How to use yoga bricks and blocks

In addition to earning money and running about all day to get a better life, there is something else which we should all concentrate on, and that is fitness. There is an age-old proverb- “health is wealth”. The statement cannot be highlighted enough! It is indeed impossible to do anything, or achieve any goal if one does keep proper health.

Good health is not only about healthy eating. It involves exercise and of course, Yoga. Originated in India, Yoga is a very useful form of exercise that can enrich both the mind and body. While most of the poses can be done without any external help, Yoga bricks can come in handy at times.

But what are Yoga bricks? How can you use them? Are they useful at all? Through this blog, we will address all these questions and much more! So, let’s get started.

What is a yoga block?

A yoga block or a yoga brick is a brick-sized slab made out of a firm yet comfortable material. Generally, yoga blocks are made out of rubber, foam, and cork.

Introduced by B. K. S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga, these yoga props can be very useful while doing the various Yoga poses.

Different types of Yoga blocks:

Many different types of yoga blocks can be used for doing various poses. They include the following :

Yoga foam block

Foam yoga blocks are very lightweight and can withstand a lot of pressure without changing its shape or getting deformed.

These types of blocks are ideal for beginners who are looking for support while doing the various Yoga poses. Foam Yoga blocks are available in beautiful bright shades and look highly attractive.

These are excellent to be used in a comfortable standing and sitting position.

Wooden yoga blocks

Wooden yoga blocks were the original blocks before foam and cork blocks came up. However, unlike the other varieties, wooden yoga bricks are quite expensive, and thus one must consider a few things before buying them.

Additionally, wooden blocks are quite hard and thick and might not be ideal for beginners who are just getting started. Yoga blocks made out of bamboo are quite heavy and moving them from one place to another can get quite difficult

Cork yoga blocks

Many people feel that foam yoga bricks fail to provide enough grip. Such people can opt for cork Yoga bricks. The suppleness and support of these Yoga blocks are better than the foam bricks.

However, they are a little heavier than foam bricks. Do not be under the impression that these are dull to look at! They are available in beautiful shades and look very pleasing.

Yoga block sizes

Standard yoga block size depends much on the manufacturer. However, yoga block dimensions are relatively the same. When positioned on the ground with its largest surface facing the floor, a standard yoga brick is 9 inches in length and 5 to 6 inches in breadth.

However, for individuals with small body frames and smaller hands, there are smaller blocks available that can come in handy.

How to use yoga blocks?

Many people fail to understand what are yoga blocks. There are many uses of these amazing props. Let’s take a look at a few:

Adequate support to knees and thighs:

One way to use the yoga blocks is by sitting on either one or two of your legs. For instance, in the Pigeon or Horse pose. While doing such poses any people feel tightness around the hips. Yoga blocks can help during this time.

If one of two blocks are placed on the hips, it reduces the chance of any massive injury. If one feels any tension on the knees during seated position, then to yoga blocks can come in handy.

Extra length:

Some flexible people find no difficulty in touching their feet during a forward bending position. Sometimes, some can even bend their hands around the legs with absolutely no problem.

If that be the case, then yoga blocks can be used to add extra length and challenge oneself into doing better. Usually, the broader side of blocks adds extra length. One can use varying dimensions between 6 to 9 inches.

Standing positions:

Usually, beginners find it difficult and off-balance while trying the various hands to floor poses.

Even seasoned practitioners have a few of the center days where they fail to establish their balance.

For such days, a yoga block can be used as a shortcut to the floor. Yoga bricks make such poses easy for all.

Perfect Poses:

Sometimes yoga bricks are placed between the thighs to make sure that there is an ideal angle between the legs and that they are aligned correctly.

This especially applies to the Wheel Pose or the Bridge pose. Even for basic poses like Downward Facing Dog or Plank Pose, these blocks can come in handy.

Yoga blocks exercises:

It is now understood that a lot of things can actually be done with yoga blocks, and thus they are one of the most useful accessories which aid yoga practitioners.

Of course one can do a lot of exercises using these. Yoga with blocks are very useful, and if you are planning to do them, then these are a few, you can give a try:

Boat pose and extended legs:

Holding a seated position on the ground lift your legs 90 degrees at a parallel angle from the ground. Hold the hands and extend your arms outwards and lean forward.

Static Jumps:

This works great to pump up your system and is an excellent leg burner.

To do this pose, get into a lunge position. Extend your arms above your head and hold a yoga brick.

Once you are set, jump up and land back in the same position. Repeat the cycle.

Yoga for abs:

Though this also works well with a medicine ball, a yoga block will give you a better grip. To get started, lay on your back and extend your arms overhead.

Crunch your legs and upper body so that they meet somewhere in the center. Once done, bring down the block straight in between the legs and move back again. Repeat this for 25 times. Then say hello to some hot abs!

Russian Twists:

Begin by sitting in a boat pose with your legs bent at 90 degrees parallel to the ground.

Hold two yoga blocks in front of you and try to maintain your leg position. Once set, twist the upper body to the left and then to the right. Try this for 30 times.

Twisted side blocks:

Begin with a side plank position on your right elbow and the legs straightened out together.

Then place the yoga block on the left hand.

Lift your left arm skywards and then rotate your torso towards the ground. Bring down the yoga block for another twist.

Yoga blocks purpose: Yoga block poses

Yoga blocks are not the only props that can be used to enhance one’s capability as a yoga practitioner. There are quite a few other props as well. However, yoga blocks are one of the most effective accessories and are popularly found in all yoga classes.

As mentioned earlier, these blocks are available in a variety of materials and help support a lot of warm-up yoga poses and other advanced poses.

- It is possible to do the following using yoga blocks:
- It supports a wide range of motion which cuts out the distance between the yoga practitioner and the floor.
- Yoga blocks help in making the correct posture alignment.
- Yoga blocks help beginners to correct their postures and are also effective for those suffering from any injury.

- Yoga bricks help one to understand how a specific link between the support muscles can be established in a given pose.
- Generally, yoga bricks are used in almost every position (high-mid or low) to make way for more support.
- It is wrong to assume that only beginners find it challenging to balance the various yoga poses. In many cases, seasoned practitioners to find it extremely difficult to try out a few poses. Yoga bricks can come in handy at such times. While beginners stumble with poses like the trikonasana, advanced practitioners falter with the revolved triangle pose.
- However, there are a few things that one must follow when they start using this block. One must never rest or sink their hands directly in the yoga blocks. One must try to keep their figures straight and try to use the hand like a suction. This helps to engage the muscles in both hands, thereby making it easy for both the beginner and seasoned yogis to try the different poses with ease.

Yoga warm-up poses:

Before beginning right away with the yoga bricks and blocks, it’s important to prepare your body and mind for the upcoming exercise.

You must have noticed that when your yoga class begins, the students gather around and do simple stretches on their own. Some of the students do a few freehand exercises alone as a part of their warm-up yoga poses or yoga stretches for the upper back. So why should you leave it out?

If you don’t want to try out the hard ones, you can go with the soft ones which just relax you and loosen your muscles for the exercise. Here are a few that you can try:

Pelvic thrust:

Start by lying down on your back. Bend your knees and prepare yourself for a few pelvic thrusts.

Lower your back gently on the floor, tilt your pelvis near your face and then release it yet again.

Though it does not sound like a tough exercise, it’s pretty useful and can help ease the stiffness in the body.

Needle Eye:

To do this stretching exercise, lie on your back and cross your right ankle or left ankle on the opposite knee and assume the eye of the needle pose.

Since you are right about to get started, keep the other foot on the floor. This goes especially for those who have tight hips.

If you want a more significant stretch, then pull your knees closer to the body. If your hips are stiff, start easy and then pick your speed when you feel comfortable.

Leg stretch:

This is a very easy exercise where all you have to do is lift your legs perpendicular to the floor, one at a time. You can even do with two legs up as well.

