Becoming A Yoga Teacher

It may seem like you only need an interest in yoga to become a yoga teacher, but in today's competitive job market, you usually need much more than just a strong desire. Yoga is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of exercise and the range of yoga benefits that come from regularly practicing the different poses means that there is a high demand for quality instructors. However, becoming a yoga instructor will take more than just a background in exercise and fitness.

Before becoming a yoga teacher, you usually need to have at least a year of experience practicing this discipline. You will need to have a strong command over the yoga postures, especially if you will be teaching students who are not beginners. If you have related experience, like years spent practicing and/or teaching something like tai chi, then that will certainly be an asset and may help you get a job sooner than having to spend a full year practicing yoga before being considered.

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.

Some people become a yoga teacher by starting out as a student at a gym, and then slowly working their way up to a position of responsibility. If that is not an option for you, then you can do some research at home and explore other avenues of passing on the knowledge of yoga benefits. An employer basically wants to see that you have a strong level of commitment and have the ability to pass your knowledge on to others in a way that will be enjoyable for the students.