Is the Yoga Market Saturated?
If you’ve been teaching for a while, you might have wondered: is the yoga market just too saturated? Between the rise of yoga studios, online platforms, apps, Instagram-famous teachers, and a new wave of freshly qualified teachers every year, it can feel like there’s no room left.
But here’s the thing: while the yoga world is busy, it’s also growing. The demand is there — it’s about showing up in the right places, and showing up as you. Let’s have a look at what we can determine about the state of the industry and what this means for yoga teachers.
The Bigger Picture: Yoga Demand in 2025
Financial Findings
The UK yoga and meditation services industry will grow from USD 12.3 billion in 2025 to USD 21 billion by 2035, reflecting a CAGR of 5.4% over the forecast period. (Source Future Market Insights). This includes traditional classes but it also looks at yoga festivals, hybrid retreats, online, digital memberships and lots more.
There were 5,227 businesses in the Pilates & Yoga Studios industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.0 % between 2019 and 2024. (Source IBIS World) This will be much higher now, unfortunately I couldn’t find an up to date stat which was free.
Participation
It’s estimated that 2-3 million people in the UK practice yoga. (Source Yogi Times (quoting Yoga Alliance) )
Yoga participation keeps rising and the profession is thriving in the UK. Estimates suggest 1 in 10 UK adults practise yoga, and there are 10,000–15,000 yoga teachers currently working across the country.
Google Searches for Yoga
"Yoga app" is searched approximately 590 times a month, and the most searched-for pose is "Child's Pose" with about 5,400 monthly searches.
I did a little digging into Google Searches, and on a monthly basis here is the number of searches for:
2,400 → Yoga Teacher Training
880 → Yoga Instructor Course
49,500 → Yoga near me
33,100 → Yoga classes near me
>> There were about ten varieties of this search, so if we assume even half of these are unique (likely very more) that’s hundreds of thousands of searches each month.
6,600 → Yoga studios near me
5,400 → Yoga for Beginners
8,100 → Hot yoga near me
880 → Chair Yoga near me
3,600 → Pregnancy yoga near me
I could go on, there are THOUSANDS of search terms. But you get the point. There is a lot of Googling happening!
How many classes are yoga teachers doing a week?
In The Yoga Teacher Benchmark (the annual report I compile) this is what I found:
Overall, teaching 1-3 classes per week was common across all regions, with a total of 27 teachers fitting into this category. It was particularly prevalent in the South East, Scotland, and North East.
However, 4-7 classes per week was the most common teaching load overall. Scotland led this group, followed by the East of England and North East.
A notable number (25 respondents) taught a higher volume, 8-12 classes per week, with the East Midlands having the highest number.
13-17 classes per week and beyond are rare, with very few teachers falling into this higher teaching bracket.
Only 10 respondents reported teaching less than once a week, indicating most respondents regularly deliver yoga sessions.
This data highlights that most yoga teachers maintain a moderate, regular teaching schedule, with the majority teaching between 4 and 12 classes per week. Geographic variations suggest regional differences in yoga class demand and teaching opportunities across the UK, but we would need a larger sample to be able to draw more concrete conclusions.
Are most yoga teachers full or part time?
39% → Full time yoga teacher
44% → Part time yoga teacher (either with another job or being a parent)
5% → Occasional yoga teacher
2% → Have trained but not actively teaching
(May not add to 100% due to rounding)
How much do most yoga teachers earn?
I took these figures from Indeed August 2025, what a massive range, no wonder it’s harder to get a handle on average earnings!
This was an area I ask about in The Yoga Teacher Benchmark, which is totally anonymous.
For those who teach in a yoga studio, though there was a range and some teachers earning as little as £10-15 per hour, the most prevalent earnings were:
23% → £26 - £30
23% → £31 - £35
25% → £36 - £40
Just 6% earned over this amount. And 19% earned less.
For those who teach in a gym, the average earnings were lower than a yoga studio:
30% → £21 - £25
28% → £26 - £30
9% → £31 - £35
14% → £36 - £40
Then there was a large drop off,
Those who run classes independently, we asked about their average profit per class. There was a huge range here.
Top challenges: The biggest struggles teachers reported weren’t about “too much competition.” Instead, they were about:
Visibility (getting found online and locally)
Consistency of bookings (filling classes week to week)
Confidence with marketing tools (websites, social media, email)
→ What this tells us: the perception of saturation is often really a marketing gap. Students are out there searching, but teachers don’t always feel equipped to meet them where they’re looking.