Keep your lower back fixed to the ground and your pelvis neutral. Aim one leg right off the floor while keeping the sole of the other leg stretched out. Many might find it challenging to keep the legs stretched out. It’s okay to keep it bent if the exercise pulls on your muscles too much.

So, there you go people! Here is all that you need to know about yoga blocks uses. Now all you need to do is buy the ones that best suit your needs and get exercising!

All You Need to Know About Baby Goat Yoga!

Our body is the prime proof of our existence. It is the only thing that we live for and conversely, the only thing that we live by.

Moreover, our body is the receptacle of pleasure and pain and all of our sensory feelings. Thus, needless to say, our body is a priceless gift to us, the maintenance of which is totally dependant on us.

The New Tradition of Baby Goat Yoga

Yoga is an age-old tradition but have you heard about yoga with goats. Yes, you heard it right, baby goat yoga is the thing which is the hottest topic among the gurus and their shishyas.

Moreover, the netizens are going crazy about this new form of yoga which involves goats in it. If you also want to know what it is, then you can learn it here.

So, let’s dig deeper into it.

What is Baby Goat Yoga?

Yoga involving baby goats is the recently developed of practicing the old “asanas” along with baby goats as companions. This new kind of yoga is also known as caprine vinyasa.

This type of yoga with baby goats is a method of practicing yoga in relaxation, for relaxation. It is a relaxed form of yoga with the inclusion of goats. Most importantly, everyone irrespective of their skill levels can try this typical form of yoga.

This might seem interesting, so, as soon as you see this practice, you might be tempted to try it at once. However, goats and yoga don’t go hand in hand, mind it! There are numerous challenges concerning the same. Here we give you a handful of traits of this typical yoga:

- Goats are high-spirited animals and break your concentration in an instant.
- You cannot simply resist these cute little goats and would instead start cuddling them and playing with them.

- You might be a dedicated professional yoga guru but when these goats are around, they will instead make you play with them.
- Mats are synonyms to yogas because the asanas are always performed on the mats that lie on the floor. But if you have a baby goat in your room, you can perhaps see them lying on one of these mats and taking a quick nap.

- Yoga is more of a mental exercise, so you should also try and grab considerable control over your mind. Thus, this genre of yoga with goats is extremely essential to develop an all-round control of your mind. Besides, it will also help you to shed off mental stress and attain some relief.

Goats Doing Yoga: How did it Start?

Strangely, you will find an exhaustible list of videos if you type “Youtube goat yoga”. It is widespread all around the world online. But do you wonder how did this trend start?

Well, most of us might be interested to learn about this new technique of yoga which includes goats in it and might speculate about it. So, to reveal it, the goat yoga is a practice which was started when Lainey Morse, a farm owner from Oregon, introduced goats while doing yoga. Since then, practicing yoga with goats has been quite a viral phenomenon.

Goats are the epitome of what we refer to as “therapy animals” if we go by the words of Lainey. IT is fascinating how goats develop strong bonds with their fellow humans. This is unlike any other animals, which would naturally take their time before they interact with other similar animals or human beings.

Thus, goats are kind of naturally occurring pets. They have these instincts right from their birth. Regardless of whether it is a full-grown goat or a baby goat, all of them serve as cute, friendly and gentle pets. This attribute of the goats is highly significant for the development of the goat yoga.

The Faith of Baby Goat Yoga

As the newly formed yoga with animal yoga postures is gradually spreading far and wide, Lainey now thinks of patenting this discovery.

Now, if you look at the goat yoga video, you may not know of Lainey, the creator of this unique idea. With the surprising response of this particular form of yoga, she is inclined to focus solely on her yoga.

She has also quit her job for this reason and is stressing largely on developing her yoga and spreading awareness through her goat happy hour events.

Advantages of Baby Gota Yoga

You may be well aware of the numerous health benefits which yoga bestows upon us. Even when it comes to baby goat yoga, you will be surprised to know that it comes with a range of benefits.

This type of yoga has been proving quite beneficial to many. Therefore, here we look at some of the advantages of the new kind of yoga with baby goats:

- Baby goats infuse you with innocence and charm you with their friendly, indolent nature. This will calm you down and delight you after a tiring day.

- The ancient science and art of yoga is a blessing to mankind. Along with maintaining your health, baby yoga also lowers down the blood pressure and improves the lipid profile making you active and efficient. You would be practicing the asanas of yoga. This will enhance your physique and help you to stay fit both physically and mentally.

- Yoga is an esoteric art that keeps diseases at bay. It puts an end to several diseases of heart, rheumatic ailments, and pains of different kinds.
- Baby goats are extremely energetic and fickle. Hence, understanding them requires a whole lot of patience. This, the yoga of this nature replenishes your lost concentration in work and boost your mindfulness.
- Yoga is prescribed in many cases where the patients are stressed. Yoga with goats keeps you relaxed and brings back your smile. Therefore, you can handle stress better this way.

- Goats are kind-hearted, carefree animals. Thus, if you practice yoga with goats, you will be flushed with happiness and kindness, which will have a positive effect on your life and work.

Disadvantages of Baby Goat Yoga

Along with various benefits, it is important to mention that goat yoga has numerous disadvantages. Some of them are:

- Goats will pester you, so if you are looking for a serene and effective session of yoga, then this is not your type of yoga.
- If you are out to cut your excess fat via yoga, then this is not an option you should look for. Yoga with baby goats is all laughter and entertainment.

- You should always keep in mind that if you are opting for the baby goat yoga, accidents are a common occurrence.
- If you don’t like animals and/or are allergic to furs and pets, then avoid baby goat yoga because it includes real goats and furs.

The Places you can Practise Baby Goat Yoga

The yoga, as it is practiced with goats, is becoming increasingly famous around the world. This is leading to the development of a range of places where you can practice and master the art of yoga with baby goats as your companion. So, here is a list of the places in which you can practice yoga:

The Oregon Farm of Lainey Morse

The primary place where you can learn and practice the authentic goat yoga is the Oregon Farm of the founder, Lainey Farm. The farm remains open for visitors since the yoga was inaugurated for the first time.

Here you can learn the practice from Heather Davies, the yoga instructor who was behind the idea of introducing yoga. Moreover, here you will find various goat yoga classes with many events regarding the same.

Furthermore, Morse and Davies are also looking to further extend the popular practice and open yoga specific studios with a special emphasis on yoga with goats. Some of these places include Washington, Georgia, Ohio, and Kansas.

Sage Meadow Farm, Massachusetts

You can also venture forth to Sage Meadow Farm at Massachusetts to learn this new yoga. Yoga classes of this kind have been organizing caprine vinyasa classes since 2017. Here the events are scheduled at a specific time. This is because of the unavailability of the goat kids all around the season.

However, you can opt for them only during the months of spring, which is according to the reproductive cycle of the goats, as it occurs naturally.

Most importantly, all of the profits that the farm earns via the yoga classes involving the baby goats go straight to the charities. According to the reports, a sum of over $5,500 was donated to the charities.

How can you Prepare for Baby Goat Yoga Classes?

Though baby goat classes abound in recent years, practicing yoga with goats require to set yourself properly because goats are quite different and unfamiliar to our yoga.

- You should wear special clothes because no matter what, you would be licked all around by the baby goat. So, wear clothes or take them with you wearing which won’t be an issue for you. Furthermore, also keep in mind that the clothes should be dusty or dirty because then they may adversely harm the goats.

- Prepare for some accidents on the floor. Accidents can occur anywhere anytime but when goats are your friends and you are practicing yoga together, they are quite obvious.
- Don’t leave your hair open because it might get tangled. Moreover, these goats might bite your hair or play with them. They love it all the time!
- Prepare for a period full of overwhelming cuteness because these animals come always with loaded cuteness. Yes, baby goats are as cute as it can get whether you believe it or not. If you don’t believe it even now, check them for real. You cannot stop loving them once you interact with them.

