How to Become an Online Yoga Instructor

Reading Time: 6 minutes 15 seconds

DATE: 2023-06-21

You want to become a yoga instructor. More specifically, you want to become an online yoga teacher. What do you need to do to work toward offering your first virtual class? Here are a few steps that, once taken, can get you closer to teaching online yoga.

Earn Your Yoga Instructor Certification

Anyone can go online and call themselves a yoga teacher. This can make potential students nervous about hiring you. How can you assure them that you know what you’re doing? By earning your certification as an online yoga teacher.

Becoming a certified yoga instructor increases your credibility. It tells potential clients that you have the knowledge and skills needed to develop a safe, effective yoga course. It also sets you apart from other instructors who lack this certification.

If you want to work for a yoga studio or lead online classes on behalf of a fitness facility, certification may be required according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1). And even if it isn’t required to be hired, obtaining this credential is often encouraged.

Decide the Type of Yoga Class You Want to Lead

One benefit of yoga teacher training is that you learn about the many different styles of yoga. This can help you decide which one you want to teach if you don’t already know. Each style is unique and can vary in terms of intensity, the length of time the poses are held, and more.

Here are a few yoga styles to consider:

Bikram yoga – involves performing two sequences of 26 yoga poses in a heated room
Hatha yoga – covers yoga basics, including how to breathe while doing poses
Restorative yoga – a light-intensity yoga that involves fewer poses but holding them for longer periods
Vinyasa yoga – a higher-intensity form of yoga in which the movement is non-stop; sometimes called Power yoga
Yin yoga – also involves holding poses for longer periods and includes aspects of meditation

According to a 2021 Global Yoga Survey, Vinyasa yoga is practiced most frequently at 57.3%. This was followed by Hatha yoga (42.1%), Restorative yoga (29.6%), and Power yoga (29.4%). (2)

Drill Down on Your Yoga Training Specifics

When you think about yourself as an online yoga teacher, what do your services look like? Be as specific as you can. This will help you create training packages more in line with your online teaching goals.

Asking yourself these questions will help:

What does your yoga class entail? Decide what yoga poses your class will include and their sequence. This will tell you how long the class is and if it’s suitable for beginners or more advanced students. It also tells you whether your online students may require certain equipment. They might need a yoga block for a certain pose, for instance. Telling them this upfront ensures that they’re prepared for your class.
How will you package your online yoga classes for sale? Some yoga instructors offer a certain number of sessions for a specific price. Others package their classes based on time. An example of this is enabling students to take as many classes as they’d like with a one-month membership.
How much will you charge? Your rates as an online yoga instructor can vary based on several factors. Among them are your level of education and experience. You don’t want to set your rates so high that no one signs up. You also don’t want them too low, or teaching yoga won’t be worth your time. A good approach is to research what similar instructors charge and decide your rates from there.

Choose the Platform You’ll Use for Teaching Yoga Online

If you want to be an online yoga instructor, it’s important to consider how your students will take your classes. This often involves using a platform that will house your pre-recorded online classes, one that allows you to lead classes live, or both.

Everyone has different opinions about what type of online course platforms are best for yoga teachers. Do a quick search and you’ll come up with several options. Look them over and see what you think. Some may even provide a free trial period, enabling you to try them out before having to make an investment.

Create a Persona for Your Ideal Online Yoga Student

Why is this important? Because teaching an online yoga class is different than teaching in person. Depending on the platform you use, you may not be able to see your students. (This is especially true if you pre-record your yoga classes.) Even if you can see them, your interaction may be more limited. Therefore, it helps to imagine who you’re teaching so you can speak directly to them.

When thinking about your ideal student, consider their age, sex, gender, level of education, and what they do for a living. Are they single or do they have a family? Why do they do yoga? The clearer you are when creating this persona, the easier it becomes to teach yoga in a way that they understand best.

Make Your Recording Space Look Like a Yoga Studio

If you’re teaching yoga classes in a cluttered space with poor lighting, your students may not stick with you for long. While you certainly don’t need a yoga studio to teach online, your setting should provide a similar feel. It needs to evoke a feeling of comfort and calm.

You can accomplish this with neutral colors and minimal decorations. You don’t want to distract your student but enhance their experience. Also, make sure you have enough room to do your poses without bumping into anything. Advise them to do the same so they don’t hurt themselves or interrupt the flow of the sequence.