Meditation can be transformative, giving you more clarity over the life you lead and lifting you out of negative mindsets for a lighter, brighter way of being. If you’re an enthusiast of the practice, you might be thinking of embarking on meditation training to turn your passion into a profession. But what does that actually involve? To kickstart your new career, we’ve put together the essential steps you need to know to become a meditation teacher or start a meditation business.
How to Become a Meditation Teacher (In 7 Easy Steps)
1. Understand What it Takes to Run a Meditation Training Business
Many meditation practitioners choose to strike out on their own when it comes to teaching. Running a business is a freeing experience with plenty of growth opportunities, allowing you to pass on your meditation knowledge however you choose. But, it’s not always easy to do it alone.
First of all, you need money to build your business and promote it. Though you can create a meditation class with little startup costs, you do need a budget to begin with.
From your marketing essentials, like creating a website so students can find you online, to investing in a payment device so that you actually get paid for your classes, everything has a cost! Make sure you have the money you need before you start building a brand.
Getting clients can be time-consuming, too. You need to be prepared to put in a lot of unpaid hours finding students to attend your meditation class or purchase from your meditation business.
Finally, your income might not be stable early on. If this is going to be your sole source of money, it’s smart to have a nice sum saved up before you set up your meditation business.
Even if you build up a good client base, some months may be tougher than others, so having funds to fall back on is always recommended.
There are plenty of perks to becoming a meditation teacher and starting your own business, of course, but make sure you know everything that’s involved to give yourself the best chance of long-term success.
Alternatively, if you realize that starting your own meditation business is too much work or costly, you can choose to be an affiliate for a meditation company instead. For example, Declutter The Mind pays people a commission for bringing more users to our app. You can sign-up for the Declutter The Mind affiliate program to start earning money in the meditation space.
2. Do You Need Any Qualifications?
You don’t need a qualification to begin teaching the practice of meditation. Some teachers out there aren’t certified but still own meditation practices and manage to find clients. However, it’s good to note that this isn’t generally the best route to success.
If you want to work for an established teaching practice, you’re likely going to need some type of qualification to stand out from the crowd and prove your skills.
You need to show that you’re serious about meditation as a career and can walk the walk when it comes to teaching. The job interview will go a lot smoother if you can impress your potential employers with reputable certifications or previous experience.
For solopreneurs who’d love to start their own meditation practice, a qualification is a great way to build trust with your potential clients and stand out from competitors.
Meditation training will also help you build confidence in your existing skills and develop your teaching persona, ensuring you provide the best meditation classes for your clients.
To deepen your knowledge, learn to pass on your skills, and effectively market yourself as a professional and educator, it’s recommended that you complete meditation courses before you start teaching. You can enroll in various meditation courses within the Declutter The Mind meditation library.
3. Choose a Meditation Training Course
Now that you’ve decided to start meditation training, you need to pick the right course. Here’s some advice to make that easier.
Choose your niche
Some meditation training courses will specialize in different areas of the practice. Consider whether you’d prefer a more general course that embraces all aspects of meditation teaching or a specific style you’re hoping to focus on.
Look at What’s Included
As you’re training to be a meditation teacher, it’s important you find a training course.
Developing communication skills and learning how to interact with your clients is a must if you’ve never taught before.
You might also take different meditation courses on different topics to help you understand the mindset of a meditator, how to find balance within your mind, and how to cope with anxiety.
Shop Around for Different Costs
Meditation training courses will be priced differently based on a number of factors including the length of the course, the experience of the teacher, and the specialty focus.
Spend some time looking at different course costs to get an accurate idea of what you’ll be paying. It’s wise not to automatically go for the cheapest as it may not be as good as other options out there, but also don’t assume the most expensive course is going to be the best. Some courses cost as little as $8/month or $80/annually.
Check Out Online Reviews
Online reviews can tell you more about how good a course is. Once you’ve worked out your budget, look into reviews of the classes in your price range. It’s best to find these through a third party, like Google Reviews, testimonials on their website, app reviews, and social media.
4. Develop Your Teaching Skills
Becoming a meditation teacher is about more than having a keen knowledge of the practice itself. You also need to learn how to effectively pass on meditation tips.
Develop your teaching skills both in your meditation training classes and outside of them. When working on your own, we’ve put together some tips to encourage your growth as a teacher.
Host Practice Classes
To build your confidence and gain valuable skills, it’s smart to host some practice classes that are free of charge. If you’re feeling anxious about your first few sessions, invite friends and family to attend. They don’t have to have any experience with meditation - in fact, it’s good if they don’t! Have fun and embrace your mistakes, knowing that there won’t be negative repercussions.