Why it feels saturated
I know from reading posts in yoga teacher groups that there’s a general notion that the yoga industry feels saturated. Because many yoga teachers use Facebook groups and social media to promote their offerings, it’s easy to see that there are teachers cropping up constantly.
It’s not your imagination — yoga does feel crowded. Here’s why:
Urban density: In cities, it’s not unusual to see multiple studios within a mile radius, many offering similar schedules.
The online boom: From Yoga with Adriene to Peloton and hundreds of apps, digital yoga is everywhere.
Teacher supply: Every year, thousands of new teachers qualify. While not all go on to teach full-time, the influx adds to the sense of competition.
From the outside, that looks like saturation. But looked at differently, it’s actually a sign of healthy demand. People wouldn’t keep training as teachers, or opening studios, if there wasn’t a thriving market.
But let’s just consider for a moment…..Crowded doesn’t mean closed; it means if you have generalist messaging you may struggle, while specific, relevant offers can cut through.
If you imagine an average high street where you might have ten coffee shops. Maybe you like one for its food, one for its matcha, another one does the best cinnamon buns, another one has a great ambiance, another has the friendliest staff, another is super dog/baby friendly…. they are absolutely able to co-exist by picking something they can be known for.
Where the Opportunities Are
1) Be where people are searching
When someone types “yoga classes near me” or “prenatal yoga in [your town]” into Google, they’re signalling high intent. If your website and Google Business Profile are optimised, you can appear right at the moment they’re ready to book. (This is why local SEO matters so much for yoga teachers and why I constantly talk about this.) Look at the searches I shared above. If your website isn’t showing for your key search terms you absolutely need to do something about it.
2) Lead with a distinct point of view
You don’t have to be everything to everyone. Define a niche or a thread that’s unmistakably you: this isn’t just “vinyasa yoga” > that’s not a unique point of view.
The quickest way to blend into the crowd is to sound like everyone else. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, ask: what’s my niche, or my angle?
This could be:
A life stage (prenatal, postnatal, seniors, workplace wellness)
A value (inclusive, trauma-informed, gentle, strength-focused)
When you claim your niche, you stop competing with “all yoga teachers” and start serving the right students for you.
I love the Ikigai concept for thinking about your niche. There has to be demand for what you offer, you have to be able to say it’s your specialism/passion, and you need to be able to communicate this.
And PLEASE DON”T WRITE ALL YOUR DESCRIPTIONS WITH CHATGPT. Please.
Without clear positioning you are going to struggle. If you want to dive into this, it’s exactly what I teach on my Build Your Business Course.
3) Build community, not just classes
Sequences are easy to copy; community and care aren’t. Be human. Spend that extra few minutes messaging someone after class to thank them for coming. Remember how terrifying it felt to start a new class. Lead with compassion. Focus on customers who will be your champions.
A simple plan to stand out (and fill more mats)
Own your local searches
Create (or refine) a dedicated page for each core offering + location:
/prenatal-yoga-[town]/restorative-yoga-[town]/chair-yoga-[town]
Add class times, venue, parking info, who it’s for, FAQs, and a clear “Book now” button.
If all of this is overwhelming to you, why not have a look at my SEO mini course, just £37.
Polish your Google Business Profile
Correct categories (e.g., Yoga studio, Yoga instructor), services with keywords, weekly posts (class highlights, new blocks, workshops), and real photos.
Loads on this on the blog >> How to optimise your google business profile for yoga teachers
Make your voice obvious on your homepage
A one-sentence promise that says what you do, for whom, and the benefit.
Social proof that matches your niche (e.g., quotes from prenatal mums, mobility wins from chair yoga students).
Send authentic and helpful emails
Teach something small, remind of upcoming classes, share a story. Consistency beats perfection.
Run one focused offer per quarter
E.g., “6-Week Beginners Series,” “Gentle Evenings Reset,” “Stronger Backs for Cyclists.” Tie each to a landing page that mirrors the offer title.
The takeaway
Is the yoga market saturated? It’s busy, yes. But it’s also brimming with people actively looking for classes and connection. Students are searching. Teachers are needed The teachers who win aren’t always the most experienced or the most Instagram-famous—they’re the ones who are easy to find and clear about who they serve.
So don’t be discouraged by the noise. Be discoverable. Be authentic. Be you. That’s how you’ll fill your classes in 2025 and beyond.
Side Note
This post took absolutely ages! If you have enjoyed it or found it helpful, could you consider treating me to a coffee? Or exploring some of my courses?
