Become a yoga teacher: test the job before your career change

A typical day

• 9:30 am: gentle group class at a community centre, twelve retired students.
• 12:15 pm: 45-minute session at a company, in a meeting room.
• 2 pm: planning the evening class and answering booking messages.
• 4 pm: private class at home for a student returning after an injury.
• 6:30 pm: vinyasa class at a studio, welcoming newcomers and asking about health.
• 8 pm: tidying up, notes on what worked, travel home.

How to become a yoga teacher

In France there is no state diploma specific to yoga. Most teachers train at a school, often for 200 hours or more, part-time over about a year, sometimes following the international RYS 200 standard. Certifications listed on France Compétences' specific register also exist. Note that a very athletic class may fall under article L212-1 of the French Sports Code, which requires a sports diploma. In English-speaking countries, a 200-hour teacher training registered with a recognised body is the usual starting point; check local rules and get liability insurance. The G-Learn trial is the first step to find out whether the job suits you; its certificate is not a diploma.

Pay

Pay varies widely by region and status. Most teachers are self-employed and work in several places: studios, associations, companies and private clients.

The hard parts

• Classes cluster in the evening, early morning and at weekends.
• Income is irregular at first and depends on student numbers.
• Travelling between venues is tiring and eats into your time.

Sources: Simonnet Avocat — Devenir prof de yoga : que dit la loi ? · France Compétences — RS « Enseigner le yoga » · Yoga Alliance — standards RYS 200 · NIH — usage du yoga aux États-Unis 2002-2022 (JAMA, 2024)