How To Become A Yoga Teacher In India: 7 Steps

As the birthplace of yoga thousands of years ago, it’s no wonder that so many people want to become a yoga teacher in India. 

Whether you’re yet to qualify or are already a yoga teacher and want to make the move, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we’ve compiled the ultimate step-by-step guide to how to become a yoga teacher in India, covering:

• Step 1- Plan And Research How And Why You Want To Become A Yoga Teacher In India
• Step 2- Gain The Required Qualifications To Become A Yoga Teacher In India
• Step 3- Gain Teaching Experience At Home Before You Become A Yoga Teacher In India
• Step 4- Get The Required Travel Documents To Become A Yoga Teacher In India
• Step 5- Get Insured To Become A Yoga Instructor In India
• Step 6- Prepare Your CV And Cover Letter To Become A Yoga Instructor In India
• Step 7- Find A Job As A Yoga Teacher In India

If you'd like to get qualified in the UK before taking your career abroad, OriGym's Level 3 Diploma in Yoga Teaching is a great place to start. That's because our qualification is internationally recognised, meaning you can take your work on the go! 

To learn more about how this qualification can benefit your future, be sure to download our FREE course prospectus here.

Step 1- Plan And Research How And Why You Want To Become A Yoga Teacher In India

If you’ve decided that you want to become a yoga instructor in India, you may be tempted to jump straight on a plane! 

But in fact, the more preparation you can do beforehand at home, the easier and quicker it will be to start working once you get to India. 

The first step in how to become a yoga teacher in India is to think about your goals and aims for this career path.

Thinking about these things early-on will then make the rest of the process a lot easier, as you will be able to refer back to your goals to ensure that you are on-track. 

Some things to consider are:

#1- Decide Where You Want To Become A Yoga Teacher In India 

In the UK, yoga can sometimes be viewed as just another fitness class. 

However, as the spiritual home of yoga, in India, yoga is an inherent part of everyday life! You will find yoga in every corner of the country and is practised by people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.  

Due to its widespread nature, you should try to narrow down where exactly you want to teach yoga. 

Here is a quick guide to India’s main locations for teaching yoga:

• Rishikesh. This is known as the ‘yoga capital of the world’ and is the spiritual hub of India. There are hundreds of yoga schools, studios and centres here, so you will be spoilt for choice! You will find all styles of yoga here, but particularly traditional Hatha and more spiritual practices such as Kundalini and meditation. 
• Goa and Kerala. These Southern Indian states are also popular places for yoga, particularly if you want to teach on the beach! Here you will find a range of styles such as vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga and Yin. 
• Mysore. This is the place to go if you want to become an Ashtanga yoga teacher in India, as it is where this practice originated from. 

#2- Decide How You Want To Work As A Yoga Teacher In India

As well as the location, you should think about how you want to be employed as a yoga teacher in India. 

We have a whole guide covering the different places you can teach yoga here, most of which apply to finding a yoga job in India. 

In summary, your main options for where to teach yoga in India are:

• Working full-time for one employer
• Working as a part-time yoga teacher, and part-time in another job (for example, you could teach yoga part-time and work part-time in a hostel or cafe!)
• Working as a freelance yoga teacher for different employers
• Running your own yoga business or studio 

But having an idea of the kind of employment you are looking for before you go will not only make the process of finding a job easier, but it will also help you plan your finances. 

#3- Consider Your Financial Situation Before You Become A Yoga Teacher In India

If you’re wondering how to become a yoga teacher in India, you should ensure that you have the financial means to do so!

Some costs you should make sure you have accounted for before you go are:

• Accommodation 
• Flights
• Visas 
• Vaccinations
• Reserve funds for when you arrive - you may not start working straight away
• Travel insurance 

Again, organising these financial details before you go means that you will be more prepared when you get there, avoids any nasty surprises and allows you to focus more on your yoga teaching! 

Step 2- Gain The Required Qualifications To Become A Yoga Teacher In India

If you want to become a yoga instructor in India, the next and most important step is to get qualified! 

Whilst you can of course take a yoga teacher training course in India, we recommend getting qualified here in the UK before you go- you'll feel more prepared, confident and equipped to put all of your efforts into finding a job as a yoga teacher in India.

We have a whole article here detailing how to become a yoga instructor. But in summary, here are the two key qualifications you will need to become a yoga teacher in India:

Take A Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training Course To Become A Yoga Teacher In India

If you’re not already qualified, you will need to take a Level 3 yoga teacher training course. 

This is the minimum requirement to work as a yoga teacher both in the UK and is the first step towards teaching yoga in India. 

This is an entry-level course that will give you a strong foundation of knowledge and skills to start teaching yoga, covering:

• Anatomy and physiology for yoga
• Health and safety during yoga
• Planning a yoga session
• Teaching skills 

This content is taught over 317 hours of learning, including 50 hours of practical teaching experience through in-person workshops- most yoga jobs in India will require you to have at least 200 hours of training.

To ensure that the course covers all the necessary content to become a yoga teacher, you should ensure that it is Ofqual-regulated, just like our yoga courses are. 

Ofqual is the government body responsible for setting the frameworks for vocational course levels and for ensuring that all awarding bodies adhere to those frameworks.

In other words, Ofqual regulation acts as a ‘stamp of approval’ that a course meets the highest industry standards of teaching and education. 

Take A Level 4 Yoga Teacher Training Course To Increase Your Chances Of Becoming A Yoga Teacher In India

Once you are a Level 3 yoga teacher, you can then enrol on a Level 4 yoga teacher training course. 

Here at OriGym, our Ofqual-regulated Level 4 course builds on what you learnt in your Level 3 course, covering topics such as:

• Teaching Yoga as a Profession
• Understanding and Applying the Philosophy and Spiritual Principles of Yoga
• Yogic Breathing Styles
• Teaching Asana to Meet the Needs of Mixed Ability Students
• Planning & Delivering Yoga Sessions

Our course also allows you to then specialise in one of four types of yoga:

• Ashtanga
• Hatha
• Hot
• Iyengar

Specialising in a particular type of yoga is a great way to enhance your employability both in the UK and India, as it opens you up to a wider range of roles. 

Plus, in India especially, you are more likely to find roles for a specific type of yoga teacher. Whereas in the UK, gyms and studios typically hire a general yoga teacher. 

For example, this advert below is for a specific Hatha yoga teacher in India:

If you become a freelance yoga teacher in India, you can also charge more for your specialty services!

Do I Need A Specific Indian Qualification To Become A Yoga Teacher In India?

If you have been researching how to become a yoga teacher in India, you may be wondering whether you need a specific Indian qualification to teach yoga there.

You may have come across the terms ‘YCB’ and ‘AYUSH’ in terms of yoga certification and accreditation in India.

AYUSH stands for The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. 

It was set up by the Indian government in 2015 and is responsible for developing research and education in India’s ‘alternative medicine’ systems. 

YCB stands for the Yoga Certification Board, and is part of The Ministry of AYUSH. 

The YCB provides regulation and certification specifically for yoga professionals in India, helping maintain high standards of education and training across yoga teachers and schools in India. 

In most cases, getting your Level 3 and Level 4 yoga qualifications with OriGym in the UK is enough to allow you to become a yoga instructor in India. 

However, you may find that some yoga jobs in India will ask for a YCB certified yoga teacher.

But don’t worry! Once you are a qualified Level 3 or 4 yoga teacher, it is easy to get this YCB certification.  

The YCB has five main levels of yoga teacher training, which it lists on its website here.

But in summary, the level you will need to look at is called ‘Yoga Protocol Instructor’, which qualifies you to teach in most capacities in India. 

The YCB Yoga Protocol Instructor exam usually consists of an hour written multiple choice examination, and an hour practical examination where you will demonstrate your yoga skills in front of an examiner. 

If you have taken your Level 3 and 4 yoga qualifications with OriGym, you will therefore be more than equipped to take the YCB exam and you should find it easy! 

Since it is an Indian institution, you can only take the YCB Yoga Protocol Instructor in India itself. 

The YCB has a handy guide to how to apply for this exam here. 

For a foreign yoga professional to take this YCB exam, the fee is usually around £142. 

With this in mind, we recommend seeing whether you can find a job as a yoga teacher first. 

If you are finding that employers are asking for a YCB certificate, then you could look into taking the YCB exam. 

So, whilst you can easily find a job as a yoga teacher in India with OriGym’s yoga teacher training qualification, you may find that taking the YCB exam when you get there simply opens you up to some more jobs. 

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Enjoying this article so far? Here’s 3 more that we think you’ll love:

• How To Become A Yoga Teacher In Australia 
• How To Get Started Teaching Yoga Abroad
• How To Become A Yoga Teacher On A Cruise Ship

Step 3- Gain Teaching Experience At Home Before You Become A Yoga Teacher In India

Once you are qualified, the next step in how to become a yoga teacher in India is to get some teaching experience at home before you go. 

Spending the time to do this before you go to India will make it easier for you to find a job when you get there. 

This is because as a highly competitive market, most yoga teacher jobs in India will require applicants to have some prior teaching experience. 

Remember that yoga is a way of life in India and people start practising it from childhood. This means that there are a lot more people wanting to become yoga teachers there than in the UK! 

As well as helping you find a job teaching yoga in India, getting experience at home before you go will also give you more confidence and help you find your own unique teaching style. 

This will then make the whole process of becoming a yoga teacher in India a lot less daunting! 

Step 4- Get The Required Travel Documents To Become A Yoga Teacher In India

Before we can go any further with how to become a yoga teacher, you should ensure that you have the required documents to live and work in India. 

Without these, you definitely won’t be able to become a yoga teacher in India!

The main documents you will need to prepare before you go are:

• Passport. According to the British Government’s travel advice for India, you should ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date in India. 
• Visa. To live and work in India, you will need to apply for an employment visa from the High Commission Of India here

It’s important to bear in mind that the process of applying for and receiving your visa can take weeks or even months! So ensure that you apply in plenty of time before you are planning to leave for India to avoid complications. 

