How To Become A Vinyasa Yoga Teacher

Wondering how to become a Vinyasa yoga teacher but not sure where to start?

With our article, you don’t need to look any further as we will cover:

• What Is Vinyasa Yoga?
• What Qualifications Do You Need To Become A Vinyasa Yoga Teacher?
• Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Salary
• Where Can You Teach Vinyasa Yoga?
• Career Progression Opportunities For Vinyasa Yoga Teachers
• Why Become A Vinyasa Yoga Teacher?
• Key Skills For Vinyasa Yoga Teachers

Before we jump in, if you’re looking to get qualified as a vinyasa yoga teacher, your first step should be to undertake a Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga. 

You can also check out or step-by-step breakdown on how to pursue these employment opportunities, in our article - 'How to Become a Yoga Instructor'. 

What Is Vinyasa Yoga?

Commonly referred to as ‘flow’ yoga as a result of its incorporation of breathing, Vinyasa Yoga is defined by seamlessly stringing different positions and postures together in one smooth sequence. 

These postures are ‘linked’ to one another through breathing, making it a smooth sequence rather than clients exploring different asanas and then ‘breaking’ it by stopping and moving into another.

Vinyasa Yoga is different to other ‘fixed forms’ such as Bikram Yoga, which uses the same 26 postures in every class. 

This means each class is different as Vinyasa Yoga lacks the repetitiveness and rigidity of other forms of yoga.

The aim of Vinyasa Yoga is to maintain a strong level of body consciousness and consistent deep breathing throughout all movements during the practice.

The focus isn’t about ‘getting into the posture’ then breathing, but to enhance concentration and bodily awareness during the entire practice.

Ujjayi Breath is the breathing technique used during Vinyasa Yoga. This is done through the nose in a rhythmic manner by inhaling and exhaling.

What Qualifications Do You Need To Become A Vinyasa Yoga Teacher?

Now you’re aware of what exactly vinyasa yoga is, it’s time to discuss just what you need to become one.

Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga

To become a Vinyasa yoga instructor, you’ll first need to complete a Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga. 

The extensive modules on this course will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to effectively deliver yoga classes in an inclusive and welcoming environment that keeps clients engaged and motivated. 

These modules include:

• Anatomy & Physiology for Yoga
• Health & Safety During Yoga
• Planning a Level 3 Yoga Session
• Delivering a Yoga Session

Studying modules such as these allows you to understand how to effectively plan individual and group yoga sessions, including:

• Children
• The elderly
• People with disabilities 
• Pregnant women

Becoming qualified with this course means you’ll be able to:

• Deliver group-based classes
• Teach 1-2-1 yoga sessions
• Find employment as a yoga instructor or start a freelance business

With this basic-level qualification, you’ll be able to apply for more general yoga instructor jobs such as this one posted by Trax Performance.

Jobs such as these ones are ideal for gaining teaching experience in the industry and can lead you on to more advanced or specialised yoga disciplines. 

While Trax Performance asks for an accredited 200 hours Yoga Teaching Qualification, here at OriGym, our Level 3 yoga course provides you with double that experience (a colossal 400 hours!) for a fraction of the cost of other providers!

Do I Need A Specialist Vinyasa Yoga Qualification?

To become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, you don’t necessarily require a specialist qualification. The main thing is to build a strong foundation in yoga, which is what you’ll be provided with after a level 3 qualification.

For example, this advertisement below for a Vinyasa based yoga instructor doesn’t require the applicant to have completed a specialised course in Vinyasa yoga.

The company is looking for someone who has completed the minimum 200 hour yoga qualification, but there is no specification that you must have achieved it in Vinyasa yoga. 

Here’s another example for a job overseas which doesn’t stipulate that you need a specialised Vinyasa yoga teacher training course, even though the centre is one that focuses primarily on restorative and mindfulness yoga. 

Both roles simply require you to have completed an accredited course that provides 200 hours+ of yoga training, which OriGym’s Level 3 yoga diploma more than covers.

Although Vinyasa Yoga courses do exist, these aren’t necessary to gain a meaningful experience and employment as a Vinyasa yoga teacher.

