Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practised for health and relaxation. Generally, it is a mind and body practice. It is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. As people have become more health conscious than they ever were. Yoga is an option which not only gets you the required work out but also relaxes you. Yoga is one the most natural ways of keeping the human body fit and in shape. Yoga has various importance in human’s life.
Yoga has enjoyed a modern resurgence, but the practice is thousands of years old. Yoga is in wave demand all over the world because of its productiveness in treating and prevention of lifestyle-related disorders and psychosomatic diseases. The yoga industry brings in almost $30 billion per year and as the community grows, so do the opportunities for employment. Fitness is the call of today’s world, raising the need for fitness increases demand for yoga instructor or teacher on the worldwide platform. Yoga therapy opens many job opportunities in the field of research, academic, management, administration, hospital, health resorts, etc.
Career Options in Yoga
There are many job opportunities available to the Yoga enthusiasts or admirers not only in India but also across the globe. There are various career paths in the yoga field for the willing candidates. Some of the main career streams are discussed below.
- Yoga Teacher: As a yoga teacher, you would instruct your students in the art of yoga in order to increase their fitness and personal health, in both body and mind. Yoga teacher’s day-to-day duties may include: designing course and lesson plans for a range of abilities, teaching a wide range of simple and complex yoga positions, teaching positions for conditions like pregnancy or arthritis, teaching breathing habits, assessing the students, reviewing your own courses and teaching skills. As a yoga teacher, you should have some important skills like the ability to motivate individuals and groups, good speaking and listening skills, personal fitness, strength and flexibility, commercial skills if you are running your own business. Talking about progression in this career, with experience, you could run your own yoga workshops, yoga retreats or holidays. You also may be able to train as a yoga therapist or take further qualifications to train yoga teachers. To become a yoga teacher, you have to complete the yoga training course from the certified yoga training centre. In the starting, you can earn up to Rs.2,50,000 per year as a yoga teacher.
- Yoga Therapist: Yoga therapists use yoga to help people with physical and emotional issues, ranging from asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and back pain to stress, anxiety and depression. As a yoga therapist, you would start with a consultation, taking note of the client's physical condition and any related lifestyle factors. Then after this, you would decide on an appropriate program of therapy, which could involve either one-to-one sessions or classes. Also, teach a combination of simple movements and postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques and give advice on how to maintain good health and a sense of inner peace and relaxation. You will work with the clients on the one-to-one basis or in group classes. As a therapist, you will need communication and listening skills, the ability to motivate individuals and groups, the ability to understand medical terms and information, awareness of when to refer a client to another medical practitioner. To become a yoga therapist, you need to first complete a yoga teacher training of at least 200 hours after that your next step is to find an 800-hour yoga therapy program according to your interest. Yearly you can earn up to Rs.5,00,000 as a therapist.
- Yoga Advisor: The Yoga Advisor is a key person of the yoga studio team who helps welcome candidates and also promotes and sells Yoga Work products like memberships to yoga students. To be effective, the Yoga Advisor has to generate leads and build relationships with the community to drive customers to the studio. Yoga advisor also plays an important role in making sure that students find the right schedule of classes that meet their needs so as to encourage a steady yoga practice. The successful candidate must love being involved with customers and must love sales. The typical duties of a yoga advisor are; Customer Service, Sales and Selling and Studio Operations. To become a yoga advisor it is mandatory that you should have two years of sales experience with a proven track record of exceeding sales goals. Also, proven experience in generating and follow up on leads with experience working in retail, yoga, fitness, and/or health industry. An annual income of a yoga advisor is near about Rs.3,50,000.
- Yoga Manager: Managing a yoga studio is one of the most rewarding jobs. Yoga manager is also known as a studio manager. They provide overall direction for all activities related to services and programs offered at Yoga Studio. They manage all personnel, information systems, office management systems, retail, sales, and safety systems. The studio manager is responsible for project development and implementation of these programs and systems that support all levels of staff and management to reach goals in each of these areas. The administrator works closely with all members of the management team and others to ensure that his or her responsibilities are effectively and consistently being upheld. To become a studio manager you should have a bachelor’s degree in business management or equivalent. The annual income will depend on the studio’s standard but the average income of a studio manager is around Rs.4,00,000 per year.
- Yoga Researcher: If you are willing to do research projects, then there is a great opportunity for you. As there are many research projects going on yoga. There has been continuing research into the physical and mental effects of yoga and its relation to health outcomes. Scientists have looked into yoga for diabetes, cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even for smoking cessation, menopause, and many other conditions. Many researchers are still exploring the benefits of yoga, in a variety of different fields, from psychology to physiology. As a researcher, you have to conduct the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate techniques and software. You have to supervise research projects and work with team members to ensure that the project remains on schedule. To become a yoga researcher, a bachelor’s degree is required in the relevant field. The annual income of a yoga researcher is around Rs.6,00,000.
- Studio Owner: If you want to be a freelancer as well as want to make yoga as your career and have enough funds than owning a yoga studio is the best choice. As a yoga studio owner, you will have a rewarding career where you have the opportunity to grow personally while being of service to others. As the consumers changing mindset from remedial care to a preventive care approach is set to drive this tremendous growth in the wellness industry in India. The investment for starting a yoga studio is minimal which makes it an ideal business for those interested in yoga. The investment required for starting a yoga studio is relatively less compared to other projects in the wellness industry like a gym. The major investment in a yoga studio is only the interiors and care must be taken to ensure a calm and serene interior is established. The annual income from the studio depends on various factors like locality, services, clients etc.
As the wellness industry is growing with the passage of time, with these career opportunities in this field also growing. Yoga is one of the self-fitness techniques and trending at present. So, candidates who want to make their career in the yoga can avail this chance and pursue their career in the yoga. The best scope is that it will keep you fit and in terms of career it will give you handsome earning.