To Sum Up

Yoga needs no introduction to anyone and with a list of unending benefits that modern medical science has unearthed, there is no stopping the ancient practice of yoga.

Moreover, with the rapid rise of yoga with goats, this culture would not only be popular among those who are knowledgeable but will also be familiar with the modern age of teenagers and young adults.

Why a Yoga Business Card is Essential (Plus Bonus Tips on How to Network)

“Let me just give you my business card….”

Really? I hear you say. You mean in addition to all the other things we have to think about as new teachers (lights & music in the studio, inhale and exhale counts, getting that first gig, what the next training looks like) we have to think about getting yoga business cards?

You mean the ones from my old full-time job ones won’t do?!

(No, dear yogis, they won’t.)

And perhaps, just perhaps, your next thought is something along the lines of: “Hang on a just a hot second. If I’d wanted to have to deal with business cards, resumes, job interviews and the like I would have stayed in a conventional job surely!”

“How is spirituality suddenly for SALE?” you might lament (an idea that is beautifully dissected by Derek Beres in this amazing article btw)

True, there is the element of the corporate and the holistic sitting slightly uncomfortably next to each other.

“Let me just give you my business card….”

But the reason I set up Yoginomics was to blow apart the myth that the two things can’t exist in harmony. This is just one tiny example of how we as yoga teachers can learn from the corporate world and professionalize our vocation.

In this article, I’m going to break down the why, how, and wherefore of joining the business card brigade. I’ll also throw in some hot networking tips!

We’ll run through:

What Are Business Cards Actually For?
Designing Your Yoga Business Card
Yoga Business Card Tips and Tricks
Suppliers and Cost
I have my beautiful business card – now what?
I don’t want a business card, am I a bad yoga teacher?

Give this chunky little guide the once-over and you’ll soon understand why business cards are an invaluable part of your professional yoga teacher toolkit – AND you’ll be comfortable creating them, and giving them out.

What Are Business Cards Actually For?

One of my favorite movie scenes of all time involves the humble business card. In American Psycho, the 2000 horror/comedy based on Brett Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name, a group of Wall Street bankers engage in an egomaniac business card swap-off.

“ Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God. It even has a watermark…” American Psycho

The joke, of course, is that they are identikit characters, constantly mistaken for one another, and the business card represents one of the only ways of holding onto any individuality or status.

No comparison with yoga teachers, right?….. right?

Okay, this might be a bit of a ‘sharp intake of breath’ association, but the fact remains there are a lot of us yoga teachers out there. Some won’t realize the value of effective personal presentation, some won’t need to, but for most of us mere mortals, having the right marketing tools is crucial.

There’s one other thing too. I have a collection of every business card I have ever had printed. When I get them out occasionally it’s like looking at my career in mini-rectangles of the colorful card.

It reminds me of how far I’ve come and I get a little swell of pride at all the things I’ve done. As a yoga teacher, the fact that you need a business card, to begin with, should a mark of distinction, a milestone in your burgeoning career. BE proud, and get excited.

So. In terms of what yoga business cards are FOR, here would be my rundown:

demonstrating professionalism
making a strong first impression
supplying accurate contact details…
….and giving people a reason to contact you
indicating qualifications (yes you can have RYT 200 at the end of your name!)
reminding people they met you at an event
enhancing your brand
getting one up on your fellow yoga teachers*

*no really, just kidding

Designing Your Yoga Business Card

Okay, you now realize that life has added up to almost nothing without your yoga business card, and you’re desperate to get something going. Let’s get down to the fun part of designing something super pretty.

You reach for your iPhone to call the friend of a friend who’s this uber graphic designer, and you start compiling mood boards all over the house.

Easy tiger. I do remember the [good?] old days when we started my headhunting business was ordering new business cards was a performance that took weeks and weeks of internal discussion, supplier sourcing, proofing and a large chunk of our budget.

These days, no need. Even if you haven’t done much work on your brand, it’s extremely simple to get something simple and effective mocked up.

If you’re going to have a crack yourself, then get a blank piece of paper and assemble some key information. Know your colors, know your fonts and decide what information you want to include. Websites like Tailor Brands give you a platform on which to design your logo, and then away you go – you can use a tool like Canva or Picmonkey – or for the old school amongst you, a simple powerpoint slide will do.

And if you don’t have the energy or time to get started on your own, you can crowdsource your way to branding nirvana using Fiverr or 99Designs. (Or buy your mate who’s Head of Art for a major agency several beers. A-hem)

“Eggshell. With Romanian type. Whaddya think?” – American Psycho

Yoga Business Card Tips and Tricks

A few things to bear in mind for your budding graphic designers before you get overly carried away!

Keep it simple

We talked about creating your perfect yoga resume a while ago and just as I urged you then to resist the urge to transform yourself into some kind of woo woo yoga alter ego, the same applies here. Don’t feel you need to go to town with the look and feel – lots of white space and clean lines will do. And finally, while ‘fun’ shapes will stand out, bear in mind they still have to fit into a wallet….

Think about the detail

Make sure you settle on some fundamentals: decide what you want to call yourself first of all: teacher or instructor? Things like ‘Guru’ or ‘Harbinger of Enlightenment’ don’t go down so well.

Will you include your qualifications or will that make it too crowded? Similarly, will you include one of your social channels? If you are an out and out Insta-yogi the answer is probably yes so make sure the design accounts for that.

Make sure your email address is professional. If you already have a domain and website it should preferably be linked to that (in which case you don’t strictly need both email and web address…) otherwise keep it classy: julesyoginomics@gmail.com rather than sexyyogi82@gmail.com

Make sure it’s CORRECT

This is advice 101 but please please make sure there are no mistakes – if you notice errors after printing then this could cost you unnecessary yoga pennies.

Even worse, you don’t notice and give a card to someone they won’t be able to get in touch with! If you’re including a quote, check all the spelling, and attribute it correctly to the author. Remember it’s all about making a strong first impression!

Don’t skip on quality

I do have some sympathy for my banking friends in the movie American Psycho. There is something to be said for the polish and professionalism they are drooling over. Now, I’m not suggesting your yoga teacher business card should be embossed and watermarked, but do make sure that it’s on quality card and well produced. With the number of cheap suppliers out there (see below) there is no excuse for a scrappy piece of paper you printed yourself!

“This is really super. How’d a nitwit like you get so tasteful?” –American Psycho

Suppliers and Cost

You may have a man at the end of your road or a guy at work who ‘does’ printing and can knock something up for you quickly and cheaply. However, as above, don’t skimp on a professional production. With the widespread availability of amazing online suppliers/printers these days, you can get wonderful quality and fast delivery for not much money.

Our absolute favorite organization for all things business card-esque (and a raft of other printed materials should you look at flyer, postcards or stickers going forward) is without question Moo.com.

I’ve been a customer for years and if you want an amazing calling card designed online and delivered to you in a beautiful box in just a few days, you can’t go wrong. I went for bright white with my logo on the back, heavy luxe thick card with red velvet hued edges.

And now I sound like Patrick Bateman.

(£30 for 100 mini cards if memory serves me correctly….amazing value!)

Other suppliers we like, and have received the thumbs up time and again in all the yoga teacher discussions we’ve witnessed:

- Vistaprint
- Zazzle
- Instantprint

“I can’t believe Bryce prefers Van Patten’s card to mine.” – American Psycho

I have my beautiful yoga business card – now what?

I’m a big believer in the idea that you never really truly know where your next student/client/ new business partner will appear. I’ve met people on trains, at bus stops, and christenings, and had conversations that quickly warranted the handing over of that magic piece of card stuff.

