Yoga has become a mainstay of the fitness industry in Canada today. From its ancient beginnings in India to the multi-billion dollar worldwide industry it is today, yoga is an activity that has captivated people all around the world. It's not difficult to see why yoga is so appealing to people. It is one of the most inclusive fitness activities, and can be adapted for people of all different ages and abilities.
You will find yoga classes developed for children, seniors, athletes, neuro and physiologically diverse individuals. Yoga can be practiced nearly anywhere, from luxurious fitness studios to a simple patch of grass in the park or pretty much any indoor space. Yoga helps us relax, increase flexibility, build strength, and connect with others and ourselves.
What is yoga all about? Yoga is a fitness activity most commonly associated with slower, controlled movements where practitioners transition from one pose to another, holding each pose for a sustained period of time. While moving through different poses, breath is used intentionally to support movement and bring clarity to the mind.
It is important to note that there are different varieties of yoga, not to mention "fusion" classes that combine it with other disciplines. For example, some yoga styles will move at a faster pace, or involve more strengthening exercises. Other yoga variations, such as restorative yoga, will involve slow poses intended to stretch and relax muscles. Sometimes additional heat is turned on in the studio to keep the muscles warm.
There are many ways to build a career in the yoga industry. Indeed, companies like Lululemon and Lole demonstrate the extent to which yoga inspired clothing can change and innovate fitness gear.
In Canada, there are thousands of people that teach, own and operate studios, or have combined yoga with other health and wellness practices like nutrition, personal training, lifestyle coaching, and meditation. Those that have a love for yoga and want to build a career in the industry have many options to get started!
This article is all about yoga and getting into the industry as a yoga teacher. We will explore different options for becoming a yoga teacher, and the certifications you can acquire to achieve your career goals in fitness. Let's start by exploring the top reasons to become a yoga instructor or a private yoga instructor.
Thousands of Canadians teach yoga, or have combined yoga with other health and wellness practices like nutrition, personal training, lifestyle coaching, and meditation. Those that have a love for fitness and want to build a career as a yoga teacher have many options to get started!
What are the Top Reasons to Become a Yoga Instructor?
Becoming a yoga instructor is a great way to get into the fitness industry, diversify your career or to enhance your knowledge and practice of yoga. Let's explore the top reasons to become a yoga instructor.
Get a Foothold in the Fitness Industry
The fitness industry is booming: people today are more attuned to health and well-being than ever. Fitness is not seen as an extra activity, but a necessity to daily life to ward off disease, obesity, and support mental health. As such, working in the fitness industry can be financially and personally rewarding as you enjoy working with pupils and become more physically fit in the process.
Becoming a certified yoga instructor is also a great add on if you already have qualifications in areas like nutrition, personal training, massage therapy, or physiotherapy. You will enrich your expertise or possibly innovate your practice to incorporate principles of yoga.
For example, you could teach yoga fusion classes, or use yoga to inform your therapy. There are so many possibilities, from opening a studio to building your own personal brand identity.
Diversify your Career
Many people that earn their yoga certification have full time jobs that have nothing to do with health and wellness, such as law, banking, or education. Becoming a yoga instructor is a great way to add a new layer to your curriculum vitae, take a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of office life, or start an entirely new career.
You may even find that having different jobs can cause the cross-pollination of ideas in your professional life. For example, you may want to develop yoga instruction for those that sit frequently, or take wellness initiatives into your office or place of work.
Yoga Teaching is Rewarding
Most yoga teachers have been practicing it for years, and have so much to give and share new and experienced yogis. Being able to share your knowledge, passion, and expertise for yoga is a rewarding activity. Your students will benefit from learning about your own personal journey in wellness and from learning correct form and breathing from an experienced practitioner.
Become a Critical Part of the Wellness Community
As an instructor of yoga, you can play an important role as a leader and expert in your local wellness community. One of the best parts of joining a fitness studio or class is that you will connect with new people, make new friends, and possibly even garner a following of students that enjoy practicing yoga with you.
Yoga studios are also wonderful gathering places for lectures, talks, and wellness classes. As an instructor, you will play a leading role in improving the health outcomes of the community.