You should also make physical copies of all of your documents, as you never know when you will need them!

Depending on where you go in India, many organisations will still require hard copies of documents rather than electronic versions. 

Some documents that are useful to have copies of are:

• Copies of your passport and visa
• Birth certificate
• Several passport photos 
• Your yoga course certificate
• Your visa
• Driving licence 
• Insurance policy- which we will cover next!

One final thing to bear in mind is that there are restrictions on taking Indian currency (Rupees) into India- you cannot bring any amount of Rupees into the country. 

You will therefore need to bring a bank card with you that you can use to withdraw cash when you get to India, so ensure that your bank card has enough money on it and you are aware of any cash withdrawal limits. 

Step 5 - Get Insured To Become A Yoga Instructor In India

There are 2 types of insurance you will need: general travel insurance for working in India, and yoga teacher insurance. 

Travel Insurance To Work Abroad

This is essentially insurance that covers you for any type of work in India and is different from general travel insurance you might get for holidays and leisure.  

With a working abroad travel insurance policy, you should be covered for things such as:

• Accidents and injuries whilst working 
• Travel costs if you have to return home because of an injury at work 
• Loss of damage of your luggage and belongings 

Without the right insurance, you would have to cover the cost of these things yourself. 

India does not have public healthcare like we do in the UK, so medical care can be very expensive if you are not insured. 

Top Dog Insurance and Navigator Insurance both have good working abroad

Yoga Teacher Insurance

Just like any yoga teacher job in the UK, you will need yoga teacher insurance to become a yoga teacher in India. 

If you have been teaching yoga in the UK, this is something that you should already have. But if you’ve just recently qualified, this is something you should invest in before moving to India. 

We have a whole guide to yoga teacher insurance here. 

In summary, the main types of insurance you will need are:

• Public liability insurance. This covers you in cases such as a student getting injured during one of your classes, or if you damage equipment provided to you by a studio you are working in, for example.
• Professional liability insurance. This is particularly important if you are wanting to become a yoga instructor in India on a self-employed/ freelance basis. This covers claims of professional mistakes or professional negligence. 

For example, if a student claims that they have received incorrect advice from you, this covers you for the costs of defending yourself in court.

• Equipment insurance. Whilst not essential, getting equipment insurance is a good idea if you are using your own yoga equipment. This covers you in the case of your equipment being lost, damaged or stolen.

Insure 4 Sport and BeYogi both have good insurance policies to look into.

Step 6- Prepare Your CV And Cover Letter To Become A Yoga Instructor In India

The next step in preparing to become a yoga teacher in India is to write your CV and cover letter. 

Preparing these things now will mean that you have them ready for when it comes to applying for a yoga teaching job in India, as you will nearly always have to include them as part of an application. 

If you are planning on finding a job when you get there (as we will discuss next), it is a good idea to print some copies of your CV to take with you. 

Depending on the type of job you are applying for, you may also need a cover letter. 

Where a CV is a more general overview of yourself, a cover letter should be tailored to each specific job you are applying for. 

It is a good idea to prepare a draft cover letter that you can then adapt to different employers. 

Step 7- Find A Job As A Yoga Teacher In India

Now that you have prepared everything, the final step is to actually find a yoga teaching job in India! 

There are two main options for how to do this: 

Option #1- Find A Yoga Teaching Job In India Before You Go To India

If you want to ensure that you have a job as soon as you arrive in India, it is a good idea to look for positions online before you go. 

Some useful websites that list yoga jobs in India are:

• Indeed India
• Yoga Travel Jobs
• Naukri 
• Placement India

On all of these websites, you can refine your search according to criteria such as:

• Specific location/region in India
• Type of employment, i.e. part-time, full-time, freelance
• Type of yoga 
• Experience level
• Salary 

Knowing you have a job secured before you go means that you can plan your finances for things such as paying your accommodation and other costs of living. 

However, finding your job before you go means that you may have much less options- this is because in general, in India, many yoga teaching jobs are not advertised online. 

Instead, you may be more likely to find a job when you are there through word-of-mouth or by seeing a physical job advert on a shop window! 

Option #2- Find A Yoga Teaching Job When You Get To India

If you are wanting to become a yoga instructor in India, you can also find a job when you’re out there!

Some ways to do this are:

• Networking with other yoga teachers 
• Using social media, e.g. posting to tell your followers that you are in India looking for a teaching job 
• Physical job advert posters/ flyers 
• Word-of-mouth 

This opens you up to a lot more opportunities since not all yoga teacher jobs in India will be advertised online. 

However, you should make sure that you are able to financially sustain yourself for at least a few weeks when you arrive. 

This ensures that you can cover your costs of living before you receive your first salary, or if it takes you longer than you anticipate to find a job. 

Before You Go!

Now that you know how to become a yoga instructor in India you can put our advice into practice. 

The first step in pursuing this exciting career venture is to earn a Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga! Through completing this qualification, you will be officially recognised as a certified instructor and can take your practice on the go! 

Remember, you can download our free course prospectus to learn more about this qualification!