And that’s without even trying. At the other extreme, if you hang out at large scale events, like a yoga festival or maybe something like the OM Show, networking is one of the main aims of the game, so here you will certainly need your little box of magic and lots of confidence in sharing your chats and the love around.

Now, I know that being so forward in coming forward isn’t for all of you. But at the very least, if you are teaching studio classes, and definitely if you are teaching a workshop or special event, then make sure you have a little box handy on your mat so you can give them to students as and when appropriate (rather than handing them out at the door – too much!)

I have my beautiful yoga business card – now what?

Which brings me to my main point when it comes to networking and business cards. And that is: giving someone your business card should never be the main event or the first thing you do. The humble yoga business card is simply the contact detail-laden foot soldier bringing up the rear.

My golden rule of networking summed up in one handy sentence?

Engage, generate connection, add value, and ask questions

Then, and only then, produce the cosmic personal details card of wonder:

“Raised lettering. Pale Nimbus. White.” – American Psycho

I don’t want a business card, am I a bad yoga teacher?

Of course not! If you don’t vibe with the idea of passing out your details all at once on an initial meeting there are many other ways to bring folks into your community and your yoga sphere.

Many teachers these days are using personal Facebook pages as a way of gathering their yoga tribe together – so you can simply get people to find you online.

Alternatively, just ask for their card!

Happy Networking Yogis!

MAKE YOUR PASSION YOUR PROFESSION – WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

I’ve started every piece in the last three weeks with those words, and now I can definitively say that yes, it was certainly challenging and yes, the challenge was worth it.

Some parts I fund easier than others, some subjects flowed and some were a bit sticky. But overall = a great way to kick off the year. If any of you undertook something similar in Feb then let me know! Otherwise, there will be a fair few more think-pieces and treatises to come in the first few months of this year.

How to make your passion your profession as a full-time yoga teacher?

From one yoga teacher to another, let’s sit down and be honest for a moment.

Starting we’ve probably all had those moments where we looked at a teacher who was teaching full-time and thought with disbelief, and maybe even a tiny bit of jealousy, “How does s/he do it?!”

Believe me, we’ve all been there. And you better believe it too when I say that we can all get to where we want to be – in this case, rocking the yoga pants all day every day and teaching passionately as a full gig.

How to make your passion your profession as a full-time yoga teacher

We’re all from different walks of life and at different stages so for some of us, transitioning to full-time teaching might be hard while for others, the jump may come with a little bit more of a safety net. Regardless of your situation, if you’re reading this you’ve probably thought about the idea at least once – and that’s truly the first step to making it happen.

1. Believe it can happen.

Full-time teaching can only happen for us if we believe it can happen – and this is not just some energetic mumbo jumbo. How will you muster up the energy and bravery needed to take this step if deep inside, you don’t think it’s possible?

Take an hour, a day, a weekend to sit and be quiet. Ponder on this: do you at all adhere to beliefs like, “I can’t do it,” “It works for others but not for me,” or, “I’ll be broke!”

If you do, that’s alright. Know these beliefs are natural and just like we tell our students, the more you are aware of them the better. Listen to the same advice you give when you teach: thoughts are just thoughts and not ultimate truths. We can rise above our thoughts so that they don’t define us. By recognizing these beliefs as thoughts that can pass by, we can begin to remove our focus on them and see what needs to be done.

After realizing any conflicting beliefs you might have, a constructive idea would be to feed yourself the good. As yoga teachers, we’re in the privileged position of having many tools by which we can clear our minds, boost our physical energy, up to our positivity, and even manifest the future. Choose what works for you.

Actions you can take? Meditation, vision boards, personal manifestation rituals, daily mantras, yoga!

2. Before you leap, create your safety net.

John Burroughs said, “Leap and the net will appear.” True as that may be, it doesn’t hurt to have a backup safety net of your own making.

This safety net is made up of things that will make us feel secure enough to try transitioning and more importantly, secure enough to be able to teach without worries festering at the backs of our minds. What are the things that need to be in place for you to be able to teach without much anxiety, completely present to the people in front of you? In other words, what do you need to give yourself before you serve others?”

Stated more specifically, questions that could help you know what your safety net looks like are:

What kind of savings do I need to have so that I’m not worrying about money while I’m teaching?
How many teaching gigs do I need to book to be able to feel secure in my day to day living?
What support do I need to ask from friends and family so that I don’t feel so alone, even as I stand solo on that teacher’s mat?
What other things should I know about finances and financial health before becoming a full-time instructor?
What insurance plans can I get as a freelance full-time instructor?

You can start with these questions and weave your safety net accordingly.

3. Think like a creative entrepreneur.

By now you can probably tell that the process of transitioning to full-time teaching involves a lot of soul searching and deep thought. In this part of the process, we think about what we do in all its glorious tiny details – and like it or not, we think about it as if we were a business.

Across the board, all kinds of businesses truly begin with asking the question, What do people need that only I can give to them?

Now, however you may feel about that question, the truth is that out in the world, we are service providers and it’s the uniqueness of our service that will draw people to us. Here’s another way to think about it – just like when we were starting our practice and were amazed to realize that we found the exact teacher we needed at the time, students are drawn to the teachers whose style, philosophies, and demeanor they resonate with the most. So if you’re going to transition to becoming a full-time teacher, it’s good to have intimate knowledge of these things.

What kind of teaching style feels most right for you? What are the things you feel strongly about sharing in a class, verbally or energetically? What kind of person are you on and off the mat and how can you use these traits to serve others? How can your unique life history influence how you serve others like you?

The good news is that answering these questions means doing the fun part: teaching! Before teaching to earn, teach until you know yourself.

Other good questions to ask business-wise are:

What’s your specialty? (examples: public classes, private classes, corporate yoga, retreats)
What are the going rates for different kinds of classes?
What other services can I possibly include aside from yoga (examples: meditation, sound healing, creative art therapy, coaching, essential oils aromatherapy, guided tours of a place, asana labs)

4. What are you willing to give to this dream?

Surprise! Another question and this is a big one.

How much are you willing to give to make the dream of full-time teaching come true?

Off the top of my head, here are just some of the things that your dream may ask of you to invest:

Time: Time you could otherwise spend earning money in a different job, you might be spending building your business. In the beginning, you may even spend more time working and teaching than you initially thought you would.
Money: Aside from the money you could have been earning working another job, you may have to spend money getting to classes, marketing, attending events to meet people, etc.
Contacts: As you look for places to grow and people to teach, you may have to use some of your social capital to ask people if their company needs a yoga teacher, to ask for a friend to connect you to a studio, to ask friends and family to try yoga just so you can practice teaching more, etc.
Energy: For a while, as you build up your class schedule and your clientele, you may have to teach classes for free, or teach classes that are far away from you. How much energy can you give to doing this kind of work?

Do the math: What does your transition need you to give, what do you have, what can you give, what will be left, what can you expect as a return on your investment. If you think yoga teachers don’t need to do any kind of accounting for things, try doing the math here. The good thing is, it may be “accounting” but it’s for something that we love.

5. Seek but don’t force.

As tips go, this last one may seem super vague but for us here at Yoginomics, but it’s the one tip that can seal all your efforts together.

Just like the first step we proposed, this one involves sitting and being quiet. Specifically, add this to the mix: watch your energy.

What kind of energy are you bringing into the effort of transitioning to full-time teaching? Is it aggressive, this-has-to-happen energy? Is it a burn-the-candle-at-both-ends, I-have-to-sacrifice-everything kind of energy? Is it a fearful one?

Can it be hopeful energy – one that seeks but doesn’t force? Can it be a flowing energy wherein, like a plant, you constantly feel yourself receiving what you need even if you can’t see it?

Universally, as teachers, we can all agree that the second set of energies is better for us overall. Though we may want to become full-time teachers, it doesn’t have to happen all at once. It quite possibly can be a long journey and, if we come into it with aggression, we can teach burn out before we even get there.

