Teaching children calming practices can help them learn how to focus, relax and handle exam stress. You may need to apply for background checks before being able to teach in schools.
Community centers
Community centers are great places to hold regular classes. Usually located in the heart of a local community, renting a space is generally lower in price. Centers will often help yoga teachers with advertising and marketing classes too. Many community centers provide class slots in the evening or morning so that you can appeal to a broader group of students too. Guide regular students through a theme over several weeks to help them deepen their yoga practice.
What salary does a yoga teacher earn?
On average, in the US, yoga teachers earn around $26.96 an hour, with a salary between $31,000 and $100,000, depending on the factors I’ve mentioned above. In the UK, the average hourly rate for a yoga teacher is £25.03, with self-employed teachers earning between £18,000 and £32,000.
Yoga teacher salaries vary, depending on whether you teach part or full-time – how much you earn is up to you! Several factors can affect your yoga teacher’s salary, such as where you teach, your niche, your specialization, and how often you can teach. If you undergo specific training and specialize, you may end up teaching a style of yoga that is in more demand. You could train in yoga therapy or acro yoga, for example. Another factor that may increase a yoga teacher’s income is other complementary skills they have. Having qualifications in personal training, nutrition, energy work, massage therapy, and health coaching can also help you increase your income. Other skills, such as online marketing, including SEO experience, will also make an impact on who you reach.
The best thing you can do as a yoga teacher is to put yourself out there, connect with other teachers and simply teach. Experience is important, but so is how and what you are teaching. The role of a yoga teacher is diverse, and your skills will continue to grow as your career progresses. The career opportunities are endless; you just need to bring your entrepreneurial spirit and the magic of yoga. If you’ve been lucky enough to find your calling in teaching yoga, take your first step today by signing up for a yoga teacher training!
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