Help Houston yogis relax in your yoga classes.
Texas has a proud, vibrant yoga community that has, since 2009, become increasingly organized in lobbying against government regulation of yoga studios offering teacher training programs. While the issue still stands, several professional yoga associations have emerged from the activity, offering resources, yoga classes and information about training to become a yoga teacher. While there's not yet any legal "certification" for becoming a yoga teacher in Houston, most professional yoga teachers register with the Yoga Alliance after completing 200-hour training programs.
Instructions
1. Select which yoga style you'd like to study and teach, as recommended by the Yoga Alliance, a national resource organization for the yoga community. Yoga styles include the sequenced, heated-room postures of Bikram yoga, alignment-focused principles of Iyengar yoga, fluidity of Vinyasa yoga or energy-based breath work inherent in Kundalini yoga. From a practical point of view, have a look around Houston-area yoga studios, including their websites, to get a feel for what types of yoga backgrounds they're looking for in teachers. For example, several instructors at Joy Yoga Studio in Houston have dance and fitness backgrounds to complement their Vinyasa teaching practice.
2. Select which community you'd like to work with. Before committing to a Houston-area yoga teacher training program, it helps to know if you'd prefer working with prenatal clients, seniors, kids, "New Age" hipsters interested in chakra balancing or fitness-focused individuals working on strength, balance and flexibility. Some of Houston's programs will focus on just one or two core audience groups, barely touching on other elements. Know what you're looking for before signing up. For example, Yoga West in Houston caters to individuals who may be new to yoga, marketing an approach that demystifies ancient practices and chants.
3. Enroll in teacher training programs. Some yoga studios offer weekend training programs for Houston professionals who have weekday work, school and family responsibilities. Others offer intensive retreats for individuals wanting to finish their 200-hour training in a few weeks. If you're not in a hurry, some national yoga companies offer scattered weekend training sessions across the country, including Houston, so that yogis may take years to complete training if desired. Cura Yoga in Houston offers shortened, 100-hour training programs as well as periodic day-long training events.
4. Register with Yoga Alliance, if desired, and join other professional organizations. Some yoga studios, especially in areas with strong yoga communities like Houston, only hire registered yoga teachers. The Texas Yoga Association provides listings of upcoming events, yoga industry news and access to group medical insurance programs. The Yoga Teachers Association of Houston provides teacher listings and information about community activism.
5. Market your yoga teaching. Create business cards and fliers to distribute around Houston's complementary businesses, including spas, schools, fitness centers and medical centers. Build a website with video clips of yourself working with clients, a "pose of the week" photo and description, and contact information. Later, you might add an online storefront selling yoga mats, blocks, straps and DVDs. YogaOne Houston, for example, sells mats, apparel and DVDs through their online boutique.
Tags: training programs, yoga studios, teacher training, Yoga Alliance, yoga teacher