Teaching with us
Yoga District is an entity owned and operated by Yoga Activist, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving accessibility to self-care and wellness education. We focus on offering inclusive, accessible, and trauma-sensitive instruction in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and other self-care practices for deeper self-awareness. Similarly, we aim to provide an inclusive, accessible, and trauma-sensitive environment for our teachers, volunteers, and other staff. To be clear, our mission is to be of service to our teachers just as much as we aim to be of service to our students.
We operate six yoga and meditation centers in Washington, DC and one in Durham, NC. We operate yoga outreach programs at public libraries, the DC prison, various nonprofit organizations serving youth and adults experiencing homelessness, and public schools. We operate a national yoga mat donation program, which has sent many thousands of free yoga mats to numerous yoga outreach programs serving communities in need for the past ten years. We also offer free and discounted teacher trainings and continuing education for yoga and meditation teachers in need.
Read on to hear responses to FAQs about joining us as a teacher.
What do Yoga District teachers teach? Yoga District does not dictate what teachers teach. Teachers can choose their own class titles and descriptions if they wish, and teach according to the styles of yoga and/oror meditation that speak to them.
Although we don’t dictate what our staff teaches, we ask that our teachers engage in these nine practices:
1) Ask for positive consent before touching any student. Please read our practice guide on methods for asking for positive consent.
2) Foster an inclusive space for all regardless of their ethnicity, gender identity, immigration status, sexuality, race, age, perceived financial status, emotional state, mobility, yoga experience, dress, timeliness of arrival, ability or willingness to pay, party or political affiliation, etc.
3) Create a trauma-sensitive environment by offering students meaningful, non-hierarchical posture choices and other practice choices, while also celebrating their personal decisions regarding their practice and body. For instance, a teacher could offer the cue “return to downward facing dog to focus on the hamstrings or try cat-cow to focus on the spine” and celebrate choices made with the complement “it’s beautiful to see so many different expressions of the poses.” This helps create an environment free of judgement and hierarchy.
4) Practice cultural appreciation, rather than appropriation, by citing lineages and sources of teachings, and also by including non-asana practices in your class plan, helping people understand the context of asanas within the larger yoga tradition.
5) Guide students to savasana during the class for 3-10 minutes, rather than offering it as an option people can stay for after class time.
6) Avoid offensive or distracting music, if you choose to play music during your classes.
7) Asking each student individually about injuries and conditions as they arrive, even if they arrive after the scheduled start of class. We ask that you remind them to avoid any practices that could worsen or hurt their condition. You may refer to our injury modification guide published in the Journal of Yoga Service for ideas, if you choose to offer them modifications for their specific condition(s).
8) Wear appropriate attire. Please avoid clothing that intentionally sexualizes the space / does not offer sufficient coverage of private parts. This is not a heated studio. We do not aim to perpetuate yoga’s image problem by advertising expensive “yoga clothing” brands.
9) Avoid advertising anything (websites, products, services, social media, etc.) or collecting student information. No solicitation is allowed. We aim to foster a non-commercial environment, so we have no “check-in desk” nor items for sale, aside from yoga passes people may opt to purchase.
What is the compensation? Compensation is $45 per class for the first two months. Thereafter, compensation is $5 per student up to $60 per class. All staff and volunteers have free yoga passes to take classes at the studios and through our online streaming system. We will also offer free continuing education events for staff at least twice a year.
Do I need to arrange an interview? Your interview is conducted by the students, rather than any of our staff members. Your first class (or more, depending) taught here is a “try-out” class, which students take for free in exchange for their written feedback. We will collect, review, and share their anonymous written feedback with you. If their feedback reveals that the environment was not welcoming, if options weren’t provided for them, if the sequence of poses didn’t make sense, or if they found it hard to understand your verbal cues, we will invite you to work to address those issues and lead another try-out class. Our “interview” process is designed to be a nonjudgmental and educational experience.
How do I start? To proceed, please email [email protected] the following:
1) The times and days you’re open to teaching on a recurring weekly basis, and the day/time you’d like for your try-out class.
2) Your yoga and/or meditation bio, which should include a summary of your training and teaching experience.
3) A copy of your professional liability insurance, if you teach yoga.
4) Your headshot (a photo of your face – this is optional) so that we can upload it, along with your bio, to our schedule site when we add your class to our class schedule.
5) Your class title and description. The title and description should ideally avoid yoga jargon and terms that would be unfamiliar to a person who has no experience with yoga or meditation. Please also have your class title and/or description convey the experience level you require of participants, and the complexity level you envision for the class. For instance, an advanced level “vinyasa” class would be called “Flow Yoga Level 3″at our studios. If you choose to have your class devoted to a particular community, please mention that in the title and description as well. For instance, “BIPOC Community Flow, All Levels” is the title of a class at our H Street studio in DC.
Once we have these items from you, we will send you our guides on inclusive classroom management, trauma-sensitive cuing, and injury/condition modification. We will also arrange a time for you to come to the studio to observe pre- and post-class processes, as well as attend a class for free. This can help teachers feel comfortable in the space and acquaint them with how to operate fans, lights, locks, music, etc.
Thanks for your interest! we hope to hear from you soon!
