By Katie D’Onofrio
Getting connections in the yoga world can be difficult for new and upcoming teachers. With so much competition, how are you supposed to land teaching opportunities?
The answer: by creating your own! There are plenty of avenues to explore for teaching outside of a studio - avenues where you can build your own program, from the ground up. (If you missed that post, be sure to check it out here! Four Places to Teach Yoga That Aren’t A Studio.)
In order to ensure your efforts are successful, you’ll need to do a little work beforehand, though.
Whether you’re reaching out to a community center, library, school, or any other place you think yoga would be of value, here are the five things you will want to be in order to get your yoga series up and running.
1. Be persistent
When you are first initiating contact with someone who you’d like to be your host, remember: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Emails get lost, forgotten, and deleted all the time. Phone messages may be erased or never passed along. Don’t take this personally. Plus, while you are well-aware of the many benefits yoga has to offer, to someone who is less familiar with the practice, this type of inquiry may hit the bottom of the list (more on that in a bit).
If you don’t hear back in a couple of weeks, send a follow-up message. If you try again and still nothing, then perhaps this avenue isn’t the best one to explore. Communication is important in building a partnership, so if it’s this difficult to get a response from the get-go, you are likely saving yourself a headache in the future. Just know when to throw in the towel and move on to the next opportunity.
2. Be open
Maybe you really have your sights set on teaching in this astonishingly beautiful park, but you don’t hear back from the township. Don’t let this discourage you from exploring other alternatives!
As with most things, in this case it is not ideal to put all of your eggs in one basket. Send the invitation out to as many openings as possible. Realistically, you won’t receive responses from all of them. But if you’re able to secure a couple of successful ventures, you can use this experience as leverage to revisit some of the other opportunities at a later time.
You could score a recurring job teaching at your local library, and in a year, you’ll be an established member of the community, as well as have an extra year of teaching experience under your belt - maybe you can reach out to the park again. Patience is a virtue!
3. Be knowledgable
So you’ve started receiving responses - people are listening. Great! Now that you’ve got their attention, it’s time to deliver your message. You may very well be speaking with someone who doesn’t know the first thing about yoga. In this case, it will be up to you to convince them of yoga’s (many!) benefits.
A “Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga” information sheet is a simple yet beneficial tool to keep in your yoga teaching toolbox. It doesn’t have to be flashy or over the top - but it does have to be informational, persuasive, and truthful.
Some helpful questions to consider answering here include:
What is yoga?
What makes yoga different from other forms of exercise - or stretching?
I have an injury/illness - can I (or should I) practice yoga?
I’m not flexible - can I still do yoga?
Does yoga have any medical benefits?
The last question is typically a big ticket item. Again, be accurate and truthful in this response. Do your homework by seeking out - and keeping a list of - credible sources.
4. Be prepared
It’s possible that a location you reach out to will already have a yoga series of its own. If this is the case, you may be following pre-established guidelines. But whether you’re entering an ongoing program or creating a brand new one, be prepared to answer some questions:
How much will you charge?
What type of class(es) will you teach?
How many students are you comfortable teaching?
What prop(s) will you or will you not provide?
Will students need mats?
What levels is this class accessible to?
How many classes are you willing to teach?
The money conversation may be uncomfortable but is inevitable unless you are teaching a service/donation-based class. Consider what you think a fair rate would be, and be firm in your worth. Programs outside of studios will typically run cheaper than a studio program, which is part of their draw for most people, but you don’t want to undersell yourself.
If you aren’t sure where to start for a pricepoint, research some existing yoga programs in your community for an idea of how much to charge, or ask experienced local yoga teachers for some suggestions.
5. Be yourself
Remember, you are here to share your time and energy - not someone else’s - so your message should be authentically yours. Don’t feel as though you have to put on a persona of what you think a yoga teacher should be or what you think other people want a yoga teacher to be. Speak from your heart - this is what will resonate most with your new yoga students!
Katie is a Jersey-based yoga instructor and writer. She believes that yoga is for everybody and every body and loves to bring a sense of lightness, play, and self-discovery to her classes. When she’s not on the mat, she probably has her nose in a book. Follow her on Instagram at @KatieDonof