So you just graduated from Yoga school? You’ve taught a few friends and now you are ready for the real deal. Here are some tips on how to apply to a yoga studio or gym. The main difference in teaching at a gym is that you most likely have to fill out an employment application and they may not know what yoga school you graduated from even after you tell them. They also may have stricter rules on clothing worn during your teaching and the music played during your class. With the clothes, I have been told by LA Fitness in the past that no logos should be shown and that is the only restriction with that. The music licensing laws can be very confusing. At the gym, they may have the phone hookup but may require that you play music from their selected CDs or Ipod’s. You can read more about licensing laws with music here on Yoga Alliance’s website.

Once you send a resume, cover letter and certificates or other endorsements such as proof of Yoga Alliance Registration, make sure to also provide what days/hours you are available to teach. This will help the business know your availability.

Be sure to include what type of yoga you like to teach. Highlight if you have experience teaching specialty classes like prenatal or restorative. It is great to know for the business and also helps you stand out as an experienced yoga instructor that has versatile experience.

Typically I’ve noticed the studio will respond or not at all. If they don’t respond at all and you are desperate to teach there, reach out to them. If they don’t respond, go to the studio and take a class. If that doesn’t work, give it some time and try again. Maybe keep attending classes there. I had this happen to an instructor I took on after noticing her practice was great and she introduced herself and let me know she was interested in being on my sub list.

If you get an offer to audition, there are some things you’ll want to know:

– is it a group audition or solo?

– How long is the audition? Usually it runs from 10-20 minutes. I’ve seen some instructors teach a full class for the audition.

Ask! The following are the types of auditions I’ve seen/experienced.

– You and the others auditioning will placed in a circle to start in no particular order. Then one leads the first few minutes of a sequence and the person going next (most likely clock wise adjacent person) will pick-up from the first person and continue to cue what makes sense going next. There are many options with this style of auditioning but get comfortable starting from different areas of a sequence. Beginning, middle, end of the practice. Get comfortable and practice starting from adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog) or virabhadrasana I (warrior I). Where will you take the group for the next part of the sequence. In the circle whoever is not leading is practicing.

– Other instructors who are auditioning are your students. You may throw your names into a hat and be drawn for the order of who goes when or it can be based on who showed for the audition first down. Doesn’t matter. The main key here is practice. Unless you are teaching restorative or Yin Yoga, your energy, volume, and cues will be most graded here. This is even if you did 3 minutes of surya namaskaras. Note: In real life yoga classes, yes we would balance out left and right sides of the poses. However, in an audition there just isn’t enough time. It is natural to cue right side of poses and you could assume most people will choose that side and practice cues with the left side to stand out. That is what it is all about any way right?

15-20 minutes while the studio owner/manager practices along your cueing

– If the studio manager/owner does not specify, it may be most impressive to let him/her know at the audition that you’ll be instructing the middle 15-20 min. of class after warm-up and before the cool down/savasana.

– If this makes you nervous, let the studio know. Sometimes, an instructor may come to the studio manager/owner very confident and they want to see how they present themselves with students and the reactions from the students. Expect the manager or owner of the studio to attend the class. Most likely, the class will be a level I or level I/II unless your expertise is in something else (Yin Yoga, Restorative, Prenatal etc…)

Practice, practice, practice.

In my experience, I’ve done all. When I owned a yoga studio, I held individual auditions (both options). Is there an audition type that you don’t see? Let me know so I can add it to the list!

Thanks!

Susan