The demand for yoga teacher training has grown exponentially in recent years. Generally, every yoga teacher who has graduated from the YTT course would have the intention to turn their yoga passion into a successful and sustainable yoga career. Passion for yoga is a lifestyle but if we are able to turn it into an active income at the same time, then it is phenomenal.
But here’s the honest reality check that many people seem to completely forget when it comes to making a living as a yogipreneur – you have to create your own opportunities. A yoga business has the same inherent risks of any other business. It takes time, sometimes years, to really develop your yoga skill set and become an amazing teacher.
For starters, a fresh graduated yoga teacher can teach private yoga lessons. There is a real art behind teaching private yoga lessons. It takes skills that you simply do not get straight out of teacher training. But a handful of long-term private yoga students you can meet with regularly can be a solid foundation for your yoga business as you develop additional yoga offerings.
Teach at a local school or university. Most universities require students to have a physical education class to get their degree. You might also be able to teach at the student recreation center or work with the trainers in the athletic departments.
Host a local retreat. It can be a 2 days 1 night event. Seek out a smaller scale retreat location at a sub-urban location or even at the local beach side – with just a handful of students to test the waters. It can be a themed retreat like weight loss retreat or beautiful skin retreat or it can just be a general relaxation retreat. The activities will be practicals combined with theory.
Host an international retreat. This can be done at a longer duration, such as a 4 days 3 nights event. You may partner up with 1 or 2 other yoga teachers and host the international retreat which can be amazingly fun. The numbers has to be run through again and again before committing to anything and give yourself lots of time to not only plan, but give your students a chance to save up.
Create a unique niche offering. There are so many niche yoga opportunities to be presented to the market. Detox Yoga, Advanced Core Yoga, Broga. Yoga for runners and etc. There is certainly one that the market has demand for, depending on the Client’s profile and background.
Manage a yoga studio or fitness center. Depending on the size of the yoga studio or fitness center, the manager position could actually be a full time gig on its own. Even if it’s not, many yoga studios owners find themselves spread super-thin across managing the day to day, teaching classes themselves, and planning out the coming months. If your studio doesn’t have someone managing teacher schedules, organizing events, and running the daily studio operations, you may be able to create a job for yourself.
All in all, each Yoga Teacher Training Graduate will have to see which route they are more suitable for and comfortable with. It takes hard work, dedication, determination and perseverance to succeed as a profound Yoga Teacher. Remember what brought you to this path in the first place. Hold onto it closely. Keep the love.
[Sharon Phang; 200 Hr YTT Hatha Vinyasa]
