What Yoga Teachers Need to Know About Continuing Education Courses

As a yoga teacher, continuing your education will help to develop your skills and knowledge in this ever-changing practice. 

There’s a huge range of options that can facilitate this growth, so to ensure you pick the right one for you, this article will explore: 

• What Is Continuing Education For Yoga Teachers?
• Continue Your Yoga Instructor Education With A Level 4 Qualification
• Attend Further Classes To Sharpen Your Yoga Teacher Education 
• Seminars And Workshops Offer Effective Continued Education For Yoga Teachers 
• Free Options For A Yoga Teacher Continuing Their Education 

Earning a Level 4 yoga teacher certification is arguably the best way to continue your education as an instructor, providing you with the ability to develop specialist skills, and in-depth knowledge of the business side of yoga teaching.

You can also download our FREE prospectus to learn more about OriGym’s courses.

What Is Continuing Education For Yoga Teachers?

As the name suggests, yoga instructor continuing education courses (CECs) are learning programmes that take place after your initial training. 

You may also see these courses referred to as continuing education units (CEUs), as these two terms are often used interchangeably. 

These courses help you expand upon your existing knowledge of yoga, and develop further skills and expertise. They represent one of the best ways to continue your professional journey after your Level 3 yoga teacher training. 

For reference, the term CEC isn’t specific to one type of course or provider. Instead, this is used holistically to describe any programme that furthers your education, including:

• Accredited vocational qualifications 
• Continuous Professional Development courses (CPDs)
• Seminars & Workshops

The actual content of these courses will differ depending on what CECs you decide to pursue. 

For example, some CECs will focus on training instructors to provide different variations of yogas, while others will help to develop pre-existing skills, such as refining posture.

Regardless of what the main focus of the CEC actually is, their primary objective will always be to improve the yoga teacher’s skill set and existing knowledge. 

In some countries (such as the US), completing yoga teacher CEUs is compulsory for anyone looking to renew their teaching licence. These CEUs/CECs are not compulsory in the UK. 

This is because you will never have to renew your yoga teacher training certificate, as our vocational training is regulated by Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation).

Because of this standardisation, all yoga qualifications provide sufficent knowledge to be successful in the career, and therefore pursuing additional yoga instructor education is optional. 

However, just because CECs are optional does not mean they aren’t relevant, as the courses can provide a wide range of professional benefits.

For example, including these courses on your yoga teacher CV paints you in a much more favourable light, and as a highly knowledgeable and skilled individual who’s used CECs to develop professionally.

Some employers may even include these courses as a requirement for the role, but these will typically be advanced positions. 

Take the following advertisement as an example, where the desired candidate will hold a Level 4 yoga teaching certificate:

The employer requires applicants to hold this advanced qualification as they expect their teachers to be highly advanced, and able to teach multiple different types of yoga. A factor which is reflected in the salary they offer in the description above.

We used a Level 4 yoga teaching qualification as an example of CECs, but there are many different alternatives to consider.

Let’s explore the many different yoga teacher CEUs in greater detail, and find the right option for you.

Continue Your Yoga Instructor Education With A Level 4 Yoga Qualification

As a yoga teacher, continuing your education in any form will benefit your career, but enrolling on an advanced vocational course is arguably the best way to go about this.

With this method, you’ll learn from professionals who are already qualified at this higher level, taking advantage of their years of experience and understanding of the industry. 

These tutors will guide you through several modules that help you to develop skills and knowledge that encourage professional development. 

For example, you’ll learn how to teach asanas to meet the needs of mixed ability students, a vital trait if you’re looking to teach vulnerable students.

With this knowledge you can adapt your sessions to meet the needs of these students. You could incorporate elements of seated/chair yoga for those who struggle to stand for long periods of time.

You’ll also build on the experience you gained on your Level 3 Yoga course, developing a much keener knowledge of yogic practice, and earning much more practical experience as a class leader. 

For example, on OriGym’s Level 4 yoga teacher training course, our students receive 400 hours of guided practical learning. This means that our graduates more than exceed what’s often expected for job roles, like this one from Virgin Active:

If combined with your existing Level 3 yoga teacher diploma, you’ll hold over 800 hours of training, whilst other candidates will hold only a fraction of this experience. 

With this in mind, employers will now regard you as the more desirable candidate as you will have advanced knowledge and skills to pull from. 

During the level 4 yoga qualification, you will also choose one specific disciple to specialise in. Once selected, you will develop a much deeper understanding of that type of yoga.

For reference, you will choose one of the following variations: 

• Hot yoga
• Hatha yoga
• Ashtanga yoga 
• Iyengar yoga

This will not only inform your practice, but allows you to earn a more lucrative salary, especially if you’re running your own classes, or are planning to start your own yoga business.

