by Ely Bakouche: If you’re wondering how to become a successful yoga teacher, you’re not alone…
This is a question that so many yoga teachers face.
The truth is that yoga helps us find solutions to our problems, but not everyone goes to class for the same reasons or in the same way . . .
So, as teachers, if we take the time to define what problems we are most passionate about solving and the ways we are most skilled at tackling them, we make life as a yoga teacher much easier, much more enjoyable, and much more successful.
We find true purpose and that purpose guides our every step. So, first things first, we need to define our ideal students.
How to Be a Successful Yoga Teacher and What You Need to Know About Your Ideal Yoga Student
First, you have to brainstorm what your yoga niche can be. Once you find a niche that you can serve well, then it’s time to think about who your ideal student will be.
If you already have an idea of what you’d like to focus on (your strengths, your yoga niche), this part might come easily to you simply because your ideal yoga student might look a lot like you.
But if you need a little help, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- How old are your ideal yoga students?
- What do they do for work?
- Where do they live?
- What are they interested in?
- What are they afraid of?
- What is a problem they are facing?
- What do they need?
- What solutions would they consider?
Work with an example: You are passionate about relationships and meditation has helped you tremendously in finding love or finding the right friendships. It has given you the clarity you needed and the confidence to set your boundaries straight.
You have been in a romantic relationship for many years now and over this past year, you have been ditching all your toxic friendships.
Now your goal is to tell yogis about using meditation to find love. Your ideal student might be a woman, 25 to 35 years old, living in a city like San Francisco or New York, working a 9 to 5 job that (on paper) has her work much more than from 9 to 5 every day.
She is desperate to find love and intimacy but has no time for dating many people – she’s done that already and is tired of it. She knows she needs to change something about her mindset, but what? And how? She doesn’t know. She already practices some yoga and is in love with indoor houseplants – they bring her peace.
Knowing this and how to connect emotionally to the person you want to help will enable you to target your message and know where to put your energy. Now, let’s see how this can help us find her!
Here’s How and Where to Find Your Ideal Yoga Student
As a yoga teacher, if you know who your ideal yoga student is, it will be much easier to know what decisions to make in everything you do.
You won’t be wasting time spreading yourself thin trying to teach everything to everyone and trying to find solutions to every problem, without getting clear feedback on how you are helping students.
Knowing who you most want to help will help you speak to her in the right way and in the right places.
From our example above, that ideal student isn’t interested in long talks, reading books, or attending in-person workshops, so you will most likely find her on Instagram, in Facebook groups, or on YouTube. She will likely listen to meditations on Headspace or look for plant inspiration on Instagram.
So here are a couple of questions to ask yourself to go and make decisions in regards to the kind of content and activity your yoga teaching will take:
- Where is my ideal student most likely to hang out?
- What does my ideal yoga student respond to?
- What does he or she read?
- Where does she read it?
- Does she prefer video or text?
Being a Successful Yoga Teacher Depends on How You Attract Your Students
There you have it – the starting blocks to begin exploring who your ideal yoga student is based on what niche you choose.
Defining how you teach yoga and what kind of teacher you are will evolve over the years, as you learn from experience, continuing education, and feedback from your students.
Over time, you will see what problems need solutions and how to creatively use your strengths to best meet needs. But don’t underestimate the power of spending time on what you want to achieve and where you want to take your teaching to make that entire process easier and more rewarding.
So the next time you find yourself wondering how to become a successful yoga teacher, start small. Find your audience and success will follow shortly after.