These courses emphasise mindfulness, and the spiritual aspects of yoga, but only serve to build on the solid foundations provided by a good Level 3 yoga teacher training course.

Despite not being strictly necessary, these additional courses can also be expensive, with some costing upwards of £2000.

Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Salary

It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to become a yoga instructor, so we’re sure you’ll want it to pay off when you get qualified.

According to Payscale, the average hourly rate for a yoga instructor in the UK is £21.85.

Even better, this table provided by Indeed highlights the potential earnings yoga instructors can expect in various cities across the UK.

As you can see, the highest reported salary is in Belfast at £57.23 an hour! 

However, while these earnings do highlight how lucrative a career as a yoga teacher can be, the table doesn’t take into account whether this is from employment or freelance work. 

There are many factors to take into account when it comes to determining an average wage.

Pay may be affected by:

• Experience
• Location
• Special Qualifications
• Studio Size

Although these hourly rates are based on holistic yoga instructors rather than specialised, there could potentially be the chance to earn more. 

By specialising in a particular discipline, you’ll also increase your employment prospects as you’ll be qualified in an area with fewer competitors. 

While the data of a Vinyasa yoga teacher salary is limited, even if we take the £21.85 hourly rate from Payscale, this is still a lot more than the minimum UK wage of £8.91.

The good news is the Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga will qualify you to teach different areas of yoga and if you’re freelance, you can set your own prices.

- - - - - 

If you’re interested in other areas of yoga aside from Vinyasa yoga, check out these articles: 

• 24 Types of Yoga Styles
• Ashtanga Yoga: Everything You Need To Know
• What is Hatha Yoga?

Where Can You Teach Vinyasa Yoga?

After your Vinyasa yoga teacher training, you may choose to find employment in a studio, work as a freelancer, or even open your own studio. There are plenty of opportunities for an exciting career as a Vinyasa yoga teacher.

Yoga is practised all over the world and in some places such as India, where it originated, it’s a way of life for many. As it’s an internationally popular practice, why stop at being a yoga instructor in the UK?

Popular areas for yoga across the world include:

• India
• Thailand
• Indonesia 
• Nepal 
• Hawaii 

There are many other places around the world where yoga is popular so don’t think you’re just limited to these places! However, you don’t have to travel halfway across the world to find employment as a yoga teacher.

If you choose to remain in the UK, you’ll still have plenty of clients interested in attending yoga classes. In the UK, popular routes of employment include:

Studio Employment

For candidates seeking a steady income and stable work, finding employment in a studio like the one posted below is ideal.

If you’ve only just become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, seeking employment with a company may be the best idea to gain some experience, as it’s a big step to take into freelance work.

Some people prefer stability and having more of a routine in terms of working hours, and this is often more desirable for beginners.

Deciding on how you want to be employed after completing your Vinyasa yoga instructor training largely depends on your lifestyle and level of commitment to finding work. 

Although there is more freedom when freelancing regarding your salary and working hours, there is often greater stability with studio employment.

Employment by a Gym

This is where multiple qualifications can be beneficial to your career. Instead of hiring separate yoga teachers, some gyms or fitness centres such as in the advertisement above, will have their personal trainers or fitness instructors also teach yoga classes.

For this reason, having both a Level 3 Diploma in Yoga and a Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification can be very appealing to potential employers as they’re essentially hiring one person for two jobs.

We'll touch more on complementary qualifications that can improve your employment prospects more shortly.

From your employment through the gym, this could be a great way to build a clientele base if you eventually decide to go freelance, or take the plunge and open your own business.

You may also earn an extra income by working in the gym as a personal trainer but offer private yoga classes, or vice versa.

Freelance

For those seeking freedom after completing their Vinyasa yoga instructor training, you may find working as a freelancer is a desirable option.

Among the benefits of being a freelance yogi, the salary and working hours are likely at the top of this list. 

As you get to decide how many hours you put in and how much you charge for a session, there isn’t a cap to your earnings.

For instance, this advertisement for a freelancing yoga teacher in Retford offers just two hours per week, meaning you’re able to branch out and undertake classes for other studios or gyms.

