Thinking of offering a yoga teacher training? Read this first!

Yoga teacher training (YTT) is a transformational journey that can elevate both your personal practice and professional standing within the yoga community. It's also one of the most significant investments you can make in your yoga studio or teaching career. 

In this article, which is part of our Running a successful yoga business series, we’ll explore why and how to run a successful teacher training, ensuring you deliver a top-notch experience that stands out from the competition. 

Whether you’re a seasoned yoga teacher or a studio owner considering offering YTTs, this guide will provide you with essential insights and tips to help you navigate this rewarding yet challenging endeavour.

The biggest earner, but the biggest commitment

Running a yoga teacher training is not only a significant revenue stream but also a considerable commitment. As the most substantial offering in your repertoire, a YTT requires careful planning, dedicated resources and a lot of time. The investment involved can be substantial, encompassing everything from marketing and materials to hiring specialist instructors.

However, the rewards can be equally substantial. A successful teacher training programme can enhance your reputation, build a loyal community of advanced practitioners and provide a steady income stream. But before you dive in, you need to ensure you're at the top of your game.

Being at the top of your game

Delivering a high-quality yoga teacher training means being an exceptional teacher yourself. Your knowledge, experience and teaching style will set the tone for the entire programme. If you’ve built a good reputation and have a loyal student base, you're off to a strong start. But even then, continuous learning and self-improvement are crucial. Attend advanced trainings, workshops and retreats to deepen your knowledge and stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in yoga.

Why a good reputation matters

Before launching a YTT, it's vital to have a solid reputation in your community. Students are investing a significant amount of time and money, and they need to trust that they’re learning from the best. Building this trust takes time. Offer high-quality classes consistently, build strong relationships with your students, and be an active member of your local and global yoga communities.

Advanced practitioners only!

Yoga teacher training is not suitable for beginners. Ideally, you want a mature group of practitioners who’ve been practising yoga for some time and are ready to deepen their practice and share it with others. These students will have a solid foundation and a genuine commitment to the practice, making them ideal candidates for YTT.

Setting yourself apart: How is your YTT different?

The market for yoga teacher trainings is competitive, and it's essential to differentiate your offering. Think about what makes your teaching style unique. Perhaps you have a deep knowledge of a particular yoga style, or maybe you incorporate unique elements like sound healing, advanced anatomy or yoga philosophy in your classes.

Consider what your ideal students are looking for in a YTT and tailor your programme to meet those needs. Highlight these unique features in your marketing materials to attract students who are looking for exactly what you offer.

Traditional vs modern approach

Deciding on the approach and content of your YTT is crucial. Some programmes focus on a traditional approach, delving deep into classical texts, chanting, meditation and traditional asanas. Others take a more modern approach, incorporating contemporary anatomy, biomechanics and yoga therapy.

Consider your teaching philosophy and the needs of your students when deciding on the approach and content of your YTT. You might choose to focus on one style of yoga or offer a broader range of styles, giving students a well-rounded education.

In-person vs online vs blended YTT

One of the most significant decisions you'll make is whether to offer your YTT in-person, online or as a blend of both. Each format has its pros and cons, so you’ll need to carefully weigh these up, along with your own availability and preferences.

The importance of location

The location of your YTT is another critical factor. Running regular in-person YTTs typically requires a big enough town or city to sustain a steady flow of students. If you’re in a smaller area, an online or blended approach might be more feasible, but it will require strong marketing to attract students from further afield.

Competitors: Friend or foe?

In a small town, competitors can pose a unique challenge. By training your students to become teachers, you could be creating future competitors for yourself! To mitigate this risk, consider offering opportunities for your graduates to teach at your studio or establish agreements that prevent them from opening a studio nearby.

Collaboration with other teachers

Delivering a comprehensive YTT often requires expertise beyond your own. Collaborate with other experienced teachers to cover specialised topics like anatomy, philosophy or specific yoga styles. This not only enriches your training programme but also brings different perspectives and teaching styles, enhancing the learning experience for your students.

Crafting a compelling landing page for your YTT

A well-crafted landing page is essential for promoting your YTT. Here’s how to structure it effectively.

The WHY: Focus on the benefits

Start by explaining why your YTT is valuable. Highlight the benefits to participants, such as deepening their practice, gaining a comprehensive understanding of yoga, becoming a certified teacher and joining a supportive community. Make it clear why your programme stands out and why students should choose your YTT over others.

