Many people dream of a way to travel the world and get paid for doing something you love. Teaching Yoga abroad is a great way to support yourself in many countries around the world. Yoga has become such a popular practice all around the world which has made it a lot easier for traveling teachers to find a good gig!
In my time abroad, I taught yoga in Seoul and also in Ho Chi Minh. Both experiences were completely different but I'll explain the details below.
As an English-speaking Yoga teacher living abroad, I found that many expats were craving Yoga classes taught in English. This opened up a unique market for me to share my passion with other expats while I was living abroad.
1. Know the requirements you'll need
- RYT 200 Certification
- Relevant Teaching Experience
While I was certified before moving abroad, there's also plenty of places around the world where you can do your yoga teacher training abroad. Due to the incredible worldwide popularity of yoga, you can find yoga courses abroad all around the world. Or hey, if you're already fully trained, you might even be able to become one of these teachers training others just like yourself!
2. Choose which environment you'd like to teach in
There are many avenues that you can take as a Yoga Teacher living abroad.
There are many teachers who travel from place to place offering specialized workshops or retreats. Some teachers teach at resorts where they can live all expenses paid. Some teachers rent a space and teach to an informal group, while others find studios in their city and seek out employment opportunities.
Teach an informal group
I have taught in an informal group in South Korea, while I was also teaching abroad in Seoul, and at a studio, while also teaching English in Vietnam, so I can speak to those experiences.
The informal settings are obviously the least strict with the requirements and are really great ways for you to get experience teaching a group before applying to schools, resorts, or studios around the world.
Teaching in an informal group is a great and comfortable way to gain experience as a teacher and make like-minded friends.
When I arrived in South Korea, I was lucky to find that a few of my co-workers were members of a group of Expat-Yogis and they happened to be looking for a new teacher!
If the stars don’t align that way for you, the best way to find an informal group is through social media
Many groups will have a Facebook page that you can connect with and you can market yourself by offering a style of Yoga that they don’t already have or by offering new time-slots that allow more people to enjoy yoga throughout the week!
Teaching in an informal setting is a really fun side-gig and allows the teacher to keep all of their income rather than getting a cut from a studio. However, it can be hard to attract new students, you have to seek out and rent a practice space, and you have to rely on students bringing their own mats and necessary props.
If you're a certified P.E. in home country, you can also consider teaching P.E. at international schools in Dubai and other cities.
Teach classes at a yoga studio
Teaching in a studio is a more formal experience but still a great way to connect with like-minded people in your new city.
Teaching in a studio offers a more stable client-base and access to all of the studios resources. Working in a studio also means more responsibility such as handling cash and paperwork as well as cleaning and locking up the studio after your classes. Studios will also have requirements for registering new students so you have to be prepared to follow more procedures when working at a studio.
When you arrive in a new city, research different Yoga studios in the area.
I recommend trying some classes at different studios so that you can feel out the vibe of each studio.
Practicing at a studio before you apply for a job is a great way for the people at the studio to get to know you and see your practice.
Once you have scouted out a studio that you would be interested in teaching in, reach out to the owner of the studio to see if there are any job opportunities. If you know the studio owner personally, you can speak to them in person and ask if the studio has a need for any new teachers. If you have not yet met the owner, send an email to them introducing yourself, your experience, and your interest in working at their studio.
This is your chance to really market yourself!
Tell the studio owner what makes you unique as a teacher, what you can offer to the studio, and why you would make a great addition to the studio. If the studio doesn’t currently have any openings, you can offer to be an on-call sub. Subbing is a great way to form a relationship with the studio and the students so that when an opening becomes available, they are already comfortable with your teaching style and know that you are someone they can count on.
Teach at a resort or host your own workshops around the world
I haven't done either one yet but I know they are both possible. Browse resort's websites for job opportunities or send them an email with your experience to see if they're hiring. You can also utilize your LinkedIn account to find jobs abroad. While not always the case, you might need an internationally recognized yoga teacher training to have the best chance to getting hired.
Yoga has continued to grow in popularity so many big resorts are starting to hire their own in-house yogis to teach vacationers.
I also know some well-know yogis have started teaching workshops in different cities. For this to work, you'll need to be able to grow your own following of people around the world that would be interested in your workshops.
It can also work by reaching out on expat groups in cities you visit with a special offer for a unique class.
3. Show off your skills & market yourself!
After you have marketed yourself to the studio owner, resort manager or even convinced some friends to join you in an informal lesson, they will usually request that you teach a demo class. Your demo class is your golden opportunity to show the studio what makes your style unique and why you would be a great addition to the team! Make a super fun playlist and plan out your demo-class ahead of time so you don’t draw a blank if you start getting nervous!
When you’re teaching your demo class, remember to be yourself and teach as naturally as you would in any other class so that everyone can get a feel for who you are.
Once you’ve landed your studio gig, make personal relationships with your students! It’s a great way to make friends but also to give your students a reason to look forward to each class. Find out what your students are interested in learning and tailor your classes so that they feel like they’re progressing and learning something new week by week.
Keep your playlists fresh and offer a variety of postures in each class so your students don’t get bored!
If you’re teaching yoga full-time, it can be easy to become stagnant so try to draw inspiration from other teachers as well!
4. Understand how payment works
Studios will usually pay a flat rate for each class or pay a percentage per student that attends each class. There are benefits to both options.
Flat-rate pay offers more stability and you know what you will get for each session whereas getting paid per student offers an opportunity to get a big payout for larger classes. Keeping your classes fresh and fun gives you an opportunity to attract more clients and earn more money.
If you are interested in teaching Yoga full-time, it’s helpful to have an open schedule with a lot of availability so you can pick up as many classes as possible. It can also be helpful to be certified in different styles of Yoga so that you can offer a variety of classes.
Will You Teach Yoga Abroad?
Teaching Yoga is a great way to live abroad and to connect with like-minded communities around the world. The key is to market yourself and to be confident in what makes you special as a Yoga Teacher and before you know it, you'll also be an international yoga instructor.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and share your passion with yogis around the world!
All picture (other than hero) by depositphotos.com.