However, jobs that are advertised as freelance often only provide limited hours, meaning work isn’t always secure and stable. With roles such as this, it’s hugely important to consider your personal preferences.

Yoga Retreats

If you prefer seasonal work or want to travel as a Vinyasa yoga teacher, you may find employment in a yoga retreat is ideal.

A yoga retreat is simply a place yoga enthusiasts visit for a short time to relax their body and mind in a tranquil environment.

This kind of work essentially combines the freedom of freelance work with the security of steady employment for a period of time.

You aren’t just limited to the best yoga retreats in the UK, but can travel all over the world doing this! For example, take a look at this job posted below for a yoga retreat in Morocco.

Even better, newly examined teachers are accepted and as with the advertisement above, staff are usually provided with accommodation and food during the entire term of their employment.

Open Your Own Studio 

An ambition for many aspiring yoga instructors is to be their own boss and open their own studio, teaching classes full time.

You may begin with a smaller studio, teaching classes with another member of staff. This could then grow into a larger space where you employ more yoga instructors, increasing the number of sessions per day. 

There are many locations across the country you could rent and operate your studio from.

To begin with, you may find a more intimate and affordable space such as this one in Edinburgh to be ideal:

However, as your business grows and you begin taking on more clients, you may want to move to a larger space.

This area advertised on Gumtree is a multipurpose space, ideal for yoga. While more expensive, you may find the expansion necessary if you want a bigger space to take on extra clients.

While this may not look like much, it’s an ideal space you can make your own, and with it being in a major city such as Birmingham, this means there’s the potential to take on plenty more clients!

Career Progression Opportunities For Vinyasa Yoga Teachers

To progress even further in your career after your Vinyasa yoga teacher training, you may find other courses can compliment your yoga qualifications.

There are plenty of courses available that can make you more appealing to employers. Having a range of skills sets you apart from the crowd, both in terms of employability and appealing to potential clients. 

If you’re serious about being a successful Vinyasa yoga teacher, you can boost your earning potential by becoming qualified in various areas of the health and fitness industry.

Complementary Courses

Regardless of how you choose to pursue a career after you've compelted your Vinyasa yoga teacher training, there's multiple additional qualifications that significantly boost your employment chances, and your appeal to potential employers.

Let's explore some of the most influential.

Personal Training

A great way to maximise your earnings is to become a personal trainer. Gaining a Level 3 qualification in personal training is a great way to increase your income and provide clients with a well rounded experience.

This can allow you to increase your clientele base as you have more to offer them in terms of fitness. 

You could be employed by a gym and offer both personal training and yoga classes, thereby finding clients who may be interested in taking you up on your services. 

By recruiting clients for both yoga classes and personal training sessions, you can gain experience in these areas and ultimately become your own boss by offering services as a self-employed personal trainer and yoga instructor. 

As you can see from this job advertisement below, having experience as a fitness instructor or personal trainer can be beneficial for you when looking for employment. 

Having this experience, or even just a Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification, can set you apart from other candidates, especially when working in a 1-to-1 setting.

Sports Nutrition

Another great addition to your qualifications may just be sports nutrition! A course like this can aid you with the knowledge to provide informative advice to clients.

An understanding of nutrition is important for helping clients reach their fitness goals as exercise and a balanced diet are crucial for effective weight loss. You will be able to write specialised nutrition plans, specifically tailored to clients.

A qualification in sports nutrition will make you more desirable as an instructor as you will be able to combine what you’ve learnt on the course with being able to teach yoga. 

For example, Yoga Nutrition Wellness is a yoga retreat that combines nutrition and yoga, and explores the relationship between mindfulness and diet.

This puts you in a unique position of being able to advise clients on their yoga diet as well as teach them yoga as you have the knowledge to have them adapt their diet and training to fit their fitness goals.

Reiki 

Reiki is an energy healing technique that, through touch, promotes relaxation, and reduces stress and anxiety. 

As reiki and yoga are both practises that can bring mental, physical, and spiritual healing, some yoga teachers find combining the two can be a powerful experience.

Studying a course in reiki healing can be a great addition for helping people achieve relaxation and to gain a greater understanding of how energy moves through the body. 

