How to Become a Kundalini Yoga Teacher: Everything you Need to Know

If you’re looking for information on how to become a Kundalini yoga teacher, we at OriGym have everything you need to know before pursuing this exciting career. 

We will cover the basics to how your career can progress, more specifically:

• What is Kundalini Yoga?
• Qualifications Needed to Become a Kundalini Yoga Teacher
• Expected Salary of a Kundalini Yoga Teacher
• Where You Can Teach Kundalini Yoga
• Desired Qualities & Skills Needed to Become a Kundalini Yoga Teacher
• Career Progression as Kundalini Yoga Teacher

Before we get right to it, if you are looking to get your career started, why not find out some more information about a level 3 diploma in yoga instructing here at OriGym? You can also find all of our health and fitness courses, including yoga advancements, in our downloadable prospectus.

What is Kundalini Yoga?

If you know exactly what the style of Kundalini consists of, feel free to skip to our qualifications section here. If not, stick around to find out the basics before we get into how to become a Kundalini teacher.

Kundalini yoga is a style of yoga that focuses heavily upon breathing work in conjunction with asanas (poses).  Along with this, there are key characteristics to Kundalini such as:

• Chanting
• Meditation 
• Singing

The name of the practice comes from the word Kundal, a Sanskrit word that translates to the phrase ‘coiled energy’. This is directly linked to the philosophy of Kundalini, in reference to the belief that our energy is stored at the base of our spine. 

The idea is that, by practising Kundalini, said energy is carried up the spine passing through our chakras and out of the crown of the head. This suggests that Kundalini is a way of growing and adhering to the ultimate goal of the practice, to increase self-awareness.

When it comes to the physical practice, there are 3 parts:

• Tuning in: Opening chant 
• Kriya (action): Sequence of asanas & breathing techniques
• Closing song: Song or meditation to close the session

Each action in Kundalini is paired with a kind of breath or meditation and the pose is directly linked to the area of the body which you wish to focus on. 

There are many breathing techniques and asanas but one that is popular to this style of yoga is the breath of fire.

This breathing technique is highly beneficial for mental and physical health but it may be different to the typical breath work you see in other styles of pranayama.

This style puts focus on the exhalation more than anything, it is a forceful exhale and there is no hold after the inhale - which is typical of many kinds of pranayama. 

If you want to become a Kundalini yoga teacher, you should be aware that this is a unique style and it is a great vehicle of spirituality for many classgoers; thus, you’ll be an important person in their journey to fitness, health and spirituality.

Qualifications Needed to Become a Kundalini Yoga Teacher

Before you begin searching for jobs teaching Kundalini, completing yoga teacher training should be your first port of call. 

A good starting point is with a yoga qualification that provides you with everything you need, such as a level 3 diploma, so that when you complete your studies you’re ready to enter the world of work.

More information on the qualification process can be found in our guide on 'How to Become a Yoga Instructor'. 

Level 3 Diploma in Yoga Instructing 

Let’s answer your central question, how do you become a Kundalini teacher?

First and foremost, get qualified! Within a diploma you’ll learn everything that is necessary to teach a class of your own, more specifically, you’ll study:

• Anatomy & Physiology for Yoga
• Health and Safety during Yoga
• How to Plan a Yoga Session
• Delivering a Yoga Session

Rather than limiting yourself to one style of yoga, taking this route means that you can apply the knowledge you learn in a level 3 diploma to many disciplines. 

Plus, it is much more probable that you’ll find advertised job roles that hire a holistic yoga instructor in comparison to a Kundalini specific teacher, which in turn makes you more employable. 

By opting for a diploma in yoga teaching at level 3, you’re not only qualified to teach in most job roles, but you can even progress to a level 4 in yoga in yoga instructing that can see you become a much more attractive candidate for relative job roles. 

Not only that, but you’re able to specify in a certain discipline - this route offers job security and a successful career as a Kundalini instructor without limiting your career prospects.

You can learn about becoming a yoga instructor by reading about the license you require to teach yoga.

Expected Salary of a Kundalini Yoga Teacher

If you’re wondering, should I become a Kundalini yoga teacher? You’re probably wanting to know the kind of income you can make. 

After researching the specific salaries of a Kundalini disciplined yoga teacher, the results are inconclusive. There is a reasonable explanation for this though, as many practitioners that choose Kundalini as a discipline work as sole traders thus, their salary is not included within major job boards - but this isn’t to say they don’t have a healthy income! 

With this in mind, there simply isn’t enough data or information to find an average salary of a Kundalini specific teacher, but there is plenty of data into the salary of a regular yoga teacher which we can share. 

