Graduation day from a yoga teacher training feels amazing. Then, a week or two later, a quieter question shows up: now what? So many new teachers tell me they feel inspired and terrified at the same time. If you’re wondering what to do after yoga teacher training, you’re in very good company.
Here’s my honest advice.
First, know that this feeling is normal
Finishing a 200-hour training means you have a foundation. It doesn’t mean you feel like a teacher yet. That comes with time, repetition and a lot of real classes. Teaching develops through practice, observation and mentorship, not certification alone.
So be patient with yourself. Everyone you admire started exactly where you are.
Keep your own practice going
This sounds obvious, but it’s the first thing to slip. Between work, life and planning classes, new teachers often stop taking class. Please don’t. Your own practice is where your teaching comes from. Keep taking classes from teachers you love, and pay attention to how they do what they do.
Teach anyone who will let you
The fastest way to grow is to teach, a lot, in low-pressure settings:
- Friends and family in your living room
- Coworkers on a lunch break
- A free class at a park or community center
- Community or donation-based classes
- Kids, seniors or a local group that could use some movement
Every class teaches you something about pacing, cueing and reading a room. Our donation-based community classes are a good example of how these classes can serve both the students and the teacher.
Observe experienced teachers on purpose
Watching a great teacher as an observer, not a student, is eye-opening. You notice how they greet people, how they adjust the plan when the room is tired, what they say and, just as important, what they don’t say. Take notes. Ask questions afterward if they’re open to it.
Get feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable
Ask a trusted teacher or friend to take your class and give honest feedback. Record yourself teaching and listen back. You’ll catch filler words, rushed transitions and moments you could simply be quiet. It’s humbling, and it works.
Find a mentor
This is the piece I wish every new teacher had. Traditionally, yoga was learned through a direct relationship with an experienced teacher over a long time. A mentor can help you refine your voice, think through tricky situations and stay grounded while you grow.
Consider a yoga teacher apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a structured way to get all of the above at once: observation, mentorship, feedback and real teaching experience inside a studio community.
Our Yoga Teacher Apprenticeship Program was created for exactly this moment. It’s the bridge between training and confident teaching. Here’s how it works:
- Duration: 3 to 12 months, customized to your goals
- Mentorship: one-on-one sessions plus group community check-ins
- Observation: required hours observing senior teachers in the studio
- Teaching: you start by teaching portions of classes with feedback, then build to leading full classes with mentor support
- Outcome: it may lead to ongoing teaching opportunities at Revolution Yoga. There’s no guarantee, but many apprentices have gone on to teach with us regularly.
It’s designed to fit around working schedules. Most apprentices balance it with full-time work, family or other commitments.
Who can apply?
The apprenticeship builds directly on our 200-hour curriculum and teaching methodology. Admission is offered to Revolution Yoga 200-hour graduates who scored 85 or above on the written exam and 4 or above on all grading sections of the final taught practicum.
Graduates of outside programs can be considered after completing our bridge program and meeting the same marks on the entrance exam.
Tuition is donation-based for Revolution Yoga 200-hour graduates and $1,250 for outside graduates who complete the bridge program. Admission is rolling and includes a personal interview and verification of your 200-hour.
Brand-new teachers are exactly who this was designed for. Most apprentices are within a year of finishing their 200-hour.
Keep learning in small pieces
You don’t need another big training right away. Short, focused workshops can solve specific problems, like teaching beginners, holding mixed-level classes or using hands-on adjustments with consent. Our mini trainings for yoga teachers are built for that.
Be careful with comparison
Social media can make it look like every new teacher is booked solid and doing handstands on the beach. Ignore it. Depth develops through relationship, repetition and time. The teachers who last are the ones who keep showing up, keep studying and stay humble.
If you haven’t trained yet
If you’re still thinking about whether to train at all, start with our 200-hour yoga teacher training. The apprenticeship is the natural next step after it.
Take the next step with support
You don’t have to figure out the transition from student to teacher on your own. If you’re a recent graduate who wants real experience and real mentorship, I’d love to hear from you.
