It’s a long journey from being one student in a class to standing in front, leading the session. But with advice from experienced instructors, it’s achievable for those who want to pursue the path of teaching.
Decide To Teach
Many yoga instructors describe their decision to teach as less a decision and more a revelation. New York instructor Cheryl Geosits had worked her way up to practicing five days a week, and found many benefits from yoga, both physically and mentally. Then she realized her office was about to close and she would be out of a job.
“I looked at my life and said one door is closing, but which one is opening?” she said. “I originally wanted to go to medical school. I started to realize that I wanted to give to others the same joy and peace that I found with yoga.”
Whether the opportunity presents itself or you step forward and ask, deciding to teach is the first, critical step.
If you practice at a studio that you enjoy and that offers a teacher training program, this might be an easy choice. For the rest of us, there are lots of considerations:
- How much time can you devote?
- Can you travel?
- Is the school registered with Yoga Alliance?
- What style is most authentic for you?
- How much money can you spend?
When you answer all these questions, you’re ready to enroll in a program.
Set Aside Time
Yoga instructor training is intense, whether you pick a series of weekends or an intensive month-long program. Add in family, work and life and the demands on your time can mount quickly.
When RYT Lynn Somerstein went to her month-long Integral Yoga training, she worked at her regular job as well.
“I continued my therapy practice at night during the training, which was very tough and probably a stupid idea, but I needed to work,” she said.
Not everyone will choose that route. Geosits, who is pursuing her RYT program through YogaFit, picked the school specifically because she was looking for something that wouldn’t conflict with a work schedule because she also was job-hunting.
“Also, I felt that although I would be totally emerged in yoga on a daily basis, all day long, I would not have the time to reflect on what I had learned,” she said.
The route you choose will depend on many factors.
Practice Teaching
Just completing the teacher-training program isn’t always enough to be ready to teach. Often, you will need to practice, either by team-teaching with an experienced instructor or by volunteering your time with community groups that otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to yoga. This time allows you to refine what you learned in training and make it your own, as well as become comfortable with the demands of teaching.
"It's easy being on the other side as the student. But when you have eyes looking at you for guidance, it can be intimidating,” said Richmond, VA yoga instructor Adrianne Morris.
Volunteer to Substitute
Once you complete your training, that doesn’t mean you’ll automatically start teaching classes every week. In some cases, an instructor is asked by a gym or studio to complete training because the facility needs instructors. If you are in that position, you’re lucky. Otherwise, you might need to start on the substitute list for established teachers. If the instructor can’t make it to class, they can call you to cover for her. Over time, the facility might give you a regular class slot.
Finally, after your long journey through training and apprenticing to gain the necessary experience, you’ll walk into the studio ready to teach the first class that’s assigned just for you. That’s when the journey to improve as an instructor and give students the best experience possible truly begins.
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