Yoga as a career

Yoga Teacher Training
#21

Being a teacher and a life-long student are the same thing. They must be. In fact, the main, #1, most important reason to teach is that it deepens your own studies. If that is not your primary motivation for teaching, you will never be a great teacher. Probably not even a good one. Yes, there can be other ancillary motivations, but studentship is essential.

Many people complete teacher trainings and decide not to teach or teach for a while and decide to quit. Sometimes this is from the realization that what they really wanted was deeper studentship and that teaching was not the best method for them to achieve this. Other times it just doesn’t “fit” because their motivations for teaching did not include this component.

Our students are some of our most powerful teachers. Going into teaching with this awareness will keep you humble, sensitive to your students, and help you learn more from the act of teaching. It may even take some off some of the pressure to be perfect and allow you to be more authentic in your teaching.

#22

Assessing the growing popularity of yoga, career as a Yoga Trainer is more than rewarding. Once you choose to become a Yoga Trainer, you will benefit yourself in more than one ways. Life as a yoga trainer enables you to experience a growth for yourself, besides the noble feeling of coming to the service of others.

#23

Some people turn to Yoga to fill in a void in their lives, some to feel good and lead a healthy life, some to explore solace, some on advice from a friend, some in response to an unknown “calling” and some to make a career.

What brings you to Yoga is less significant than what you do once there. Yoga is like a 1-page brochure that expands only in response to “urge to know more”. It slowly unfolds into a 10-page, 200-page book and later, a source of life-long learning.

InnerAthlete brings forth a very fundamental point. One needs to honestly recognize a ?calling? that drags you out of occasional inertia, propels you to do regular practice, involves emotionally with the teaching, makes teaching itself a fulfillment. In the absence of this tug in the guts, you may know about Yoga, but not be a Yogi. You may follow a style and correct the students? movements here and there, but never learn the subtleties. Life?s challenges will easily knock you out of the Yoga path.

Nothing wrong about aspiring to make Yoga a career. The less recognized fact is that Yoga is not just a technique, that can be learnt and taught. Technique is its most visible aspect. Real Yoga happens. In the same physical body, Yoga makes us aware of a different world and allows us to experience higher states. That?s why, teaching Yoga cannot be separated from living Yoga. Inability or unwillingness to do that will keep an aspirant in the KG of Yoga and able to teach only that.

#24

Dear Yogini

Yoga is a way of life and it doesn’t teach you how to sell yoga. Rather, it teaches you to spread yoga for free. If you get into selling yoga by virtue of your teachings etc., you’ll loose the basic essence of being a yogi or yogini.

Nowadays, yoga is a billion dollar industry and it’s growing day by day. Why shouldn’t a good yoga teacher aspire to make a good career out of this billion dollar industry? To achieve this goal, there are two options:

  1. You get into yoga business as a pro but you’ll loose your touch (I mean typical characteristics of a true yogi). And people can see it on your face.

  2. You follow your own instincts to be an yogini and hand over materialistic part to professionals. These professionals will make sure that money keeps coming in and your financial interests (career) are safeguarded. Please make sure that they are not selling your name.

There might be 100s of other good options. I’m into yoga but not a yogi and professionally also I’m not well qualified. Whatever…

I wish you all the best and welcome you on the path of yoga.

Best regards.

Dhiraj

#25

I will be doing a 200 hour teacher training course this year, I am currently researching where in the world to do the course - recommendations welcome. Is the 200 hour teacher training the best/only course to start with. Am I right in thinking Yoga Alliance certified courses provide you with a qualification recognized world wide.

Although I am reasonably new to yoga, I am incredibly dedicated and ready to take the first step towards becoming a teacher. I would really appreciate some helpful tips on how to get started? How did you do it? How did you get your first job? How do I get mine?

I have been doing lots of research, the most obvious first step is to offer free classes, say in a park. Advertise it, let people know I am recently qualified but need to practice teaching and see who shows up. I spend lots of time outdoors as I love to climb, hike, cycle etc so I am more than happy to start this way. Should I build up as many hours as I can doing that as well as continuing to attend yoga classes so I am not out of practice.