Explore your Passion for Yoga at a Deeper Level
If you are a yoga enthusiast, taking yoga teaching classes and earning your certification will help you to understand yoga philosophy, history, and movement more comprehensively. Sure, you could certainly do your own independent research and learn about these topics on your own. However, you will find that there is much more incentive to learn when you are earning your qualification to impart your knowledge with others.
Earn Additional Income
In a world where everything seems to get increasingly expensive, it is often necessary to earn an additional stream of revenue. As a part time yoga teacher or private yoga instructor, you can create additional income doing something you love and are truly passionate about. Working part time after a long day of work can seem all too much: if you are teaching yoga, you will likely feel like you are not working at all!
Strong yoga instructors will have years of experience and training in practicing yoga as a student and as a teacher.They will also be certified and have spent hundreds of hours in a yoga teacher training course.
What Career Options are Available for Yoga Instructors?
As a yoga instructor, you can navigate your career in a number of different ways. One way to start is by getting hired in a gym, fitness studio, or community center. In this role, you will get paid by the organization and be assigned classes to teach throughout the week.
Your goal will be to develop classes people enjoy so that they return to your class on a regular basis. Through this pathway, you can gain valuable instructional experience and hone your craft.
With experience and a better understanding of how the fitness industry works, you could potentially open your own yoga studio. You would find a space to lease, or use a space you own.
Ideally, you will have enough space for groups of people: the more people you have purchasing your classes, the more money you will make. If you are trained or understand other areas of fitness, such as personal training, pilates, functional fitness, or HIIT, you can offer a variety of classes to bring traffic into your business.
If you have completed your yoga certification on top of other degrees or diplomas in areas like fitness, nutrition, physiotherapy, or other wellness areas, you can integrate yoga into your professional practice. For example, some physiotherapists have adapted yoga for their clients, using yoga as a method for helping them to have increased mobility. You could also develop fitness programming for groups like children or seniors, and adapt yoga to engage energetic kids or those with limited mobility.
Another option is to become a private yoga instructor. As a private yoga instructor, you can add to your income in an efficient way working with individuals or small groups instead of large groups. It is an excellent way to practice instruction in an intimate learning environment where you can create student-specific programs.
Another advantage is that you can work on a more flexible schedule, and with only the clients you choose to work with. You may even choose to teach private classes in addition to studio classes or a full time job! If becoming a private yoga instructor sounds interesting to you, keep reading for more details on how to get started using the Superprof site.
Yoga is a highly profitable industry with many opportunities for yoga enthusiasts to create an additional stream of income or build a successful business. Yoga instruction is a great entry point to build a fitness and wellness career.
Can I Teach Yoga Without Certification?
You may be wondering whether or not it is worthwhile to get your certification, especially if you are already deeply familiar with yoga and do not want to spend the time and resources taking a yoga teacher training course and paying for your certification. Why not just teach classes?
While yoga is not as tightly regulated as other professions like medicine or law, yoga teacher training and certification is highly regarded by industry professionals and students. In other words, studios and students want teachers they can trust and count on to deliver high quality yoga instruction.
Becoming a certified yoga instructor is a career choice thousands of people have made in Canada. Yoga instruction is a popular choice for fitness professionals who want to incorporate it into their skills repertoire or open a fitness studio for yoga and other wellness activities.
What Yoga Certifications do I need to Become a Private Yoga Instructor?
To become a certified yoga instructor for private or studio classes, the first thing you must do is have a strong base of yoga knowledge from your own personal practice. It will only support your training to have practiced yoga regularly, since as a teacher you will be correcting the form of others and modelling proper movement to others. You can also get a sense of the different types of yoga classes there are, so you will know what type of yoga you will want to specialize in. Here is a list of some of the different types of yoga:
- Kundalini
- Vinyasa
- Ashtanga
- Yin
- Iyengar
- Bikram
- Power
- Sivananda
- Prenatal
- Aerial
- Acro
The first thing you will do is find a yoga teacher training school. There are many accredited yoga teacher training schools across Canada, and some even offer online learning options. You can choose one in your own yoga community, or you can pick one that offers the program that interests you most.
It may be worthwhile to contact multiple schools to get more information so you know exactly what to expect from the program. The basic program will be a 200 hour course, but you will find courses of different lengths. With a longer course, you can typically expect more comprehensive learning and specialization in a style of yoga.
