How to Diversify your Income as a Yoga Teacher

Dear yoga teacher, we feel you. You spend your everyday life bouncing from one studio to another, from class to class, all just to make ends meet and let your dreaming career thrive.

Especially if you’re making the first steps as a teacher, you’ll probably find out yourself that hustling all day might be fun at first, but it might get really nerve-wracking on the long haul. Let’s be honest, back to when we first started our TTC, we’d never have thought that teaching yoga could actually become a source of stress.  

Even more so, if you’re already a more seasoned instructor you’ll probably agree with me when I say that working as a full-time yoga teacher can be extremely energy-consuming. Needless to say that when we stress out our bodies this way, we might run the risk of feeling burned out. 

And what’s the whole point of yoga if it impacts negatively on your physical and mental health? Obviously, the sad truth is that it’s nearly impossible to teach yoga full-time without feeling overwhelmed, especially when you need to pay the bills with your classes. Luckily enough though, when connecting with other instructors, I personally found out that actually, the yoga world can be unexpectedly broad: getting a certification as a yoga teacher doesn’t simply translate into teaching in-studio classes, but it can include many other things. 

From hosting workshops to sharing your yoga knowledge and personal experience on a blog, the possibilities to diversify your income are endless. This way you can leave space for some fresh ideas and since the money comes from different sources, hopefully, you’ll finally be able to sit back, relax and stop worrying about bills.

So, let’s dive deeper into the nitty-gritty of the topic and explore every possible option and open your mind to some inspiration! 

It’s almost a natural process, especially when you know exactly what you’re talking about.

Lead a workshop/webinar

As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, putting your knowledge of yoga and related fields at the disposal of some interested students and other teachers could indeed be a fantastic experience. The best way to do it is to host your own workshop or an online webinar on something that interests you. Take it as a chance to dive deeper into something you’re passionate about, whether it’s an intro to headstands or a class on yoga philosophy, simply let your imagination fly, find the topic, make a detailed plan and promote it! 

Believe me, this really enriches your CV and when you find the theme that most suits you, you’ll be amazed to see how fulfilling it can be to host your own workshop!

Go online

This might sound obvious to some but the truth is that some teachers are still pretty reluctant about online teaching. Or maybe some are simply a little camera shy, and that’s completely understandable. 

After all, we all love the beauty of genuine human connection, but given the hard times we’re still living, why don’t you give it a shot and see if it works out for you? There are a billion companies on the rise that are continuously on the lookout for new yoga teachers to join their team and teach on their apps/software! (And trust me when I say this, I’m really speaking here based on my personal experience). Online teaching gives you the freedom of choosing a time that best fits your daily working schedule and on top of it, you’re teaching from the comfort of your own home. What else could you ask for?

Tip: Especially, if you’re a fresh graduate like myself and still feel unsure about your teaching, this could be a great opportunity to break the ice and finesse your teaching skills!

Organize a retreat

Who doesn’t love the laid-back, peaceful vibe of a calm retreat? Well, truth be told, as you can imagine, things are not that peachy when you’re on the side of the retreat organisers. Nevertheless, organising your own retreat is something you don’t want to miss as a teacher. Once you find your family of trustworthy and passionate co-workers and the perfect location, I can assure you it’ll be an incredible, extremely rewarding journey.

Teach a TTC

If you're not really experienced as a teacher, this might not be too easy for you, because it takes quite advanced knowledge and expertise when teaching a TTC. In any case, try to reach out to yoga schools and see if they’re looking for new teachers to join their TTC. You won’t just instruct students on how to be a good teacher, but as in every experience, you’re going to learn something as well! Furthermore, you’re also going to make new, meaningful connections with other teachers and who knows, maybe you’ll find motivated instructors who are willing to start a yoga collective!

Get into the writing world

Speaking as a writer, I think there’s nothing better in writing about something you’re really devoted to. It’s almost a natural process, especially when you know exactly what you’re talking about. You might feel the same when I say that writing about yoga is simply something amazing. It stimulates your curiosity, creativity and your vocabulary too! As you might know, finding a blog that is hiring yoga writers is not that hard, since many websites are always looking for people who are willing to submit their articles. But on the downside, when you’re starting out with this new career, you won’t immediately be able to live stress-free from your bills, but when you gain more experience and your writing becomes more fluid, you’ll surely find someone who appreciates your style and wants to hire you! 

Start a podcast

I personally found so many interesting online podcasts conducted by yoga teachers that really got me binge-listening for hours! 

Yes, it might be hard to stand out from the crowd in the beginning, but you can still give it a go and you never know who’s on the other side listening to what you’re saying. This could inspire people and might as well be a great boost for your career because this way you could gain visibility as a teacher and gather new fellow students who want to attend your classes!

Teach corporate yoga

You might have never thought about it, but I guess there’s something amazing in teaching yoga to corporations. Imagine bringing the light of yoga in the existence of stressed-out worker bees who are exhausted by the hustle or their working life? It’d be pretty cool right? So simply start googling corporate yoga and see if there’s a company that is willing to hire a yoga teacher for some corporate yoga classes…(hint hint, these jobs normally pay quite well too!)

Some final thoughts…

As you can see, being a yoga teacher means having a job that never really gets boring, because you have a virtually endless range of possibilities to explore. All it takes it’s simply a sprinkle of creativity and a clear understanding of what’s really suitable to your taste and interests, and when you’ve found something that resonates with you, just go for it and you’ll be amazed by the outcomes!