This is something I see as a continuous learning curve and I will attend many more courses and classes in the future. I understand that you never stop learning. I have been going to different classes, studios and teachers which has been a great help, this is something recommended on forums, websites I’ve been looking at offering teacher training and even the info from the yoga alliance website.

I have been working/traveling for the past three years, swaying from different seasonal jobs. I have been doing this since I graduated from university three years ago, waiting to find out what I should really be working as. When I started practicing yoga, I wanted to go more and more but my current work commitments are holding me back. So I will continue to have ‘another job’ so I can survive and I will add teaching yoga as an additional. Maybe one day as I progress I will be lucky enough to have teaching yoga as my main job and the other job will be the extra work.

Another area I am keen to find out more about is if there are many jobs in holiday resorts, hotels, cruise ships etc. My research tells me this is an option, but all of them require teaching experience. I think cruise ships even require personal training qualifications which is a shame. After offering free classes to develop my lesson ‘plan’ and teaching style, I thought working in tourist locations could be a good way to start as a teacher as you wouldn’t need to build regular clientele as tourists would be attending your classes e.g. at a hotel. It’s not that I do not want to see regular clientele, I think that would be pretty rewarding but while I am growing as a teacher just having a class would be a great start. Any thoughts, feedback, tips, experience in this area.

#26

[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;68382]What brings you to Yoga is less significant than what you do once there. Yoga is like a 1-page brochure that expands only in response to “urge to know more”. It slowly unfolds into a 10-page, 200-page book and later, a source of life-long learning.[/QUOTE]

Wow, what a great way to explain this! I never thought about yoga like that before, but upon reflection-this is very true. I have recently began my own personal exploration and the theme is ‘inner and outer peace’. I’ve been doing a lot of research as I take myself upon this journey and something I read recently was about a study on goals. People often see the achievement of a goal as something that will finally satisfy and make one happy, but infact-its the person growing as they work to achieve their goal that shows a person the most happy. Something for all of us to keep in mind as we take our own paths, I suppose.

#27

Yes, quite feasible!

It means you already know the basic of yoga and looking for certification.

Now, you should consider some teacher training programs and complete it to get the certificate. If you want to know how here is how to become a certified yoga teacher..

#28

It's totally feasible. Not easy, but possible.

I don't mean to take over, I'm fundraising to be able to start a Yoga SUP & Water Clean Up business.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-waterfront-sup-yoga-water-cleanup-initiative&rcid=r01-156382282385-e8cb6a8826774c75&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_w

#29

I just completed my certification course and for me the key was to figure out what type of instructor I wanted to be, what would be my distinguishing factor...
That’s why I chose a medically-based program called YogaMedics so I could help people 1-1 or in class settings with different conditions.

This also opens the door to working and marketing myself into the medical community and integrated health care.

People are looking for non-pharmaceutical ways to help patients heal and this is a wonderful solution.

Hope this helps :slight_smile:

#30

Daily, if not, a regular, consistent practice of yoga is absolute in yielding its positive, self transformative benefits. There is nothing else besides a committed practice that can give you the insights and maturity you need as a teacher, or simply someone sharing your knowledge of yoga with others.
Practice with a good teacher to know how a good class is supposed to feel. Observe how he/she teachers so you can adopt those qualities/ methods in your class.
Choose a good 200 hr YTT to obtain the basic, necessary certifications and qualifications to teach, if you want to take yoga as a profession. It should be accredited by Yoga Alliance or other recognized institutes. Do some research on the YTT instructor, ask around, before deciding if you’re paying for what you’re really getting.
Start with teaching family and friends first. Consider teaching in smaller boutique studios to gain more experience before moving to the larger commercialized studios, if that is your direction.
Continual practice and learning is essential for growth as a teacher. Read. Take up courses, workshops that develop skills and knowledge that’ll give you the necessary tools to teach professionally and long-term.

#31

Yoga as a career is the best option for me. Becoming certified Yoga teacher or instructor is not only gives you money but a healthy and wealthy environment around you.

#32

Yes, you can make yoga your career. But for becoming a yoga teacher you need to do at least 200-hour yoga teacher training. we are at Arhanta yoga provides yoga teacher training at an affordable price. Do check out our official website and know more details