There are numerous benefits of yoga teacher training, each of which will help to improve your personal wellbeing and prepare you for a career within the industry.
With this article, you’ll learn the reasons why yoga teacher training is so important, as well as a key insight into how you can make the most out of your qualifications.
Table of Contents:
- #1 – Deepen Your Practice
- #2 – Provide Students With A High-Quality Service
- #3 – Develop Your Knowledge Of The Human Body
- #4 – Learn to Teach Safely
- #5 – Look More Desirable for Employers
- #6 – Explore Different Styles
- #7 – Allows You to Develop Your Earning Potential
- #8 – You Can Work Abroad
- #9 – Help Deepen Your Understanding Of The Practice’s History
- How To Get The Most Out Of Your Yoga Teacher Training Benefits
But first, the best way to experience the full range of benefits of yoga teacher training is through effective training. With OriGym’s Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training Course, you’ll receive a comprehensive experience that will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to thrive.
Download our course prospectus for more information or read our definitive guide – How to Become a Yoga Teacher.
9 Key Reasons Why You Should Do Yoga Teacher Training
#1 – Deepen Your Practice
One of the many benefits of yoga teacher training is that you can use it to deepen your own practice. For example, going through this process can help you:
- Learn about yoga’s physiology and how it impacts your body.
- Improve your personal concentration and awareness levels.
- Become more mindful of your own alignments when practising.
Throughout the course of your teacher training you will be given feedback from your tutors. This will highlight areas which you excel in, and what you can do to improve your overall practice.
For example, you could receive corrections on how to effectively employ breathing techniques. This correction wouldn’t typically be available in a regular yoga class, therefore you can immediately see how teacher training is all about the finer details.
In addition to aspects of physicality, yoga teacher training will also place a greater emphasis on spirituality.
Typically, training providers will have a module dedicated to this very topic, on which you will learn about teachings such as chakras and koshas. In turn, you will then be able to pass these teachings onto your own students once you’re fully qualified.
#2 – Provide Students With A High-Quality Service
When considering a yoga teacher training course, it’s important to think about your future students. With the proper training, the skills and knowledge acquired on these courses will allow you to enhance their overall experience during your classes.
In particular, during yoga teacher training it’s important that you learn how to successfully plan and run a class for a variety of students.
These skills are crucial in performing responsibilities associated with the role of yoga instructor, such as:
- Explaining the purpose of the session at the start of a class
- Offering detailed instructions on how to perform each asana safely
- Suggesting corrections and amendments to those struggling
- Providing guided meditation to close classes
Following the completion of yoga teacher training, you’ll be better equipped to perform each of these duties for your class, thanks to the set of specialist skills you will have developed.
Following the completion of a Level 3 yoga teacher qualification, you’ll be better equipped to perform each of these duties for your class, thanks to the set of specialist skills you will have developed.
For example, strengthening your communication skills will be a key component of this qualification, as it allows you to perform each of the aforementioned responsibilities.
The necessity of this particular skill is stressed throughout the industry, as evident from this yoga teacher job description:
Example – Yoga Teacher Job Description
With formal yoga teacher training, you’ll be able to effectively communicate with your students both during and outside of class, in a way that will help them to continuously learn and grow as yogis.
#3 – Develop Your Knowledge Of The Human Body
Once this knowledge has been acquired, you’ll be able to:
- Provide detailed guidance on how to perform specific asanas
- Outline the benefits of each asana and where the pressure should be felt
- Prevent injuries by adapting poses to suit the needs of specific students
This is one of the biggest benefits of yoga teacher training, making you a more well-rounded professional.
#4 – Learn To Teach Yoga Safely
Yoga is well-known for healing for certain injuries, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt whilst practising it! Through yoga teacher training, you will learn how to plan and conduct classes in a safe and nurturing environment.
Injuries and accidents can occur in any yoga class, so as the instructor you need to take steps to minimise this risk. Beginner classes are especially at risk for injury, as students are not familiar with the correct alignment and movement.
They may also push themselves too far, fall from an unstable position, or try to compete with the students around them. Below are some general guidelines for teaching safely that you will learn through training:
- Be Aware: Watch your students at all times. Whilst teaching, your number one priority should not be your own practice, but rather the safety of students. Demonstrate the asanas, then come out of the position to observe.
