Tag Archives: association

Becoming a member of a recognized Federation of Yoga teachers

Fédération Carte

Fédération Carte

Becoming a member of a Federation

There are different sorts of members.

Becoming a member as a teacher requires submitting an application to the secretariat and providing a copy of the teacher certificate with a description of the experience acquired in yoga.

The Board of directors examines the demand and if it is accepted, the member pays his membership.

Practicing members apply to the secretariat and pay their membership.

Other members pay their membership to their instructor, who himself has to be a registered ABEPY member.

More details below :

  1. Effective teacher and trainer members (Belgium) :
  • Are required to provide a copy of their certificate, or to explain their experience in Yoga.
  • Have to be accepted by the board of directors.
  • Pay an annual subscription of xx,- €.
  • May participate in the general meeting and are eligible for the Board of Directors.
  • Are insured by Ethias (SMAP).
  • Can insure their students.
  • Can appear in the Federation mailing list and on their website.
  • Can have announcements (workshops, courses, conferences, trips, …related to Yoga) appear in the Echo of Yoga and on the Federation’s website under the section “Activities”.
  • Will benefit from publicity during the fairs attended by the Federation all year-round, through the secretary’s information desk. (Upon reception of the membership, and if they wish to, teacher members can appear on the lists sent to persons asking for information and on the association’s website).
  • Trainer members are teacher members who are in charge of a school training yoga teachers, which is accepted by the ABEPY. The head teacher alone pays the trainer’s membership of xx,- €.

2. Effective practicing members : 

  • Practice and study Yoga.
  • Pay an annual membership of xx,- €.
  • Can participate in the general meeting and are eligible for the Board of Directors.
  • Are insured by Ethias (SMAP) for Belgium.
  • Receive a subscription to the Echo of Yoga for Belgium.

3. Other members (students) :

  • Need to be registered through a teaching member, who will settle their annual subscription of x,- €.
  • Are insured by Ethias (SMAP).
  • Can be registered throughout the year.
  • Can actively participate to the association’s life, but do not vote during general meetings.
  • Can subscribe to the Echo of Yoga, directly or through their teacher, for xx,- € per year.

4. Honorary members :

  • Have substantially contributed to the development of yoga or have proved helpful to its cause.

5. Associations and moral persons :

  • Can join the association by paying a subscription of xx,- €, providing their activities are compatible with its purpose. They can make announcements in the Echo of Yoga or on the association’s website, but they cannot participate in the management of the association, nor insure students. They receive the Echo of Yoga.

For subscription, use only the account number: ……………………………….

Indicate your name, surname and/or communication number.

 

I.Y.F.

I.Y.F.

Non-exhaustive list of Federations:

In Belgium:

In France:

www.federationyoga.fr/

In Greece :

In Europe :

Where to teach the first Yoga classes (beginning professor)

How to get known and have students

Find a Yoga institute or association who is willing to give you a chance to prove your worth.  You will then have to find students to attend your classes, and try to establish their loyalty. Word of mouth will surely be of big help to bring more students.

You need to keep an open mind to all opportunities. Don’t hesitate to investigate different places where you could teach:

  • In a big company or multinational organization
  • Prison (men, women)
  • Cultural centre
  • Sport centre
  • Any kind of association
  • Town hall
  • Own space
  • Shared space
  • At home (of the yoga student)
  • Workspace of the yoga student
  • In schools (Yoga for kids)
  • Universities
  • Retirement homes (Yoga for elderly)
  • Pedagogical centres
  • Centres for the disabled
  • Pain relief centres
  • Holiday centres (e.g. Club Méditerranée)
  • …

Cultural and sport centres usually require a test class or kind of internship before allowing you to practice. If the teacher has enough financial funds, he/she can always start to practice independently in order to fully exercise the profession. In this case he can also chose to dispense classes at the student’s home.

Of course it is necessary to dispense enough classes per week to have a suitable income.

Please keep in mind that a yoga teacher is mostly self-employed, this is why you should try to give class in different places. This will prevent you to be too dependent on one place.

After a while you can try to develop you own clientele and dispense private classes. Try to develop your network as soon as possible. Don’t forget that private classes are very demanding; you will need to provide your full attention to your student.

Different ways to work as a yoga teacher:

  • Group classes: several students, in a space specially equipped for the circumstance
  • Private classes: one-on-one student and teacher

Pregnant women

You should be informed of any pregnant students before class. If you don’t have the necessary skills, it is recommended to redirect the person to a pre-natal yoga class. Please keep in mind that during a group class you will not be able to keep a constant eye on only 1 person.

What to prepare:

  • Résumé – Curriculum vitae
  • Posters: you can place posters in different stores. Prepare a poster on which you only need to add the address, dates and times of the classes
  • Hold a conference or demonstration. Prepare your subject in writing and exercise with friends.
  • Publish a presentation article in local newspapers. Prepare several press releases.
  • Be present on the Internet, it is essential nowadays.

Constant training/education

Continue training and schooling as much as possible. A 500 hours training is not enough, it is just a beginning.

You are your best student. Take time to practice every day. Train with different yoga teachers. If this is not possible for you, check YouTube; get inspired with online videos. Don’t let your students get into automatic mode. Keep on challenging them.

Practice, Practice, Practice, every days…
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois