I officially received my 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher certificate this week! It’s funny, I’ve been teaching pretty regularly for a couple of months now but for some reason getting this piece of paper signed by Mitchel and Tracy was so exciting!

Every step on the journey to becoming a yoga teacher is invigorating, enlightening, and of course a little scary. I think for me, after finishing up our last weekend of teacher training, was when the nerves set in.  It all becomes a little more real.

You might start to question yourself…“Can I actually teach yoga?” “Who will I teach?” “Where will I teach?” “Will I make enough money teaching yoga?” “What if I’m a bad teacher?”

Well I’m here to tell you that you can teach yoga! You will find people to teach somewhere.  You will make some money and you will be awesome. 

I am three months post Yoga Teacher Training and I’m grateful that I have had plenty of teaching opportunities. Though, it wasn’t all just by luck.  I was proactive and made sure that I dove in head first, because well for me, that’s the only way you can get started.  I recently read over on Brooke Robert’s blog to “start before you’re ready.” 

I think that’s some pretty wise advice.  Because if you don’t start now, well when will you ever?

Here’s a few things I made sure to do when I completed Yoga Teacher Training.

• Find studios near your home.  Be a student there. Practice there. Meet the teachers, the owner, introduce yourself.  Ask if you can get on the sub list.
• Look for donation based teaching opportunities in your community.  Often churches, towns, or athletic brands will offer free classes.  Introduce yourself to these people.
• Look for a space you can use for free and invite your friends via social media.  One of my fellow trainees did a great job at this.  She had an art studio space, made a Facebook group, scheduled a few classes at the same time for a few weeks, and did a great job promoting it.
• If you work in an office, ask if you can teach after work or during lunch.  All you might need is proof of liability insurance and your certificate.
• Update your paper resume and your LinkedIn.  Yoga teachers are business people too.  Your teaching is your own business.  Treat it like that, promote yourself, and network.
• Think outside of the box.  There are so many different ways you can start teaching that don’t include getting on a schedule in a studio.  For example, I am teaching a high school football team to add a different element to their training.
• Say yes to new opportunities, but say no if it’s too much.  The last thing you want to do is burn yourself out.  Especially if you are teaching yoga on the side or on top of working full time.  Say yes to as much as you can handle, and don’t feel guilty for passing on an opportunity.
• Be patient.  Opportunities will come when it’s right for you.  Some people finish training and decide they might not want to even teach right away.  Everyone’s journey is different and your journey is perfect for you at that moment.

My journey has brought me to places I never thought I would be just a year ago.  I am so unbelievably grateful for the opportunities I have had so far in Yoga Teaching.  It’s scary to step outside of your comfort zone, to do something you’ve never done before, but that’s how we change, and that’s how we grow.

Has anyone else out there completed a yoga teacher training? What was your experience like after you finished?