The Main Issues For Yoga Teachers, and How to Overcome Them

Teaching yoga is often perceived as the ideal career; sharing your passion with willing students without the stress of corporate demands or deadlines may well seem the dream job for many. 

And yet, while the above holds true, the reality for most yoga teachers is rather distinct from this image. What with an often irregular client base, substandard rates of pay and feelings of isolation, the yoga teaching profession comes with its own unique set of challenges. 

At Yoga Alliance Professionals we are acutely aware of the most challenging aspects of teaching yoga. Years in the industry have cultivated an expert understanding of how to address the most pressing problems for yoga teachers, allowing you to overcome such challenges and excel in your career. 

Establishing a Stable Client Base

A common concern among yoga teachers is the difficulty maintaining regular students, especially for those who have recently graduated from a Teacher Training Course. 

Social media is a huge marketing tool and can be used to promote your classes and reach out to students. You can offer affiliate discounts to encourage students to bring a friend or host competitions on your instagram offering a free class. Moreover, encouraging students to purchase classes in bulk increases the regularity of your student base, and can foster customer loyalty.

For those who do not have time to reach out to potential students, Yoga Alliance Professionals provide a matching service that connects yoga practitioners looking for teachers with registered members. This enables members access to a variety of potential clients who are genuinely interested in learning yoga - and not just a discounted class. 

Earning a Living

A crucial issue for yoga teachers is the sheer quantity of those in the profession, and more precisely, the vast number of undertrained individuals. The sense of competition this creates forces trained yoga teachers to lower their pay expectations, which in turn devalues their credentials.

The Yoga Alliance Professionals accreditation is recognised worldwide as a mark of yoga teaching excellence. Holding this accreditation validates your credentials and serves as reinforcement when negotiating pay. You have invested in your career, and deserve to be recognised as such. 

One of the most lucrative options available to yoga teachers currently is corporate classes. Many of our members have benefited from our Business Matching Service, which links companies looking for yoga teachers with accredited members. 

Our public campaign to cultivate an understanding for yoga standards has increased the amount of traffic to our website, encouraging company owners to register their interest for member-led sessions. 

Building a Strong Network

It’s common for yoga teachers to feel isolated. Trying to manage a schedule far out of odds from the “typical” 9-5 hinders the usual ability to network with others in your field.  

Social media groups are great for connecting with peers and cultivating a sense of virtual community. Yoga Alliance Professionals’ facebook group encourages yoga teachers to build relationships within the industry and attend upcoming events for yoga professionals. Our community group is a great way to ask advice, discuss current topics and share your events and class schedule!

Understanding how to address these common issues will help you develop as a yoga teacher and thrive in your career. 

Let us know how you get on!