We simply practice knowing that all is coming

From afar, when we look at those superstar full-time teachers in our community, it may look like they just leaped and started flying like eagles. More often than not though their transition was probably a long time in the making too.

It’s an exciting journey and if you’re taking it, we hope this helped you. Share with us your stories of transitioning to teaching and let’s spread the light together.

And if you still have doubts and aren’t sure? Get in touch, like coaching and cheerleading people through this transition is exactly what we do!

ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND YOGA

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health concerns in our society. They are often experienced as a complex set of emotional and functional challenges and while they are not the same, they often occur together. It is not uncommon for people with depression to experience anxiety and vice versa.

Lao Tzu said that anxiety derives from living in the future and depression keeps us chained to the past. The question he therefore asks is how do we find contentment in the present?

What does it mean to live with anxiety and depression?

A little bit of fear/anxiety or stress is normal, just like salt in our food, it is needed so that we remain disciplined, focused and dynamic.

The problem starts when this fear becomes persistent and so intimidating that it starts interfering with our everyday life. Then it becomes an anxiety disorder, a state of excessive uneasiness, worry, or fear of the unknown, which needs to be alleviated and this is where yoga can help.

Benefits of Yoga over Stress and Depression

But how exactly can yoga help you?

Yoga asana practice and meditation teaches us the act of returning to the present and helps counteract anxiety AND depression.

Yoga helps to reduce stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and inducing what’s known as the relaxation ‘rest and digest’ response.

Once the relaxation response kicks in, most people feel that instead of trying to escape their feelings, they can stay with them, which is essential to identifying the psychological factors that trigger their anxiety and depression.

Our mind is like a pendulum; swinging from past to future, regret, and anger to anxiety and fear, happiness to sorrow. It is ‘Yoga asana’ that enables us to maintain equanimity. Yoga asana is not merely a workout or exercise!

As described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra -“sthira sukham asanam”– this means yoga asana is a balance of effort and ease. We give the effort to get into the posture and then we relax.

Yoga asana brings that balance in every aspect of our life. It teaches us to put effort and then let go, get detached from the result. Yoga asana increases our physical flexibility but also can expand the mind.

Four Yoga Poses To Help Relieve Anxiety And Depression

Downward Facing Dog

Effects: Combats anxiety and energizes the entire body.

Come on to all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Tuck under your toes and lift your hips off the floor as you draw them up and back towards your heels.

Keep your knees slightly bent if your hamstrings are tight, otherwise try and straighten out your legs while keeping your hips back. Walk your hands forward to give yourself more length if you need to.

Press firmly through your palms and rotate the inner upper arms towards each other. Hollow out the abdominals and keep engaging your legs to keep the torso moving back towards the thighs.

Hold for 5-8 breaths before dropping back to hands and knees to rest.

Child’s Pose

Effects: Releases spinal muscles after backbends and calms your nerves, allowing you to focus inwards

Start on all fours then bring your feet together, big toes touching and knees slightly wider than your hips as you sit your hips back to your heels and stretch your arms forward.

Lower your forehead to the floor (or block or pillow or blanket) and let your entire body release. Hold for as long as you wish!

Standing/Seated & Wide-

Legged Forward Fold

Effects: Brings relief from despondency or anxiety, energizes your whole body, calms the nerves and makes you feel more alive.

Option 1:

Stand in Tadasana or Mountain pose, hands-on-hips. Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist. As you descend draw the front torso out of the groins and open the space between the pubis and sternum.

As in all the forward bends, the emphasis is on lengthening the front torso as you move more fully into the position. Release any tension in the neck, grab opposite elbows and allow gravity to help you stretch.

Bring your hands back onto your hips and reaffirm the length of the front torso. Then press your tailbone down and into the pelvis and come upon an inhalation with a long front torso.

Option 2:

Start seated with your legs together, feet firmly flexed and not turning in or out, and your hands by your hips. Lift your chest and start to hinge forward from your waist.

Engage your lower abdominals and imagine your belly button moving towards the top of your thighs. Once you hit your maximum, stop and breathe for 8-10 breaths. Make sure your shoulders, head, and neck are all released.

Option 3:

Start in Tadasana or Mountain pose. Bring your hands to your hips. Turn to the left and step your feet wide apart along with the mat.

Turn your toes slightly in and your heels slightly out so the edges of your feet are parallel to the edges of your mat. Align your heels. Inhale and lengthen your torso, reaching the crown of your head up toward the ceiling.

Exhaling, fold forward at the hips. Keep the front of your torso long. Drop your head and gaze softly behind you. Bring your hands to rest on the floor between your legs. Keep your elbows bent and pointing behind you.

If your hands do not come to the floor, rest them on yoga blocks. Shift your weight slightly forward onto the balls of your feet. Keep your hips aligned with your ankles, then walk your hands back even further.

Work toward bringing your fingers in line with your toes (and eventually with your heels), and bringing your elbows directly above your wrists. Strongly engage your quadriceps and draw them up toward the ceiling. Lengthen your spine on your inhalations and fold deeper on your exhalations.

Bring the crown of your head down further, resting it on the floor if possible. Hold for up to one minute. To release, bring your hands to your hips. Press firmly through your feet and inhale to lift your torso with a flat back. Step your feet together and return to Mountain Pose.

Legs Up the Wall

Effects: Relief from anxiety, headaches, mild depression and induces a calmed nervous system. Ancient yoga texts claim Viparita Karani will destroy old age!

There are two ways to practice Viparita Karani: using props as a supported pose, or without props. Both options will provide the same benefits, but the supported version may be more relaxing for some people. Both versions require a wall or sturdy door upon which you can rest your legs.

If you are practicing the supported version, set a bolster or firm, long pillow on the floor against the wall.

Begin the pose by sitting with your left side against the wall. Your lower back should rest against the bolster if you’re using one. Gently turn your body to the left and bring your legs up onto the wall. If you are using a bolster, shift your lower back onto the bolster before bringing your legs up the wall. Use your hands for balance as you shift your weight.

Lower your back to the floor and lie down. Rest your shoulders and head on the floor. Shift your weight from side-to-side and scoot your buttocks close to the wall. Let your arms rest open at your sides, palms facing up.

If you’re using a bolster, your lower back should now be fully supported by it. Let the heads of your thigh bones (the part of the bone that connects in the hip socket) release and relax, dropping toward the back of your pelvis.

Close your eyes. Hold for 5-10 minutes, breathing with awareness.

To release, slowly push yourself away from the wall and slide your legs down to the right side. Use your hands to help press yourself back up into a seated position.

Although many forms of yoga practice are safe, some are strenuous and may not be appropriate for everyone. In particular, elderly patients or those with mobility problems may want to check first with a clinician before choosing yoga as a treatment option.

But for many patients dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress, yoga may be a very appealing way to better manage symptoms. Indeed, the scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are not just closely allied, but are essentially equivalent. The evidence is growing that yoga practice is a relatively low-risk, high-yield approach to improving overall health.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR FOLLOWING AS A NEW YOGA TEACHER

Friends, yogis, fellow teachers

There is no doubt that it takes a lot of effort to build your following as a new yoga teacher. But what if instead of just working hard, you could work smart and get more students?

Sounds like a great plan, right?

Before I show you how to do just this, I just want to make sure you’re in the right place. So let me know if this sounds like you:

You’re fresh out of an intensive yoga teacher training program or you have been seriously practicing yoga for years now and have decided to turn it into your profession.
You’ve heavily invested in a yoga teacher training program and are desperate to start making a living with yoga.
Or you’re quitting your day job or switching to a part-time job so that you can follow your true passion – to teach yoga to others.

If any of that sounds like you, then read on because I know that as a new yoga teacher, the struggle is REAL.

