You may be wondering what exactly a full time yoga teacher does on a normal day. Well this varies according to the teacher of course, but one thing is for sure, we don’t do yoga or meditation all day. Yoga is our business. It is our livelihood. Just as you have ups and downs at your job, so too do we. There are times that we don’t want to go to work, but we have to pull ourselves up and get going. We remember that our students rely on us, and letting them down is certainly not good for their practice or for our business.
At the height of my business I was teaching fourteen classes per week. I’ll recap one busy day for you to give some insight into what it takes to run a successful yoga business.
Private Morning Class
I was lucky enough to teach two morning classes per week to a lovely group of ladies, all over the age of sixty. I loved them and their health was a top priority for me. We met for a long time in one of their houses until we were able to get a community location after a couple years. Teaching to that age group required care and precision. I had to make sure that they worked hard enough without stressing or straining their aging bodies.
Lunchtime Corporate Class
My midday was spent in the office of one of my corporate clients. Some companies feel responsible for insuring the health of their employees, so they had no problem footing the bill for a private corporate yoga teacher to come in. This class was different because it had to be done in time to get them back to their desks by the end of their lunch hour. In this class I worked on team building exercises. We focused on working out all the kinks that come with IT and office work.
Studio Classes
I offered an evening class at my studio that was open to the public. In an effort to include the most people possible, I had to make the class an all levels class. This too was tricky, as the skill level of my students was varied. Keeping a studio running requires having enough classes without having too many. I offered normal hatha yoga classes, power yoga classes, exercise yoga classes and rehabilitative yoga classes.
Again, each teacher is different. Many teachers stick to one style and try to churn out as many classes as possible, like hot yoga. Some teachers have a studio of their own and others work at several different studios. Having a mix of public, private and corporate classes will allow a teacher to make enough money to survive. The main point to realize about a yoga teacher is that they are in the business of service. Without students there would be no need for yoga. For this reason a good yoga teacher will keep their mind and body fit so they may provide the best service to their students. After all, the goal is to recognize that we are all connected through love.
Originally published on Feb 27, 2012
