How to Nail Your First Yoga Teacher Job After a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Have you ever wondered what it takes to land your first Yoga Teacher Position after completing a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training?

Once you’ve finished your Yoga Teacher Training (YTT), you might think, “What next?”. Well, now it’s time to land your first job teaching yoga! 

Often, you’ll have to complete a “demo” or interview, where you’ll go to a studio/gym and show your potential employer your teaching style and skills. Your demo should include (but not limited to): 

• Meditation

• Breath Awareness

• Sequence 

• Music

• Hands-on Assists (if you provide them) 

In this blog, our co-owner, Jackie Whately, shares Yoga Loft’s best practices for nailing your demo. She’s found that many Yoga Teacher Training programs don’t adequately prepare trainees for the business aspect of teaching yoga. Our program, which starts in January, does things a little differently! Not only do we teach you how to deepen your practice, but we’ll also ensure you’re ready to nail your first demo so you can start teaching yoga right away. 

Here at Yoga Loft, our demos are only 30 minutes long. It might sound like a lot to teach in a half-hour, but we want to experience everything you would provide for our community to ensure you will be a great fit!

Here are some other helpful tips to ensure that you will be successful at your demo:

• Research the studio before you apply! Check them out on social media platforms, peruse their website, and heck, go to a class! Before you even take the time to apply, make sure you resonate with them. Can you visualize yourself teaching in the space? Do your values align with theirs?

• Be on time. If the appointment is set for 10:30 a.m., arrive 5-10 minutes early. This will allow you to greet the owner(s), get acclimated to the space, figure out the stereo system, etc. If you’re running late, you must reach out and let them know. You won’t get hired if your interviewers question your time management skills. 

• Inquire what style of yoga the owner(s) are hiring for. For example, here at Yoga Loft Tucson, we are a non-heated vinyasa studio that offers multiple levels of flow yoga. Sometimes, we need specific classes filled and are looking for teachers who can meet the necessary requirements.

• Have a plan for the demo you are providing. With only half an hour, it is vital to make sure that you hit all of the points listed above! Since Yoga Loft is a vinyasa-based studio, we want to see a proper warm-up, a few sun salutations, a solid standing sequence, a cool-down, and a brief savasana. We also listen to your cues on alignment and breath and watch how you teach and care for students.

• Lastly, your music should match the arc of your sequence. Music can enhance the experience, but it could also leave a bad impression. For example, I practiced at a studio while traveling, and although the music choices weren’t bad, the placement of the songs did not jive very well. During the cool-down phase of the class, the music should be gentle and soothing and not make you want to get up and dance and shake your booty!

We know this is a lot of information and can be scary, but with Yoga Loft’s teacher training, you’ll be prepared with all the tools necessary to have a successful career in teaching yoga! During our five-month program, you’ll find your voice through the many teaching practicums on meditation, pranayama, and asana clinics. You will have the confidence to plan a sequence based on leading up to a peak pose and the anatomical knowledge of putting sequences together to adapt to different students.