The Top 6 Reasons New Yoga Teachers Quit

Being a yoga instructor is one of the most rewarding gigs out there. 

Not only do you get to make a substantial impact on the spiritual, physical, and mental wellbeing of all those you teach, but you also get to invest in yourself and your practice in ways that other jobs would never permit.

Sure, we might seem biased, but there are tons of advantages to becoming a yoga teacher. The real challenge is very rarely chasing after your dream of becoming a yoga teacher—the real challenge ends up being staying in the game. 

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not under the impression that becoming a yoga teacher is a process so easy that anyone could do it. But we’re also not saying that the challenges end once you receive your certification.

The reality is, being a yoga teacher is tough and it’s not something everyone can do. From challenging personal practice issues to job scarcity to unprecedented events that happen in the world, being a yoga teacher can be a rough go. And to be honest, there are a lot of reasons that new-to-teaching instructors end up tapping out of being yoga instructors.

That being said, just because things get challenging doesn’t mean that all new teachers are willing to throw in the towel. If you’re new to the yoga instructor gig and you’re dedicated to your craft, you’re probably trying to focus hard on not losing your edge or wanting to quit.

But how can you avoid the issues that most new yoga teachers face? 

By being knowledgeable about what could come your way—then learning how to deal with these unavoidable issues healthily and professionally. That’s precisely what we’re here to help with. Check out a few of the most common reasons new teachers quit and let these facts guide your new teacher journey. 

The Main 6 Reasons Why New Yoga Teachers Quit

Lost Confidence 

This is the harsh reality of starting any new career. Even if you’re talented, skilled, passionate, determined, and every other necessary adjective, you’re going to face challenges that cause you to lose your confidence. Maybe your classes aren’t attracting as many students as you’d hoped, maybe your own practice is shaky, maybe you’re starting to doubt yourself altogether—this is totally normal. And lots of teachers will let themselves bail on their newfound career because of this. But you don’t have to let this be your make or-break-moment! Just knowing that you’re not alone in this feeling should help! 

Money is Tight 

While there are tons of yoga instructors out there who are making plenty of money, that’s not the case for every instructor at every given moment. Sometimes—especially when you’re first starting out—money can be really tight! Does this mean that you won’t eventually make a better living by helping people through a career you’re passionate about? No way. You can make a great living as an instructor doing something fulfilling. You might just need to push through some of those tough times before the money is flowing. 

Burnout is Real 

Sometimes newbies go too hard trying to hustle and build their business—and that often means they’re not taking any breaks (or any time for themselves). This is a fairly common issue with any new career, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a toughie to handle. The best thing you can do is recognize when you’re trying to do too much at once, hire or recruit help, and allow yourself to take those beautiful things we call breaks. Work-life balance is always tough—no matter how long you’ve been in the industry—but that doesn’t mean you can’t make dedicated efforts to get better at it!  

External Factors & Unprecedented Issues 

We’re definitely talking about the pandemic as our primary example here. No, that doesn’t mean this is going to be the case for every yoga instructor, but it is true that external factors and unprecedented events can play a major role in new teachers quitting. Whether this is a micro, personal scale (like complicated family issues or health problems) or macro, global issues (like the pandemic, for example), these types of factors can contribute to yoga teacher’s decisions. It’s important to realize that our careers do not exist in a vacuum. 

Passion Fizzles Out 

And honestly, sometimes the passion for something just disappears. Some teachers might experience disinterest in yoga once they have made efforts to monetize it. Or, sometimes, they possibly realize that it wasn’t the right path for them to begin with. The reality of these things? They’re both OK! It’s not always possible to know if something’s right without trying it—sometimes you’ve got to jump in with both feet and see how it goes! And that doesn’t mean you’re a bad teacher or not meant to be one, just that it’s not the right path for you at the moment.