The idea of teaching yoga abroad is something that appeals to many yogis we connect with at WeTravel. To get more insight from someone who truly lives and breathes yoga, teaching, and travel, we spoke to Erica Hartnick, Founder of Yoga Trade.
In 2012, a conversation over dragon-fruit smoothies in Bali led Erica and the Co-Founder of Yoga Trade to realize that there are so many teachers and teaching opportunities across the globe, the two just needed to be brought together. The result was the creation of the Yoga Trade platform.
As Erica is an expert in all things to do with creating a community for traveling yoga teachers and teaching yoga abroad, she has some advice for our readers. Here’s what she had to share with us:
Most teachers and practitioners of yoga are very curious creatures, intrigued by the unknown and the mystical. Seekers of truth. Explorers and seekers of the internal and external realms. Wanderers of the infinite paths that ultimately all lead within.
The modern surge in yoga and wellness has created limitless opportunities and jobs teaching yoga abroad. Since what we experience is a reflection of our inner world, it makes sense that many yoga teachers dream about teaching in another country and traversing the far corners of the earth. For some of us, travel is truly an unbelievable tool that brings us to a more intimate relationship with self. In the words of John Muir:
“I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
So how do we get started connecting with these exotic cultures, dream wellness jobs, and global opportunities? Here are some steps to help inspire your journey:
Gift yourself the space to dream big. What are your deepest dreams and desires? What makes you feel alive and jazzed? How does your drive for teaching yoga abroad connect you to all of these?
Ask yourself these questions daily; dive down deep and discover the underlying essence. Craft a daily meditation practice that brings you to a place for quiet expansion, and be open to the possibilities.
Does your relationship with self allow you to know what it is you really want? Are you clear about the WHY of your desire to move abroad and teach, as well as the root of your dreams?
Be patient and let it come naturally, don’t force it. Developing a wise and insightful relationship with ourselves can take time.
It is a good thing to be sure that your dreams are in alignment with your core values. Set intentions. Work on decluttering and honing in. Daily journaling can be very effective during this process. Master the art of deflecting and keep it simple.
A strong personal practice is a huge key to being a great yoga teacher. We can only teach and share from direct experience, so practicing daily allows us to acquire experience. Study and devote yourself to a lifelong yoga practice.
If travel and teaching yoga abroad is what you want, organize your life so that you are able to do so. Be honest and real with this. Do not live outside your means. This may suggest that you make some sacrifices so that travel can become a reality. Try a minimalist approach. Less can be more. Be persistent and do the work, put your time in, and take a step every day.
Create some kind of online presence so that international employers and hosts can get a truthful feel for you. Put yourself out there and allow yourself to be vulnerable.
Be willing to do other things other than just teach yoga (at least to start). Acquire crossover diversification skills that light you up (body work, energy work, hospitality, gardening, culinary arts, web design, photo/video). This will make you stand out and can add significant appeal to your resume.
There are abundant resources out there in the yoga teacher world these days. Surround yourself with people that inspire you and lift you up. Become an active participant in your local yoga community. Reach out to those that speak to you. We are all in this together.
Here are a few favorite online resources for yoga teachers interested in opportunities for teaching yoga abroad:
The Yoga Nomads
Anne and Brandon (aka the Yoga Nomads) strongly believe yoga teachers can create a fulfilling career doing what they love, and they’re here to help show the way. They created this site to help yoga teachers transform their passion into a sustainable business.
Mastering the Business of Yoga
The Founder of M.B.Om, Amanda developed this as a place for yoga teachers to realize their potential as entrepreneurs, to learn about the business side of yoga, and to learn how to be successful in the industry.
Yoga Trade
The Yoga Trade platform connects the yoga and wellness community with transformational work experiences and unique opportunities around the globe. Travel work exchanges, community, and continuing education.
If you don’t get a offered a gig teaching yoga abroad right away, don’t panic. Continue to persevere.
Learn new things and treat yourself to workshops, trainings, and/or continuing education opportunities so that you can grow as a teacher and student and network along the way. If you want to teach and travel abroad, it helps to make live, in-person connections in the locations you are interested in teaching around the world.
Give back through acts of service and seva.
Let the magic unfold and find gratitude for the universal connection. Stay present and remember that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Share your growth with the people and community you are in now. Because wherever you go, there you are. To live is to learn to dream...and to dream is to learn to live.
As yoga teachers it is important to keep showing up to what is, to stay humble, and to find our own path by remembering that we are our own greatest guides. Tap into creative approaches and take roads less traveled.
If you can dream it, you can do it! May we see you down the path soon.
Join the Yoga Trade family in Costa Rica March 14-21, 2020 for Buena Vibra: a week of nutrient dense living to nourish the soul and awaken the senses.
Erica Hartnick is the Co-Founder of Yoga Trade and Mindful Adventurer. Most of her days are spent in California and Costa Rica, and she enjoys all things wild and free.
She is grateful for having the opportunity to explore both the inner and outer worlds. In life, she has worked at a Heli Ski Operation in Alaska, taught yoga on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, and solo backpacked the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Erica is an RYT 500 and a Continuing Education Provider. Her passion lies in sharing natural beauty with others and inspiring people to choose health, happiness, and peace. You can find her on Instagram using the following handles - Yoga Trade: @yogatrade, or Erica Hartnick: @tahoeoutdooryoga
Thank you to Erica for sharing her knowledge with us. Should you wish to connect with her and learn more about landing a job teaching yoga abroad, get in touch through one of the links above. Alternatively, you can find her sharing good vibes in Costa Rica in March 2020 at the Buena Vibra retreat.