Do’s and Don’ts for Every Yoga Teacher (Wait Till you See the Last one!)

Updated: October 17, 2023

By Kim Bassan, content writer

Whether you are a newbie yoga teacher or an experienced yoga instructor, there are certain do’s and don’ts that you should know about. 

But first things first: In my opinion, teaching yoga is a privilege. I mean it’s the dream job so we should approach it with respect. 

Clients and students come to our yoga classes in order to feel better, deal with stress, heal body and soul, and embark on a new wellness journey. Therefore, you’ll want to be the best yoga teacher for your students, and there are a few things to know before you start teaching.

So, before you open your own studio, get hired as a yoga instructor or stream classes virtually, here are the do’s and don’ts for every yoga teacher. And, psst: wait till you see the last one on our list!

How to Start Teaching Yoga?

As with everything in life, we need to prepare before we start something. 

We said it before and we’ll say it again: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So, before you start teaching yoga, you should review our 5 simple steps to take before teaching a yoga class. 

But wait a minute, let’s reverse back. How did we get to where we are today? How do you become a yoga instructor so that you can actually start teaching?

How to Become a Yoga Instructor?

If you love yoga and you’re looking for ways to deepen your yoga practice – we get you. You are not alone and we are here for you. 

The yoga industry is growing every day and now is the best time to pursue your passion as a career. 

Whether a side hustle or a full-time career, teaching yoga is a popular job! Maybe it’s due to the perks and privileges that yoga teachers experience or maybe it’s because teaching yoga can be a good source of income. In either case, yoga teachers have the dream job. And we are here to tell you how to become a yoga instructor. 

For starters, you should choose good yoga teacher training and become a certified yoga teacher. However, you can even teach yoga without a certification…

How to Get Hired as a Yoga Teacher?

If you’ve just finished your yoga teacher training and are looking for a place to start teaching then let’s get down to business.

Getting hired as a yoga instructor can be challenging at times but not with Pretzel Kids! 

To help you out, we decided to break down the hiring process into four digestible steps:

1. Ask the yoga school you took your training with for teaching opportunities.
2. Connect with a yoga studio near you.
3. Expand your network with word-of-mouth marketing.
4. Join the social media bandwagon!

If you are ready to start teaching yoga, then head over to our full guide to learn on how to get hired after yoga teacher training.

How to be a Successful Yoga Teacher?

You’ve just finished your teacher training and officially became a yoga instructor. Now what?

It’s time to get hired as a yoga teacher and start teaching classes! Hold back your horses.

Teaching classes is the best job ever but it also comes with responsibility. As an instructor, your students will naturally look up to you as a for health and wellness inspiration and that’s why you want to be the best yoga teacher that you can be.

However, this doesn’t come with specific and rigid requirements. Every yogi has their own personality and style, and you want to make sure you excel in your yoga niche. As long as you are passionate about teaching, you should strive to grow your knowledge.

Do’s and don’ts for every yoga teacher

If you want to get hired as a yoga instructor, here are the things you should absolutely do:

Learn Yoga from a Reputable Yoga School

We cannot stress this enough. Yet, with so many yoga school options out there, it’s hard to choose the best yoga certification but this is your foundation and you want to make sure you have a strong understanding of the basics. If you invest in a good training program, you’ll gain more knowledge and hopefully attract more students. More yoga clients = higher income!

Pursue Continuing Education in Holistic Medicine

Knowledge is power. There are so many reasons why you should continue your education in the health industry. The more you know, the better you can serve your students. In addition, you will also open yourself to a whole new field that needs you! 

Find Your Yoga Niche

What does a niche mean? Is that some kind of a quiche? That just got us hungry for more!

We’re here to tell you what a yoga niche is and why you should find one. 

For starters, a niche is a yoga specialty. Basically, a niche gives you a way to set yourself apart in the crowded yoga space – a way to specialize and be an expert. This means a higher chance to get hired as a yoga instructor and make more money!

Make Yoga Inclusive

Teach yoga for everybody and every body. If you want to be a successful yoga teacher and make more money, then we can’t stress this one enough. 

If you are a true yogi then you already know that one of the most important principles of yoga is non-judgment and you should preach this value in your classes. So, that may mean slowing down with your asana terms during class, offering modifications, using props and even learning how to teach yoga for disabilities. Yoga welcomes everybody!

Here at Pretzel Kids, we try to stick to the positive so for the ‘don’ts for every yoga teacher’, we decided to keep it short and sweet because we know that you are already the best yoga teacher you can be! 

But you asked and we listened. Here are the key things not to do in a yoga class:

• Don’t come unprepared – prepare and plan a yoga class (but if you’re reading this then you’re already ahead of the game)
• Don’t stress! Yoga helps calm you down. So, practice what you preach and practice yoga for yourself as well. Use calming breathing techniques to relax before teaching yoga or do self-care practices that will help you focus.
• Don’t teach without protection – Do yourself a favor and simply get yoga liability insurance. We highly recommend beYogi and if you are a Pretzel Kids member, then you’ll also enjoy exclusive discounts!
• Don’t use complicated yoga jargon – this is a don’t mixed with a do! But all in all, you want to make yoga inclusive and accessible for everyone. Using complicated yoga terms will not win you respect. Instead, you’ll get a class of confused yogis who don’t know how to get out from a pretzel shape.

As much as we love pretzels here at Pretzel Kids, we want to make your yoga students love you just as much as we do. That’s why we decided to finish with a sweet note and share with you our final, exclusive DO.

The Most Absolutely Important DO!

Become a kids yoga teacher! 

Yoga for kids is in high demand all around the world. There are so many places you can teach: you can teach in schools, lead classes for toddlers, specialize in teaching preschoolers…there’s a wide range of options for you to choose from! 

This is the true dream job. It’s like getting paid to be happy!

If you’ve read this far, then you already know that you should learn from the best yoga school, pursue continuing education and find your yoga specialty, Thankfully, we are here for you. Pretzel Kids offer you all of the above in just one simple step. Connect with us today and start teaching yoga tomorrow!