Here’s a great example from Conscious Calling, a Liverpool-based yoga teacher that incorporates Reiki into their teachings and practice.

Achieving a qualification in reiki healing means you can offer yoga clients this service as a way to help them further in their journeys to ease physical and mental strain.

Sports Massage Therapy

Something incredibly beneficial you may not have considered is to become qualified in sports massage therapy. 

This is a great complementary course for you to provide clients with relief after working their muscles during yoga poses.

In fact, some employers (like the example below) list this as a preferable area of experience, and having sports massage can significantly boost your employment prospects.

With it, you can help clients progress into more difficult poses and stretches by providing aid to clients who need it. 

No matter how long certain individuals have practised yoga for, there are certain poses that can just seem impossible to perform.

Sports massage therapy can be given before or after yoga to prepare or soothe muscles, making particular poses easier to perform, and knowing how clients should prepare their muscles and soothe them after yoga will be greatly beneficial, especially for beginners.

This can also increase your salary too by offering packages that incorporate yoga training with a sports massage afterwards. 

You may also encourage sports massage therapy clients to try yoga as a way to ease muscle tightness and improve flexibility.

First Aid Certification

While providing first aid isn’t necessarily in the yoga studio manager job description, it’s still an important thing to have.

As mentioned above, according to Insure4Sport, by law all gyms and fitness clubs are required to have at least one qualified first aid professional on-site at all times. 

There are various first aid course providers, the most common ones being St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross. 

Having a first aid certification can be something that sets you apart from those who don’t have it and some employers require it.

This certification may also put clients at ease, knowing that the person teaching or training them will know what to do if an emergency arises.

Even better, these courses often only take a couple of days to complete and will provide you with an accredited certificate - a small amount of time which could result in you saving a life!

Why Become A Vinyasa Yoga Teacher

There’s more reasons than the salary potential to become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, so let’s break them down for you!

#1 - Incredibly Rewarding

Being a Vinyasa yoga teacher is not only rewarding for yourself but for your clients as well. Helping people on their journeys to finding peace and tranquillity, as well as reaching their fitness goals, is extremely rewarding. 

It may just take one of your classes to inspire a client to become a yoga instructor and lead them onto an exciting career change. 

Think about classes you may have attended and any inspirational instructors who’ve taught you. You could be that inspiring teacher for someone else!

#2 - Benefits Mental Health

Not only is yoga great for the body, but the mental benefits are just as important! By practising this daily and encouraging others to do the same, your mental health will greatly improve. 

Arguably, working as a yoga teacher is easier than most careers to leave stable employment and become a freelancer, benefiting from more freedom. 

This means it’s more likely you can avoid the potential stress and burnout we typically associate with a 9-5 job. 

As there are already many mental benefits of exercise, working in an industry that puts an emphasis on tranquillity and positive thinking can bring huge peace of mind. 

Work can often be a source of stress for most people, so if being in a daily environment where positivity and relaxation is a core principle, this can greatly benefit you mentally.

#3 - Ultimate Work-Life Balance

Unless you want it to be, a Vinyasa yoga teacher doesn’t have to be a 9-5 job. Working freelance means you can set a weekly schedule that works for you! 

Even if you’re employed by a studio, it’s unlikely you’ll be working all day every day, and instead be on a timetable similar to the one above.

With yoga being one of the more relaxing types of exercise, it may not even feel like work.  

As we’ve already discussed, you may decide to travel as a yoga teacher and spend different seasons in various yoga centres across the world.

As there are many different types of yoga styles you could be teaching so why stay in a job you feel unfilled doing?

#4 - Puts Things Into Perspective

As the benefits of meditation and positive thinking are a large part of yoga, this can change how you perceive the world and other people around you. 

By teaching students, you will truly take notice of each individual around you, and ultimately be more aware of their needs and goals. 

Noticing these differences is likely to make you more empathetic outside of the studio, and teaching students in a relaxed and harmonious environment is great for connecting with others in a more impactful way. 

If you have a drastic career change, moving from the corporate world to the world of yoga, it’s likely you’ll notice what really does and doesn’t matter.  

By teaching others yoga, you have the potential to unlock this tranquillity inside and help others do the same.

