Best Job Opportunities for Yoga Teachers

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

One of the most frequently asked questions among instructors is, “Where are the best job opportunities for Yoga teachers?”  If you love teaching yoga routines and enjoy its meditative benefits, then you can enroll in a course to become a teacher, but most training programs do not prepare you for the job search after you graduate. The fact is -you could be the best Yoga teacher in the world and also be unemployed.

Preparing yourself to teach is not the same as marketing your skills. It's similar to writing a great book, but refusing to show up to book signings. Today, there are several fantastic places where a yoga teacher can work, earning a great yearly income. Remember that you will have a career teaching yogic practices for a lifetime, and you may want to work in a variety of settings, just for the experience. Here are some of the best places to work as a yoga teacher: 

1: Cruise Ships Throughout the World 

Working as a yoga instructor on a cruise ship is an excellent way to travel to various locations throughout the world. Cruise ship managers want to keep their passengers busy, and many passengers want to learn how to meditate or perform yoga movements. Not only will you get to travel, but also, you will earn a salary, along with having free housing and meals.

2: Senior Centers and Assisted Living Environments

Assisted living environments and senior centers want to have enjoyable activities for their members and residents. Some senior citizens will need specialized routines that require sitting in a chair or using props for balance; but if you can work with older adults, then this is the perfect job for you.

3: Summer Camps For Teenagers and Children

If you live in a region where students have long summer vacation times, then there are probably nearby summer camps for children and teenagers. Find a summer camp that wants a yoga instructor, and you will get to enjoy a fun vacation living in a cabin in the mountains or forest.

4: Local Day Spas or Spas In Exotic Locations

The day spa owners in your city, or in exotic locations, want to hire trained yoga instructors for their clients. You will work closely with other spa employees, giving you an opportunity to learn about other services, such as massages and aromatherapy.

5: Franchised or Privately Owned Fitness Gyms 

Today, many privately owned or franchised fitness gyms offer group classes or individual coaching. Yoga is one of the most popular types of classes requested by fitness gym members, helping you to have a great job.

6: Yoga Studios

This is the most common place a new Yoga teacher would go, and some studios are style specific. Other studios only hire their teachers from graduates of their own training programs. Some studios have a long list of substitute teachers on stand-by. However, other studios are often overwhelmed with students, and you can contact the owners to learn if they need to hire an extra teacher. If you have recently graduated, then this is an excellent way to get your foot in the door to have full-time employment.

7: Freelancing With Private Clients

If you want to remain independent, then start your own freelancing yoga training service. With this job, you will travel to someone’s home or workplace to teach them meditative practices or yoga postures.

8: City Parks and Recreational Centers

Local recreational centers and city parks want to offer an assortment of activities for adults, teenagers and children. If you enjoy teaching outdoor or underwater Yoga, then talk to the managers of the parks and recreational centers in your region about offering classes.

9: Prenatal and Childbirth Clinics 

Women, who are pregnant, need to prepare for childbirth, and they can enroll in your prenatal and childbirth class. Call the medical facilities in your region to determine if the physicians want to offer on-site yoga and meditation classes for their patients.

10: Child Care Facilities and Schools

If you understand how to work with children, then you can provide yoga classes for toddlers to teenagers. Contact nearby child care facilities and schools to learn if the administrators want to offer yoga classes for their students. With a rotating schedule between several schools or child care facilities, you can earn a great living. 

Lastly, corporate Yoga classes exist in many formats. Some are office Yoga classes, some are back injury prevention or stress management classes, and some are full-blown Yoga classes that exist in open space or a corporate fitness centers. I turned my corporate gigs over to our local graduates, in order to focus on Aura Wellness Center, but have to admit, corporate work paid steady and well.

© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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What Are The Benefits Of A Yin Yoga Teacher Course?

By Faye Martins

Many yoga enthusiasts, even those who have refined their practice and made it a part of their daily lives, never seriously consider enrolling in a teacher training course. Since most people begin a serious yoga practice with the intent of bettering themselves instead of seeking a new career, many candidates who would be perfect for a teacher training program like the Yin yoga teacher course never even seek out more information about this wonderful opportunity.

Just because you aren't ready to give up your current job and devote your entire life to yoga doesn't mean that you aren't necessarily a candidate for teacher training. In fact, many yogis seek out this training, even if they aren't considering teaching as their main profession. Here are some benefits of enrolling in a teacher training program.

