While working as an employee provides stability, some yoga teachers prefer the flexibility and autonomy that come with freelancing. Here, you are on your own. There are several advantages to being a freelancer. You enjoy freedom and flexibility—you can choose your own timings. It also allows you to build your own student base and successfully grow the business you were always passionate about. You can experiment with your ideas, take risks, and challenge conventions.
There are different formats in which you can operate while freelancing:
Private Tuition:
The first thing as a yoga teacher you can do immediately after certification is to run your classes one-on-one. It is the simplest and easiest way to start. Finding one student is not that difficult as well. The student could be from your neighborhood, relatives, or known circle. You can operate either way—the student can come to your place, or you can visit the student’s place. Remuneration is good; you get the highest hourly rate in this format. For a beginner, it ranges from Rs. 500 to 1000 per session. Usually, a session is for an hour. If you want to exercise this option, bundle your classes in a group of, say, 10/15/25 and sell them in a package of 10/15/25. That’s an excellent way to make a beginning.
One of my students (now a teacher) started with one student at an hourly rate of 600 per session. The student agreed to twenty classes, which is an earning of 12,000/- per month. Later, she added her entire family for 1000/- per session. When they were satisfied, they introduced her to another client in the same building and then to one more. Thus, with one student, she could generate for herself a monthly income of 44,000/- spending 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the evening—a time earlier she used to spend gossiping on the phone or engaging herself on social media.
Some points to consider while running one-on-one classes:
· Be cautious of getting too close to your student, as it can be overwhelming.
· If the distance is too far, it could be exhausting.
· You may be subject to the whims and fancies of your student. Sometimes, the student is not very enthusiastic or not prepared to put in hard labor, but in the end, she will blame the teacher for not doing enough.
· While private sessions have their downsides, some people still prefer them. Film celebrities, corporate honchos, sports persons, and other influential persons prefer this format.
Group Classes
The classes we are discussing here are yoga and fitness classes for the public. Once you have established yourself and feel comfortable teaching, you can switch from private sessions to group classes. The number of students in group classes is more than one—it could be anything from two, five, ten, or even fifty. Every teacher harbors a dream of teaching yoga to a group of students. It is a format where you can manifest your true talent. These classes are beneficial for both teachers and students. The teacher gets higher remuneration, and students pay much less than what they would pay for private tuition. As the number of students increases, the teacher’s income also rises in the same proportion. Once you have a good start, you can offer multiple batches, ranging from two to five I know of teachers who run 3 to 4 batches per day and earn over a lakh rupee monthly.
In the group classes format only, you can run specialized classes/courses in yoga for yoga teachers. You can have specialized courses on kids’ yoga, pregnancy yoga, weight loss, classes in pain management, or therapeutic yoga. You can offer specialized courses for yoga teachers, such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Power yoga, Pilates, as continuing education. So, here are various options you can choose from.
Beginners:
This group may involve persons of all ages, male or female, young or old. Let me clarify: the classes could be for any age group, but then the entire class should be for that age group only. If you are starting classes for 30-40-year-olds, then only people in that range should be present in the class.
Beginners need a general background in yogic discipline and motivation to continue with yoga. For beginner groups, it is preferable to focus on simple asanas that everybody can easily do. They should, in the beginning, enjoy the class and feel motivated to come again. The teacher should appreciate their minor efforts and gradually build strength and flexibility in their system. For beginners, the class should be fun, and they should carry a feeling that they are doing something great for their body and mind.
Experienced and Advanced Group:
This group may comprise people who have been doing yoga for some time and want to take their practice to a higher level to gain a more varied and profound experience. You can gradually introduce medium to challenging and strenuous asanas to them, with some variations or with the help of props. They want a challenge, and they should find that in the class. It is for the teacher to decide how to present this to the students, either through some challenging yoga poses or with the help of other forms of yoga like Ashtanga, Vinyasa, power yoga, etc. But anything you introduce should be done after assessing the student’s preparedness and gradually.
Apart from public, such classes could be for existing yoga teachers. It deepens their understanding of advanced asanas and proper alignment, emphasizing anatomy and biomechanics to enhance teaching skills. They could also be for specific groups or purposes. For example, if you have completed a course in kids' yoga, you will now have the opportunity to instruct yoga to children. The style of yoga you choose to teach will be based on your personal interests and the particular community you wish to engage with. It will also depend on the specific course you have done. Here are some of the specialisations yoga teachers get into.
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Schoolchildren or Kids:
This could be a group of kids ranging from the age group of five to fifteen. The aim of this group could be to improve their motor skills and physical fitness, develop an awareness of the senses, and foster emotional growth and creativity. These classes are pure fun combined with some yoga-related games. We can impart a little education about yoga so that it becomes a part of their daily routine.
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Prenatal/post-natal Yoga:
This is a special attention group: pregnant women and new mothers. Only those who have undergone training or exposure in this field should attempt it. The cardinal principle of yoga that “health and goodness for all but injury to none” should guide your practice. Choose activities carefully depending on the condition and period she is running. It would be great if, along with yoga, you also suggested some dietary requirements.
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Senior Yoga:
It focuses on gentle poses, balance and flexibility to support aging bodies; like kids, they also need to be handled with care. Yoga is beneficial for them, particularly in making their joints flexible. The teacher could help change their attitude towards life with the practice of Pranayama and introducing yogic perspectives of Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, and Sakshi Bhava.
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Yoga for Athletes:
It aims to enhance their physical performance, flexibility, and mental focus. Teachers should tailor their programs to complement specific sports or physical activities.
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Therapeutic Yoga:
It focuses on using yoga to address health conditions or injuries. It involves working closely with healthcare professionals to create safe and effective programs. There is a lot of demand for yoga for pain relief- neck pain and back pain. Even doctors recommend patients join yoga classes. Then there are patients suffering from other ailments- cardio, diabetes, cancer. They need yoga for rejuvenation, relaxation and sometimes postoperative care. All this comes under therapeutic yoga, a specialised branch of yoga.
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Hot Yoga:
It involves training in teaching yoga in a heated environment. It is important to understand the specific considerations and benefits of practicing in at high temperatures.
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Restorative Yoga:
It focuses on deep relaxation and stress relief. It involves using props to support the body in restful postures for extended periods. Teacher guides students through yogic sleep for deep relaxation, known as Yoga Nidra. It teaches effective scripts and techniques for conducting Yoga Nidra sessions.
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Meditation and Mindfulness:
It aims to deepen knowledge of meditation techniques and mindfulness practices. Integrating these practices into yoga classes can enhance mental well-being.
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Weight Loss:
People who are interested in intense, strenuous, and challenging workouts are the ones who desire these types of classes the most. Nowadays, many practitioners require this kind of class, making them highly sought after. The problem arises when students want to lose weight, but struggle with strenuous asanas or intense workouts, because of their bodies not being able to support or handle it. This makes it too challenging for them. So, it must be a gradual build-up.
Then there may be students who want classes in Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Hot Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa, Aqua Yoga, and Kundalini Yoga. As explained above there may also be students who desire classes in breathing exercises, stress management, among many other forms, as the field encompasses a wide range of possibilities.
The only difficulty teachers face in running group classes is space. Renting a commercial property could endanger the financial stability of classes for individuals with limited home space.
Other than group classes, teachers can do a lot of many things related to yoga. We will explore some activities available to yoga teachers.
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