Key Skills For Vinyasa Yoga Teachers

Of course, having the knowledge to be a Vinyasa yoga teacher is one thing, but there are also many skills required to be successful. 

While many skills come naturally, a good yoga teacher is someone who is willing to learn and perfect these necessary skills. We’ll break some of these necessary skills down for you to help you in the industry.

#1 - Effective Communicator

To become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, clear communication is key. Talking students through the various poses while encouraging them along the way means you need to be able to express yourself correctly.

Yoga teachers may have the added challenge of talking clients through poses while they demonstrate it themselves, meaning you have to be conscious of what you’re saying as you perform it.

Listening to your students is just as important as talking to them. This means you can get to know them and what style of teaching they prefer, adapting this preferred style during classes. 

Doing this means they’re more likely to return and recommend your classes to others, as well as be satisfied with what you can offer.

Knowing the information isn’t enough. It’s being able to convey this information to students in a helpful way that makes a teacher successful.

#2 - Patient

Patience is something that should come naturally to a Vinyasa yoga teacher. Everyone is a beginner at some point as it takes time to achieve certain yoga poses. 

This is why it’s important for a teacher to recognise that yoga for beginners can be hard and you’ll find students of all different levels. Even those in advanced classes may still struggle to pick up certain movements.

Empathy and patience should go hand in hand when explaining and demonstrating poses to a class. You can’t expect everyone to pick things up straight away - everyone will develop at their own pace.

It’s likely you’ll come across the same problems again and again, as well as answer repetitive questions over and over. This is why patience is key! 

Clients aren’t going to remember everything you say. Refrain from being rude or sarcastic and just help them in the best way you can. 

#3 - Strong Presence

Every teacher needs a strong presence and Vinyasa yoga teachers are no different!

An effective teacher will grab and hold the attention of a class from the beginning until the end of the session. It takes a lot of energy to teach yoga and encourage students to attempt difficult poses and also help them to succeed with them. 

A Vinyasa yoga teacher needs a high level of confidence, able to hold the attention of students from the minute they start the class. 

However, you must also find a balance between being confident but also transmitting a calming aura. 

The last thing people want when attending a yoga class is to have a teacher who is too loud and constantly disrupts the atmosphere. 

Similarly, clients also don’t want to be taught by someone who is visibly nervous as it will likely make them uncomfortable.

#4 - Organised

There’s nothing more irritating than paying for a class, only to be left waiting for the yoga teacher to show up. To become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, it’s important you’re organised by keeping a record of class times and sessions.

If you’re a freelance Vinyasa yoga teacher, this is especially important. The only person who will be there to ensure you’re attending classes on time is yourself!

While some emergencies can’t be helped, it’s always important to arrive at the venue long before a class starts.

Mixing up class days or constantly turning up late will make you appear unreliable to clients. This will eventually stop them from coming back when your work should be focused on how to get more yoga clients. 

Being organised is important for anyone who is self-employed. Even those who are employed by studios or gyms will need to be organised as they will likely have leads to follow-up on, clients to keep happy, and targets to reach.

#5 - Professional

Being approachable and someone clients feel comfortable around is what a Vinyasa yoga teacher should want. This allows you to build a good relationship with clients and puts people at ease if they have to discuss issues they may be experiencing. 

However, you must always remain professional. Yoga instruction can be quite personal and ‘hands-on’ as you may need to direct clients with certain poses, ensuring they perform it correctly.

While it’s important to be friendly to clients, there still should be distance between a teacher and their students. 

You should always ensure you don’t overstep the mark and must respect other people’s boundaries.

As a Vinyasa yoga teacher, you should also make sure to separate your personal life from your professional life. Clients aren’t there to listen to you talk about politics or gossip about other members of the class.

People are attending your classes and expect you to teach them. This shouldn’t be the place to look for new friends or potential partners. The only reason you should have good relationships with students is to keep them happy during classes.

Before You Go!

Now you know how to become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, what’s stopping you from taking the first step?

Take a look at our Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga here. With a 400 hour qualification that covers everything you need to know to become a Vinyasa yoga teacher, you’re sure to find success in this industry!