Yoga instructor has become one of the most preferred professions today. Career in yoga offers you great health and wealth and needs very little monetary investment to start. Fitness is a call in today’s world and with fitness trackers and devices, the world is subconsciously moving towards a healthy lifestyle.
There are different ways to teach yoga. Some teachers focus on elders with a lot of chanting, breathing and mild exercises while other teachers offer intense classes, there are others who use props to make their classes interesting. Classes can be gentle, slow, aerobic or fast-paced. There is an inclusion of spiritual or dietary device alongwith yoga poses.
If you are planning to make a career in yoga, it is better to choose the style of yoga which is suitable according to your personality, interests & preference of your local community. A career in yoga can give you the joy and satisfaction of giving back something meaningful to the future generations and society at large.
Career Opportunities in Yoga
Yoga opens doors of a new lifestyle for people. A career in yoga gives you financial stability besides physical fitness. With increasing popularity of yoga, there are huge opportunities in making career as a yoga teacher.
There are various stages in yoga careers, you start as a teacher and gradually become an influencer. Some of them are being discussed here.
1. Brand Ambassador
If you are good in making relations with people, you can represent a brand as an ambassador for yoga products or services. The product can range from
2. Yoga Researcher
There is continuing research in the physical and mental impact of yoga and its outcomes on your health. Researchers are looking to yoga as a healthy solution for post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer, HIV, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and for menopause, smoking cessation and numerous other conditions.
The researchers are studying the positive impact of yoga in different health conditions.
3. Yoga Therapist
Yoga and meditation go beyond physical fitness, there are yoga therapies and a lot of intensive programs. All these programs need research and there are yoga researchers working across the globe to find solutions to some of the major healthcare challenges. Yoga therapists also work in rehabilitation clinics, community health centers or physiotherapy offices. There are some who also start their private practice or healing centers.
4. Studio Owner
Yoga-savvy people might consider opening a studio rather than going for a small business. As there are huge opportunities for yoga studios as a lot of fitness enthusiasts are switching to yoga for their fitness regime. You should establish yourself as a yoga teacher before opening up a yoga studio.
5. Studio Manager
If you want to open a yoga studio but remain unsure about it, you can start off as a studio manager. The job requires a mind for the “bottom line”, obsessive attention to-detail and top notch people skills but it lets you explore commercial side of yoga.
6. DJ
Yoga and music have a closer connection than you can ever imagine. With the popularity of yoga, the different types of classes are evolving. It is common for all the teachers to play music while conducting yoga classes.
“Hip-hop Yoga” is the new name of this type of yoga. There are many large workshops, classes, festivals and retreats which feature DJs who use music with the yoga flow.
7. Yoga Aerobics Instructor
Yoga and aerobics when combined together, can bring a new variety to your regular yoga practice. This combination takes exercising to the next level, with mental peace and quick physical results. Opting for a career as a yoga aerobics instructor can bring variety to your practice.
8. Trainer/ Instructor Health Club
Opting for a career as a trainer or instructor in a health club has its own advantages. You get sufficient time for self-yoga practice. It is better to start off your yoga career in a health club as it becomes a foundation stone for starting your yoga studio.
9. Entrepreneur
Lastly,
How to Attain Career in Yoga?
Yoga Courses & Eligibility:
There are many yoga courses which help the students in making their career as a yoga teacher. It is necessary to get yoga teacher training from a Yoga Alliance certified yoga school in order to become a yoga instructor. Some of the famous courses are:
Certificate Courses for Becoming a Yoga Instructor
There are many yoga courses approved by Yoga Alliance. The first stepping stone is 100 Hours Yoga Teacher Training and goes to 500 hour teacher training. There is no age limit for these courses.
100 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
The course is usually 10-15 days long and is Yoga Alliance certified 200 hour yoga teacher training split into two equal halves. The students go back to the school in a period of 1 year and complete their 200 Hour certification. This course does not makes you a certified teacher, you are needed to come back and finish the remaining 100 hours to get the 200 Hour certificate and practice as a yoga teacher. Most students in your batch in this course will be beginners with a few exceptions of moderate practitioners.
200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga alliance certified 200 Hours yoga teacher training is a 25-30 days intensive course which certifies you as a yoga teacher and you can start your career as a yoga teacher. The course is designed for moderate practitioners and beginners with a good commitment level can finish the course with great ease. Beginners feel muscle cramps and stress in the opening week and later ease down into the course. The course helps you master the prominent series of the yoga style of your choice and helps you form a class flow for your students as well.
300 Hours Yoga Teacher Training
300 Hours yoga teacher training is an advanced course which you can do only after you have finished the 200 hours course. The course is for moderate to advanced practitioners only and beginners or people with poor routine should not join this course.
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Course is meant for those yoga teachers who are interested in advancing their yoga practice. The course helps you excel in class handling, understanding the spiritual bond between yoga and your body, use props to helps your students ease into tough poses and other important aspect of Yoga.
500 Hours Advanced Yoga Teacher Training
500 hours yoga teacher training is the intense 60-90 days program that takes you into an intensive yoga training. The course is intended for moderate to advanced yoga practitioners who want to transform into a yoga teacher. The course covers all aspects of yoga, pranayama and meditation. You will get time to relax, start your own yoga routine, learn to plan your class, perfect your asanas and practice. If you have time to leave your place and spend time on perfecting your yoga practise, it is the best course to take.
