With the recession taking a toll on jobs, many Americans are turning to alternate sources of income. Yogis who had been thinking about becoming a teacher have given it more serious consideration. Thousands of yogis have enrolled in teacher training programs with the hopes of graduating and teaching yoga. Like any teaching profession being a yoga instructor can be extremely rewarding, however, there are a number of costs associated with it (please click the image below for a bigger version).
The Cost of Being a Teacher
There is of course the initial teacher training fees which range from several thousands of dollars to potentially tens of thousands depending on the style and program, not to mention the hours you need to put in. Then there’s the harsh reality that pursuing a career as a yoga instructor may not be a good source of primary income. Most studios hire instructors as contractors not salaried employees with benefits. However, the general trend of employment in America seems to be moving towards contracting so the freedom to pursue one’s passion for yoga maybe worth the pay cut. In addition, there is the lifestyle of having to teach at multiple studios, commuting across town, and keeping up with clients.
Making it Work
Teaching as a second source of income or a supplement gives yogis the satisfaction of teaching while keeping their day jobs. This is especially important for those new to teaching, because teaching in and of itself can be a challenge. A first year teacher spends most of her time improving her communication skills: every class she teaches she’s shaping her dialogue and learning to connect with students.
There are yoga instructors who have built successful businesses by building a steady base of private clients, partnerships with large corporations that have yoga in the workplace, and teaching at retreats. However, the vast majority of successful teachers have successful businesses because they have honed their craft over time, much like as a yogi you deepen your practice over time.
Are you a teacher or a business person?
For those who are approach the profession from a passion standpoint treating teaching as a source of secondary income is a good place to start. Too many instructors jump into owning a studio before they understand the basics of running a business, and are often times upset that they have to give up their passion for teaching to run the business.
Where to Begin?
Passion is necessary in any professional endeavor, but practicality is another ingredient. If you’re considering pursuing a career as a yoga instructor and want to sign up for a teacher training program think about how it will affect your lifestyle, factor in the costs associated with attending teacher training, setting up a business or teaching at a studio, attracting clients, and weigh it against what your goals are. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you want to teach? Run a business? Or just to advance your personal practice?
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Poornima Vijayashanker graduated from Duke University with a double degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science. After graduating she headed out to Silicon Valley, where she first worked for Synopsys as an R&D Engineer, and started working towards a Masters in CS at Stanford. She left her Masters to join Mint.com in 2006 as the third employee, and stayed until its Intuit Acquisition in late 2009. In January 2010 she left Mint.com to start BizeeBee.com, and is currently its CEO and Founder. Aside from being a coder, entrepreneur, speaker, and mentor to junior engineers, Poornima blogs on Femgineer.com, is an avid traveler, foodie, and a competitive Bikram yogini.
Excellent article, Poornima! Totally agree with these points. I would say even as an independent teacher, it’s worthwhile to get some kind of business training. Critical to success, whether the income is secondary or primary.
I like everything here, except the annual salary expectation of $45,000?!??!?! If that were true, I’d say “YIPPEEEE” and throw myself into teaching full time, but even with my massage business and teaching yoga, my gross salary s not at that range. Maybe this is as a teacher who either owns a studio and employs others. Or travels to teach and workshop, offers videos and product for purchase. Or maybe teaches on the cruiselines????
I do like the point that the first year (or more!) is spent finding and developing ‘your voice’ as so many new teachers may not fully understand that aspect.
Great points and good article.
Nikki, yes you’re very right about the salary! But its an average so there are those who are making significantly less and some who teach to celebrities or have been in business for awhile. It would be good to have statistics on what type of business they have. We’ll try to dig up some more info to give people a clearer picture. Where is your business located?
Deciding to quit your “real” job to teach yoga full-time is a scary choice. The truth is, though, if you are working full-time and teaching a lot of yoga, you eventually will end up at a breaking point. How many classes is too many to teach while holding down a full-time job? 4? 5? Less?
I found myself in the interesting position that I wanted to pick up more teaching gigs, but there just were not enough hours in the day. I ended up quitting my full-time job – the first month was scary. But after that, doors start to open. Suddenly, I was able to teach morning and noon classes and sub for other classes when most teachers aren’t available. If you are willing to put yourself out there and scrimp and save at the beginning, I’m confident that you can make the switch to teaching yoga.
I’m still not earning as much as I was when I was in my more lucrative full-time career. I’ve just made some lifestyle changes, and I’ve got a really supportive husband to boot. My thoughts are, if the yoga teaching totally tanks, I can always go back and find a “real” job. But I’d kick myself if I never tried to make the yoga dream happen!
I now consider myself to be “recession-proof.” I teach for multiple studios, gyms, and also in the workplace. If one starts to dip, I’ve always got a backup so I’m not totally left in the dust.
Julie its great to hear that you took a risk and its paying off. Also commend you for sticking with it, the beginning of any new venture can be difficult. Its great that you have a supportive husband too.
If you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to know what a couple of the lifestyle changes were that you had to make?