You should be aware that these figures do apply directly to you so long as you have the aforementioned qualifications we spoke about earlier. This is because, within a holistic yoga instructor job you can, more often than not, have freedom of your discipline in what you are going to teach.

This is true of many gyms, or even private studios. Often there will be multiple classes held per week, in which a variety of disciplines will be taught, this is why a yoga qualification that covers all areas of yoga and even an specialist yoga course are great options for job security.

In the UK, one of the most popular and reliable job boards is Indeed. So we took to their website to do some research on what kind of salary you can expect as a yoga teacher, in which you have the freedom to hold Kundalini.

Below, you can see an average income per hour from data collected by Indeed regarding yoga instructors. 

Considering the national living hourly wage in the UK is £8.91 at its highest, this is a huge increase. So what does this mean for you as a Kundalini yoga teacher? 

This salary goes for a practitioner that can teach multiple disciplines of yoga as well as the one that their business is focused upon. So not to worry if your usual work is Kundalini - as long as you have the correct qualifications behind you with knowledge in different disciplines, you will qualify for the role.

What you need to remember when it comes to income is that it can vary dramatically depending on the route of employment you take and how well you fit the criteria. For example, working as a freelance instructor can be difficult at first but can see you earning an uncapped income. 

On the other hand, starting out an employment role could bring you financial stability and security. Whatever you decide to do, if you work your way up to a well established instructor you can certainly expect the above salary brackets.

Where You Can Teach Kundalini Yoga

If you’re wondering how to become a Kundalini yoga teacher, you’re probably thinking about where you can teach Kundalini Yoga. 

You’ll be happy to know that there are many options that you can choose from when it comes to instructing, this depends on what you’re capable of financially and what your qualifications have made you eligible for. 

With this in mind, let’s see where you can start.

Freelance Kundalini Yoga Teacher

One of the many reasons that people undergo yoga qualifications is to become their own boss. It is an attractive career considering that you can choose your own hours, your own rate of pay and have full control over your business. 

As a freelance instructor you have the ability to work in gyms, conduct 1-2-1 sessions, work in private studios or even open your own, which we will get into a little more detail with soon.

Ultimately, you have the freedom of choosing where you want to be and when. If you enjoy travelling up and down the country, you could become a travelling yoga teacher who visits other cities to maybe do one class a week. 

Or, you could offer your time to private studios who need a yoga instructor that knows the ins and outs of Kundalini. In other words, you could be the missing piece that places need to fill, especially when it comes to a unique style like Kundalini. 

There are jobs that frequently pop up on boards for freelance specific yoga instructors, take a look at this job specification below for example:

This is the sort of job advertisement that you can expect when searching for freelance roles, it provides freedom of choice while also offering great hourly and daily rates. 

Like the job advertisement states, it is a great opportunity to grow your client base while also earning at the same time. It really is a win-win for the business hiring you, and you as the freelance employee!

Employed Kundalini Yoga Teacher 

If a freelance career isn’t for you, or you don't want to jump straight into freelancing after your qualification, a great option is to look for stable job openings for employment in a private yoga studio or gym.

These are safe bet jobs and they can pay incredibly well. You may remember TriYoga from earlier when we spoke about qualities. Here's an example of their Yoga teacher job description for a full-time role they are advertising for in their studio:

The salary is from £30,000 annually, this is a more than comfortable living wage and could see you working as a successful Kundalini yoga instructor along with any other disciplines they need you to teach. 

The only difference is that within employment with a studio, you’re not going to have as much creative freedom. Thus, if you want to teach Kundalini specifically you should be asking if that is a class discipline they offer beforehand.

Opening Your Own Kundalini Yoga Studio

As we mentioned earlier, a popular approach to working as a yoga instructor is the freedom of choice, this includes the option of opening your own studio.

This is a daunting step, but incredibly rewarding if everything goes according to plan. We understand that opening your own studio isn’t an option for everybody and some will find it easier than others depending on your income; however if you’re lucky enough to take this step you should start by looking for a space!

Finding studio space can be difficult, you want it to have the correct amount of room, the right energy, location and ideally you don’t want to be pumping too much money into renovation if you’re on a budget. 

The amount you spend on a studio is heavily dependent on which city you are looking to base your business. For example, you could open a studio in central London, but this is going to be a jump in price from a studio in central Liverpool. 

But, there is a solution. If owning your own space is proving difficult in terms of finance, you can rent a space on an hourly basis for 1, 2 or 3 times a week depending on your demand. For example, take a look at this studio for rent in London that would be fitting for Kundalini yoga classes:

This is one of many listings on Giggster, you can pick your date and book a space almost as easily as you would a hotel. 

