Maybe you're contemplating enrolling in a Yoga Teacher Training program. But, you have to ask yourself the question..."After I complete this rigorous training, is a teaching position guaranteed?" And, "If I do get a teaching position, what can I expect to make?" You may even be wondering, "Is it possible to make a living teaching yoga?"
So many questions! But good ones. A good training program takes a lot of time, and is an investment of money as well. It's smart to think ahead.
First question: "After I complete this rigorous training, is a teaching position guaranteed?"
Answer: No. There are no guarantees.
However, I will tell you that of the graduates certified by last year's training program, every one has been teaching, either in group classes or privately. These positions include recreation departments, studios and private clients. At Focus, we receive calls from places looking for instructors, and we do refer our trainees to these positions.
Second question: "If I do get a teaching position, what can I expect to make?"
Answer: It depends. Here are some numbers based on feedback I've received from instructors.
Park districts pay around $25-$35 per class. Health clubs are similar, although I've heard of up to $50 per class (but not often!).
Yoga studios tend to compensate by the number of students attending the class, usually somewhere between $4 and $7 per student. Some studios will guarantee a minimum to help with small classes, but not all.
Privates can be very lucrative, with compensation between $50 and $90 per hour. However, this may require travel to a students house, or the willingness to have students coming to your house. In either case, phones ringing, family about or dishes in the sink can be a distraction, so some instructors rent space at a studio (we offer this to our instructors at Focus) and need to factor in a small rental fee. This also eliminates the need to lug equipment.
Speaking of lugging equipment, some businesses are offering yoga on-site to employees during lunch or after work hours, and this can be an opportunity for instructors as well. Charging a per-head rate, with a minimum number of students required, can make up for travel time, and the need to bring props the students don't supply.
Third Question: "Is it possible to make a living teaching yoga?"
Answer: "Yes, but it takes a lot of hard work."
If you are hoping to support yourself teaching group yoga classes, do the math. Call the type of venue you'd like to work at and ask what their compensation is, and their average class size. How many classes per week would you need to teach to make ends meet? You may need to teach at multiple studios to get this number of classes.
Also, know that as a new instructor, you may need to put in months of teaching to build your classes. Luckily, expenses are low, but factor in insurance (possibly around $200/year), marketing materials such as business cards, and a website is becoming increasingly necessary.
Luckily, a creative person can find ways to keep their bankbook in the black, and their sanity in check. We've already mentioned how private and semi-private classes can increase income. Another way to share your passion and stay solvent is to develop workshops. Have you mastered your slouching habit with yoga postures? Put together a workshop and share your secrets for standing straight with an interested audience. Do the chakras, the vayus, Ayurveda, or Yoga Sutras add zest to your personal practice? Put together a special class to offer at your studio combining elements of these with asana. Expand to teach to special populations (note that some may require additional training), such as prenatal, seniors, or children.
After several years, you may develop a niche, an area of expertise, and find yourself teaching to other instructors. This can help you thrive when supporting yourself with yoga.
In the Focus Yoga teacher training, we require students to present an end-of-training thesis. While this can take many forms, I encourage trainees to think in terms of developing a special class. If the thesis is well-developed, they can offer this class at our studio to real students, giving the trainee more experience, and start the ball rolling toward really developing these interests into workshops.
I'd like to share a website created by one of our graduates, Jess Smiley. I think this website is an example of thoughtful and strong marketing, and you can see Jess's creativity and passion jumping off every page as you click through class and product offerings. Click here to check it out.
Most instructors I know are not supporting themselves and a family with their instruction alone, but certainly there are those who do. It takes initiative, creativity, and strong energy.
The first step is to get involved with a good training program. If having a lucrative teaching career is important, be certain that the program will support you after the training is over. At Focus, we love to showcase our trainees, and they have opportunities to teach workshops and community classes. And, the entrepreneurial spirit is strong here. It is important to us that our trainees feel confident and successful.
Our next Teacher Training begins in September! Click here for details!
So many questions! But good ones. A good training program takes a lot of time, and is an investment of money as well. It's smart to think ahead.
First question: "After I complete this rigorous training, is a teaching position guaranteed?"
Answer: No. There are no guarantees.
However, I will tell you that of the graduates certified by last year's training program, every one has been teaching, either in group classes or privately. These positions include recreation departments, studios and private clients. At Focus, we receive calls from places looking for instructors, and we do refer our trainees to these positions.
Second question: "If I do get a teaching position, what can I expect to make?"
Answer: It depends. Here are some numbers based on feedback I've received from instructors.
Park districts pay around $25-$35 per class. Health clubs are similar, although I've heard of up to $50 per class (but not often!).
Yoga studios tend to compensate by the number of students attending the class, usually somewhere between $4 and $7 per student. Some studios will guarantee a minimum to help with small classes, but not all.
Privates can be very lucrative, with compensation between $50 and $90 per hour. However, this may require travel to a students house, or the willingness to have students coming to your house. In either case, phones ringing, family about or dishes in the sink can be a distraction, so some instructors rent space at a studio (we offer this to our instructors at Focus) and need to factor in a small rental fee. This also eliminates the need to lug equipment.
Speaking of lugging equipment, some businesses are offering yoga on-site to employees during lunch or after work hours, and this can be an opportunity for instructors as well. Charging a per-head rate, with a minimum number of students required, can make up for travel time, and the need to bring props the students don't supply.
Third Question: "Is it possible to make a living teaching yoga?"
Answer: "Yes, but it takes a lot of hard work."
If you are hoping to support yourself teaching group yoga classes, do the math. Call the type of venue you'd like to work at and ask what their compensation is, and their average class size. How many classes per week would you need to teach to make ends meet? You may need to teach at multiple studios to get this number of classes.
Also, know that as a new instructor, you may need to put in months of teaching to build your classes. Luckily, expenses are low, but factor in insurance (possibly around $200/year), marketing materials such as business cards, and a website is becoming increasingly necessary.
Luckily, a creative person can find ways to keep their bankbook in the black, and their sanity in check. We've already mentioned how private and semi-private classes can increase income. Another way to share your passion and stay solvent is to develop workshops. Have you mastered your slouching habit with yoga postures? Put together a workshop and share your secrets for standing straight with an interested audience. Do the chakras, the vayus, Ayurveda, or Yoga Sutras add zest to your personal practice? Put together a special class to offer at your studio combining elements of these with asana. Expand to teach to special populations (note that some may require additional training), such as prenatal, seniors, or children.
After several years, you may develop a niche, an area of expertise, and find yourself teaching to other instructors. This can help you thrive when supporting yourself with yoga.
In the Focus Yoga teacher training, we require students to present an end-of-training thesis. While this can take many forms, I encourage trainees to think in terms of developing a special class. If the thesis is well-developed, they can offer this class at our studio to real students, giving the trainee more experience, and start the ball rolling toward really developing these interests into workshops.
I'd like to share a website created by one of our graduates, Jess Smiley. I think this website is an example of thoughtful and strong marketing, and you can see Jess's creativity and passion jumping off every page as you click through class and product offerings. Click here to check it out.
Most instructors I know are not supporting themselves and a family with their instruction alone, but certainly there are those who do. It takes initiative, creativity, and strong energy.
The first step is to get involved with a good training program. If having a lucrative teaching career is important, be certain that the program will support you after the training is over. At Focus, we love to showcase our trainees, and they have opportunities to teach workshops and community classes. And, the entrepreneurial spirit is strong here. It is important to us that our trainees feel confident and successful.
Our next Teacher Training begins in September! Click here for details!
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