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What they don't tell you in yoga teacher training
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Yoga Teacher Training programs have become hot commodities in the west. The tradition of Yoga used to be passed down from teacher to student after a considerable time of study and apprenticeship but now anyone with $2500, free weekends and a decent practice can get a certificate. The majority of teacher trainings are spent on developing skills needed to teach a safe well rounded class and many yoga teachers feel that not much time was spent discussing the business side of yoga and felt less then prepared to handle the realities outside of the comfort of their loving teacher training group.
Below are a few things that new teacher’s should know that don’t necessarily get discussed in teacher training.
Just because you take a teacher training at a studio, doesn’t mean you will be able to work at that studio.
If a studio has two teacher training programs a year with 15 students each program, there is no way they can employ all 30 of them. If they repeat these programs over the years, they could literally have 100’s of teachers come from these programs.
Positions are not always granted based on auditions, the strengths of your practice or who you studied with.
The majority of the teachers I know got their positions because they knew someone who worked there. Many times the facility will choose someone they know over another teacher who has better qualifications and a stronger practice who is a stranger.
Just because you are a good teacher, does not mean your class will be full
So many things play into why students come to class and you can’t control all of them. Class times, locations of the studio, heat, marketing, time of year, appearance of the studio as well as really silly stuff like the color of your hair, the size of your boobs, your accent and the color of the paint on your walls. Seriously, gone are the days when people just went to the Guru for his wisdom. We live in a culture where people want what they want, when they want and how they want it. Some people want a “ package “when they go to a yoga teacher. They want to feel like they have stepped into a Fit TV yoga broadcast and they want the studio and you to look the part.
Many beginner yoga teachers start by teaching the population in the facility that doesn’t know much about yoga because the advanced and intermediate students are going to the more experienced teachers. Most beginner students have no clue what yoga is even much how to pick out a good teacher. It is going to take months of teaching to weed out students who are not in alignment with your philosophy and to develop relationships and loyalty with those that are.
You can make a lot of money teaching yoga. You will make no money teaching yoga.
It really all depends. Some people make a lot of money and some people make no money.
It is not necessarily easy to get on the sub list
Many studios prefer to only use teachers who already work at the facility for subs.
Build your relationships with the studio before you even start training.
Attend the classes; get to know the owners and teachers. Find out what they look for in their teachers and start to cultivate it. Some studios require that you train directly under the founder of their organization and this is important to know when deciding where you will study.
Just because your boss is a yoga teacher doesn’t mean they are ethical or even nice people
You will run into some of the same scenarios from corporate America and 9-5 jobs. There are teachers who are over worked and under worked. Underpaid and overpaid. There is unfair treatment, lack of communication, and staunching of creativity.
It can take time
It is absolutely possible that your first class is packed and it stays that way forever but many teachers find that building classes takes time. Be consistent in your teaching and show up every day at the same time and things will eventually build.
You may get fired
Just get over this one. Even though it takes time to develop a class, doesn’t mean that your boss is going to give you that time. Your vision is not always in line with the studios and a departure of ways may be needed. David Swenson, a very popular and successful yoga teacher featured in books and DVD’s, was fired from a studio and was so financially strapped that he asked the studio to let him make their wooden yoga blocks. Now he teachers in yoga studios all over the world and his products are featured in many others.
Remember why you wanted to teach yoga
It is so easy to lose yourself in the role of teacher. There are many teachers who teach classes that they don’t believe in because it pays well. They would rather teach meditation or change up the flow but the students and or studio owners don’t’ like it.
Also, your classes may not be as big as you want or you may get negative feedback from time to time. Remembering why you started teaching in the first place will reignite your focus and keep you from being consumed in the circumstances surrounding teaching.
Don’t quit your day job
Build up a clientele first and get your feet wet before going full throttle. When your base needs are met, it frees up your energy to focus on your student’s needs and not money.
Don’t let your yoga teaching keep you from your yoga practice.
Don’t take on so many classes that you cannot even practice yourself. You would be amazed at how many yoga teachers don’t actually practice yoga. Don’t become one of them.
Don’t take it personal
Most people’s perceptions of you are based on their own past experiences and ultimately have nothing to do with you.
You can’t please everybody
While you should listen to your student’s suggestions, you ultimately are the teacher and you have to do what you feel is right for the development of the student. Just because you like sugar doesn’t mean you should eat it. The same goes for yoga. Even though a student may only like certain poses, they may need to do others for their development. If they don’t like your viewpoint, recommend another yoga teacher that they may like better.
Introduce yourself to all facilities in town that you are interested in working with.
You just never know when people are hiring. I have seen teachers get passed over for jobs only to be called back when a need arose in the future.
YMCA’s, gyms, country clubs, corporate offices, and churches are also great places to work
Don’t think that you cannot get respected as a teacher unless you work at a yoga studio. Other facilities provide surprising benefits like health insurance, creative flexibility, and access to audiences that may normally not do yoga. Your students will love you just as much at the local work out spot as they do at the studio. I know of a yoga teacher who successfully marketed her retreats and teacher trainings to students she taught at a gym and was able to use that money to help fund a studio she opened later.
If you are a yoga teacher and you have something to add, please post a comment!!!
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