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