BBI Market Research

people who only read about yoga, and try to do it from an online resource are highly susceptible
to injury.

Yoga is an old way and the asanas are not always what a doctor or physical therapist would
have you do and can cause injuries in a practitioner who is not careful. This could be especially
true as one ages.

Below 12 years of age Yoga postures should not be practiced

because of covid so many studios closed, including mine.

I know people who have completed yoga training only to realise that particular style wasn”t for
them and so retarined in another style they preferred; an expensive mistake to make

Jobs are temporary.

The studios rarely have jobs open because of the glut of teachers that have been churned out
by this system, and they pay very little.

I think it will be hard to earn a living wage

The basic problem in my opinion is that the training required to be a competent yoga teacher is
equivalent to a master's degree. No matter how good a 200hr program is, it's just not enough
If you want to make a living teaching yoga, it won't happen from teaching normal classes at
studios, or even from opening your own studio.

Everyone I know who has opened their own STUDIO has struggled hugely to make ends meet,
and most of those that have survived had a partner/spouse with a steady income

The vast majority of teachers I know use teaching as a passion side job, not their main source
of income. Depending on the city, you might only be making $20-$50 per hour class, and even if
you taught 3 classes all 5 nights a week (an unlikely schedule to be able to get), that’s only
$39K/yr (and taxes will eat away 30-40% of that, leaving you with something closer to $25K.

Of the 10 or so yoga teachers I know, I think only one has it as her main source of income. You
can't really start fresh either

the yoga market is oversaturated IMO.

In 17 years, I’ve only known of a couple instructors who make their living solely by teaching (and
they have really simple lifestyles with no kids or other obligations - or they have a
spouse/partner who earns the main living).

I was traveling and accompanied someone to a “yoga class” that was taught at one of those
24/7 fitness gyms.

The drawback of only teaching classes on a weekly schedule is it can be draining.

Some students after a while will get to understand the poses and will make their own
adjustments that have previously been suggested by the teacher, others just don’t.
I have had some students who every lesson you have to remind them about a certain
adjustment or a certain prop they need in a particular pose even after months of attending the
class.

some students pay attention to everyone else in the class and how they are doing the poses
with less attention on their own pose.

certain instructions hit home with some students and not others and so finding different ways to
say the same thing is important.

each student can have certain poses they dislike and how the resistance to doing the pose
starts with just the mention of its name and how this negatively affects their ability then to do the
pose.

The con is having to work another full-time job in order to pay the bills.

many yoga teacher trainings do not give their graduates the skills or confidence to lead a class

it is difficult to be profitable in my area even as a part time teacher or studio owner.

The certification business has done much damage to Yoga

graduates lack any post-graduation support structure and usually either have a false sense of
competence and teach without continuing their education, or realize they didn't learn enough
and don't teach. Both of these are poor outcomes.

I've met piles of yoga teachers who went through 200hr training and none of them had solid
skills in how to work with injuries, teach to various populations, understand both anatomy and
functional anatomy, ethics, sequencing, cuing, adjustments, or were conversant in the sutras,
Gita, etc., or could explain how those texts can be applied to everyday situations.

I had to spend about 10k in government fees to open my yoga school

I teach 3 classes/week and make $400/month. After paying taxes as an independent contractor,
paying my own social security, twice (as employer and employee), gas, the countless hours
making playlist, writing sequence, studying biomechanics, working on alternate postures to
accommodate my usual students, arriving early for check in, closing the studio —I think I make
$1/hr! Lol!

Its nearly impossible to make a living out of teaching yoga.

I would rather a student come in and say they just wanted to relax in easy pose and breathe, vs
looking at everyone else's poses and try to do what they are doing.

Lately I've been doing some self reflection and studying to find out what exactly it is that makes
a yoga teacher a good teacher.

I am 29 years old, and currently work as a firefighter for the US Forest Service on a helicopter
crew. I make roughly $50k-$65k/year. That comes with over a thousand hours of overtime so I
really don’t have a life for the majority of the year.

I am more passionate about yoga than anything else in my life, I know yoga teacher training is
calling my name and I can’t avoid it.

I have a vision of becoming a Yoga instructor and opening up my own studio.