But if you’re ready to take charge of propelling your yoga careers in the right direction, it’s time take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, sit up straight and read on

HOW TO BUILD YOUR FOLLOWING AS A NEW YOGA TEACHER

1. Pick a niche within yoga teaching

What kind of yoga do you truly enjoy teaching? Is it restorative yoga for busy mothers who need relaxation, or is it Vinyasa flow yoga for young professionals who sit at a desk all day?

Remember, yoga is all about focus and that’s why you need to narrow down your focus and define your yoga niche.

2. Set a target for student attendance in your classes

As you’re learning to market yourself as a new yoga teacher, it’s important to set goals for how many students you want to attend your class in advance so you can promote yourself with an attendance goal in mind.

Is it 10? Is it 35?

To know whether you’re achieving your goal, you need to know what success looks like so you can decide whether the methods you’re using to build your following as a new yoga teacher, are working or not.

I’d also recommend that you spend some time to create a persona for your ideal yoga student.

3. Build your blog and email mailing list

New yoga teachers need to take full advantage of technology. To start with, create a yoga website or start a blog, as this will help people find you online more easily.

Take some time to get clear around what questions, problems and challenges your students have, then set aside some time each week to create highly engaging SEO blog posts content that answers those questions.

You can also get started with Pinterest and include an informative pin in each blog post.

Don’t forget to create an irresistible opt-in freebie so that you can start growing your email list subscriber base. And make sure that you use your professional email address for all your business communications.

Start a mailing list (and did I mention, always use your professional email address for all business communication).

4. Maximize the power of social media

Think about this for a second – you rent a space, hold a class, but if no one knows about it, you’ll have a studio full of empty yoga mats, even if your neighborhood is teaming with yoga enthusiasts.

You can Facebook and do as many digital detoxes as you like, but the truth is social media is a great tool which – when used strategically – can be used for the greater good.

Worried about selling out?

Don’t be. As long as you always stay true to your values as a yogi, you can be visible online, attract a drove of new students and still stay authentic as a yoga teacher on social media.

From sharing blog posts and live videos via Facebook to post a short YouTube video, they’re no shortage of ways you can use content to help you build your following as a yoga teacher.

Create, curate and share content on your social media channels that are useful and interesting for your new yoga students.

Think that it will cost too much?

That doesn’t have to be the case. As long as you approach how to build your following as a new yoga teacher in a strategic way, it’s entirely possible to market your yoga business on a budget.

GET SOCIAL!

So let’s look at the different social media channels you can use – and effective ways to use them.

Getting started with Facebook

The entire world is on Facebook and so are a lot of people who’d love to try out yoga.

When used correctly Facebook can be the secret sauce you need to bring tons of followers to your business.

Start with creating your Facebook business page – and remember this is separate from your page.

Once you’ve created a page, make sure you fill it out completely and link it to your blog.

Once you have a professional Facebook page, you’re ready to start planning what content you plan to share on your page that will engage potential students.

Focus on getting engagement from your Facebook page followers, as Facebook rewards those pages who get more engagement with more visibility in the newsfeed.

Get connected in Facebook groups

Facebook groups are also a powerful tool to help you build your following as a new yoga teacher.

The groups are full of people who come together based on a common interest, location, needs, profession, etc, and you can use these groups to promote your classes.

The thing to remember is don’t just do a drive-by, where you run in to promote your latest class and run out.

Facebook groups will only really generate results when you start to make real connections. So ask questions, reply to other people’s posts, offer helpful advice and interact with your audience regularly.

This is also a great way to bring potential students to your page, blog and ultimately your classes.

Use Facebook’s paid advertising options

This is such an in-depth topic that we can’t go into detail here. But if you want more people to visit your Facebook page, your business website, and ultimately attend your classes, getting skilled at Facebook ads could be your secret weapon to attracting an abundance of students to your classes.

Check out these articles using Facebook to promote your yoga business:

How To Grow Your Facebook Page from Scratch

8 Reasons To Create A Facebook Page for Your Yoga Studio

How to market your yoga business without losing your soul

The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Groups

Create Facebook Live Yoga Videos

Yoga Studio Facebook Advertising Case Study

Getting started with Instagram

Instagram is overflowing with people who’re into healthy eating, fitness, holistic living, and yoga. These are YOUR PEOPLE.

And while building your following as a new yoga teacher on Instagram is not the walk in the park it used to be, it’s still very much possible.

The most popular yoga teachers have Instagram accounts with millions of followers, so the smartest thing you can do to hack your success to take a look at what they’re doing and make a note of what’s working.

How often do they post
What do they post about
What times do they post
What times of content do they create – pictures, videos, stories
Who are they collaborating with and how

Success leaves clues.

So take cues from the most popular and successful yoga teachers – those who have the following you would like to have one day, and use those cues to help you formulate your own Instagram marketing strategy.

One thing you’ll notice about the most followed profiles is that they don’t just photos and videos of them doing headstands.

They also post about their life – getting a cup of coffee, making a yogi bowl for lunch and even yoga goof ups.

It’s because they tell very human stories – of life as a yogi and its ups and downs – that their followers become so loyal.

Check out these articles on how to build your following on Instagram:

How To Use Instagram for Yoga

6 Instagram Tips for Better Yoga Pictures

Instagram Hashtags For Yogis

How To Use Instagram Stories To Connect With Your Students

How To Create Instagram Ads That Convert

Yoga Inspiration: My Fav Yogis on Instagram

How To Promote Your Event on Instagram

Getting started with YouTube

Youtube yoga tutorial is one of the most powerful ways to build your following as a new yoga teacher.

Think about it?

Before you decided to go all-in and attend regular classes, then do your YTT, how many hours did you spend watching your favorite yoga teachers on YouTube?

Just like Instagram and Facebook, this is not a channel where you can just show up and expect to be inundated with new followers and subscribers.

If you want to enjoy any traction on these platforms you need to be committed to showing up consistently with the type (and quality) of content that does well on this platform.

Things to consider when starting your YouTube channel:

What type of videos will you make and how frequently will you make them?
How long will they be and how will you edit them?
Where will you get copyright free music for your videos?
What marketing tactics will you use to get your subscribers off Youtube, and over to your website?

Video is one of the most engaging mediums and is only going to increase in popularity. And the best thing is, there’s also a really low barrier to entry – as you can start making YouTube videos with your smartphone. All you need is natural light a video editing app.

Check out these resources for tips on developing a popular YouTube channel:

3 Major Tips For Starting a Successful YouTube Channel

YouTube Vlogging Basics For Yoga Teachers

9 Ways To Optimize Your YouTube Channel

3 Ways To Film Yoga Videos

Getting started with Snapchat

Are you rolling your eyes thinking, ‘how on earth can Snapchat help me?’

Well, don’t underestimate Snapchat…

Stats reveal that Snapchat has 166 million daily users who watch a whopping 10 billion videos a day. Pretty crazy, huh?

And all you need to do if you want to start using Snapchat is:

Create a Snapchat account (that’s public)
Follow popular yoga teachers and see the kind of content they create
Decide what you’d like to create), take photos, do videos
Get the ball rolling by sharing your Snapchat ID with people you know

Check out these great resources on how to use Snapchat:

A Beginner’s Guide To Snapchat

Snapchat Basics For Yoga Teachers

Top 10 Ways To Grow Your Snapchat Audience

Before we move on to the next part of this guide on how to build your following as a new yoga teacher, it’s important to make these points.

Like I said earlier success leaves clues, and while you can recreate some of the most popular and engaging content you find for your brand. It’s equally important that you get clear about your USP (unique selling point) and what makes your brand different.

A little creative copying is a smart way to get started, but if you want to stand out, you need to find your ‘thing’, sooner rather than later.