Take Your Practice To New Heights - Teacher training certainly involves learning about how to be a good instructor. Beyond that, however, it will help experienced yogis to take their practice to a whole new level. Future teachers learn advanced poses and techniques to help novices perfect their practice. The best way to learn is by teaching. Because of this, many yogis find that they are able to perform new poses and improve their current practice thanks to a teacher training program, even if they never go on to actually instruct in a class setting.

Don't Have To Give Up Your Career - Just because you undergo training doesn't mean that you have to give up your current career. There are many licensed yoga instructors who keep their regular job, obtaining the training merely for the sake of perfecting their yoga practice. With teacher training under your belt, you will also have the option to consider instructing yogis part-time. There are plenty of yoga instructors who just give part-time instruction or one-on-one sessions while still working their regular job.

Obtain a New Outlook on Your Practice - Nothing compares to teacher training when it comes to really changing your outlook on your entire yoga practice. Teacher training helps students to really understand the benefits of yoga, from the physical to the spiritual. You'll meet advanced instructors who truly understand the mind-body connection of yoga. The entire experience will help you to see your yoga practice with a new level of enlightenment.

If you are preparing to begin your Yin yoga teacher training program, begin the process with an open mind. Even if you are a very experienced yoga practitioner, approaching yoga from a teaching perspective is a whole other animal. A yoga practitioner approaches yoga with the mindset of bettering his or herself, while an instructor approaches their practice with the outlook of guiding a group of people along their yoga journey. This group approach, however, is a great way for any yogi to approach class instruction. Connecting with others on your personal yoga journey can be one of the most meaningful aspects of your practice. Becoming a certified yoga instructor will be an invaluable next step in your practice. Namaste.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.  To see more of Faye's work, watch videos, read Yoga news and articles, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/AuraWellnessCenter

Using Yoga To Make Children Happy

By Faye Martins

Everyone wants their children to be happy and healthy; it’s a parent’s top desire and researchers now show this can be done through yoga training. Yoga has been used for centuries to help people find their center and to calm themselves.

Yoga has actually been known to increase the overall quality of life. Professionals are now realizing that this type of deep relaxation is an untapped resource and it can be a powerful tool for children. Typically, yoga has been something that has been enjoyed by adults, but now the benefits of using it for those of school ages are becoming apparent. It is during the formative years that yoga has shown to have the best benefits. Its benefits build self-awareness and also allows children to strengthen their bodies and develop their minds. Although not thoroughly noted, children experience just as much stress and aggravation in their daily lives as adults do.

Children are mostly interested in having a good time and playing. Fun and games is what it is all about. While instructing adult classes in Hatha yoga is more serious in nature, children learn and relax best through fun mental and physical exercises. For a child their mental alertness is key and this form of recreation is something that they can utilize both in school and at home.

Parents that have put their children into yoga classes have found that their children’s self-discipline levels increase as well as their ability to calm themselves in stressful situations. The benefits seem from practicing yoga can also be observed through other sports, like martial arts. Parents with children who are easily stressed and require high maintenance are finding that by enrolling them in yoga classes reduces a parent's stress load.

Yoga training is a practice that must be observed on a constant basis to be of value. Some find that doing a short yoga session, with the children before school, will help to release tensions, anxieties, and mental fog from the night before. Children will learn to calmly inhale and exhale during hectic times, which allows them to lower their stress levels. Children learn valuable stress and anxiety reducing skills that can be utilized all through life. Yoga doesn’t have to demand a long period of time, just 15-20 minutes is all it takes to reduce stress and induce happiness.

One of the biggest hurdles for children during their formative years is trouble getting to sleep. This can be anything from worrying about bedwetting to anxiety at night due to the darkness. Yoga can release the anxieties and allow for a peaceful night’s sleep. A child that has less stress is happier and healthier.

© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division



To see find out more about yoga or to see our selection of affordable courses, including our online hatha yoga teacher training intensive courses, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!

Yoga Poses for Tennis Players: Dolphin Pose

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Practicing Yoga poses on a regular basis is a very effective way to keep your body strong, toned and limber. If you actively participate in a sport or athletic activity that utilizes a certain group of muscles on a repetitive basis, practicing Yoga asanas will keep those muscles strong, flexible and in correct alignment with the rest of your body. This will help to prevent sports-related injuries. For instance, if you are an avid tennis player, you may find that your shoulders, neck, legs, and even your elbows (hence the proverbial tennis elbow problem) begin to become tight and strained due to over use. 

Dolphin Pose is a very effective Yoga pose for releasing tension throughout the shoulders, neck and upper arms. This pose also gives the back of your legs a nice stretch, helping to alleviate muscular tension in the hamstrings and calf areas. The practice of Dolphin Pose is quite accessible, even to beginning Yoga practitioners.  Dolphin Pose is also an inversion, so it helps to circulate fresh oxygen and nutrients to many areas of your body, including your brain. Increasing the circulation of fresh oxygen and blood throughout your body and mind will energize you and clear away any mental cobwebs. 

