By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Most graduates of 200-hour Yoga certification courses have sufficient qualifications to teach Yoga classes. There is much emphasis placed upon knowing everything; yet, there is so much to know. If you are waiting to know everything, before you teach Yoga classes; you will never begin your teaching journey.
If you train in any profession, you have to start somewhere, while learning from continuing education and on-the-job experience. When one decides to become a Yoga teacher, 200 hours of study is entry level training. In comparison to similar fields, new Yoga teachers have a respectable amount of training and study.
However, with all the technical and philosophical training involved, many new teachers have no idea how to find employment. At the same time, interns spend much of their energy, and financial resources, with no guidance concerning how to find a Yoga teaching position. Therefore, consider the following questions and guidelines when you evaluate a course.
Does your prospective course contain any business or marketing materials? Someone may convince you that business and marketing is evil, but your Yoga teacher training is not free. There are reasons for sending a person up a creek, without a paddle, and none of them are good.
Are there any Yoga teacher employment-seeking materials provided by a real studio owner? How to find employment is a vital skill that a Yoga teacher should know. With that said, Yoga is a unique field, where hard sell marketing tactics rarely work. In fact, people from all walks of life are often tired of hearing a hard sell. People hang up on telemarketers, and walk out of the room, when a commercial is on the television.
How to find a position as a Yoga teacher is not that difficult. Prepare yourself with the following tips, and you will find optimum success.
Design a resume and a cover letter, similar to the way you would construct one for the corporate world. Present yourself on paper the same way you would if you were seeking any other professional position. If you have difficulty, hire a resume writer or have your friends proofread your resume and a cover letter.
Create a position. Let’s face it; most studios do not hire graduates from other schools. Why would a Bikram school hire a Kripalu teacher and vice-versa? Schools often hire from within. It is much easier for an Iyengar school to hire Iyengar teachers.
So, how do you create a Yoga teaching job? Think outside the Yoga studio. There are many opportunities outside of the studios. The sky is the limit, when you consider networking with chiropractors, psychologists, family physicians, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, psychiatrists, businesses, schools, condo complexes, fitness centers, corporate wellness centers, and many more opportunities.
© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
If you are a Yoga teacher, Yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!
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