This space offers a 30 person capacity. So, if you had a full class with 30 participants and charged £10 an hour for a class - you could be taking home £255 per hour long class!

This is a great way to maximise your income and a place where you can work on your own terms. Plus, if you decide to rent a space for once or twice a week, the rest of your working hours could be dedicated to a role as a holistic yoga teacher to create even more revenue and drive clients to your Kundalini yoga classes.

Take a look below at the results when searching for a holistic yoga teacher role in comparison to a Kundalini specific role:

As you can see, searching for a regular yoga teacher has much more on offer at the first instance. There is a section of the results page dedicated to the top jobs and 37 more to view. This is before looking at popular job boards too, where there are even more to be found. 

This differs dramatically from the first results page you can see above. There are no direct links to job adverts but instead, some unrelated advertisements and Kundalini classes to join, so this would be the perfect opportunity for you to fill the gap in the market.

You could be the business that offers Kundalini exclusive classes while also being highly qualified for the other yoga job openings that could fill in your secondary time.

If you would like to learn more about opening your studio you can read our article on opening a yoga studio with no money.

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For some more useful information and resources on how to become a yoga instructor, head over to our related articles below:

• How to Become a Hatha Yoga Teacher 
• How Much Does Yoga Teacher Training Cost? 
• What Makes A Good Yoga Teacher? Ultimate Guide (2022) 

Desired Qualities & Skills Needed to Become a Kundalini Yoga Teacher

You may have acquired all of the qualifications necessary to be a yoga teacher, but apart from the knowledge you should obtain important personal qualities that make you a good yoga teacher. 

Below are the top traits of a Kundalini teacher that you should possess if you want success in the business. You should become self aware before opting for this career and if you see yourself lacking in these qualities, make a conscious effort to work on such.

#1 - A Clear Passion for Kundalini Yoga

Being passionate about what you do is the only way you are going to get the job as a Kundalini teacher. Without the real care and drive that goes into becoming a class instructor, you will struggle to get through the educational process and the employer is likely to see if you lack passion. 

What you should remember is it is okay and normal to feel lost or go through a dry patch in any career, yoga included. But it is what you try to do to overcome this that shows your passion for teaching yoga and you can tell this to potential employers. 

You should be clear on your goals and make it clear why you’re passionate about your practice. Ask yourself: 

Was there an instance that made you get into yoga in the first place?

Did a fellow yogi have an impact on you?

Did you visit a yoga retreat and find motivation there?

Whatever it is that drew you to undergo training and choose the career of a Kundalini teacher let it be known!

#2 - Experience 

Experience is another quality that many jobs look out for, but if you’re new to the world of work in the yoga industry you may be lacking in this area and wondering where to start.

The best way to find experience is to be proactive and chase it! Sadly, the experience isn’t going to find you and it will take dedication but if you find yourself in difficulty when job searching, looking for unpaid work experience could be your answer. 

What is great about voluntary roles is that often you can find yourself giving back to the community, take a look at this job advert below from Do It, an NHS Trust mental health organisation. 

These opportunities are popular, meaning that you won’t be waiting around for an opening like this to pop up. But, if you do struggle to find something in your area, you can always reach out to businesses that could use your help. 

This is a perfect way to not only give back to your community but build a strong yoga teacher CV that will help you be on your way to your dream role as a Kundalini teacher.

#3 - Empathy & Patience

Kundalini yoga allows for emotions to run high and encourages self awareness, thus you can expect self reflection during practice which equates to an emotional practice.

With this in mind, you need to be attentive, sensitive and empathise with those who are being vulnerable in your presence. Empathy is extremely important when it comes to taking a class of any form of yoga, and this is because your clients will be practising for a variety of reasons. 

Many people joining a yoga class can be doing it to improve their mental health, physical health, spirituality or just for fun. Whatever it is, it deserves empathy and patience as yoga does encourage us to look deep into ourselves and this can certainly be triggering for anybody who is working on their psychological health. 

Thus, you as the teacher should be prepared for this and treat your class as a safe space for clients and ensure they are understood. 

Not only that, but patience for you as the Kundalini teacher and your students is vital. It may take some time for clients to get to grips with the unique nature of Kundalini, such as chanting and the unique breath work so you must be patient with your class and encourage them to be patient with themselves. 

Empathy and patience are really important qualities that can make you fit or unfit for the job as a Kundalini yoga teacher and they shouldn’t go overlooked.

#4 - Good Communication 

Communication is one of the most important aspects of being a Kundalini yoga teacher, you must be able to communicate efficiently when it comes to teaching a class whether you’re instructing or teaching an intermediate or beginner class.