How to build your following as a new yoga teacher:

In-person tips

Be your authentic imperfect self – Show your human side to your followers (this means not just being the perfectly calm namaste-ing yoga teacher)
Do class prep in advance – No one likes to return to a yoga class if they found it dull or difficult or poorly paced. Make sure you show up on time, bring yoga philosophy to the mat, prepare your sequence, remember your cues and create well thought out playlists for the class.
Be approachable, yet professional with your students – Find out the name of your students, do a small intro before each class so new yoga students don’t feel lost or left out. And don’t forget to ask your students if they have any history of medical issues or physical injuries you need to be aware of.
Give personalized attention – Walk around the room as students move through the asana, and customize poses for a few students. Sometimes these small assists help deepen your student’s experience, and the more they feel they get from your class the more they’ll come and the more they’ll tell others.
Get to know your local yoga community – Whether you’re in a big city teeming with yoga studios on every street corner, or in a small town with a handful of established yoga teachers, don’t get intimidated by the idea of networking. Yep, yogis have to network too! Go out and get to know who your collaborators are. And remember, there’s no shame in telling people that you’re actively looking for teaching gigs.
Begin local outreach & collaborations – Once you get to know who’s who in the yoga scene in your hood, begin getting the word out about yourself.

Participate in local festivals and collaborate with local cafes, schools, community centers, health centers and small conscious businesses in your area. And if possible, try and organize your even or introductory class. It’s also an idea to consider asking a popular yoga teacher in your area to become your mentor and train under them at their studio. This gives you access to their audience and you’ll get an opportunity to teach new yoga students under their supervision. When you’re trying to build your following as a new yoga teacher, you want to teach as much as possible, but without sacrificing your yoga practice.
Encourage new students to come back – to build a long term relationship with your students, keep them informed about new classes and offer them discounted passes. Make sure you have promotional materials to hand which have your website and business contact details on it.
Get reviews and testimonials – If you see a student who’s benefiting from your lessons, ask him/her to give you a review on Facebook or a short testimonial that you can put up on your website.

Now before we wrap up, I want to share with you some case studies that will inspire you as you build your following as a new yoga teacher.

CASE STUDIES OF 3 POPULAR YOGA TEACHERS

Adriene Mishler

If you’ve ever tried yoga on YouTube, you’ve probably come across the channel Yoga With Adriennewhich has a staggering 2,378,553 subscribers.

Yoga teacher Adriene Mishler joined YouTube in 2012 and she’s been gaining subscribers ever since. To-date her channel has had 172,963,041 views.

This Texas girl is one of the most popular yoga teachers on social media today, and her followers love the weekly videos she creates.

Adrienne is also the founder of Find What Feels Good, which is a membership-based online library of yoga videos.

Kino MacGregor

Kino MacGregor has been doing Ashtanga yoga for a good 18 years, and she’s built a massive presence online with over 2 million followers across all her social media channels.

Kino understands that social media is about engaging.

Her Instagram account @kinoyoga has a mind-blowing 1.1 million followers. And she posts photos & videos daily, sometimes even twice a day.

Here’s what you can learn from Kino – be super active on your social media channels and be consistent with your messaging.

Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles has earned herself the nickname ‘yoga rebel’ since she first showed up on YouTube in 2006. That’s coz she has a very simple, no-nonsense approach to yoga.

But there’s one thing that makes Tara stand out as a popular yoga teacher – food. Tara knows that food is big for yogis and offers nutrition-related tidbits to her followers.

She has made a clear connection between yoga and nutrition and uses this connection to engage her audience in a multi-faceted way.

Her website, Strala, has a recipe section, and she also regularly posts about food on her Instagram account @tarastiles.

This former model turned yoga teacher is also a new mom, and she shares her life (and lots of cute baby pictures) via social media which makes her very human and endearing.

Now that you have an insight into how the most popular yoga teachers have built their following, I have a small reminder for you.

No matter how many followers you amass, it won’t make a difference if you’re not a good yoga teacher.

Study your craft, always be growing, learning and improving as a yoga teacher and a yogi.

This commitment to personal growth will show up in your practice, your classes, and the development of your students. With this foundation in place, you’ll find it much easier to build your following as a new yoga teacher.

How To Write The Perfect Yoga Teacher Resume

It’s fair to say putting the words ‘yoga resumé’ & ‘new teacher’ in the same sentence may cause a few sharp inhales and nervous exhales. Perhaps even a disbelieving shake of the head.

I mean, how can you write a persuasive yoga teaching resumé, when you’re still paying off the loan you took out for your teacher training, you’ve barely had a chance to create your sequences and the only person you’ve ever taught is your mum?

That’s why I think you’re going to love this in-depth article giving you a step-by-step actionable guide to getting your first job as a professional yoga teacher. We’re going to cover exactly how you write a smoking hot new yoga teacher resumé – including that elusive but essential yoga bio – PLUS how you craft an engaging and credible covering letter that is guaranteed to get you a callback and a meeting. We’ll even take you through how to follow up like a true professional.

Here’s what we’ll cover*:

New Yoga Teacher Resumé Do’s and Don’ts
PLUS some examples – The Good & The Bad (Let’s not even think about The Ugly!)
Yoga Resumé Cover Letters – what to say and, more importantly, what not to say
Your Yoga Biography – how to tell your story and present it authentically
Personal branding – How to make your yoga resumé stand out among a sea of boring bland documents
Showcase Your Testimonials – How many? What should they say?
How to Follow up like a Professional – once you’ve sent your resumé and covering letter

*use this handy guide to jump to the info that resonates with you the most!

The New Yoga Teacher Resumé

This is the Ganesha in the room, right? The word resumé relates to the corporate world; to job applications, interviews and maybe one day a corner office — whereas this is exactly the kind of thing most people look to escape when they choose to incorporate teaching yoga into their lives either full or part-time.

But let’s get real, unless you’re fortunate enough to be sitting on a large trust fund or lottery win, we all know that om-ing doesn’t pay the bills. More importantly, it’s one thing to be clutching your hot-off-the-press RYT certificate as a new yoga teacher, but we all know the magic happens when you start to clock up real-world teaching hours.

And what that means, in reality, is getting a job. Don’t assume that because you have a really strong practice, lots of different pieces of training or a famous guru as a mentor, that you will automatically be hired – you won’t. There is a clear process to followed and we’re here to give you actionable advice.

So without further ado let us show you how it’s done!

New Yoga Teacher Resumé Dos and Don’ts

The majority of newly qualified teachers will look to get a foot on the teaching career ladder by working at a studio or gym (although there are also a number of other ways to get started which we will be sharing within the next few weeks!) and for that my friends, yes you will need to work on that dreaded piece of paper.

Over the years, I’ve hired some excellent new teachers and had the privilege of reading several fantastic resumés — and on the flip side, some that weren’t so great….

Resumé writing is a particular skill, and the good news is that it’s not that hard if you follow a few simple rules. Creating a yoga specific document simply entails bearing the following points in mind. Let us know if you have anything you wish to add!

DO Make it Easy to Digest

Sounds very much like common sense, doesn’t it? Well, you would be surprised how the pressure of writing a ‘yoga’ resumé causes people to lose all concept of the basic rules of legibility: outcome the flowery fonts, the pastel highlights, and the soft-focus language.

Stick to the rules people. Think reverse chronological order. clear bullet points, and avoid yoga jargon and overly creative layouts.

Should you use a picture? In this Instagram obsessed age, I would suggest yes, but make it a decent headshot rather than your best pinch mayurasana (unless this is requested of course).

There’s a lot more to say on the layout – look to our PDF Guide at the end of this post for a blueprint that will show you exactly how to layout your CV and give you some ideas and inspiration for format.

DO Highlight your Training & Areas of Specialism

This is essentially the neon headline at the top of your resumé document. A potential employer will naturally want to understand where you trained and with whom, what the structure of the training was and whether you specialized in a particular style or not.

