Becoming a yoga teacher means joining an industry that has been experiencing rapid growth over the past few years. More and more people are discovering a wide range of yoga benefits that include better health, greater strength and less stress. This is a great field to enter, and you have a variety of options. If you really believe in the philosophy behind yoga and want to be a teacher who promotes all aspects of this discipline, then there are a number of things that you may need to do in order to find employment.
Most people who want to be a yoga teacher will have a lot of experience practicing the poses, which is one of the main requirements. Usually a gym will ask for at least a year of experience practicing yoga, but preferably a year of experience teaching it. Like any job, those with more experience possess a strong advantage over those who are new to the field. It is hard to present yoga information clearly and confidently if it is an area that you are not intensely familiar with, and so experience is a major requirement.
Depending on the type of yoga instructor you want to become, you may have to show other levels of commitment. If you’re purely interested in a position that is similar to an aerobics teacher, then that kind of experience is all that you need. If you want to be a promoter of the different yoga styles, then you’ll need to show your level of commitment to karma yoga, which focuses on selfless action and service. This means doing some kind of volunteering that will help someone or a group of individuals who are worse off than you.
A teacher of yoga who focuses on karma as well as the exercises will likely have to show how committed they are through examples of reflection. It is not unusual for a company steeped in yoga traditions to ask an applicant to produce essays or other examples of reflection on how yoga improved their life, or how they were able to make a difference in the lives of others.
Becoming a yoga teacher is much like getting any job. Luck will play a role, but so will taking the necessary steps to present yourself as a qualified individual. You can gain more work experience by offering to give free yoga tutorials to those in your neighborhood, you can sign up for more advanced yoga classes, and you can produce materials that show your dedication to the yoga lifestyle. An employer will take all of these factors into account and with a bit of luck you could be offered a teaching position.
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