This is by all means, such as volume and projection and the technicalities of good communication. For example, if you are a strong yogi and are passionate about a career but lack confidence this is a quality you should definitely be working on.

A great way to do this is by volunteering like we said earlier, build up your communication skills by working on a variety of classes in different places. By putting yourself in these situations, your confidence and overall communication skills will grow. 

Many job advertisements specify that it is imperative to have good communication skills due to its prevalence in every yoga class no matter the style. For example, take a look at this snippet we took from a job advertisement for a yoga instructor role: 

Approachability is relative to the aforementioned quality of empathy and patience - you want your students to be comfortable in your class, particularly if they’re new to the unique nature of Kundalini. 

So you must be able to communicate efficiently, meaning that the description of your instruction needs to be clear. Ensure you are telling them every detail and never assume that they are fast learners, in fact it is better to assume they are slow learners.

Your voice should be soft yet clear, the ambience of a yoga studio should be relaxing and undisturbed. Therefore, allow your voice to complement this and flow with the atmosphere of the studio. It takes time to build the correct energy during practice so don’t allow your voice to be something that disturbs it!

#5 - Organisation & Punctuality

Finally, organisation and punctuality are qualities that are valuable in any workplace, but this is especially important if you have a class to cater for. 

Organisation is particularly important if you have a class that is scheduled. Whether it is your own Kundalini yoga studio or you’re teaching in a class in a gym, scheduling and being on time needs to be at the top of your priority list.

Not only that, but you need to show that you possess these qualities to a potential employer. They need to know that you’re reliable and that any class that you’re employed for, you are prepared for.

Take a look at this job specification below from a GLL, a popular UK leisure centre. They are clear about the importance of these qualities.

You should be getting to your classes early to set up or answer any questions your students may have. If you are self aware about the fact that your punctuality needs work, you should work on this as a priority.

You can set alarms and train yourself to be an early riser, getting your sleep schedule intact is a great place to start when becoming an organised and punctual employee. Morning classes are very popular and to be the right fit, you’re going to need to make yourself available at these times. 

Career Progression as Kundalini Yoga Teacher

When it comes to turning yoga into a career, you should consider further education apart from yoga training as there are plenty of complementary courses within the fitness industry that can help you to increase the quality of your career. 

Though you are a yoga teacher primarily, education in related areas is only going to make you a more attractive candidate for the role. 

You can progress into higher-paid positions in yoga instructing with more knowledge behind you, perhaps you want to aim to become a celebrity yoga instructor or work in prestigious studios.

Whatever it is that you want to work your way up to, it is probably going to take more than a level 3 in yoga instruction, so here are some of the routes you can take to becoming a highly successful Kundalini yoga teacher.

Level 4 in Yoga Instructing

Once you have completed your Kundalini yoga teacher training at level 3, you would be eligible to move onto a level 4 in yoga instructing. 

This kind of advancement can help you to progress into a highly qualified yogi and some of the modules within this qualification are especially useful for Kundalini yoga. Two out of the many subjects covered include:

• Understanding and Applying the Philosophy and spiritual principles of Yoga
• Yogic breathing styles

These two modules help massively with Kundalini yoga considering much of the basis of Kundalini is based on spirituality and breathing. 

This is a great way to make your resume much more attractive and could make you a more valuable asset to a team thus, you could expect a higher salary than average.

If you would like to learn what the different yoga levels teach, you can read our article Yoga Teacher Levels.

Level 3 in Sports Massage

A sports massage qualification is highly complementary to a career in yoga instructing and it is a great way to maximise your salary. 

The knowledge that you learn on a sports massage course relates to how well you can potentially perform in yoga. So how could this relate to your career in instructing? 

Let’s say you have opened your own studio, or you’re renting space - you can easily implement sports massage into your classes prior or after the class is over. But, you should make it clear to clients why it is beneficial and this could see not only your career progressing into more than one area of health and fitness, but also make you a well trusted instructor. 

Below, you can see a snippet from an article that states the relationship between massage and yoga. 

You can tell this to your clients and in turn, increase your salary and credibility all the while. It has the potential to assist in expanding your business from just a yoga studio, to an all-round wellness centre where you can offer a range of services.

Before You Go!

So what are you waiting for, if you haven't already completed your Kundalini teacher training there is more reason now than ever with yoga steadily on the rise in popularity. 

If you’re starting from scratch, head over to our information page and find all the details about a level 3 diploma in yoga instructing here.

Don't forget, if you want to delve into the career progression we mentioned, find all of the health and fitness courses that we offer here in our downloadable prospectus.