I get this question a lot from students who are considering doing a teacher training, or from graduates who are wondering if they should quit their corporate day job. They wonder, “Can I really have a yoga career?”
Here’s the thing: it depends what you mean by “good.”
Here’s what’s good about being a yoga teacher:
- heartfelt connection to a community
- sharing what you love
- you must practice in order to be a good teacher (so it keeps you on track with your own wellness)
- you are engaging in a rich and elevating philosophy of life and living
- it’s a life if continual learning, self-examination, and growth
Here’s what sucks about being a yoga teacher:
- you don’t get paid a lot (see this article for info on how you’re paid)
- you have to scrap to get more money (see here on how to ask those questions)
- you usually have to run around town to different studios in order to make ends meet
- if you want to only teach yoga classes, you’ll probably need to teach between 20-30 classes per week to make a living. I did this for two months one time and then decided never to do that again.
- to resist burn out, you’ll need to create different streams of income that aren’t only pay-per-hour
Here’s my personal advice: if you want a yoga career – if this is your passion and it’s all you want to do – then you must do it. You will be sad if you don’t, because your dharma is calling you. And if your passion changes in five years, at that point then you must allow yourself to be resilient and flexible enough and allow yourself to be moved in a new direction.
If you love yoga, but you also love having financial security, then blend your yoga with a more traditional way of earning income. Yoga is so forgiving that way! A “yoga career” can look like anything! I know amazing teachers who teach twenty-four classes a week and I know amazing teachers who only teach three. I’ve usually taught anywhere from 5-8 classes per week, combined with a more managerial/educational leadership role in the yoga biz. The combination approach has worked for me and allows me to use different parts of myself in my work, which I like.
Let yoga SERVE your life. Don’t let yoga BECOME your life.
Yoga is a tool to your own personal development, health, and well-being. A yoga career can take so many different shapes. Listen to your heart, listen to the needs of your whole self, and listen to your energy. Stay aligned with joy. And the right relationship with your teaching and your career will naturally arise.