Once you have completed your course, you can then pay and apply for your membership with the Canadian Yoga Alliance. The Canadian Yoga Alliance is an organization that oversees yoga schools and provides support and learning opportunities for its members. You will want anyone or any organization you work with as a yoga instructor to know that you are trained and certified.
Becoming a yoga teacher is a role that many seek: in the world of fitness, there are few things more rewarding than sharing your expertise and promoting health and wellness in the community. Learn more about yoga teacher training in Canada.
What Will I Learn in Yoga Teacher Training?
In a yoga teacher training class, you will learn a number of things that are indispensable to your teaching practice. Initially, you may start with the history and philosophy of yoga, learning the core principles of yoga and its ancient origins. Another key area of focus is human anatomy: it is important to understand the human body so you can make connections between movement and how it impacts the body.
You will also learn about how to teach an effective class, from planning the sequencing of movement to creating a setting that is ideal for students to learn. Other topics include asanas, meditation, communication, and strategies for running an efficient yoga business and brand.
Perhaps most importantly, your training should include time and opportunities to instruct others. Some schools that are part of studios will provide you with karma classes to teach where students can join for a donation or no cost. Depending on where you learn, you may find that you have to find those opportunities in the community.
If you don't feel ready to teach after your course, do not worry: that skill will come with continued practice. Make sure you get a chance to flex your teaching muscles with family, friends, or a group of patient and understanding individuals. Alternatively, you can take or audit lessons with teachers you already know to see effective teaching strategy modelled for you.
Is it Better to Teach Private Yoga Classes instead of Group Classes?
As a new teacher, you may be wondering if it is better to get your start teaching privately or large groups. The answer will largely depend on your own comfort level with different types of classes and what opportunities are available to you.
Teaching Yoga to Larger Groups
Teaching large groups is a skill set you will be proud to have, because it is challenging and you must be able to command and guide the class. You will need to have an understanding of how to teach more crowded rooms with limited space, and how to structure your time so you can observe as many students' form and practice as possible to offer feedback.
You'll also want to have lots of confidence, since you will be demonstrating form and movement to many eager students that want to learn from you. While this may seem stressful, once you get accustomed you will be prepared to teach in a range of environments.
Teaching Yoga Privately
Private yoga instruction is a great way to start if being in front of a large group seems intimidating. As a private yoga instructor, you will be focused on finding clients that want to work in home or in a mutually agreed upon setting. You will be much more focused on developing programs that are geared for the student, who may or may not have unique needs such as mobility issues or pregnancy.
A private yoga class will enable you to develop a stronger relationship with the student, and in many ways you will act as a personal trainer. They may choose to work with you for a long or short amount of time, depending on their fitness goals. We will explore how to start your private yoga practice in the next section of this article.
How do Students Find a Private Yoga Teacher?
Considering taking the private yoga teacher route? Wondering how prospective students will know who you are, and what services you offer? Luckily it is easy to promote your services as a private yoga instructor using Superprof Canada. Superprof is a site that helps tutors, teachers, trainers, and coaches connect with students and clients. All you need to do is sign up!
Once you are ready to start teaching, all you need to do is set up an tutor account on the site. With an account set up, you can build a profile by writing a description of your background. You may want to include relevant academic and professional information, and your experience as a teacher.
You should also include a description of the services you offer, and whether or not you can work in person or online. Once you have a profile and account, students can see your profile when they look for a yoga instructor near them. They can message you directly through the site, and you can work with those that you can set up a comfortable arrangement.
What is the Best Way to Find a Yoga Instructor Near Me?
If becoming a yoga interests you, but you are now intrigued by the option of receiving private yoga instruction, then you may want to consider entering the Supeprof site from a student perspective. There are other reasons you may want to consider getting a private instructor: maybe you are in the thick of teacher training and want to see what a class will be like, or you want to see private instruction modelled for you as a student.
Why not explore the Superprof site to find yoga instructors near you? Use the site to see different teacher profiles, and contact only those that interest you and connect with your practice. Once you start communicating with a potential teacher, you can see if their approach is a good fit and organize a meeting for a first class.
Why wait to start your yoga teaching career? Post your profile as a teacher or find one to learn with on Superprof today!
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I am looking for a certification in same!
Hello Prakriti, I hope our blog was useful for you on your yoga certification journey! We have many Yoga tutors on the platform – check out https://www.superprof.ca/lessons/yoga/canada/ if you need some personalized guidance!