Strangely enough, last week I received two *very similar* emails from yoga teachers who are contemplating a big move and a big life transition.
Both ladies are thinking about moving to a new city and taking the leap towards becoming a full-time yoga teacher, and thus, had many similar questions for me re: entering a new yoga community, applying for teaching jobs, and putting yourself out there. So, I thought that I would use today's post to answer some of their questions, in hopes that they will be helpful to many more of you. Even if you're not moving to a new place to pursue teaching anytime soon, if you're a yoga teacher looking to put yourself out there a bit more, much of the information below may still apply... How do you approach entering a new yoga community? The good thing about yoga communities is that they are one of the most welcoming types of communities around (from my experience). If you want to be involved, if you put yourself out there, if you take lots of classes in your first few weeks in your new city and introduce yourself to the teachers and people at the studios you visit, you can quickly feel at home and meet lots of new people. When I moved to both Cape Cod and DC, I researched all of the local yoga studios before I moved. I had an idea of what kind of studios were out there and was able to get a feel for the yoga in these new places without even visiting. I asked around and was given a name or two of acquaintances of acquaintances, and emailed them out of the blue to ask about the yoga scene and get information from a someone on the "inside." Having a community insider give you advice and/or info before you move is a big help, and can make you feel much more at ease entering a new community. How do you approach new yoga studios? Do you take classes first? Show up with your resume? Send them an email? First and foremost, I want to say that I don't recommend cold-calling or sending random emails to studios that you haven't even visited. When I managed Tranquil Space Arlington, we would often get emails to our general inbox "applying" to be a teacher at our studio, from people who had never been to the studio, had no idea what we were about, taught a type of yoga that wasn't a good fit for our studio, AND didn't even realize that we only hired teachers from our own training program. I was always shocked that someone would want to teach at a studio that they had never been to, but also that they would apply so impersonally. Here's how I recommend you do it/what has worked for me:
What does a yoga resume look like? I feel like the best way to explain what a yoga resume looks like is just to share my own. Thus, if you're interested in a template, you can download mine here. Hope it's helpful! Do most places ask you to audition? What are auditions typically like? I've found that this varies per studio. I have been hired at studios that didn't ask me to audition, I've had owners come to my classes at other studios and called that my "audition," and I've had formal auditions that are anywhere from 15-minutes to 75-minutes. It is always different. However, if you are asked to audition, here's what I recommend:
What other advice do you have re: taking this big leap? If possible, try to have a few other options up your sleeve (for financial reasons). It can take a little while to establish yourself in a new place, and it's nice if you have a few other sources of income (even if they're small-ish), so that you aren't freaking out about becoming a full-time yoga teacher in just a few weeks. By next month, I'll be teaching 8 regular classes per week here on the Cape (my self-imposed max for now), but it took me 4 months to get to this point. If you don't have other ways to make money (for me it has been painting, Etsy, blogging, consulting, and e-courses), then be open to taking on a part-time job for a little while, or doing some freelance work, if you need to. You could try to work at the front desk of a yoga studio (if they aren't hiring teachers at the moment), or search Craigslist for part-time help that might be needed on a temporary basis. You may not need to do this, but it's nice to know that you have other ways to make money if the transition takes a bit longer than you hoped. Also, don't be afraid to say no to opportunities that aren't the right fit for you. Since moving here, I have politely said no to a few opportunities that felt like they wouldn't be the best use of my time and energy in a new place. Although it can be scary to turn something down, if your gut says no, listen to it and save yourself for the classes that are a better fit. So, in closing, I want to remind you of this: The yoga world is different than the corporate world. Every studio is different and there isn't a basic guideline for how the hiring process goes. Some of the places where I've been hired haven't even asked to see my resume [When I offered it they said, "That isn't necessary."] Some places have required auditions, and some haven't. Some have asked me to tea so that we could meet, and have hired me on the spot, and some haven't replied for weeks, only to then email me back with interest. You have to just put it all out there, roll with the punches, and see what happens. That being said, I hope you go for it! It's an exciting challenge, an exciting time, and in the end, it's very worth it to do what you love and spend your days working with people, being active, and breathing deeply (ahhhhhh). I hope this is helpful and good luck out there!
{July 2015 Update} Want to learn more about these topics? I've written an eBook all about the business of yoga:
HOW TO EARN A LIVING TEACHING YOGA: A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR YOGA TEACHERS
Erin
2/11/2014 02:02:00 am
Thanks so much for sharing this, MC. Such important information and insight that is often too scary to ask about! xo, E
Marina
2/21/2014 04:45:26 am
So so helpful. Thank you for taking the time to put this together and providing encouragement!
Hannah
2/2/2015 01:31:22 am
Thank you so much for sharing this, I found really helpful!
Megan Soules
2/19/2015 08:25:26 pm
Thank you, this was very helpful as I am currently in the process of relocating to the DC area! I am excited to check out studios and I agree with everything you said! Thank you for putting this together!!!
Jenn
8/3/2015 03:15:03 am
The link to buy the book is not working- is there another link I can try? Thank you for providing this information to teachers- information on the business side of yoga is very limited and this is a great help:)
Mary Catherine
8/3/2015 04:22:23 am
Thanks for pointing this out, Jenn! The links have been fixed--enjoy!
Caroline
11/11/2015 02:45:23 pm
Thank you for this. Perfectly said. Comments are closed.
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HELLO!I'm Mary Catherine, a Cape Cod-based yoga teacher, painter, designer, writer, mom, and list-maker extraordinaire. My goal is to inspire you to start living a more creative, simple, joyful, + purposeful life.
{Learn more + read my story}
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