How to Plan a Yoga Teaching Schedule That Draws in Students

Most people become a yoga teacher because they want to teach this practice to others. But if you want to be successful, you must remember that it is a business. And one critical aspect of running a yoga business is developing a class schedule that compels a prospective student to want to join. This begins with first thinking about that student’s wants and needs.

Important: Think of Your Yoga Students First

Of course, effective class planning requires that you think of your schedule. You can’t set a yoga class when you’re unavailable, for example. That’s just ridiculous. But if a prospective student is on the fence and you want to draw them in, you must think about them first.

What type of class schedule would work best for them? What factors do they consider before signing up with a new studio? Answers to these questions are important. But how do you get them?

Whether you’re a new yoga teacher or an experienced instructor opening a new yoga studio, you could create a survey. Use this tool to reach out to your network, asking for their input. When you give people what they want, they’re more likely to come in. 

Some social media sites allow you to create a poll. Facebook is one. You can post a Facebook poll on your business page or in your yoga-based social media groups to gain valuable insight. You can also create an email and send it to people you know who have a yoga practice or are interested in creating one. If you’re currently teaching, send the survey to your students. SurveyMonkey offers easy-to-use software. 

The more data you can collect, the greater the likelihood you’ll create a class plan that works for a prospective student. So, you might also ask survey recipients about other aspects of a yoga class. What is their preferred method of class delivery? Do they want an in-person yoga class or would it work better for them to take one online? 

Teaching yoga online may even be easier to fit into your own schedule. If you can deliver a yoga class from home, you cut out the commute. You also don’t have to arrive super early at a yoga studio to let everyone in. You don’t have to stop there, either. Try to ask about any factors that can help you create a student-first yoga class plan.

3 Steps to Creating a Business-Building Yoga Schedule

Once you have a better understanding of what your students or prospective students want, the next steps involve getting into the details. 

#1: Determine How Many Yoga Classes You’ll Offer Each Week

You can’t set a schedule if you don’t know how many classes to put in it. That’s why determining this number is the first step when developing a yoga class plan. To help with this, answer these questions:

• How many times do you want to teach yoga each week? 

• How much time do you have open each week to teach yoga?

• How many yoga classes do you need to teach to reach your desired income?

If you’re the only one teaching yoga, your class offerings will be fewer than if you own a yoga studio and employ several instructors. Aim for a number of weekly classes that is doable. If you over-commit, you risk burning yourself out mentally and physically. You can always add to the class schedule later. However, if you already have a lot of students in a specific yoga class, it can be difficult to take that class away.

#2: Set Your Yoga Class Days and Times

The next step is to decide where to place each class in terms of the day of the week and time. Again, this is where your survey data can come in handy. Common sense can help too.

If most of your students work day jobs, scheduling a yoga class at 10 a.m. on a Monday isn’t likely to help them. However, if you offer yoga in a retirement community, a 10 a.m. class start may be a good choice on any weekday. Consider weekends and holidays too, the latter of which can change from one culture to another.

Also, consider your class times. Offer some classes in the morning, some mid-day, and others at night. This gives prospective students numerous opportunities to fit the class into their schedule.

A typical yoga class lasts around 60 minutes. But don’t forget to allow time between classes for instructors and students to gather and put away their mats and props. Leaving a 30-minute window between each session should be enough. 

#3: Create a Yoga Lesson Plan for Each Individual Class

The final step in creating a comprehensive yoga schedule is to prepare a lesson plan for each individual class. This ensures that you’ve set aside enough time. It also gives you or your instructors a guide to follow, reducing the risk of any surprises that throw off the time. 

When preparing a lesson plan:

• Include the style of yoga being offered in that class. Is it restorative yoga, Hatha yoga, Vinyasa yoga, or something else? This helps you determine the time needed for setting up the room or picking up student props. 

• Determine which yoga poses it will include and the yoga sequence. This is necessary to determine adequate class time. It also helps the teacher reach the desired goal safely. Maybe the class is for expecting mothers, for instance. Including only safe prenatal yoga poses is critical for this demographic. Thinking through each yoga pose in advance helps ensure this safety.

• Decide whether the class will be yoga poses only. Some classes involve the student doing yoga poses the entire time. Others include meditation or some type of breathing exercise. The more ‘extras’ in your yoga class, the more time you’ll need to deliver it. 

You don’t have to have the same exact class from one week to the next, either. Don’t be afraid to set a new theme from week to week. For example, you can schedule a 5 PM power yoga class each Wednesday but rotate the focus—arms, legs, core. 

One week, have a meditation class with a theme focused on gratitude. The next week, have an ‘embrace change’ theme. This gets students excited about how they will leave that class a better person. It also lets them know that they can expect some variety. They won’t have to sit through the same class week after week.

How to Plan a Yoga Teaching Schedule as a Part-Time Yoga Teacher

These scheduling guidelines aren’t only for a full-time yoga teacher. You can follow the same approach if you’re a yoga teacher part-time. Do your research. Decide how many classes you’ll offer per week. Set your days and times. Create a lesson plan for each individual yoga class. Follow the process. 

Even if yoga is your side hustle, these steps still apply. They also apply if you’re in a less conventional yoga teacher role. Maybe you’re trying to set your class schedule as a traveling yoga teacher, for example. Do each step in order and you’ll be on your way to developing a strong yoga teaching business.

Prepare Yourself with a Yoga Teacher Training Course

You can have the best schedule in the world, but if you don’t know what you’re doing as a yoga instructor, you’re not going to fill your classes. Even if you do, they won’t stay full. And you risk earning a reputation that can be hard to change.

Avoid all these scenarios by investing in teacher training. This type of course teaches you how to break each posture down and teach it to others. You also learn the art of meditation and how to use breath during specific yoga poses.

Everything you learn in yoga teacher training prepares you to be a more effective instructor. An instructor who can easily explain yoga philosophy or how this practice has evolved. An instructor with the skills that can make them more successful in their career. An instructor that yoga studio owners are happy to hire because they know that adequate training has been received.

If you’ve not already completed a course, ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy offers online Yoga Teacher Training. This course is self-paced, so you can learn how to become a yoga instructor in your own time. It also includes LIVE training, giving you access to personalized feedback from experienced yoga teachers.