I’ve long considered becoming a yoga instructor, and I’m very close to making the leap.
As with most things, you will get out of it what you put in! Intention is everything, in yoga and in
life!

In the largest sense, yoga can be seen as a way of life, a way of living inharmony with the self
and the world, and a process by which the practitioner can move beyond her own previously
believed mental and physical limitations toachieve something new.

You have decided that it is time to do something for your mind and body? Then yoga is the right
choice. Concentration, flexibility and strength are equally promoted in this sport.

Yoga is a way of life. It is not merely a few exercises.

Not only does modern westernized yoga usually strip away almost everything but the asana
practice of Hatha Yoga (just one of many traditional forms of yoga), but even the asana practice
is applied very differently, in a way quite unusual or often unrecognizable to traditional yogis,
because it is used with a very different purpose

Some schools of traditional yoga don’t use or teach asanas at all, or only as a very minor part of
their practice.

I have more than a handful of students who were sent to me by their doctor or chiropractor
because of injuries sustained from not having an instructor teach them proper form, breathing,
modifications, and alignment.

We sell breathing as some magic calming trick but it really isn't that at all.

Yoga as physical exercise is a completely modern idea

Yoga is not something one learns and consequently can teach, it is a practice for a reason, it is
a conversation, not a diploma. I also agree that of course, has to communicate, some great
practitioners cannot really do that.

A sign of an immature or inexperienced teacher is that of one who will manipulate the teachings
to appear important, to pay tribute to his or her own ego.

please do not refer to yourself as Yoga Instructor if you are only going to be teaching Aasan.
Call yourself an Aasan Teacher, if you must give yourself a title.

The dirty little secret of the yoga world is that these “yoga teacher training programs” are not
actually preparing people for jobs. Yoga studios offer them because they don’t really understand
how to make money and teach their students appropriately.

Modern westernized yoga mainly focuses on fitness of the physical body, especially stretching
and flexibility

When physical exercises are used in traditional yoga, it’s usually just to help prepare the body
for longer periods of meditation. Traditional yoga doesn’t usually give the physical body much
more attention beyond that.

Vinyasa (flowing from posture to posture relatively quickly) is quite rare in traditional yoga, as
can be inferred from the word “asana” itself, which does not mean posture or position, but rather
“seat” - traditionally each asana was a position for meditation, held for at least twenty minutes,
often an hour or more.

The original form of yoga practiced in India is a sacred spiritual practice aimed at yoking the
yogi’s consciousness to the Divine Absolute Superconsciousness and thus attaining
enlightenment.
Yoga is not something one “does” for an hour, or something in which one completes a fixed
course and is now a qualified professional. It was never a way of making money. It is a way of
life

Many require rejecting worldly and materialistic pleasures, detaching from possessions, and
living a minimalistic lifestyle, such as eating only once a day.

Yoga is useful for a great flexibility and good health

Bikram hot yoga is great for weight loss and for athletes.

Improper form that can exacerbate an already painful or injured part of the body: Let's take
cobra. This is a classic and basic beginner yoga pose. But if you have lower back problems, and
your doctor prescribed yoga for pain relief, do you follow along with the programming, or do you
choose baby cobra, Sphinx or updog? Or do you skip it and go into child's pose because it is
counter indicated for lower back problems? It all depends on why you are in pain.

my students that have high blood pressure have in many cases lowered their blood pressure,
but there are modifications they are given to follow.

For me personally, learning to teach yoga rather than just taking classes shifted self-awareness
into high gear.

Every day you should practice Yoga for at least 30 to 45 minutes to get maximum results.

Clothes should be comfortable, loose, clean. Undergarments are necessary.

Yoga helps achieve relaxation which reduces stress & strain.

The only advice I can give is to try not to be that hard on yourself it will only make things worse.
There is nothing wrong with you, your breathing or your mind.

Dazzling technical virtuosity in teaching, asana, physiology, history, and philosophy aside, the
most important characteristic of a great yoga instructor is that he is relationally very intelligent.

The teacher's role is that of a guide who brings out the best in his students. He meets them
where they are. He teaches them that all body types have strengths and things they can work
on. Everyone is, therefore, equal.

