Yoga is a routine exercise focused on building your strength, increasing the flexibility of your body, and improving your mental, spiritual, and physical state. If you are passionate about helping people, then you can take up a career in yoga teaching. To do this, all you need is to become a certified yoga instructor. Being a yoga instructor will allow you to improve the life of people with routine exercises.
What does a yoga teacher do?
What a yoga instructor does is quite simple, but for you to be able to carry out your duties well, you need to become a certified yoga instructor. Getting this in place will make it easy for you to know exactly what a yoga instructor does. Whether you are a yoga instructor or not? The basic thing that a yoga instructor does is to guide students through the practice of yoga exercises.
A yoga instructor does this by showing them the correct yoga poses, helping them to learn the right way of doing them, and correcting them when he needs to. A yoga teacher also provided advice on the importance and benefits of meditation, healthy nutrition, good breathing techniques, and yoga philosophy. Also, a yoga teacher might be tasked with providing yoga workshops, group classes, personal training sessions, and seminars. All of these make the job fun because there will always be something exciting to do.
The average salary of a yoga teacher
Aside from the fun and excitement that comes with being a yoga teacher, there is a high probability that you will also be interested in knowing what’s in it for you financially. When you eventually become a certified yoga instructor, there are financial gains associated with rendering your services to someone else. But this also depends on your level of experience in the sector. The more experienced you are, the more your income is yearly or monthly. Also, the amount of money you make depends on whether you are a full-time or part-time yoga teacher.
Aside from your level of experience, other important factors that determine the income level of a yoga teacher are your geographical location and your level of training. However, the average salary of a yoga instructor is $30.91 per hour. In most cases, the range is usually between $7.25 and $76.00 per hour. As you become more experienced, whatever you are earning will increase.
Yoga Teacher Requirements:
Before you think of setting out to learn how to become a yoga instructor, you need to, first of all, get yourself familiar with the requirements needed to be the best and highly competitive. The prior knowledge of this will help you to understand what you need to have to get to the peak as a yoga instructor.
The following are some of the important yoga teacher requirements that you need to have to be able to teach yoga students
- Get a CPR and first aid certificate
- Register with a certified and recognized yoga and complete the training course and become a certified and registered yoga teacher
- Develop strong administration, organizational, and business skills
- Develop your motivational, communication, and leadership skills
- Become a fitness, diet, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast
- Increase your knowledge of mindful meditation techniques and yoga poses.
How to Become a Yoga Teacher or Instructor?
To become a yoga teacher, there are certain things you need to know. The knowledge of this will guide you through the process and make it easy for you to go for what you need. To make this easy for you, we will be taking you through all that you need to know about how to become a yoga teacher.
1. Learn and practice yoga:
Remember, you can’t teach what you don’t know. For you to give your best, you need to learn yoga and practice it as much as you can. Having a thorough understanding of yoga and practicing it will put you in the best position to teach other people. As you know, there are different types and poses of yoga. Taking classes in different types of yoga will make you understand how people can put into practice to achieve what they want.
Also, you can’t afford to limit yourself to what you get from your first instructor. You need to expand your learning scope and learn from other tutors. The more you learn and practice, the better you are at teaching practice styles. If you finally find a master that is willing to mentor you, don’t hesitate to go for it. Having a guide is better than learning with no direction.
2. Find a yoga training course and complete it :
After frequent practice, the next step you need to take is to upgrade what you have learned by taking a yoga training course in a registered school that follows the guidelines of Yoga Alliance. The course you should consider choosing here should be a teacher training program. Taking courses like these will put you through all you need to know as a yoga teacher. Unlike the general yoga schools that you are familiar with, teacher training programs teach you how to effectively teach the practice of yoga.
In a registered school, the teacher training program is usually of two types. The first class is the beginner level and it is a 200-hour certification program while the second training program is a 500-hour certification program that teaches the advanced level of teaching yoga to people that know little to nothing about the practice of yoga. When you get the certification of both programs, you will have a detailed understanding of the instructional techniques of yoga, the philosophy of yoga, and the physiology and anatomy of yoga. With this, you are on the track to becoming a professional yoga instructor.
