You start a yoga practice to reduce stress, reconnect with yourself, or maybe even get back in shape and somewhere between your first down-dog to mastering handstand, a transformation took place. You became addicted to the calming feeling that carries through your day. To the new love and respect you have for yourself and your body and to the yoga class after-glow. Suddenly, your new passion for yoga is the main topic of conversation everywhere you go!!
This seems to be how many yoga teachers seem to discover their career path. And now you are seeking out classes, workshops, even retreats to deepen your practice and discover more about yourself. And now you start to dream of turning this passion into more than just a hobby?
So what does a career teaching yoga really look like? How do you get started? Can you earn enough to support yourself ? Here are some interesting facts you should consider.
#1: No 9-5 schedule
When you’re piecing together a living with a class here and a private there, you often forget all the other time that goes into creating a living teaching yoga (including prepping for classes, driving time between classes + clients, answering emails, promoting your classes). It adds up! You may also find yourself working opposite hours from your family + friends. Consider this – the most popular classes are often early morning (before people head off to work) and in the evenings (the coveted 5:30 and 7:00 time spots) after work.
#2: Where’s the time for your own practice.
It sounds crazy… but so many teachers I’ve talked to over the years have struggled to find time to get in their own practice. This is the biggest downside of teaching yoga – when you’ve been teaching all day, getting on the mat again might feel like the last thing you want to do. Consider this.
#3: Group classes are not enough.
Most yoga teachers are simply not able to make a living on group classes alone. We could crunch numbers in many different scenarios but all lead to the same conclusion – you can only teach so many classes in a week
#4: Keep your day job.
Just because you graduate teacher training, doesn’t mean you should quit your day job just yet! A sustainable yoga career doesn’t happen overnight. EASE OUT of your job and EASE INTO your yoga career. Know what your baseline required income is and build up your yoga income to that point. This allows you to make a much smoother transition because you can take the financial pressure off yourself while you’re getting more teaching experience, building your student base, and learning the ropes of the biz side of yoga.
#5: There are UNLIMITED opportunities to teach and UNLIMITED teachers and Yogis.
There are hundreds of new yoga teachers graduating from teacher trainings around the world. And while there is all sorts of research letting us know the demand for yoga is going up the employment opportunities aren’t quite keeping pace. So each time you go into a studio to inquire about teaching and drop off a resume… know that it’s likely going on a pile of dozens of other resumes.
A BIG perk of creating your own classes? You get to keep 100% of the profits (after expenses) — which can often be dramatically more than you’d get paid to teach at a studio or gym — and you often can save 10+ hours a week by eliminating the need to drive all over town!
#6: Self management.
The biggest challenge you’ll face as a self-employed Yogi? Your own resistance! When you’ve got a job, you’re held accountable. When you work for yourself, you’ve gotta hold yourself accountable. This is HARD. You will come up with a million excuses why you aren’t doing what you KNOW you really need to do.
#7: It’s NOT just about teaching yoga.
If you really want be a successful yoga teacher – you MUST EMBRACE MINDFUL MARKETING!
Don’t buy into the belief that you have to do what everyone else is doing if you know it’s not a fit. Discover what works for YOU!