White sand massages your feet as you glide across the island, ravenously blue seas to your right, waves lightly tapping the beach, then lazily rolling back out. You just finished delighting in a sunrise, before walking back to enjoy passion fruit, coffee, salmon and eggs for breakfast. There will be time to digest and take a brief dip in the lazy river before you grab a towel and head back to the beach to teach yoga and to meet your yoga students who are enjoying their vacation.
After you provide your students with a fantastic class, you are able to enjoy all the resort life has to offer, including the food. My sweet ass is there food! All day. Whenever you want it. Anywhere you want it, too.
Sounds ridiculous, yes? Well, it’s not. The above is an unexaggerated description of pretty much every day I spent teaching yoga at the lovely Secrets Royal Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
As a yoga instructor, you already know the amazing benefits that teaching has to offer, and now there’s this: the ability to travel inexpensively and enjoy an all-inclusive resort for an extremely discounted price just for doing what you already love, right on the beach!
Lots of travel companies are popping up, offering people in the fitness world an opportunity to go to the Caribbean, South and Central America, Mexico, Europe, Africa – you name it – to teach yoga at various resorts.
Fit Bodies and Fitness Pro Travel are two sites connecting yoga, tennis, Zumba and Pilates instructors and boot camp facilitators with resorts that range from adults only to family-friendly. You can take your partner with you for no additional fee, and some resorts allow kids as well. It’s a deal that’s almost too good to believe, and one I recently took advantage of.
Below are insider tips you need to know for teaching yoga at a resort:
You may be asked to bring gifts with you
Fit Bodies has a long-standing tradition of instructors bringing gifts, or contributing money to a gift fund as an act of kindness towards the hosting resort, which is typically around $150. Some resorts ask the instructor to bring things that can be easily transported, such as iPods. However, you may be asked to purchase and bring something like yoga mats, and there is no compensation for shipping.
These resorts are in underdeveloped countries and cannot afford certain things they need to maintain the fitness departments. It potentially makes travel there a bit more challenging, but it’s a pretty small price to pay for paradise, yo.
Travel expenses are not included
The fee for the resort does not include flights, so be aware that this will be an additional fee for you. Also, Fit Bodies will help you set up transportation to and from the airport, but that is also an additional expense. Even with these expenses in mind, you’d be incredibly hard-pressed to find a cheaper vacation.
The rates for a full week at the all-inclusive resorts range from $450-$600 for the instructor – and that’s for you AND another adult for no additional cost for an ENTIRE week. This is your payment, and it is generous.
Expect to meet students from all over
Resorts attract people from all over the world and travelers will come and go daily, so you’ll have different people in each class. They’ll speak a variety of languages, so be prepared to do the vast majority of the class with them so they can watch what to do. You can do adjustments when they are holding postures if that’s your thing.
You might teach yoga at various times of day
It was my goal to teach in the morning only. Read the resort descriptions carefully to find their expectations and needs. Just note they have the right to change their minds once you arrive. Don’t forget – you are there to teach yoga first and foremost, so be flexible and meet as many people as you can, explaining you are there to help them enjoy yoga!
You do have a boss
Mine was the most laid-back dude on the earth. I found him the day I arrived, and gave him flyers I had made to post around the resort. He showed me where on the beach I’d set up to teach in the mornings, and where the participant sign-in sheet lived. That was about it. When I’d see him around, he’d ask how it was going and if I needed anything.
You also have a concierge through Fit Bodies who is available to guide you and answer questions. Pretty damn simple.
You can’t pack enough sunscreen
Bring more sunscreen than clothing. You’re outside almost all of the time, so it’s just too easy to get burned. I’m talking elbows and eyelids people! The gift shops do sell exorbitantly priced lotion, but instead of forking it over with a sigh, pack up, and be generous and diligent as you layer it on.
Make sure you’re covered through your insurance
As a yoga teacher, it’s wise to have insurance. Yet many yoga teaching insurance plans do not cover you outside of the country (some don’t even cover you outside of the studio), so make sure you’re getting the coverage you need.
Interested in learning more? Read this article on choosing the right insurance for you
Applying is easy
Wanna do this? Apply directly through the website. For Fit Bodies, you go to www.fitnessprotravel.com, fill out your bio, add a photo, verify years teaching, specialties, etc. If you want to browse the website, it’s free. If you want access to see all of the upcoming resorts and dates/descriptions, it’s a $67 annual fee.
Explore your other yoga teaching travel options
Interesting options outside of resort teaching also exist. Resorts are not everyone’s bag, and the websites listed below provide incredible travel options for teachers who are a bit more adventurous, and have more flexibility with their time.
Yogatrade.com :
Employment and trade opportunities lay in wait for you. Yoga Trade also offers continuing education and community building.
Yogatraveljobs.com :
This user-friendly site offers volunteer, part-time, full-time, long and short-term opportunities for yoga instructors. The jobs live anywhere from Las Vegas to Thailand. If you have flexibility in your schedule and can commit to more than a week, check out the exciting possibilities offered here.
By Lara Falberg
This article was adapted from a blog on yogiapproved.com.
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