To highlight this take a look at Lauren Ashtanga Yoga, who charges £360 for a block of 4 sessions:

When compared to the holistic classes from Be Yoga Fit, we can see the financial benefits a specialist qualification can bring to your career. In the graphic below you will see that the studio offers 5 lessons for £250.

Despite offering one less lesson than her competitor, Lauren Ashtanga Yoga is able to charge more because she is regarded as an expert in the field, and so her teachings are more valuable. 

From this you will be able to understand just how beneficial vocational yoga teacher CECS can be for your career. With this in mind, let’s take a deeper look at how this knowledge is developed. 

Whilst we have argued that this is the most professional yoga teacher continuing education route, there are other options available to you that don’t require earning additional qualifications. 

Attend Further Classes To Sharpen Your Yoga Teacher Education

When discussing how to advance your yoga instructor education, attending additional classes is arguably the easiest route you can take. 

This is largely due to the fact that this experience can be viewed as something you do for both personal enjoyment, as well as for professional development. 

Through attending these sessions, you’ll be able to pick up additional skills and knowledge relating to different variations of yoga. 

For example, if you specialise in teaching hot yoga, then attending ashtanga classes could shed insight into an area in which you’re lacking, such as breathing techniques, or smoother transitions between poses.

Once armed with this new knowledge you will be able to expand your own practice beyond your chosen speciality. This in turn, will make you a well rounded teacher, who feels comfortable teaching a variety of styles.

This point is echoed by David Lloyds Gyms, who ask yoga teachers to work with their chosen specialty, whilst still feeling confident delivering alternate variations: 

An employer may ask this of applicants for a variety of reasons. If you’re well versed in different styles, you will be able to cover sessions should one of your colleagues be unable to attend. 

This will ensure that the business doesn’t lose money, whilst potentially generating further income for the hours you personally cover. 

As a yoga teacher continuing their education, attending sessions won’t only hone your practical skills, but will also provide insight into what it’s like to be a yoga student. 

From this, you learn what works well and replicate it in your own class, as well as improving upon weaker features for the benefit of your own students. 

For example, during the class you may note that having a meditation session at the end of the class helps to improve the mood of those in attendance, by giving them time to reflect on their session. 

You could build on this for your own class by replicating a similar approach, whilst incorporating specific reading that helps students with this reflection.

In addition to this, another benefit of attending classes to advance your yoga instructor education is that you will be able to make professional connections with both students and teachers.

This action can lead to further professional opportunities. Continuously building rapport with your teacher could lead to them recommending you for a job in their studio. 

Don’t get into the mindset that just because you’re qualified there is nothing else to learn. Whilst this may not be one of the more traditional yoga teacher CEUS, attending classes is still a viable method for learning about yoga. 

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If you’re interested in exploring the topic of yoga teacher continuing education, then these other OriGym articles will be of interest:

• Finding a Yoga Teacher Job: The Ultimate Guide 
• A Complete SEO Guide for Yoga Teachers 
• Yoga Instructor Salary Explained 

Seminars & Workshops Offer Effective Continued Education For Yoga Teachers

When looking into continuing education for yoga teachers, you’ll likely come across an array of seminars and workshops that seek to advance your skills and knowledge. 

These sessions will typically span a short period of time, focusing on a specific topic that seeks to improve a yoga teacher's knowledge on a specialised area. 

For example, instructors at Laurent Roure lead day long workshops that focus on how yoga can improve back and spine health.

Through attending this workshop, students can learn more about somatic exercise techniques. These are gentle movements that help to rewire the brain, in order to nurture the brain and body connection.

Instructors who attend yoga teacher CECs like these will be able to incorporate what they’ve learned into their daily practice and lessons. 

You could go on to offer these classes to students who may be struggling with pain, adding an additional service into your repertoire.

Other workshops may specialise in specific pieces of yoga equipment, such as this example from Livin Leggins Yoga:

These seminars are great for a yoga teacher continuing their education, as they will provide key insight into how equipment can be seamlessly incorporated into regular classes. 

You could choose to deploy this knowledge practically, hosting wheel-specific classes, or use it to simply break up your holistic sessions. 

One important thing to note is that these workshops will not be equivalent to an advanced vocational qualification, such as the Level 4 yoga teacher diploma. 

A workshop/seminar will focus intently on one specific topic that will be considered an additional service, or add-on that can be worked into your classes. Advanced vocational training will be more expansive, seeking to build-upon multiple areas of training.

Regardless of what kind of workshop or seminar you attend, you will likely have to pay for this service. For example, Laurent Roure charges £70 for the back and spine health workshop we looked at earlier.

With these fees in mind, you should always opt for workshops that are of actual interest to you. This way you will be investing in your future, acquiring skills and knowledge that will enhance your teachings.

The last thing you want to do is spend money on a seminar that won’t provide you with any transferable skills. 

Alternatively, if you wish to learn how to host an event of this nature, check out our in-depth exploration of How to Teach a Yoga Workshop.