* Dolphin Pose

To practice Dolphin Pose: warm-up first with a series of Sun Salutations. If you have the time, you may also wish to practice some standing and balancing Yoga postures prior to practicing Dolphin Pose. When you are adequately warmed up, come to Mountain Pose at the front of your Yoga mat. Take a few deep, full breaths, and then, with your next inhale, move through the beginning poses of Sun Salutation A and pause in Downward Facing Dog.

From Downward Facing Dog, move into Child’s Pose and rest for a moment before moving into Dolphin Pose. When you are ready, place your forearms in front of you on the Yoga mat approximately shoulders’ distance apart with your hands gently clasped together. You will form a triangle with your forearms and hands. Your hands should rest on the mat with the outside of your little fingers flush against the mat. With your next inhale; push up into a modified Downward Facing Dog Pose. Your weight will be resting on your forearms and on your feet.  

This modified Downward Facing Dog is Dolphin Pose. Equally distribute your weight on both forearms and remember not to ‘hunch’ your shoulders by keep your shoulder blades moving down your back. To release muscular tension in your neck and shoulders more fully, push against the Yoga mat with your forearms. Breathe deeply and exhale completely. Hold Dolphin Pose for three to five breaths, and then release the pose and rest in Extended Child’s Pose for several breaths. For optimal benefit, repeat Dolphin Pose two more times before continuing on with the rest of your Yoga practice. 

© Copyright – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or to see our selection of affordable courses, including our online hatha yoga teacher training intensive courses, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!

Igniting the Creative Spark with Yoga: Pratyahara

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Yoga practices offer many different techniques for increasing our life force energy. An increase in the flow of energy or chi often generates creative ideas. The creative impetus springs from the movement of energy. Creativity can come in many forms, shapes, shades, and colors. A creative image can uplift us or sadden our hearts. Irregardless of the particular tone of the artistic work, it springs forth from the movement of energy and usually generates an emotional reaction in the person experiencing it.

If you feel stuck in the inertia of tamas and are unable to stoke the creative fire, practicing Yoga asanas and breathing exercises will help to dispel tamas, increase the flow of energy throughout your entire being and inspire you. Backbending Yoga asanas, Power Yoga flows and pranayama exercises, such as Skull Shining Breath, are great ways to release tension and increase the flow of creative ideas. The Yogic practice of the withdrawal of the senses, known in Sanskrit as pratyahara, is also another great way of igniting the creative spark.

The practice of pratyahara is the 5th stage of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga as elucidated in his famous Yoga Sutras. During the practice of pratyahara, the senses are withdrawn from the external world and focused internally; traditionally on an image of a God or Goddess, mantra, mandala, or the divine light within the heart. In addition, the practice of pratyahara is also a wonderful tool for generating and clarifying creative ideas. 

If you are struggling to come up with your next artistic endeavor, or you are finding it difficult to complete a current artistic undertaking, taking some time to withdraw your senses and focus internally on the project at hand can be quite helpful. Practicing pratyahara at the end of your Yoga practice will afford you the opportunity to settle quietly into the field of stillness generated by the Yoga asanas and breathing exercises. 

Traditionally, pratyahara entails withdrawing the senses of touch, taste, hearing, and vision from all external stimuli. This enables a Yogi or Yogini to calm the vrittis or thought waves in the mind, sink into inner stillness and eventually know God. Withdrawing the senses from all external input will allow your unique ideas and inspirations to arise unimpeded. 

* Pratyahara

To practice pratyahara, come to an easy sitting position on your Yoga mat. If you prefer, you may also practice pratyahara with your legs up the wall or in Shavasana. If you do choose to practice pratyahara in a prone position, using an eye pillow to eliminate visual stimuli and cool the eyes will help facilitate the withdrawal of the senses. You may wish to set a time for ten minutes, and then simple rest your mind. 

While practicing pratyahara, let go of all preconceived ideas, usual ways of doing things and other people’s advise about your creative project. Contemplating a few seminal questions about the project at hand, and then quietly listening for the answer to arise in your mind’s eye or the in the depth of your heart, will allow you to sink into the fertile void from which all creativity arises. Jotting down your ideas in a journal, before moving back into the rest of your day, will help you to remember the creative ideas that were generated by your practice of pratyahara.   

© Copyright – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or to see our selection of affordable courses, including our distance learning yoga teacher training intensive courses, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!