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As the name no doubt suggests, yoga instructors are individuals who teach yoga either on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting. A yoga instructor aims to increase levels of calm, fitness and well-being amongst their pupils. To become a yoga instructor, you must have a genuine passion for yoga and a desire to share your knowledge of this ancient practice with others. If this sounds like you, then the good news is that yoga is big business: 1.3 million people take part in group exercises every week, and group yoga classes have never been more popular.
From what qualifications you need to be a yoga instructor to what your yoga instructor salary might be, here’s everything you need to know about how to become a yoga instructor:
What is a Yoga Instructor
Before you can understand what a yoga instructor is, you need to know what yoga is. Yoga is a spiritual discipline that focuses on bringing harmony between the mind and body through a series of gentle exercises. The word ‘yoga’ is a Sanskrit term, formed from the word ‘yuj’ (which means to join or to unite). Yoga is based on a series of slow stretches and exercises alongside deep breathing techniques. Just some of the benefits of practising yoga include improved strength, balance, and flexibility. Regular yoga practice can also lower blood sugar levels, level blood pressure, boost metabolism, and even increase self-esteem. With benefits like that, it’s easy to see why more than 30 million people worldwide choose to practice yoga. And if you’re one of them, you might be considering turning your favourite hobby into a career.
As a yoga instructor, your role will involve guiding other yoga pupils of all abilities through their yoga poses and breathing exercises. You will use your skills and passion for the practice of yoga to bring this popular art form to other people, helping them to experience the benefits of regular yoga practice.
To become an independent yoga instructor, you’ll need to have insurance. You won’t be able to run your independent classes without this. You may also need to pass enhanced background checks, particularly if you hope to run classes where you are working alongside children or vulnerable adults.
Yoga instructors work in a wide range of different settings including, but not limited to, gyms, fitness centres and dedicated yoga studios. If you are a self-employed yoga instructor, you could also run classes in village halls, community centres, and other local settings. Many private yoga instructors also offer their services to individuals or small groups of people within the comfort of their own homes.
Because yoga classes often take place in the evening and at weekends, the working hours for a yoga instructor can be unsociable. But if you can be flexible with the times that you run your teaching sessions, you will be more likely to attract new clients, particularly when you are first starting out in your career as a yoga instructor.
Personal Qualities of a Yoga Instructor
The main thing you will need to be a successful yoga instructor is a genuine passion for yoga. Most yoga instructors have been practising yoga for many years, and you are required to have completed 200 hours of yoga practice before you can begin many yoga instruction courses. You must have expert-level knowledge of asanas and poses to lead your classes from the front. Other personal qualities you will need to be a successful yoga instructor include:
- Confidence and leadership skills. You should feel comfortable with all eyes on you
- Good communication skills which will enable you to clearly and concisely share instructions with others, teaching them new skills in a way that they will understand
- Excellent customer service skills, which will allow you to both recruit new clients and build positive relationships with your existing clients
- Being self-motivated and able to work on your own. Whilst you may work with colleagues within a wider yoga studio or gym, you will largely be working alone, leading yoga classes independently
- Keen observation skills. These will be needed to assess how asanas are being performed by students and correcting their positioning where necessary
- Knowledge of teaching skills and the ability to design fully rounded yoga courses that will stretch your clients and develop their skills
- A sensitive nature. You must be able to deal with pupils of all ages, body shapes and experience levels, providing support and advice to those pupils when needed
- A patient and calming manner coupled with a patient and calming tone of voice
- A commitment to self-practice and development. You should be truly passionate about practising yoga. Yoga is considered to be a lifelong journey, rather than a hobby or pastime
- Basic computer literacy, including the ability to use a hand-held device, to correspond with, and register your clients. You will also need to get online to promote your business and services
What a Yoga Instructor Does
As a yoga instructor, your primary role will be to teach yoga classes to individuals of all ages and abilities. As well as teaching a wide range of simple and complex yoga poses and techniques, your day-to-day duties could also include:
- Designing courses of varying lengths for your existing and new students. These courses should offer a comprehensive range of poses and techniques. You should design courses suitable for students of all abilities
- Use your knowledge of human physiology to adapt the poses available, and the courses you offer, for individuals with health conditions. Common examples of this include pregnancy or arthritis
- Teach breathing techniques, whilst also taking the time to practice and improve your own breathing techniques
- Observe and assess your students, advising them on improvements they can make to their poses and their techniques
- Conduct regular reviews of the courses that you offer, gather feedback from your pupils on your teaching skills, and make changes and improvements where necessary
- Undertaking continued professional development to develop your skills and knowledge as a yoga instructor
- If you are self-employed then when you are not teaching or planning classes, you will spend much of your time recruiting new pupils. This could include marketing your classes on social media and in the local community
- Undertaking general business administration tasks, such as organising invoices and payments from your clients, booking your premises, and ensuring your insurance coverage is up to date
How Much Does a Yoga Instructor Earn?
