Yoga teacher

Yoga teachers use yoga to help improve people’s physical and mental health. Yoga involves simple movements and positions, as well as breathing, relaxation and meditation. Yoga can be a form of exercise, for fitness, flexibility and stress relief. There is also yoga therapy, which uses yoga to help specific medical conditions.

Also known as:

Yoga Instructor

Work activities

Yoga is an ancient practice, which can help improve and maintain people’s health and fitness. Yoga classes usually involve a mixture of movements and stretches, breathing and relaxation exercises, and sometimes meditation. Yoga can improve fitness, flexibility and muscle tone, reduce stress and help people to feel calm and relaxed.

There are many different styles of yoga, and teachers can organise their classes differently, so what people do in class can vary. However, classes will have many activities in common. Usually, classes take about 90 minutes, although they can last up to 2 hours. In a typical session, the teacher will allow time for relaxation, either at the beginning or the end. Most students lie on their backs or in another relaxed position and practise breathing exercises and sometimes visualisation sequences (thinking about a relaxing scene or situation). Developing awareness and control of the breath is called ‘pranayama’ in yoga. Following relaxation at the beginning of a class, students will often then do exercises that warm up their limbs. Some teachers call these moves and sequences “pawanmuktasana”. These movements help the students prepare for the posture exercises or “asanas” that follow.

Teachers could work with anyone, of any age or ability. They have to think about the needs of their students, for example, choosing a posture that a pregnant person or someone with arthritis will find suitable for their condition. Some teachers also include time for meditation in their classes. Meditation usually involves focusing the mind on something, for example, the breath, feelings, a word or phrase, or an object. This can help to calm the mind. Yoga teachers have to assess the physical abilities and needs of their students, and organise their classes to meet those needs. Some classes might focus more on breathing and meditation, while others could be quite physically demanding.

As well as teaching yoga for general fitness, relaxation and well-being, yoga can also be offered as “yoga therapy”. This means using yoga to treat particular illnesses and health conditions. It is also called “remedial yoga”. It combines ancient yoga practice with modern medicine, for example, knowledge of things like disease, anatomy and physiology. Yoga therapy can help with a wide range of illnesses and health issues, including asthma, panic attacks and anxiety, cancer, HIV/AIDS, back pain and arthritis. Yoga therapy can relieve pain and help the patient to relax.

The yoga therapist assesses the patient, discussing the case with a doctor if necessary and taking the patient’s medical treatment into account. They then choose a specific series of postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to suit the patient’s needs. Yoga therapy is holistic, so it takes into account things like the patient’s lifestyle, diet, stress levels and ability to exercise, and not just their symptoms. Generally, feeling both more relaxed and more aware of physical sensations can help people to manage their health conditions.

Personal qualities and skills

As a yoga teacher, you need:

A thorough knowledge of yoga.
To enjoy working with people.
Excellent communication skills to explain exercises and postures.
The ability to ask questions and use listening skills to understand what people want to get out of their yoga classes.
The confidence to stand up in front of groups of people.
Patience, tact, understanding, sensitivity and awareness.
The willingness to adapt classes to suit every individual’s needs and physical ability.
Anatomy and physiology.
Specific yoga subjects such as pranayama and yoga philosophy.
Theory and practical subjects like class management.

To work as a yoga therapist, you should be emotionally strong, as you could be helping people with serious medical conditions. To train in yoga therapy, you’ll need an interest in and ability to further your study in academic subjects like anatomy, physiology and pathology.

Pay and opportunities

Most yoga teachers are self-employed. Earnings vary depending on the type of service provided, for example, teaching or therapy, and the number of classes taught or clients seen. Yoga teachers earn in the range of £16 - £60 for a one-hour session. It can take a while to get enough customers to make a living. Once established, you can expect to earn in the region of £18,000 to £25,000 per year, or considerably more if your business is successful.

Hours of work: Yoga teachers can choose their hours of work to suit their classes/clients. Evening and weekend work is common; most work part-time.

Opportunities for yoga teachers occur in towns and cities throughout the UK. Yoga teachers work in a variety of places, including health clubs, hospitals and GPs’ surgeries, sports clubs, community halls and holistic health centres.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised on employers’ websites, on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

There are no strict entry requirements, but being properly qualified is necessary to register on the Register of Exercise Professionals. To register you need to complete:

A recognised level 3 Certificate/Diploma in Teaching Yoga. This is offered by various training providers or the British Wheel of Yoga Teacher Training Diploma, which takes around two years to complete (part-time).
Qualified, experienced teachers can train in yoga therapy. A number of organisations run courses that meet the national occupational standards for yoga therapy. Check with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) for the current list.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: If working with those aged under 18, this career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

You do not need traditional academic qualifications to enter this career. For entry to many courses, you must have been practising yoga for at least two years. Most entrants to the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) Teacher Training Diploma have completed the BWY Foundation Course. Generally, a background in biology is useful, as yoga courses often include subjects like anatomy and physiology.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Entry as a second career is common. Adult entry to training courses is possible without traditional academic qualifications. Life experience and enthusiasm for yoga are often more important than formal qualifications.

Related careers

Fitness instructor
Naturopath
Personal trainer
Physiotherapist