Yoga and Pilates Instructor Careers

by Barbara Bellesi

A fulfilling career is not a far stretch when you train to become a yoga or Pilates instructor. As a yoga or Pilates teacher, you'll help your students relax and recharge their bodies, as well as reap those benefits yourself.

A centuries-old tradition born in India, yoga has become popular in the West because of its therapeutic and muscle-toning effects. Pilates, named after its creator, Joseph Pilates, is a product of the 20th century, but has cultivated a following that will ensure its own legacy. While yoga and Pilates are different in scope, the positive results are similar, and therefore students of yoga often become students of Pilates. It follows, then, that teachers of yoga often get certified in Pilates as well.

Yoga has many branches, including hatha, vinyasa, iyengar, kundalini, and Bikram. While these branches have different levels of difficulty, they are similar in that they are based on breathing techniques and poses, or asanas. Joseph Pilates formulated his exercises to help returning war veterans recuperate from injuries, so those movements are marked restorative stretches and breathing techniques.

Warm up to a new career as a yoga or Pilates instructor
In order to become an instructor, students must complete certification in yoga or certification in Pilates where they will learn how to instruct students at a variety of experience levels. While yoga requires only a mat, Pilates can use either a mat or equipment. Even though yoga and Pilates instructors are in charge of a classroom of students, they are also students themselves. Most instructors work through each movement with their students, allowing them to continue their own practice as well as lead others through theirs.

Yoga and Pilates instructors can find work at gyms and private studios opened expressly for the study of yoga or Pilates. Since many people are discovering the healthful benefits of these practices, it is getting easier and easier to find classes in yoga and Pilates, even in the smallest of communities. Large cities like New York and Los Angeles have large concentrations of yoga and Pilates studios - pick up any celebrity magazine and you're sure to find movie and television stars bragging about the results they get through yoga or Pilates.

The salaries earned by yoga and Pilates instructors depend upon a number of factors, including the size and location of the studio or fitness facility in which one is employed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for workers at fitness and recreational centers is $27,200, with the top 10 percent earning more than $56,750. Many instructors work part-time, with the flexibility of class scheduling allowing them to pursue other full-time work to support themselves financially. However, if you develop a following, it is possible to become a full-time yoga or Pilates instructor. There are a number of yoga and Pilates instructors that have achieved celebrity status because of their popular television shows or DVD series.

If you are looking for a job that makes you feel as good as you look, become a certified yoga or Pilates instructor and reach toward a fulfilling career. Namaste!