Requirements to become a Yoga Instructor
It is important to complete yoga alliance certification and specialized training in order to teach yoga. Teacher training programs can last from two weeks to two years, depending on the coursework and style of yoga. All the programs are physically demanding and require personal yoga experience. It is better to select the program which is offered the style you want to teach and prefer.
One of the best options to start with your teacher training is the 200-hour course accredited and developed by Yoga Alliance. Graduates can become Registered Yoga Teachers with Yoga Alliance. In this program, the students study and practice teaching methods, yoga philosophy and history, anatomy and physiology and traditional yoga techniques.
How Long Does It Take To Become a Yoga Instructor?
If you are interested in becoming a certified yoga teacher, you can take the 200 hour yoga teacher training course. Every school schedules the hours differently which could range from 3 weeks to 6 months. The standard of 200 hour is regulated by Yoga Alliance. It might take 4-8 weeks to become a certified yoga instructor, depending on the program.
These courses are not going to take you magically from being a student to a teacher. You will always be a student in the first place. It is not necessary that at the end of the program you will become trained fitness or yoga instructor. You can never become the perfect guru, you will always keep on growing and learning. It is important to keep a curious and humble mind throughout your career and life for a flourishing career as a yoga teacher.
How Much Does It Cost To Become a Yoga Instructor?
If you are particular about your fitness and want to spread it to others then it is a good option to make a career in yoga. The cost of the training is different in all parts of the world, the courses in India can cost you around USD 1000 while in Europe it can go as high as USD 4000. However,
Why Rishikesh is the Best Place for Yoga Teacher Training?
Rishikesh is popularly known as “Yoga Capital of the World”. The place is situated in the lap of Himalayas with holy river Ganges flowing through it. There are many factors which make the place ideal for yoga teacher training. Some of them are:
1. Hub of Yogis
2. Pleasant Climate
3. Knowledge of Ancient Vedas and Upanishads
4. Various adventurous activities
5. Inexpensive Yoga Courses
6. Variety of flora and fauna
7. Courses are run in ashrams not in commercial hotels or resorts
8. Learn the most accurate pronunciation of mantras and chants.
Where to start after your Yoga training:
Be prepared to start as a yoga teacher right after your training. You should plan one of these before leaving for training and make sure your start right after you return.
1. Work in Dedicated Yoga Studio as an Employee
Firstly, you can opt for working in a professional yoga studio. It exposes you to different types of practitioners, affords you an opportunity to specialize and gives you hours. Yoga studios offer its members many types of yoga.
2. Start a Home Yoga Studio
You can open a yoga studio at your home. It can an easiest way to cut down ongoing and initial overhead costs. But, you need to have a space where you can accommodate up to 8 people per class unless you are charging good amount for private classes. It is important to consider the impact on your family if you are opening your residence to all types of individuals.
3. Rent a Studio
If you do not want to go for home studio, then you can rent a yoga studio. You can have a good source to earn revenue if you are renting a yoga studio. Team up with more teachers and offer more classes covering more hours. With more teachers, you can maximize the profitability of the space by offering as many classes as possible. When you are traveling, you generate income even when you are not present in the studio.
4. Start a Business of Your Own
After having a sufficient experience in gym or studio, you can start yoga business on your own. You can do it at an initial stage but it is better to learn at an established business before doing so.
If you are setting up your yoga business, you will assume complete responsibility for paying any employees, providing your own income, registering your business, filing taxes, renting a space, all associated expenses (health insurance, workers comp) and others. If you are looking for business opportunities for yoga teachers, this comes to the mind but it can be very complicated.
According to a report by Yoga Alliance, these costs consume about half of your income. As a boss, you get a freedom to determine your own salary and you profit from the revenue as your business blooms.
5. Offer Outdoor Classes
You can also consider taking outdoor classes if you want to. However, the major obstruction of taking an outdoor class is that the weather might not be always predictable. There might be too warm or too cold for most of the year. However, if you are staying in
Nothing can be better than the combination of yoga with fresh air. When you are teaching a class for free you do not require a permit to teach in the park. But, if you will be charging money it is better to contact the park authorities first. Free open yoga class is a nice start if you don’t land any other opportunity.
6. Teach at Yoga Retreats and Holidays
Lastly, starting a yoga retreat can be another good business option. You can start your own yoga retreat from start to end, setting up the staff, worrying about food, selling the rooms or hand-picking the place. You can also go onboard with travel operator or health and wellness business and offer a yoga holiday stream, which can fill up the slot and you can deal with the logistics as well.
The advantages of a yoga holiday and retreats are that you have some solid working days, you can connect with people and can add different dimensions to your business.
Salary as a Yoga Instructor
A fresher can earn about USD 2,000 to 7,000 per month. Earnings can also depend on the country, location, company, education etc. Yoga career salary is good in all parts of the world and depends upon your qualifications and class control. As your experience grows,
Conclusion
It is important to do a yoga teacher training course from registered yoga schools in order to continue your yoga teaching career smoothly. So, what are you waiting for? Kick start your career in yoga today.
There are many institutes which give yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. But, the quality training is offered by IYMS, Rishikesh. The courses offered by the school are certified by Yoga Alliance and you get trained with experienced gurus. 300 Hour Yoga TTC comes along with masterclasses which help you perfect the use of props and helps you understand needs of the students of different age groups and health problems. There are masterclasses that train you in asanas for special students like pregnant women, elderly and kids.
Great article!! I am really motivated to come to Rishikesh for the yoga training and become a Yoga teacher. Thanks!!