I rehearse how I word instructions, including facial gestures, eye movements, tone of voice, and
touch.

At its most fundamental level, yoga teaching is all about guiding a student through a practice
that’s appropriate for their level of experience, physical and mental condition, and goals.

a good yoga teacher will monitor your BREATHING as a priority.

Great yoga teachers are empathetic.

Teacher continues practicing / studying / has a teacher

I find that the best teachers I've come into contact with have been light hearted, happy, creating
an environment of open search yet keeping it to the point, and the point is the teachings of
yoga.

A good Yoga teachers have an incredible influence on a yoga practice. For every style of yoga,
each teacher adds his or her personal touch and flair, making each class unique. Because of
these differences, some yoga teachers will affect you more than others.
No matter the size of the yoga class, our certified yoga instructors make everyone feel
comfortable and have an impact on each person so that the person feels like they belong. Every
great yoga teacher will touch the heart of their students in some way.

A great yoga instructor is a good communicator, is very knowledgeable about the postures and
the dangers of doing them wrong

The greatest Yoga teacher in India (net impact, inspiration and influence) is undoubtedly T
Krishnamacharya.

The best way to make a living as a yoga instructor, is to create your niche. Build your niche
around your Why to create the What.

you can make a decent wage if you can pack a room.

You can tell how good of a teacher you are by the feet who are returning

If you are not creating a base of repeat students, students come and go quickly, you need to
investigate the art & mastery of your teaching. Build language, cultural and community around
your brand.

Even the most experienced, well seasoned teachers have their limits and have to carefully
manage their expended energy.

Once you have developed into a well experienced teacher with a consistent student base,
schedule workshops.

If you are passionate about inversions, teach inversions that are accessible to everyone.
Workshops bring in money in a short amount of time. A workshop can be only one day. Most
people will find a 4–5 hour workshop reasonable, if you give them generous lunch time/breaks.
Creating a series of 4–6 weeks with each session no longer than 90 minutes will help build a
strong brand also.

If you take up the responsibility of conducting a 30 day Yoga workshop or course, make sure
you are punctual yourself & do not take any day off. Because Yoga begins with "Yama" i.e
Discipline (the first among 8 limbs of Yoga). If you are not disciplined yourself, it would set a bad
precedent to your students.

We notice the students who have done all the shopping and have the latest trendy yoga outfits
and those who just wear what’s comfortable and practical.

students’ ability changes as they come regularly to classes and we notice how this is even more
the case for those students who practice outside of the classes.

the mood of the class is affected by the energy we as the teacher projects and also how
sometimes you have to work harder to lift the class into a more receptive state.

My experience in being a yoga teacher has given me the ability to show up as a leader in every
area of my life.

the big money in yoga is earnt by teaching teachers

For me, the pro is having the privilege of sharing the wonderful gift of yoga as a spiritual practice
and helping students to establish their own daily private practice so that they can enjoy the
benefits as I have.
Teacher training programs are often the only expensive, profitable program that the studios
have to sell, so they must run them in order to keep their doors open.

Usually to be considered for a teaching job at a studio you might be asked to lead a class for its
owners and existing teachers, for observation and feedback.

Starting up classes on your own at your local community center, for instance can be more
profitable. Usually there are oodles of people looking for a convenient location close by to take a
class or take personal lessons. This is a great way to get some teaching hours and experience
under your belt.

A good teacher shows their success by the returning footprints, not the size of the class.

For me, it has taken a while. Lots of substitute teaching and lots of saying yes to any available
opportunity to remotely get anywhere

Young winos aren’t the only people who would like yoga. There’s the elderly, pregnant women,
children, people with physical jobs, etc. Start with free yoga in a park and see what comes
together.

I carry an instructors liability insurance policy that covers me if a student is hurt in class due to
my negligence

I'm a yoga teacher trainer in Bali. I make my living this way. When I teach for other schools
(freelance) I make between 3-4k for a 25 day training as the lead teacher. When I host my own
trainings, I make about 10-15k per 25-day YTT

I know a teacher who made 6 figures JUST through teaching a few (wealthy) private yoga
clients.