When you are getting close to finishing your yoga teacher training, or perhaps even before you begin, you likely start to consider where you’ll teach yoga. The obvious choice for many teachers is a yoga studio, perhaps one you took your training through or one you frequent, so the transition from student to teacher is fairly natural. However, if you are in a position where you are simply applying for teaching positions at studios, it can be just competitive and difficult to find employment opportunities as any other field. Luckily, there are a variety of places you can teach besides yoga studios that people don’t necessarily consider initially, and some can end up bringing in more income than your typical studio class. Here’s my top 5:
Community Centre’s or other rented space - The cost for renting a space in a community centre is usually quite reasonable, and if you go that route you can set up the classes/programming exactly how you want. You will also be in charge of all the back end work in that instance (registrations, marketing etc), which isn’t for everyone, however, some community centre’s also manage their own programs and may just be in need of a teacher! If there is a community centre near you that doesn’t currently run programming, (or even if they do they may want another teacher or class), reach out and see what options are available.
Schools & Daycares - If you are passionate about working with kiddos or better yet, certified in children’s yoga, schools and daycares are often looking to provide programming to their students. My tip: figure out which age group you enjoy working with most. Some people love working with teens, and others find it difficult. Some people are incredible at keeping little ones engaged and others find it impossible. Yoga for kids is not the same across all ages/grades.
Workplaces - More and more, large companies are realizing the importance of their employees overall wellness and mental health. Yoga programs are typically easy to organize and low cost ways of assisting with this.
In Home private classes - Private classes can feel intimidating when you are first starting out, and working one-on-one with someone is a lot different than leading a class of students. Some yoga teachers will thrive in privates, and others will not. You won’t know until you try!
Seniors Residences - If you have experience or additional training that qualifies you to work with seniors, reaching out to seniors residences to see if they are interested in a yoga program is a great idea. It may be chair yoga or quite modified, but the benefits for the students will still be great.
Did I miss anywhere? I’d love to know where else you have taught! Leave me a comment below to let me know.
Are you a new or aspiring Yoga teacher or a Yoga teacher looking to start their own business? Check out our Yoga Teacher resources and get my 5 tips for getting started!
