Yogalates is a dynamic fusion of yoga and Pilates that enhances flexibility, core strength, and mindfulness, making it an appealing practice for both students and instructors. This article explores the benefits, challenges, and teaching considerations of Yogalates, helping yoga teachers determine if incorporating this hybrid workout aligns with their personal goals and student needs.

Yogalates — perhaps you’ve seen it advertised at a local gym or studio, offering a workout that builds flexibility and core strength.

This unique blend of yoga and Pilates is becoming increasingly popular worldwide as people turn to exercise that supports their physical and mental health. 

Is it a fleeting trend or a valuable addition to your teaching repertoire? Let’s find out!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Yogalates combines yoga and Pilates to enhance flexibility, core strength, and mindfulness in a balanced, low-impact workout.
• Developed by Louise Solomon in the 1990s, Yogalates integrates breathwork, alignment, and core activation for a holistic movement experience.
• Students benefit from improved posture, strength, and stress relief, making it a versatile practice for all fitness levels.
• Instructors can expand their class offerings and attract new students by incorporating Yogalates into their teaching repertoire.
• Proper training in both yoga and Pilates is essential to effectively teach Yogalates and create a well-structured fusion class.
• Challenges include finding the right balance between yoga and Pilates and gauging student interest in a hybrid practice.
• Props like resistance bands, blocks, and bolsters enhance Yogalates sessions, increasing creativity and accessibility for diverse populations.

Yogalates: What Every Yoga Teacher Should Know 

What Is Yogalates?

Developed in the 1990s by Louise Solomon, Yogalates brings the best of Eastern yoga practice to the Western Pilates practice. At its core, Yogalates is “designed to awaken and strengthen the subtle and structural core muscles through Pilates based exercises while incorporating the asana (postures), philosophy and wisdom of Yoga."

With a focus on breathwork, participants move through a practice that starts and ends with savasana. The opening savasana brings attention to the breath and body before beginning postures and exercises. The core is heavily emphasized throughout the class as students move in and out of movements.

The Yogalates Academy, headed by Yogalates founder Louise Solomon, notes that students may expect to practice “static holds, slow flow movements, inspirational vini sequencing, [and] foundational standing and balancing postures."

Throughout the class, emphasis is placed on breath control, alignment, and core activation, all under the umbrella of mindful movement. Each of these core components work together to provide a meaningful experience and a host of benefits for practitioners of all abilities.

The Benefits Of Teaching Yogalates

Yogalates offers many benefits for both its students and its teachers above and beyond what yoga or Pilates alone provides.

The Must-Know Benefits For Students

• Improves flexibility, strength, and balance – The combination of yoga’s stretching practice and Pilates’ resistance exercises creates a well-rounded practice that enhances flexibility, mobility, and strength.
• Enhances core stability and posture – Utilizing Pilates’ focus on deep core activation, this key area in the body is strengthened functionally and improves posture both on and off the mat.
• Offers a low-impact, joint-friendly workout – With both parent exercise types being low-impact, Yogalates is naturally a gentle form of exercise, making it accessible for nearly all ages and abilities.
• Helps with stress relief and mindfulness – Keeping the mindfulness component of yoga, Yogalates practices foster relaxation and stress relief, leaving practitioners feeling at ease.

The Must-Know Yogalates Benefits For Instructors

• Expands your skill set and class offerings – The additional training that comes with Yogalates teaches valuable skills you can offer. It provides another class offering and can inspire more creativity in your other classes.
• Attracts new audiences – By offering Yogalates, you can increase your outreach. You now have two communities of people who have a connection with the class – yogis and Pilates practitioners.
• It offers versatility for all abilities – Whether you work with seniors or young athletes, Yogalates can be modified to fit their needs. You have access to exercises of both disciplines that may not otherwise be used in a single type of practice.
• Opens up business opportunities – Teaching Yogalates creates a niche that you can use in offering private sessions, workshops, retreats, and online courses.

The Challenges & Considerations of Teaching Yogalates 

The benefits of Yogalates certainly stack up, but before jumping in, ensure that you understand the challenges and considerations that may come with this unique practice.

To teach Yogalates effectively, you need to be well-versed in both yoga and Pilates. If you don’t already have training in both, you may need to take additional courses to ensure that you are certified and prepared to teach.

Once you are certified to teach, whether through a yoga teacher training or individual yoga and Pilates teacher trainings, classes may still be tricky to structure. It can be challenging to find the right balance between the two practices.

If you’ve been teaching a single style for a while, your classes may lean heavily in that direction. It can be uncomfortable adding a new style to an old approach, so be prepared for a bit of a learning curve.

Be prepared for people to be a bit hesitant. If you have students who prefer traditional methods of either yoga or Pilates, they may not want a fusion class. Knowing your clientele and community will help you gauge interest and acceptance of Yogalates.

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How To Get Started With Teaching Yogalates

If you’ve checked all the boxes and are ready to start teaching Yogalates, get started with training that matches your niche and needs. There are many programs out there to help you begin or further your study. If you want to experience the original Yogalates method, the Yogalates Academy offers a 350-hour teacher training led by Yogalates founder Louise Solomon.

If you’re already a yoga teacher, consider adding a Pilates certification through Balanced Body, Basi, or Stott Pilates. Even with both certifications under your belt, it may still be a good idea to find a workshop or online course that offers Yogalates fundamentals. This will guide you in class setup and sequencing, making your classes a true fusion.

Learn about key teaching techniques including breathwork, core engagement, and flow-based sequences. Many yoga teachers already have a great head start on these. You’ll need yoga pranayama practices like ujjayi as well as controlled Pilates breathing styles. Core engagement, while taught in many yoga classes, plays a more active role in the Pilates element of Yogalates, so it is worth studying before you begin teaching.

Prepare to use props. Yogalates classes use a variety of equipment including mats, bolsters, blocks, and resistance bands. If you don’t currently use these in your teaching, become familiar with them so that you can teach and cue your students on their use. The variety of props, sequences, and exercises that are available in Yogalates stretches the creativity of the teacher and encourages growth for the students. But is it something worth pursuing for you and your audience?

Is Yogalates Right For You As A Teacher?

If you’ve ever moved from one studio to another, whether in the same town or another, you’ve likely found that your audience varies greatly. What brings a packed house in one studio may leave crickets in another. When considering whether to add Yogalates to your teaching line-up, ask your audience. If they’re unfamiliar with Yogalates or one of its parent exercises, try offering it as a workshop or pop-up class to gauge interest and gather opinions.

Equally important is assessing your personal teaching goals. Why do you want to teach Yogalates? Do you have a personal interest in it or is it just a way to add another class and extra income? If it’s the latter, think about choosing a different class, one that you find more joy in teaching.

Passion comes through in our teaching and our students can feel our love for a practice. Especially if you’re trying something new, your excitement and interest will be a great determining factor in whether students enjoy the class and keep returning. If Yogalates sparks your interest, pursue it. Find an audience or build one and get them moving!

Yogalates – Our Final Thoughts

If you enjoy the blending of strength and flexibility, consider it as a way to give more to your students. It can be incredibly beneficial for many populations including seniors, athletes, and new moms.

Yogalates is perhaps the very definition of a dynamic practice, one that incorporates elements to strengthen and stretch the mind and body. If you are passionate about this fusion, continue to explore it to expand your offerings. Get ready to be a student again and start learning!

Before you start teaching, make sure that Yogalates is covered on your insurance policy to protect yourself and your new venture. If you have a policy with beYogi, rest easy, because Yogalates can be added to your policy.