This may be your first yoga teaching job post-qualification, but I bet ten bucks you’ve also invested in additional training and workshops over the years. Without question, highlight these too, making the areas where you are particularly passionate – prenatal, yin, a friend of mine even describes herself as an ‘inversions junkie’ – stand out.

DON’T Discount Your Previous Experience

It’s very tempting to think that your former professional life suddenly doesn’t count when you write your first yoga resumé. How on earth can investment banking be relevant to teaching yoga, I hear you say?

The truth is that we all have something to bring to the party from our past commercial experience. Apart from anything else, the students in front of you on their mats will all be from different backgrounds and will appreciate the life experience you bring to your teaching.

Lastly, if you are looking to work with a studio or a gym then experience in digital, accounting or marketing can be highly valuable – so use this!

DON’T Forget the practical details

Again, it’s worth stating the obvious here. Are you looking for a full, part-time or temporary position? Where are you based and how far can you travel? Are you willing to relocate? Do you have other relevant holistic or fitness teaching skills to add weight to your application? What are your contact details! (yes I have seen CV/Cover Letter combinations with absolutely no way of getting in touch indicated – unbelievable I know)

Examples – The Good & The Bad (Let’s not even think about The Ugly!)

Okay, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty here. I am going to show you some real-world examples, drawing out some key learning points to bear in mind as you create your first yoga resumé.

I won’t even start to insult your intelligence by pulling out a truly horrendous example of a new teacher’s CV.

But take a look at the left. And let me count the ways, dear reader, in which this falls short.

Short and superficial profile, no ‘story’ (see below for tips and tricks on how to write the perfect yoga bio!)
Incomplete contact details, also these can be included in the cover letter to free up space in
Non-yoga experience listed first, and no details are given
Education, while important should feature last and should come after details of yoga teacher training
The colors and crazy leaf detail? Oh no. Just don’t.

It’s not too hard to see where our dear friend Kate has gone wrong, is it? It’s a valiant effort, but you’ll need to try harder.

Let’s move on to a decent yoga resume – perhaps with some room to improve so you understand what it’s going to take your yoga resume from good to GREAT.

So please turn your attention to Miss Natalie Dawson. It’s not the most inspired version but there is an awful lot that is right about it. It’s also a great example of what can be done as a new teacher with no experience. Let’s take a closer look!

Firstly the layout, colors, and format are standouts without being too showy. And there is tons of other good stuff here too:

The ‘About’ paragraph – needs more detail but its personal and passionate
Yoga experience front and center even though this is a new teacher resume, and in reverse chronological order
Other experience is also highlighted and relevant
It’s a nice touch to include attributes and gives a more
Social channels are included and contact details are all present and correct!

While it’s by no means perfect this is a vast improvement in our first example. How could it be improved? Well, the bio/about is very individual and difficult to simulate. More info on that below, but first…

Yoga Resumé Cover Letters – what to say and, more importantly, what not to say

Creating your new yoga teacher resumé may feel like climbing a mountain. Or getting into your first stable headstand for ten breaths. But once it’s done, don’t get too comfortable. Just because we live in a digitally-dominated time doesn’t mean that a two-line email can replace your yoga resumé covering letter.

A carefully crafted covering letter can mean the difference between getting the first meeting or being passed over along with a bundle of other first-time yoga resumés.

Most importantly, make sure it’s written in your voice – let passion and personality shine through (without becoming over-familiar) and don’t be shy about outlining precisely what you bring to the teacher’s mat.

Imagine you were reading it as a yoga studio owner and ad the question ‘so what?’ after every sentence. So rather than just listing the same information as you have on your yoga resumé, start describing how you can be an asset to their yoga studio and what makes you special and different.

Other points to note:

Keep to one page! The main aim is to give people a reason to message or call you, not tell your life story
Show you’ve done your research into what makes their studio stand out – perhaps reference a teacher or something that has made an impact on you from a marketing perspective
Highlight what you can bring to the table and how you add value through your yoga teaching, not why they would be a great fit as a studio for you
Give some indication of how they can experience your teaching. If an in-person trial class is not possible, then think about including a video
And finally, to reiterate, make it VERY easy for them to contact you…full contact details in the header (address) and footer (email and mobile)

Your Yoga Biography – how to tell your story and present it authentically

Telling your yoga ‘story’ is particularly key if you don’t have a huge number of teaching hours just yet. There is a strong personal narrative behind every yoga teacher’s decision to teach. It’s your path, your journey if you will, but more importantly the story behind your decision to go pro will further highlight your passion and dedication.

This personal yoga bio doesn’t need to belong, but it does need to be engaging.

Document inspiring travel or teachers, workshop experiences or retreats
Describe the ‘a-ha!’ moment when you decided to do your yoga teacher training
Talk about areas you find particularly challenging, and how you would like to see your yoga career evolve
This passage of writing – your ‘core story’ is essentially the basis of your brand.

Personal branding – How to make your yoga resumé stand out among a sea of boring bland documents

On that note let’s spend some time talking about personal brand. What the hell is it and how is it relevant to what essentially amounts to two bits of paper? There are hundreds of definitions of personal brand available and we talk about it in some detail here.

Want the quick download as it pertains to your resumé and covering letter? Pay attention to the following:

Number #1 Write content from the heart. Try and find a style that’s all your own. Define your key values, and come back to them in all your written communication. Avoid cliches and look to motivate and inspire with your words!

Number #2 Be a perfectionist when it comes to the look and feel of your resumé – keep it clean, clear, light – eye-catching without being overly ‘creative’. Include links to social media channels or even a video introduction…

In short, your brand is really how people experience you – by engaging with your teaching, writing or speaking. It’s what people then say about you when you’re not in the room, so use these assets (resumé & covering letter) as a platform for letting the real you shine and stand out.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

Showcase your testimonials – how many? what should they say?

As a new teacher, you might not have got around to this yet but I can tell you, the first time I asked someone for a testimonial I was shy and embarrassed. I mean, essentially you are asking a friend or student to blow sunshine up your proverbials, which, especially if you’re British, can be excruciatingly awkward.

However, the reality is yogis that word of mouth remains one of the most persuasive marketing tools at your disposal. All anyone wants to know is that someone just like them had a great experience in your class or at their event.

So, you find a few people to tell you how wonderful you are right? Not so fast. While compliments and positivity are an awesome sauce, the secret sauce lies in getting your students to describe what exactly they learned, how they grew, what tangible outcomes they achieved and perhaps what they found surprising along the way.

Ie. make it real, rather than unicorns and rainbows. Invite them to describe how they benefitted in a way that is unique to the relationship YOU’VE built with them as their teacher – above and beyond anyone else.

I recommend looking for 4-5 strong testimonials at first. People are usually delighted to write them and 100 words are enough to create some magic. If you don’t ask, the universe will not respond, so take a deep breath in and reach out.

How to follow up like a true professional once you’ve sent your yoga resumé and covering letter

When I worked in London as a city headhunter, friends would ask me for advice and input concerning their careers all the time. Occasionally they would lament the fact they had sent out 100s of resumés and cover letters and had had no response.

“But have you followed up?” I would ask. Invariably, they had not. They simply expected the meetings, phone calls and jobs to arrive on a magic carpet along with the tooth fairy and Santa Claus.

The yoga industry is as crowded and competitive as any others you might care to name. What’s more, everybody’s inboxes are overflowing, so ‘Well I sent a follow-up email…’ is not going to cut it.

This is where the confidence piece comes in. I’m sure you might feel, as a new yoga teacher with no experience, that reaching out to follow up on your written efforts might appear cheeky, or even worse, desperate.

I have news – that’s what every other new teacher in your shoes is feeling so hold your head high and make sure you do one of three things:

Make a phone call, leave a message, be visible and top of mind
Pop into the studio, see if the manager is free for a coffee
Take a class and get to know the other teachers (a great option – try and do this anyway!)