What to expect and how it works

Provide detailed information about what students can expect from your YTT, including:

• Format and structure: Outline the schedule, including any online and in-person components.
• Location: If in-person, specify the venue; if online, describe the platform and any live session details.
• Duration: Specify the length of the training and any time commitments.
• Price: Clearly state the cost, including any payment options like deposits, early bird discounts or payment plans.
• Content: Detail the curriculum, including key modules like anatomy, philosophy, asanas, meditation and any unique elements your training offers.

Social proof: The power of testimonials

Showcasing testimonials from past trainees can significantly boost your credibility and attract more students to your yoga teacher training. Positive feedback and success stories highlight the value and impact of your programme, providing potential students with real-life examples of how your YTT has transformed others' lives. Include quotes, photos and even video testimonials to build trust and illustrate the high quality and effectiveness of your training. Social proof can be a game-changer in converting interested prospects into committed trainees.

Booking options: Make it easy

Simplify the booking process. Refer back to How to successfully grow your group yoga classes for detailed information about third-party booking systems vs manual payments. You might also need an option to set up recurring payments if you offer a payment plan, so do your research and find the right process for your business needs. Whichever option you go with, make sure the process is seamless and user-friendly to avoid any obstacles to signing up.

SEO optimisation

Ensuring your landing page is optimised for SEO (search engine optimisation) is vital. If possible, you should carry out some keyword research to find the best performing keywords related to the type of teacher training you’re offering. This will improve your search engine rankings and make it easier for potential students to find your training.

Email marketing: Build and nurture your list

An engaged email list is a powerful tool for promoting your YTT. Regularly send out valuable content, updates about your training and special offers to keep your subscribers engaged. This helps to build anticipation and keeps your training at the top of their mind when they’re ready to commit.

Examples of our clients’ YTT pages

Purple Valley Yoga

Purple Valley is a yoga retreat business offering mainly Ashtanga retreats in Goa and Tenerife. They recently added teacher trainings to their offerings, so we created a new landing page for this on their website. 

As you can see, the page has a comprehensive list of benefits about their YTTs generally, before listing the upcoming trainings. When you click into one of these trainings, you then see detailed information about the dates, schedule, content, costs and booking options for that particular training.    

Sacred Jade Yoga

Jade Skinner of Sacred Jade Yoga offers an advanced 300-hour yoga teacher training. Her sales page (which is too long to show in its entirety here!) consists of outlining the why and the benefits, what you’ll learn, what a typical day looks like, the schedule, your investment and how to apply. There’s an application form at the bottom of the page, and of course plenty of social proof featured on the page too. 

Here are some screenshots to give an example:

Ravi Yoga   

Ravi Dixit is now offering a 200-hour authentic Indian yoga teacher training in Goa. So, again, we recently added a new landing page for this to Ravi Yoga’s website. The page includes detailed information about the benefits, the course content, the teachers, the location, accommodation and food, and important details about the costs, flights, visas and T&Cs. Ravi Yoga offers a deposit option and currently handles payments manually, although they’re looking at using a booking system in the future. 

These screenshots give an idea of how the page is structured: 

Stillpoint Yoga

Scott Johnson of Stillpoint Yoga offers an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training in London. His sales page includes the benefits and outcomes, course details, schedule, breakdown of the modules, payment options, application criteria and an application form to register your interest.

Again, these screenshots show some of the elements displayed on the page: 

Leading with passion and authenticity

Running a successful yoga teacher training is a significant undertaking but incredibly rewarding. It requires dedication, continuous learning and strategic planning. By building a strong reputation, setting yourself apart and carefully crafting your offering, you can deliver a YTT that not only educates but also inspires and transforms your students.

Remember, the key to a successful YTT lies in your passion for yoga and your commitment to sharing it with others. When you lead with authenticity and a genuine desire to make a difference, your teacher training programme has a much better chance of thriving.

What’s next?

Next up in this series, we explore how to earn passive and recurring revenue through digital yoga products, such as memberships and on-demand courses. Read How to create and sell digital products for your yoga business to find out more.

In the meantime, if you need help getting set up with your yoga teacher trainings, get in touch. We’d love to help.