How to become a Yoga Instructor

If you are looking to turn your passion for Yoga into a successful career, then you are in the right place.  After all, we are the UK’s most experienced fitness training provider and have helped develop over 125,000 careers in the industry. We helped shape the industry and understand what it takes to help people succeed in the fitness world and start their careers.

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Now is a great time to join the fitness industry.

Yoga grew in popularity by 63.8% between 2010 and 2021 and there is a huge demand for Yoga Instructors. As more people look to improve both their mental and physical health, many are turning to yoga classes.

6 easy steps to becoming a world-class Yoga Instructor

Step 1: Research your new career

Getting a recognised qualification is vital to having a successful career in the fitness industry. Choosing a CIMSPA-accredited qualification will open up more opportunities as many gyms, health centres and organisations will only hire those with a qualification acknowledged by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. 

Being successful in teaching yoga is more than a qualification, you’ll need a few other skills including:

The ability to motivate and inspire.
Active listening.
Adapting your sessions to bring the best out of your clients.
Business skills, especially if you decide to freelance.

We know how important these skills are so have built them into our course but many course providers will only focus on qualifications. If this is the case, you will need to research other studying methods or courses to gain these critical skills alongside your main qualification.

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Step 2: Choose and invest

When choosing a course, you will need to research and consider what style of yoga you want to train in. Our Diploma in Teaching Yoga course is based on Hatha Yoga – the foundation from which many popular styles of yoga have developed. From our long history within the fitness sector, we know that this allows our graduates to explore more options later in their careers.

We don’t want you to sweat the payments so we have a number of payment options including low deposits, 0% finance and government-backed Advanced Learner Loans.

Talking to someone who is already in the industry or a specialist course advisor will be able to help you fully understand and prepare for what your course and career will look like.

Our expert course advisors will be able to answer any questions that you have about choosing a course, as well as anything about a career as a Yoga Instructor. 

Step 3: Learn and qualify

There is a lot to learn when it comes to starting a new career. You will need to invest time and effort into your studies to ensure that you are able to pass them. 

With over 38 years of experience, we have learnt how important it is to provide support to our students. That is why we have invested in our incredible support team including kickstart sessions, an on-hand support team, a designated learning support tutor, support workshops, a revision tips hotline and more.

As a YMCAfit learner you will get kickstart sessions, an on-hand support team, a designated learning support tutor, support workshops, a revision tips hotline and more. 

Join an open evening to find out more about becoming a Yoga Instructor

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Step 4: Get insured

While it’s not a legal requirement, you may want to consider getting yoga teacher insurance. This could include:

public liability insurance in case someone is injured or the space you are teaching in is damaged.
business equipment insurance to cover you if your equipment is damaged or stolen.
health insurance to cover you if you are unable to work due to sickness or injury.

Step 5: Start a business or find a job

Once you have completed your Yoga qualification, you will be able to immediately apply for work as a Yoga Instructor at a gym, leisure centre or yoga studio.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you could also start your own Yoga business by hiring out a local space and offering your own classes. You could eventually open your own Yoga Studio and even organise your own retreats.

Whatever you choose to do, keep an eye on new trends so that you can take advantage of gaps in the market, such as offering classes to local businesses as part of a wellbeing program, or classes specifically designed for pregnant women, new mums or older adults.

Step 6: Take your career to the next level

Once you have qualified, you can take your Yoga career in many directions by continuing to invest in yourself. With our Yoga CPDs you can learn exciting styles, including Vinyasa Yoga and Yin & Restorative Yoga.

You may also choose to specialise in a specific population group and offer exclusive fitness classes to a broader client base. This is a profitable way to refine your skills, boost your career and progress as an instructor. Find out more about all our Continued Professional Development (CPD) courses here. 

Talk to us

Speak to our Course Advisor to find out more or download our Prospectus

020 3944 2533

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