In addition to the standard certification that you need to have, you can go ahead to get certified in other specialties. For example, you can choose to get a professional certification as a registered prenatal yoga teacher or a registered children’s yoga teacher. If you want to broaden your scope, you can decide to get both certifications. With this, you will be able to teach both children and pregnant women.
3. Get registered:
Aside from acquiring all the knowledge you need, you also need to become a member of a recognized and registered international yoga community. If you can get the certification listed above, you won’t find it difficult to become a member of this organization. Getting an RYT will require you to complete a certification course of nothing less than 200-hour in a certified yoga training school. Also, you will need to application fee of $50 before you can set out to get the RYT certification.
As a member, you are also mandated to pay an annual fee of $65. And if you wish to upgrade your level of certification from RYT to RCYT and RPYT, you will need to pay an additional fee of $50. With all of these in place, you can be sure of getting what you need to become a certified and internationally recognized yoga instructor.
4. Become certified in CPR:
Yoga teachers are not just restricted to taking classes in yoga studios. If you want to move forward in your career, you can also consider becoming a yoga teacher in world-class fitness or health centers. To get positions like this, you will need to get professional certifications in CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Most standard health centers will require this additional skill for you to be in the best position to respond to health emergencies.
Getting this certification will also help increase your standard and the level of trust your students have in you. Practicing yoga in a safe place is always the best. Therefore, becoming a certified CPR will give you an edge over other yoga instructors.
5. Choose an area of specialty:
Just like other types of professions, you can’t be a jack of all trades. You need to specialize in a particular field and be the best in it. If you want to get the best out of being a yoga instructor, you need need to decide on what type of yoga teacher you want to be. There are different types of yoga, you need to choose a specialty that you are passionate about and that you enjoy doing.
As a yoga teacher, you can decide to be a prenatal yoga teacher, a children’s yoga teacher, or a face yoga teacher. Another thing you also need to decide is your mode of training people. You can either take classes through a yoga studio or online. The choice of any depends on the one you find comfortable.
6. Begin teaching classes:
Having acquired all the skills and certification you need, the next thing you need to do is to begin teaching yoga classes. As a beginner, you are going to be faced with the problem of trying to get students to take your classes. But don’t be too hard on yourself, you can start by building a community of friends and family and gradually grow your audience. When you do this, you will gradually begin to gain people’s interest and trust. Another alternative is getting a job as a yoga instructor with a fitness facility. There you will be able to make decent money while growing your audience.
7. Maintain certifications:
Just like in other careers, learning never stops. If you want to keep being relevant, you need to keep updating yourself and keep up with the standards in the industry. Also, make sure you do not default on your annual dues and maintain your CPR certification.
Frequently Asked Questions!
Q1. How to become a certified yoga instructor?
When it comes to learning How to become a yoga instructor, there are several factors you need to be aware of. Becoming a yoga teacher majorly depends on your level of experience and the training program and certification that you have. The more of these you have, the higher your chances of becoming a certified yoga instructor and getting the best out of it. Generally, a person seeking to become a yoga instructor should have years of personal experience before setting out to become a yoga teacher
If you are well experienced, another thing you can put in place is the completion of either a 200-hour or 500-certificate program. If you feel you can get the two, don’t hesitate to go for it. Having this In place will put you in the best position to become a good yoga tether. And approximately, it takes between six months and a year to get the certification.
Q2. What qualifications do you need to be a yoga teacher?
Unlike other professions, having just a certification won’t do to be a yoga trainer. Aside From the certification, you need to understand the practice of yoga and how it is done properly. Having a certificate will only complement your knowledge and put you in the best position to teach other people. This simply means you have to practice yoga and learn all you can before setting out to get the certificate needed to make you recognized and considered as a professional.
Become a certified yoga teacher, the major thing you need is to meet the experience and training requirements of Young Alliance Standards. To meet this, you will need to complete a training course and pay the annual fees regularly. When you meet all of these, you can then consider yourself a certified yoga instructor.
Q3. What is the job outlook for yoga teachers?
What you get from being a yoga teacher is endless. Provided you have the knowledge and certifications to complete, you will always make the most of this profession where you find yourself in the world. But for you to achieve this, you need to make sure you are good at what you do and try to excel in the best way that you can. That’s the only way you can get the best out of what yoga has to offer professionally.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, yoga instructors are categorized into the field of fitness trainers and instructors. A new projection clearly shows an exponential increase in growth rate by 13% by the year 2028. This growth rate is even more than that of most professions in the world today. This clearly shows that the demand for yoga instructors will increase and there will be more opportunities for them to explore.