- Recognise Potential Injury: Some poses lend themselves more to injuries than others when not performed correctly. A common injury in yoga is a pulled hamstring, which is often caused by overstretching in a seated position.
- Focus on Alignment: Don’t encourage anyone to ‘take it to the next level’ if they haven’t mastered the technique from the ground up. Teach your students at their level, not yours.
When all these steps are implemented correctly you can minimise the risk of injury as much as possible, creating a safe environment for you and your students.
#5 – Look More Desirable to Employers
The yoga industry is unregulated, which means there you are technically not required to hold a qualification in order to teach yoga classes professionally. This allows other fitness professionals such as personal trainers to teach yoga.
But just because you can teach yoga professionally without a qualification doesn’t mean that you should. Instead, by taking the time to go through the process of yoga teacher training you will better your career prospects, by presenting yourself as a fully rounded candidate.
Many employers will often state that you need to hold a qualification with a minimum of 200-hours of guided learning. This is often regarded as a national standard and can be seen in the following advert for Virgin Active:
Most providers will conform to this national standard, with others such as our own Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training course providing double this with over 400-hours of guided learning.
Having this qualification under your belt means you’ll be regarded as a more desirable candidate, who sought training in order to better develop their understanding of the practice.
From this experience, you will gain valuable skills and knowledge that can then be transferred to a class environment.
#6 – Explore Different Styles
Yoga teacher training also benefits you in the sense that it allows you to explore different styles of yoga, far beyond just a holistic class. As a result, you’ll broaden your horizons, allowing you to incorporate a variety of teachings into your classes.
The different types of yoga you study will depend on your training provider, but some of the most popular examples include:
Learning about these various styles of yoga can benefit you in the sense that it could highlight a particular area that you excel in. As a result, you could decide to host these classes exclusively, working in specialist studios as a result.
But the real benefit of learning multiple different styles is that it can better your approach to teaching specialist populations. Students that fall into this category include:
- Pregnant women
- Elderly people
- Those with disabilities
With this advanced knowledge you will know how different asanas can be amended in order to ensure they’re safe for these populations to conduct.
For example, for students who have trouble standing for long periods, you could incorporate yoga chair asanas, such as sun salutation arms from a seated position.
#7 – Allows You to Develop Your Earning Potential
Advanced Level 4 yoga teacher training will allow you to further develop your knowledge and understanding of the practice, whilst specifically honing your focus on one of the aforementioned various styles.
As a result of this dedication to your practice, you will be able to increase your earning potential by teaching specialist classes/studios.
Take this specialist Ashtanga Yoga studio in Glasgow as a great example:
Compare these prices with the more traditional yoga studio ElevenEleven in Liverpool, and the differences become immediately apparent:
The specialist ashtanga studio is able to charge £100 for a 10 class pass, compared to the £90 price of the holistic studio. From these pricing structures we can see why yoga teacher training within a specialist area can be financially beneficial for your business.
Therefore, when discussing the benefits of yoga teacher training, we can say that it provides the potential to price your packages slightly higher than those without that specialism.
For more relevant information on this topic, check out our exploration on how to make money as a yoga instructor.
#8 – You Can Work Abroad
Teaching yoga abroad is another viable career option to pursue following the completion of your teacher training course. This is a fantastic opportunity that will allow you to work in exotic locations making memories that will last a lifetime.
Like many employers here in the UK, those looking to hire yoga teachers abroad will typically ask applicants to hold a set qualification – a Level 3 in yoga teacher training to be exact.
Websites such as Yoga Travel Jobs are great resources for looking for jobs abroad, you can even filter your search using specific keywords and locations.
Example – Yoga Travel Jobs
Those who are interested in these positions will work in either a freelance or contracted capacity working for a fixed salary. For example, take a look at this advertisement we found on Yoga Travel Jobs, depicting a zero hour contract in Greece:
This advertisement also highlights some of the perks that comes along with this job role, including:
- Fixed salary
- A room for the duration of your stay
- Meals provided
- Personal time to enjoy the sites
When discussing why yoga teacher training is so beneficial, we can therefore state that it provides you with the opportunities to travel the world, all whilst gaining more experience teaching the practice you love.
One thing to be aware of when deciding to pursue work abroad is that typically these kinds of contracts will be available on a seasonal basis. This is due to the fact that typically hotels will be busier during specific periods of the year.
