Start your yoga career now: Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training in London Begins September


Yoga Career Options
Anna Oldfield on 21 May, 2011 |

Teaching yoga is an increasingly popular profession and teachers are constantly in demand as more and more people take up practising. The workplace is not restricted to gyms or yoga studios - when you’re a yoga teacher the world is your oyster and you can teach almost anywhere. Your career revolves around you, and can be structured to complement your life wherever you are and whatever else you do.

Gyms and Studios
Gyms and yoga studios or well-being centres are a great place to start. They will have an existing client base and will market the class for you, so all you need to do besides teaching is class preparation. You may be required to teach in a particular style in fitting with the setting and ethic, so it is important to find a place which reflects the way you want to teach your classes.

Your own classes
Alternatively, you can set up your own classes. Though finding a space and taking sole responsibility for the hire, marketing and advertising can be daunting, the rewards are many. Not only can you teach exactly the class you wish to teach without specifications from the gym or studio, but you are also in control of the timing and how many people attend. As well as allowing for greater individuality, hiring a space such as a church hall or community centre can also be more lucrative financially. You can charge your students less than a gym or studio would, and all of the profits go directly to you. Overall, this option may require a greater input but is incredibly rewarding in the long run.

Corporate classes
Offering classes in the workplace is a great way of accessing people and most offices will have a meeting room which can be cleared for the lesson. By offering lunch-time or after-work classes at people’s places of work you save them the effort of travelling elsewhere to practice and can reach people who may not otherwise have considered yoga. Often businesses are happy to subsidise the classes for their employees, and may invest in their own set of yoga mats.

Specific groups
Targeting specific groups can be a great way of finding both a student base and venue in the same place. Specialised classes in old people’s homes, schools and hospitals can help you connect with your local community through specifically tailored classes. One-off sessions for sports people to help prevent injury and maintain a balanced body are also popular. Frequently offered classes are yoga for runners or cyclists; and yoga for skiers and snowboarders is a big hit during the winter.

Private sessions
One-to-one or small group sessions are another option for yoga teachers. Individual sessions help students to build confidence and make yoga accessible to those whose schedules do not allow them to attend classes. These can be conducted in the client’s home or workplace for their convenience. Alternatively, many gyms and studios hire out their space for private classes and will often propose this opportunity to those who teach public classes there. Of course, if you have your own space then establishing a local client base is another possibility which will allow you to construct a flourishing teaching career.

Retreats and Workshops
Once you have built up a client base you will be able to offer holidays and workshops where your students can deepen their knowledge and expand their experience. Provide an opportunity to teach aspects of yoga which are often skimmed over in regular classes due to a lack of time.

Cover work
Covering other teachers’ classes when they are unable to teach is a good way for new graduates to find their footing. Making yourself known to teachers in your area provides many benefits besides cover work. Networking with them will help you to get an insight on how the local market works and show you what’s already on offer so you can work on differentiation.

Other yoga-related options
Your knowledge of yoga can be combined with your other skills. A prime example is yoga journalism. Whether this means submitting articles to one of the many yoga publications, or keeping your own yoga blog is a great way of channelling your experiences and consolidating your knowledge.

The popularity of yoga means that there are many businesses which provide yoga goods, and services relating to the practice. Sally, founder of Stretching the City which provides yoga classes in London, has used her previous experiences to build her yoga career:

"Following a few years working in the advertising and marketing industry, I took the ‘freelance leap’ to work on marketing projects for brands and businesses I felt passionate about. As a yoga practitioner, I naturally gravitated towards a yoga company and after scouting them out at the London Yoga Show, started working as the freelance marketing manager for Yogamatters.com. Working 3 days a week in this yoga haven, I had unlimited access to a whole host of yoga products, the company of fellow yogis and not to mention, the staff yoga studio to use as I pleased. Inevitably, my own practice developed and 6 months after starting my Yogamatters contract, I left for Bali to embark on a one month intensive teacher training programme. Almost a year later, I still work at Yogamatters 3 days a week and spend my other days teaching yoga – under my company ‘Stretching the City’ and working on the odd marketing contract within the wellbeing field."

Whatever your approach, being pro-active is essential. This may mean establishing an on-line presence, advertising your classes or approaching gyms and well-being centres for employment. A well-written CV detailing your training, experience and other related skills is indispensable, and a website is a great way of reaching a large number of potential clients. It will take time to set up a strong foundation for your career as a yoga teacher, so patience and persistence are the key.