Q4. Is online yoga teacher training worth it?
While yoga online training existed long before the pandemic, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in the sudden lockdown of the whole world opened up a new opportunity for online yoga teachers. Taking yoga classes online offers a wide range of opportunities. You just have to take the first step of faith to explore the opportunities it has to offer. But once you do, you will be amazed by how much you can earn from taking yoga classes online.
Also, the advantage of not having to worry about traveling to where you intend to teach yoga and renting a place is another thing you need to consider. It’s more convenient to teach yoga when you don’t have to worry about any of these problems. Instead of worrying about the cost and the stress associated with these, you will be thinking of the best way to teach your student and make the class more engaging.
Q5. What is the best online yoga certification?
To teach yoga online, you are going to need an additional certification that clearly shows that can provide online yoga training. This certification will not only give you the knowledge you need to set up online training but also put you through all you need to know about how to monetize the process and make the most of it.
If you are looking for such an online yoga certification program, you need to consider Vinyasa Practice, uplifted, YogaRenew, and Santosha. These programs are fully approved by Alliance and are fully equipped with all that you need to become a fully recognized online yoga teacher.
Q6. Can you get Yoga certified online?
If you can’t make it to the physical classes, you can get certified online. To get it, you might just need in-person training to give you a better chance of getting the certification that you need. With this certification, you will have a better chance of getting what need without going through the problems of visiting a physical class. Therefore if you are considering getting an online yoga certification, this will be a good idea.
Q7. How to become a yoga instructor online?
For you to come to a yoga instructor online there are certain things you need to do. With these things, you will find it very easy to set up your class and get the revenue that you desire. To start, the first thing you need to do is to obtain your yoga certification and set up your yoga practice and curriculums. After setting this up, you will need to get your business online, and to do this, you will have to use your social media platforms and other means of online advertisements.
While trying to gain an audience, take out time to register with the local and international bodies. As you begin to gain an audience, set up a training class and make sure you give your best. When you do this, your students will refer you to other people and gradually your class begins to grow and you begin to earn more income.
Q8. How much does it cost to get certified in yoga?
Getting a yoga certification and becoming a certified yoga instructor will cost you some money, but this depends on the type of yoga training you choose to take. But on average, you are likely to spend anywhere from $200 to $7000. If you choose to go for a 200-hour training program, you will spend between $1,000 to $3,000, While for the more advanced program of 500- hours, you are likely to spend anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000.
Irrespective of how much you spend, you need to understand that the investment is worth it. You just have to put your mind to it and work hard as you can to get the best out of it. When you do this, you are going to get the best from the cost of training.
Q9. What is the best yoga certification to get?
There are several yoga certifications out there, but if you want to remain relevant for a long period go for an internationally-recognized credential or certification. In this case, the best you can consider is Yoga Alliance. Although, getting it might be quite challenging and expensive. If you can get it, you will be relevant and well recognized in any part of the world where you choose to practice yoga.
After getting your Yoga Alliance certification, you will need to take things a step higher. To do this, you will have to apply for an RYT Credential (Registered Yoga Teacher) through the Yoga Alliance of America. This certification will allow you to practice professionally anywhere in America.
Q10. How long does it take to get yoga certified?
Remember, getting the best will always require you to put in your time and effort. The same applies to becoming a certified yoga instructor. You will need to put in your time and effort to get what you want. If you can do this, you will eventually get what you want without any hassle.
Although getting certified in yoga won’t take years you will have to spend approximately six months to a year to get the certification. It all depends on how much time you are willing to dedicate to practicing and attending your classes.
Conclusion:
Having shared all these on how to become a certified yoga instructor, you shouldn’t have any difficulties with getting what you need. You just have to take quick action and be determined to succeed no matter the challenge you encounter.
Yoga is a promising profession, but you need to put in the work to get what you desire. If you can do this, you will get the out of it.
Pingback: Yoga Burn Booty Challenge Review: The Ultimate Yoga Challenge.