For example, peak seasons in places like Greece would be the summer months of June to September, whereas in Australia they would be December to March.
Our article discussing how to get started teaching yoga abroad can provide further insight into this topic.
#9 – Helps Deepen Your Understanding Of The Practice’s History
The history of yoga is rich and vast, with the practice tracing its roots over 5,000 years ago in northern India.
The practice took off in the Western world in the late 1890s when Indian monks sought to spread the knowledge for the first time. One of the primary reasons yoga became so popular was the connection students felt with the practice’s deep spiritual history.
As an instructor, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the history is passed along, in order to allow modern-day students to develop the same connection.
In doing so, you’ll be passing on yoga’s storied history, which will help to enhance the practical element of your teachings, and may even increase the enjoyment of those in attendance. We can therefore state it helps to incorporate an element of theory into the practice.
Along with offering practical demonstrations, you will be able to offer students insight into topics such as the history of specific asanas and movements, as well as their practical and psychological benefits.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Yoga Teacher Training
Now that we’ve covered the various benefits of yoga teacher training, this section will focus more on what you should look out for when deciding on a course provider, in order to get the best possible experience for your money.
#1 – Study With An Accredited Institution
Due to the fact that yoga as a practice is unregulated, some courses won’t be accredited by recognised bodies.
As a result, these providers will only teach their students the bare minimum and may not even be recognised in the eyes of employers.
OriGym’s Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training qualification is regulated by Ofqaul and awarded by Focus Awards for example. This accreditation helps to ensure that all our students are working from an approved curriculum, set to a national standard.
This form of accreditation helps to ensure that all yoga qualifications in the UK impart the same set of knowledge and skills, guaranteeing the quality of teaching in the industry.
In addition to all of this, OriGym’s yoga teacher training course is also CIMSPA endorsed (The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sports and Physical Activity) which helps to further legitimise its authenticity.
#2 – Course Length & Content Are Key Factors
This qualification will require time and dedication on your behalf, therefore, you should also consider the length and content of the course itself.
One of the benefits of choosing to study with OriGym is that our course is completed through a blended learning approach.
This combines both virtual learning through OriGym’s e-Learning platform and in-person workshops run from one of our national locations.
On average, students take 4 months to graduate from OriGym’s yoga teacher training course.
In terms of content, we have already touched upon some of the modules that we cover on this course, which include:
- Anatomy & Physiology for Yoga
- Health and Safety during Yoga
- Planning a Level 3 Yoga Session
- Delivering a Yoga Session
But one of the added benefits of yoga teacher training with OriGym is that we offer 400 hours of guided learning.
This is double the usual expectation (most courses only provide 200 hours), a factor which will provide you with more support throughout the duration of your studying.
#3 – Support During The Course & Support After Certification
The difference between a good provider and a great one is the additional support they offer to their students. So, why take yoga teacher training with OriGym?
During the Course
Once enrolled, students will receive immediate access to OriGym’s e-Learning platform. This is packed with valuable resources that will be of great assistance to your studying, including:
- Online lectures
- Exercise library
- Quizzes
- Assignments
Should assistance be required at any point, our students will have access to our tutor and staff support team 7 days a week. This can be used for general queries regarding your studies, or for moments when you require additional motivation.
This support can be accessed through:
- Phone
- Chat Box
We want every student to get the most out of their experience with OriGym, and will strive to always offer the utmost support to all those who require it.
Post-Course Support
OriGym offers a range of post-course support options, including:
- Business consultation, including a CV analysis. During these meetings, our team of industry experts will provide advice on strengthening job applications for potential employers.
- Interview preparation workshops which are especially beneficial for those who don’t have experience in this field.
- Alumni system, providing advice on how you can strengthen your job applications in order to be more desirable to potential employers.
Before You Go!
The benefits of yoga teacher training have been discussed at length throughout this article. From this, you will now be able to clearly see how earning the qualification can benefit your future career.
Earning your Level 3 Yoga Diploma with OriGym can help set you up for a successful future career. Our team of dedicated tutors will impart vital theoretical and practical knowledge, and will later be on hand to offer post-course support.
By downloading OriGym’s course prospectus you can learn more about additional courses to help increase your overall earnings.