Your earning potential as a yoga instructor will depend on both your level of experience and reputation and on whether you choose to work for a yoga studio or on a freelance basis. If you choose to work for a yoga studio or a gym, then the average yoga instructor’s salary will be £25.77 per hour. However, it is important to note that you will only be paid for the hours that you are running sessions, rather than for the time that you spend in the studio. As a freelance or self-employed yoga instructor, your earning potential will be determined by how many sessions you teach, and how many pupils you have in each session. In a group class, you can expect to earn £12 per pupil per hour. Private studio sessions will net you between £40 and £80 per hour, and you may be able to charge slightly more for private sessions taught within your pupils’ homes. Please bear in mind, however, that you will be responsible for covering your own expenses: the cost of hiring a studio or hall, transportation costs, and insurance premiums should all be deducted before you can calculate your true income.
Despite this, the income of the average freelance yoga instructor is recorded as being between £40,000 and £56,000 if they choose to work on a full-time basis. However, many part-time yoga instructors will earn considerably less than this, with many teaching yoga in the evening and at weekends whilst also holding down another job.
Qualifications Needed for a Yoga Instructor
You should be a regular yoga practitioner before you can begin to train as a yoga instructor: most yoga instruction course providers will suggest that you have at least two years experience of practising yoga regularly.
Because yoga is a global practice, there is a wide range of options available to you for where to undertake your yoga teacher course. Some instructors will study within their local community, in a studio or gym setting, so that they become integrated into the community they will ultimately be working in. Others will choose to travel overseas to a renowned yoga centre where they can fully immerse themselves in their training, often choosing to do so in the spiritual home of yoga.
Becoming a yoga instructor is a relatively long process: to be a fully qualified yoga teacher, you’ll need to have completed at least 200 hours of yoga teacher training. Some employers will request that your training course is certified by a professional body such as the Yoga Alliance or British Wheel of Yoga: this is less important if you choose to work on a freelance or self-employed basis, though many pupils will still want reassurance that you are a fully qualified yoga instructor. Examples of college-based qualifications you could study for include:
- Level 3 diploma in Yoga Teacher Training
- Level 4 diploma in Yoga Teacher Training
You could also pursue specialist courses, either following your traditional yoga teacher training or in conjunction with your yoga teacher training, for teaching yoga to children or pregnancy yoga courses. You can also achieve advanced yoga teacher training status once you have completed 300 hours or 500 hours of training. Regardless of where you study, or the course you study, your yoga instructor training should cover asana (postures), meditation, pranayama (breathing exercises) yoga philosophy, anatomy, physiology, and how to teach. You may also wish to enhance your skills by studying other complementary therapies or workout techniques. This would enable you to offer your pupils a more extensive selection of classes and could help you to further supplement your income. Examples include:
Many elite athletes use yoga to enhance their skills, keep their muscles supple, and help them to find calm and balance between sports events. By studying sports psychology and other fitness techniques, you could elevate your career, and offer training services to these elite athletes.
The training you will undergo to become a yoga instructor will usually take the form of live sessions, online recordings, individual study, and practical elements which may be tested by reports and examination. If you study an intensive course then you could complete this within four to six weeks, whilst if you want to study on a part-time basis, fitting in your training around your existing commitments, then this could take between six and twelve months to complete, depending on how many sessions you undertake each week.
