Can teaching yoga support you financially?

I've been making a solid income as a yoga instructor since 2013, and without a doubt, my answer is a resounding yes.

Maybe you aspire to share the transformative power of yoga with others, and maybe you’re contemplating joining the Evoka | Sayulita Yoga School teacher training. But, the concern about financial stability could be holding you back.

There are many ways to not only recover your yoga teacher training investment but also thrive financially as a yoga teacher!

Potential starting part-time income for new teachers: If you are just starting out and willing to teach about 4 classes a week, a reasonable expection might be to make around $5000-$8,000/year (depending on where you live in the USA). That’s enough to recoup your investment in a teacher training and it’s a sizeable income for a side job that you may only work about 10 hours a week at.

How do you secure those first teaching opportunities and how do you level up and remain competitive to receive the best options?

You might be thinking there are already teachers in your local yoga studios and it will be hard to get your foot in the door. But there are numerous ways to begin your yoga teaching journey. And with consistency (that is the key!), you can make great money over time.

When I completed my yoga teacher training, I started teaching at gyms to get my foot in the door. There were two gyms, actually. One of the opportunities was at 6am! That was a tough one, but I did it to get started. A couple months after that, I was offered a class at a top studio in my area, Ashtanga Yoga OBX. That was a great opportunity because I was able to take yoga there as a teacher and continue learning. 13 years later, I still have great relationships with those students I worked with years ago.

Now I live in and teach at a top yoga studio in Sayulita, Mexico. There are yoga teachers coming into town every month looking for work, as this is a highly competitive and desireable place to teach yoga. Yet, I am turning down teaching opportunities all the time. I’m also sending those opportunities to the newer teachers I’m mentoring. Anyone who arrives in Sayulita with savvy skills can land a gig to teach in this competitive yoga hot spot. And I’m sure that goes for your location, too.

Within the Evoka | Sayulita Yoga School training, we delve into the strategies that empower yoga teachers to develop business, networking and marketing skills. We will teach you to cultivate an abundance mindset, generating invaluable connections, business skills and income. And importantly, we offer ongoing mentorship after the training to get you started.

We’ll go over all of this and more in the upcoming yoga teacher training! But you are here for solutions, so these are a few ideas that are great stepping stones to financial success as a new yoga teacher. Remember, just like a yoga practice, you must work consistently at your chosen endeavor to thrive and grow over time!

8 Ways to Generate Income as a New Yoga Teacher

Start out offering to sub! I can’t stress this enough. Subbing gets your foot in the door anywhere you want to teach. There will always be a need for subs. Share your resume and videos with yoga studios and other teachers in your area. Stay consistent and you may just get noticed quickly and be offered an opportunity. The more places you sub, the more connections you will make and the more clients you will meet.
Teach at gyms or community centers. Don’t limit yourself to working in yoga studios. Numerous gyms and community centers are looking to offer yoga classes in their group fitness rooms.
Corporate yoga or yoga for organizations. Offer a weekly yoga class or meditation where you work or explore some networking to find organizations open to hosting a class for you to teach.
Explore niche modalities. Specialize in yoga nidra, meditation, breathwork, sound healing, or other trending modalities to make your offerings attractive and in-demand at your local yoga studios.
Teach privates, 1:1 or small group. Use your social networks and create a website to offer yoga personal training sessions or small group private sessions.
Teach online via apps. Set up your own weekly online class with your social network or join the numerous apps that will connect you with paying clients. I can show you how to create a resume and find opportunites through and online mentoring session.
Teach yoga while traveling. Offer yoga classes at hostels or surf camps.
Offer yoga at special events. Be creative! Find breweries, healthy restaurants, farm markets, festivals, yoga apparel shops, dog rescues and other businesses to partner with to create a weekly yoga class or special event.

Can You Make A Living Working Full-Time in Yoga?

Short Answer: Yes! Longer answer: Not overnight, and it’s not easy.

There are so many creative ways to make money in yoga. Yes, you can do it full time, that’s what many of my colleagues do. Most do not make a living by teaching yoga classes alone, and I don’t recommend you make that your plan. Some are authors, some run studios, some fly around offering events and retreats, some have holistic shops, online courses… there’s an infinite amount of ways you can use your yoga backgrounds to make money. And in that way, the sky is the limit on what you can earn.

I recommend getting teaching experience while continually expanding your skills. You may want training in some niche interests (Reiki, Yoga Therapy, Massage, Health Coaching, for example). This allows for some diversification in your yoga career. For me, I specialize in online meditation and Reiki. I think it’s a realistic expectation for any sole business owners that you start out with a side hustle —in this case, yoga—while you work another job full-time. Save up, build experience and come up with a viable business plan to earn a living in yoga if that’s your desire.

Need More Ideas? Get Mentorship!

If you are already certified and looking for direction as a new yoga teacher or Reiki practitioner, consider a mentorship session. I can work help you 1:1 to create powerful offerings that help you share your talents.

Evoka | Sayulita School's 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training: Prosper with Your Passion of Teaching Yoga

Do you have a vision of generating income teaching yoga? Our 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and yoga immersion in Sayulita, Mexico is an investment that will help you transition to a career or side hustle teaching yoga. The possibilities for growth and opportunity are endless. We’ll help you identify your strengths, talents and passions and challenge you to weave them together to create powerful, money-making offerings. After the immersion, you will not just return home with a Yoga Alliance accredited 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training certificate, but with life-changing insight and practices to support your transformation.

Advice for Yoga Teachers: 8 Ways to Create Income and Thrive as a New Yoga Teacher