Free Options For A Yoga Teacher Continuing Their Education 

Throughout this article, we’ve explored many advanced yoga instructor education courses that require some form of payment. 

However, the internet is full of resources that are completely FREE to use. As a yoga instructor seeking to advance your education, you should take advantages of these offerings, looking into resources such as:

• Yoga-specific blogs
• Whitepapers
• Social media content 

In this section, we'll break down where you can find this content, and how it can be used as a form of yoga teacher continuing education.

#1 - How Blogs Can Be Used For Yoga Teacher Continuing Education 

Blogs can act as excellent resources in which dedicated yogis and other experts share important information relating to topics that can help you advance your own career.

Take OriGym’s own blog for example. We write about vocational specific topics that are both insightful and actionable. 

For example, when conducting research into this overarching topic, a yoga teacher continuing their education could check out articles such as:

• Yoga Teacher Levels: Everything You Need to Know
• How to Make Money as a Yoga Teacher 
• How Much to Charge for a Private Yoga Class

The purpose behind every blog we create is to inform readers on how they can implement similar strategies into their own practices, with the goal of advancing their career within the yoga industry.

To ensure that the advice featured on our blogs is actionable we will purposely include relevant examples to support our claims. For instance, throughout this specific article we have used resources such as:

• Job advertisements
• Prices from existing instructors/studios
• Professional workshops and seminars

We use these resources to reassure our readers that the knowledge we impart isn’t baseless. From seeing our claims supported by real examples, readers will be able to see that the topic has been thoroughly researched to ensure a high standard of quality.

With all this in mind, you should consider reading relevant blogs as research that seeks to further your own yoga instructor education. 

Throughout this process you will be able to develop your own knowledge relating to a specific topic, whilst observing relevant examples to demonstrate how you can implement the advice into your own practice. 

#2 - Using Whitepapers As A Form Of Yoga Instructor Continuing Education

For those who are unfamiliar with this resource, a whitepaper is an authoritative report that goes in-depth on a specific topic. Typically, these reports will present a problem, and provide the reader with a solution. 

Whitepapers are similar to academic articles at a higher education level, in the sense that they will typically be presented as studies conducted by industry experts. 

If you’re a yoga teacher continuing education, you can use whitepapers to significantly expand your knowledge relating to a variety of industry topics, with subjects ranging from business-related matters, to how yoga can improve health.

For example, take a look at the following whitepaper from The International Association of Yoga Therapists, where they discuss how yoga therapy can be used as a method of pain management:

This example could act as a great CEU for yoga teachers looking to use therapy to improve the condition of their students. With this information, you will be better suited to tackle issues relating to injuries should they ever arise.

If you’re interested in using these resources, you’ll have to set some time aside to take in the information properly, as skim reading could result in misinterpretation of the purpose of the study.

Now, be aware that some platforms may ask you to pay to view specific whitepapers, but these are in the minority. Typically, researchers will want their studies publicly accessible, and for this reason they will likely be free to access in some form. 

#3 - Continuing Education For Yoga Teachers via Social Media Trends

As a yoga teacher, continuing your education should be treated as a consistent process - something that you’re continuously working on, rather than remaining stagnant at a certain level.

An easy way to do this is to stay on top of relevant social media trends within the yoga community. For example, we’ve recently seen a boom in “multi-sensory” yoga, a practice that incorporates every sense throughout the class. This can include:

• Visual displays projected on walls around the class
• Specific scents such as incense burnt during class
• Music chosen to accompany the class’ teachings 

An example of this trend being used on social media can be found below, in which The Lume used Instagram to display that these yoga classes were on offer to visitors: 

Through staying up to date with the latest trends, you can continuously develop as a yoga teacher, incorporating new ideas into your class to ensure that they remain fresh and engaging.

In addition to this, incorporating the latest trends into your own social media feed may even attract the attention of new students. As a result, you could see an increase in your class attendance, as well as social media following. 

If you’re interested in pursuing this form of yoga teacher continuing education, you will naturally need a presence on social media. 

You should actively engage with content created by other yoga enthusiasts, as this will inform your algorithm on the kind of content you want to see.

In addition to this, you should also be including relevant hashtags in your posts to ensure that they reach their desired audience. This can be seen in the previously given example, who used the following the likes of #ImmersiveYoga and #YogaFlow.

For an in-depth explanation on how you can advance your career within the realms of social media, check out our article on becoming a yoga influencer.

Before You Go!

From the information presented in this article, it’s clear there isn’t one correct way to pursue yoga teacher continuing education. We’d encourage you to conduct thorough research before choosing the right route for you.

In terms of the most impact, though, a Level 4 yoga teacher diploma is ideal for those who are looking to extend their vocational training. You will be able to develop a lucrative speciality, and hone the skills that make you a great yoga teacher.

Download OriGym’s FREE course prospectus to read more today!