Your free-of-charge students will be able to give you valuable feedback to help you improve your meditation training before your first real class. You’ll also get used to talking in front of people and leading a group, making sure you’re ready to start charging clients.
Always Ask For Honest Feedback
No matter how long you’ve been teaching, feedback is always something you should encourage and listen to. Let your students know they’re welcome to talk to you at the end of a class, opening a line of communication to hear their opinions.
Hand out feedback forms to new pupils, too, and ask them to fill them out in their own time. Not only will what they write help you improve, but it also gives students a non-public place to voice negative comments.
Be sure to listen to the feedback you’re given. If you’ve had a couple of comments that you’re talking too quietly, for example, take that on board and speak louder or opt for a microphone to improve the quality of your classes. It’s not enough to just ask for comments, you have to act on them, too
Learn From Others
All of the greats in their industry have learned plenty from those who came before them. Enhance your meditation training by listening to other teachers and meditation professionals outside of your classes.
There are a number of ways you can do this, including by attending competitor classes and listening to guided meditations. Take note of how they communicate instructions, the tone of their voice, and the language they use.
Start Tracking Student Process
As a teacher, it’s your job to get to know your students and help them on their journey. A personal approach is likely to earn you more long-term clients and positive reviews, helping your business flourish. Keep track of each pupil’s:
- Name
- Meditation history
- Meditation goals
- Emotions during class
- Any issues they’re hoping to work on
In your lessons, use this information to create a more targeted approach to your classes and make each student feel listened to.
5. Embark on a Journey of Continuous Learning
Becoming a meditation teacher requires continuous learning and ongoing study beyond your time in meditation training. As with so many disciplines, you only become an expert after a lifetime of education.
Be prepared to constantly learn about different meditation techniques and read up on the various philosophies to become truly acquainted with the practice. Keep up to date with new research, including studies on the benefits of meditation that’ll help you market your classes, and don’t ever stop reading books or meditation blog posts about the topic.
It’s also important to keep listening to meditation programs and attending other classes, helping you uncover new and innovative methods of teaching.
6. Find Your Meditation Niche
As you gain confidence and complete your meditation training, you might discover that you’re pulled toward a certain niche. This could mean a number of things, from the specific meditation practices you focus on to the sort of clients you help and even the values your business holds.
A niche not only guides your classes but can help you feel more fulfilled in your role. If you’re particularly interested in helping new moms relax with meditation, for example, you’ll know that with each class you’re giving someone a space away from what can be a stressful time in their life. Or, perhaps you decide to create eco-friendly meditation classes, where you build on boosting sustainability in the industry in line with your own values.
Choosing a niche is a fantastic way to separate yourself from competitors, too. Though marketing yourself to a certain audience or focusing on specific practices narrows your target market, it also sets you apart as a specialist in that area which can earn you more clients in the long run.
7. Discover How to Find Clients
Once you’ve completed meditation training, set yourself up as a business, and built your confidence as a teacher, it’s time to find clients! This is where a little marketing know-how is very useful.
For anyone who’s new to the world of marketing, here are our top tips for getting your business out there and securing those all-important students.
Create a Website
Over 70% of small businesses have a website. In order to compete with other meditation training classes, it’s vital you build a digital presence starting with your own site.
You can either hire a developer to create yours for you or spend some time learning how to use a website builder, like Wix or WordPress which are both relatively easy to get the hang of. We also recommend checking out the websites of other meditation teachers for inspiration.
When creating a website, incorporate SEO techniques to help your meditation business gain visibility. This includes adding keywords that your target market is searching for to your site and keeping load times low.
Create Social Media Accounts
Social media is a fantastic way to gain attention and build your client base. For meditation training classes, start by setting yourself up on Threads, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Use your platforms to let your audience know how your classes will help them, what sets you apart from other teachers, and to build a brand identity.
Focus on Local Marketing
When hosting local classes, it’s important to focus your marketing on your local community. Get the word out to your neighbors by:
- Posting advertisements in your local shops
- Handing out door-to-door leaflets
- Posting on local social media groups
- Creating business cards for local shops to give out
Grow Your Target Audience
Although it’s great to have a small, local audience to begin with, chances are you’re going to want to grow your client base over time. The bigger audience you can market to, the more likely you are to fill your meditation training classes!
Look for ways that you can increase the number of potential pupils who may be interested in your lessons. For example, you could offer Zoom classes that remove geographical barriers and create classes at different price points to open up your target audience to people with varying budgets.
Conclusion
Becoming a meditation teacher is a fantastic way to create an income from your passion. Hopefully, this article has given you plenty of tips to get started. Remember, the more you learn about meditation training and practices, the better teacher you’ll become.
