The time has come! You’ve completed your 200-hour yoga teacher training- now what?
Becoming a yoga teacher is not an easy task. Becoming a successful yoga teacher may be even more of a challenge for some. If you’ve completed a Yoga Alliance Registered 200-hour yoga teacher training, you’ve learned about safe sequencing and asana, techniques such as med
itation and pranayama, and sprinkles of ethics with touches of professional development. Sometimes, however, the information from our initial training becomes only the tip of undiscovered icebergs.
Have you ever asked yourself, “Where should I teach yoga? How should I market myself as a yoga instructor? Am I good enough to start teaching others?” Many yoga practitioners who complete their yoga teacher training may leave with more questions than they had going into the program; questions linger around imposter syndrome, marketing, and steps to advance a successful yoga career. You are not alone! Below you’ll find three tips to discover how to be a successful yoga teacher through self-discovery, navigating yoga professional career options, and planning your success.
REVEAL YOUR ‘WHY’
Self-discovery is one of our favorite industry staples to becoming a successful yoga teacher. Defining the ‘why’ or ‘intention’ behind the goal and uncovering one’s uniqueness can make a yoga teacher feel like they’re owning it instead of winging it. Taking a few minutes to shine a light on your authenticity may result in heaps of time and resources saved on your journey to success.
Some questions to define your intention may sound like: What do I stand for? What are my strengths? How can my daily work positively affect others? A great part of our purpose is that it’s unique to each one of us. We can find hints of our purpose in our experiences, preferences, and choices. To help reveal a potential journey to success as a yoga teacher based on your history with yoga and your goals, complete the Career Quiz found in our Unbound Collective Career Planner.
CHOOSE A 300-HOUR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM BASED ON YOUR UNIQUENESS
After a bit of inner-cise to discover your intentions, you can begin narrowing down your path to success. What does your path feel like as you progress? If it’s digging into the subtle body, the mind, and the breath, maybe a meditation-focused program is for you. Or, are you more of the yoga teacher whose power lies in the asana and who is looking to refine your knowledge in yoga class sequencing and anatomy? If so, an asana-focused program may be what you’ve been
looking for. Have you felt a tug to teach yoga mindfully toward special populations such as those who have experienced trauma? Engage in a program highlighting trauma-sensitive specialization and adaptive yoga courses.
Maybe some of these sound almost right, but you’re looking for training in yin, or you’re interested in prenatal yoga teacher training, aerial yoga, or focusing on working with athletes. Remember earlier when we celebrated our uniqueness? This is where an entirely custom-created program comes into play. After you’ve revealed which trainings support your “why” and uniqueness, you’re ready to move toward the planning and executing process.
PLAN & EXECUTE SUCCESS
After revealing your “why,” learning about different approaches to take the next step toward your path of becoming a yoga professional, you are ready to begin the planning process. Take your research and ideas and turn them into a roadmap of your goals and objectives. If you would like assistance developing your process or seeing if our programs may be a good fit for your distinct path, we offer one-on-one professional advice to answer your questions and support your journey. You can reach us through email or website to book a consultation.
Whether you’re a practitioner, a student, a 200-hour yoga teacher training graduate-to-be, a recent graduate, or an experienced yoga teacher, your choice to continue your education and grow your career is supported by us at Unbound Collective. We’re rooting for you and want to see you achieve your goals! Join our private Facebook Group, Yoga Professionals Seeking Fulfilling Careers, to reach a like-minded community and more advice and resources.
Written by: Reby Grantham