Health Club/Gyms
Many people take their first yoga class in a gym setting. While you may have to leave out many of the spiritual aspects of yoga, a gym will allow you to focus on building a following of dedicated students. Also, many gyms pay hourly instead of by head count, which is preferable for many new yoga teachers who need a dependable paycheck. Once you have a strong following of dedicated students, the transition to a more “yogic” setting will be much smoother.

What kind of potential students are at a gym? Depending on the gym, you can find everyone from college students to professionals to working parents. Propose a class specifically for your ideal student – such as an early morning yoga bootcamp for men – to set yourself apart from other teachers at the gym.

Corporations
There are major changes underway in the corporate world. One of the biggest is in healthcare. The cost of healthcare is extraordinary for corporations and small businesses and they are now looking to reduce that cost. Many businesses are creating programs to encourage their employees to become healthier and reduce their healthcare costs.

Many businesses are not actively looking for a yoga program. Create a proposal and be ready to educate the benefits of yoga. Most importantly, do the research on the company before approaching them about yoga. Make sure that many of the potential students (employees of the company) fit your ideal student description. It will make it much easier to explain to the human resources manager why yoga will help them to have healthier happier employees.

Colleges & Schools
Are you interested in teaching yoga for kids or teens? Consider teaching at your local college. All colleges require students to take a fitness credit as part of general education requirements. Also, you may be able to teach yoga in the college recreation or fitness center. This can be a great way to direct students and faculty from a local college to your other classes.

After-school yoga clubs have become very popular around the country. The benefits of yoga for children are numerous. Many parents are looking for activities that will enrich their children’s lives but not cause a tremendous amount of stress. Children as young as elementary school can enjoy the benefits. Look for schools in your area that have an after-school activities program and create a proposal specifically for the age group you hope to teach.

Churches/Libraries
Many religious institutions (churches, synagogues, and temples) have low cost space available for rent. If you are involved in your church, this could be the perfect outlet for starting a class.

Similarly, many libraries offer meeting rooms for little or no cost. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my local library had a huge meeting room available for free to all library card holders.

These locations are more likely to ask that events are free to the public – so offer free or donation based community classes or programs to generate interest in your regular classes.

Hospital/Police Station/Fire Station
Doctors, nurses, police officers, EMT and firefighters have some of the most stressful jobs out there. If you are looking to give back to those who sacrifice for us every day, set up a class just for these heroes. Many stations are looking for ways to help manage the high stress of these jobs. Create a proposal outlining the benefits of yoga and provide options for different types of yoga classes.

Dance/Martial Arts Studios
Dance or martial arts studios can be a fantastic place to offer classes and cross promote yoga with another teacher. If you do not want to focus on teaching children, look for adult dance studios (such as ballroom dancing) and adult martial arts programs. With the current economy, each hour a room is left unused is costing that studio money. Offer to rent the space on an hourly basis. A great way to introduce yourself to the current students of the studio – offer a workshop, ask to have an announcement on the next newsletter, teach a free community class, or even teach a 10-15 minute intro to yoga at the beginning or end of other classes.

Bodywork Studios
Chiropractors, massage therapists, accupressure specialists – many of these alternative healthcare practitioners are also prescribing yoga in their therapy. Offer private sessions in the office – there many even be an opportunity to have insurance pay for yoga!

Private Homes
This is a highly overlooked place to teach – private homes or community clubs. There are thousands of beautiful homes that are historic landmarks, bed and breakfasts, inns, or museums. If there is a clear space available, these homes can provide a beautiful location to offer a yoga class.

Many neighborhoods now have a community club house that is part of the homeowners association. These club houses may be available for rent – or even for free if you live in the community. Often, the people who live in the community have a very similar lifestyle to you.

Next…creating a proposal
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Who is your ideal student?

A common thought in the yoga community is since everyone can benefit from yoga, you should market and offer yoga services to everyone that you come across. Often this leads to unfocused marketing campaigns that are ineffective and expensive. It also leads to students who simply are not a good fit – they are demanding of your time and energy and are often the same students who are asking for you to discount your services!

Focusing on a specific type of student allows you to become more efficient, create a stronger personal and professional brand and expand your business. Does this mean that you turn away students who do not fit this “ideal student” profile? Of course not! But you are more likely to attract the students to appreciate and value your teaching.

The law of attraction is a simple concept: like attracts like. So what kind of student are you attracting?

When I think of myself as a yogini and yoga teacher, there are several personal qualities that resonate with a specific type of student. I am very focused on my health and fitness, but I also value a relaxed lifestyle that is focused on friends and family. I eat organic and vegetarian most of the time, but I love a family cookout and a glass of wine. Staying in shape is important to me, but I don’t like to run. So the students I’m looking to attract work hard and play hard – they are looking to develop a yoga practice that provides energy, focus and personal growth in their life.

Another example could be a friend of mine who teaches Gentle Yoga a few times a week. She is a more mature woman with a sparkling personality and calm demeanor. Her voice is very soft and soothing. Her full time career is demanding; she prefers a relaxing and soothing practice. So her ideal students are a similar demographic – more mature, career oriented people who are looking for a practice that will be relaxing and soothing.

Create a description of your ideal student.

Start with these questions to identify who your ideal student is:

• Who is your ideal student?
• What do they do for work?
• Are they married or single?
• Do they have kids?
• How much do they earn?
• Where do they live? What kind of home/neighborhood?
• What kind of car do they drive?
• What do they do for fun?
• What stress/problems do they face?
• What kind of food do they eat?
• Why do they practice yoga?

Why are these questions important? Understanding the lifestyle, values, and stresses of your student allows you to provide more value.

When you focus on attracting students who you resonate with, amazing things begin to happen. People feel that you have created a class just for them! Students share their positive experience with friends. Word of mouth is the most effective marketing – so create an amazing experience!

Positioning yourself as an “expert” with a particular type of student is also helpful when approaching gyms and studios to get a job as a teacher.

Consider another friend of mine who is a former firefighter. He had started taking yoga while still in the fire department and knew the benefits yoga provided to those who have very stressful careers. Before he even finished his training program, he started talking to local fire departments about offering yoga to the fire fighters. Because he is a former firefighter, his students are more likely to respect and value him as a yoga teacher.

Next…where is your ideal student…

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Focusing on a specific type of student allows you to become more efficient, create a stronger personal and professional brand and expand your business. Does this mean that you turn away students who do not fit this “ideal student” profile? Of course not! But you are more likely to attract the students to appreciate and value your teaching.

The law of attraction is a simple concept: like attracts like. So what kind of student are you attracting?

When I think of myself as a yogini and yoga teacher, there are several personal qualities that resonate with a specific type of student. I am very focused on my health and fitness, but I also value a relaxed lifestyle that is focused on friends and family. I eat organic and vegetarian most of the time, but I love a family cookout and a glass of wine. Staying in shape is important to me, but I don’t like to run. So the students I’m looking to attract work hard and play hard – they are looking to develop a yoga practice that provides energy, focus and personal growth in their life.

Another example could be a friend of mine who teaches Gentle Yoga a few times a week. She is a more mature woman with a sparkling personality and calm demeanor. Her voice is very soft and soothing. Her full time career is demanding; she prefers a relaxing and soothing practice. So her ideal students are a similar demographic – more mature, career oriented people who are looking for a practice that will be relaxing and soothing.

When you focus on attracting students who you resonate with, amazing things begin to happen. People feel that you have created a class just for them! Students share their positive experience with friends. Word of mouth is the most effective marketing – so create an amazing experience!