There is so much information available about teaching yoga classes, but there is not much information about making a living. Some certification courses teach you everything about running a safe class, but they teach you nothing about finding a teaching position, private lessons, or the many opportunities outside of the yoga studios. Outside of Aura Wellness Center and Bikram’s Yoga College of India, I don’t know of any instructors who have learned anything about marketing or business. Teaching full-time requires instructors to be creative in their business plan. If you teach for donations, you probably don’t need the money or someone made you think that taking payments for services is wrong. Yet, you paid thousands for lessons and possibly thousands more for a yoga teacher’s diploma.
Private students may be an ideal source of additional income for some yoga instructors. Working with an individual, outside of a group, often requires more patience than teaching an entire class. Private students may be willing to pay higher prices than people who are joining a class, and the demand on the teacher is lessened. The teacher has more ability to focus on the student, without having to divide time between multiple students.
Along with private students, yoga instructors may also find it lucrative to offer in-home lessons for the individual or group setting. People enjoy the comfort of their own home, and they are often glad to pay for private, in-home lessons to gain the most relaxation and health benefits from yoga. This also opens the yoga instructor to the possibility of doing in-home parties or demonstrations for small private groups.
Dedicated yoga followers tend to live a healthier and more simplistic life than those who do not practice yoga. They tend to be more comfortable in a smaller or cheaper environment. As such, their need for a high income becomes less of a problem, and they often spend less money as a result. Living a simpler lifestyle helps a person avoid financial difficulties.
Teaching yoga is a career path best followed, only if it is what the person truly has a passion for, because it is not a career that will aid in quick financial success. Often it must be supplemented with additional income sources and a simpler lifestyle.
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