Is the Yoga Market Saturated? A Realistic Look for Yoga Teachers
If you’ve been teaching for a while, you might have wondered whether the yoga world is just too busy now. With a rise in yoga studios, online platforms, apps, Instagram-famous teachers and a fresh wave of newly qualified teachers every year, it can easily feel like there’s no room left.
But here’s the truth:
👉 Yoga feels saturated because of what you see online — not because demand has disappeared.
👉 The market is busy, yes — but it’s also growing, diversifying and full of opportunity.
👉 The teachers who thrive aren’t the ones with the most followers… they’re the ones who are discoverable, clear and local.
Let’s explore what’s really happening in the industry — and what it means for yoga teachers today.
The Bigger Picture: Yoga Demand
The UK Yoga Industry Is Growing, Not Shrinking
According to Future Market Insights:
➡ The UK yoga + meditation services market is projected to grow from $12.3 billion to $21 billion over the coming decade (CAGR 5.4%). This includes traditional classes but it also looks at yoga festivals, hybrid retreats, online, digital memberships and lots more.
IBISWorld reported 5,227 Pilates & Yoga studio businesses in the UK (measured between 2019–2024). The number will be even higher now.
Before we talk about “saturation,” it’s important to ground ourselves in real industry data — not just how things feel on Instagram.
Growth = demand.
If demand wasn’t there, these businesses simply wouldn’t survive.
Participation Is Strong (and Still Rising)
It’s estimated that:
2–3 million people in the UK practise yoga
1 in 10 UK adults now practise
10,000–15,000 yoga teachers are currently working
Yoga isn’t niche anymore — it’s mainstream, accessible and deeply embedded into modern wellbeing.
Demand isn’t the issue. Visibility is.
(Source Yogi Times quoting Yoga Alliance)
The Search Data: People Are Actively Looking for Yoga
Look at these monthly Google searches in the UK:
49,500 → Yoga near me
33,100 → Yoga classes near me
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
2,400 → Yoga teacher training
And dozens of variations. I could go on, there are THOUSANDS of search terms. But you get the point. There is a lot of Googling happening!
People aren’t scrolling Instagram when they want to join a class.
They’re Googling it.
This is why local SEO matters so much for yoga teachers.
What Teachers Are Actually Teaching (from The Yoga Teacher Benchmark)
Most teachers teach 4–12 classes per week
Only a small number teach 13–17 classes
Part-time teaching is common
Only 2% have trained but don’t teach at all
Many want more consistency
This paints a clearer picture:
👉 Teachers aren’t struggling because there are “too many teachers.”
👉 They’re struggling because local students can’t easily find them.
This is a marketing gap — not a saturation problem.
What Yoga Teachers Are Earning
I took these figures from Indeed August 2025, what a massive range, no wonder it’s harder to get a handle on average earnings!
An image of Indeed Job search for Yoga Teachers with Salaries
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.
So… Is It Actually 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 feels crowded because:
1. You see every local teacher online at once
In Facebook groups and Instagram, all teachers cluster together.
2. Urban areas feel busier
Cities naturally have more studios per square mile.
3. The online boom makes yoga look huge
Apps, YouTube and memberships add noise.
4. Many new teachers train each year
But most never teach full-time.
Locally, the story is very different.
Locally, the issue is:
👉 Students are searching — but can’t find teachers easily.
This is a visibility issue, not a saturation issue.
Think of It Like Coffee Shops
A high street with eight cafés isn’t “saturated.”
Each one thrives by specialising in something:
amazing pastries
dog-friendly vibes
cosy seating
the best matcha
great customer service
They all co-exist — because they’re not trying to be identical.
It’s the same with yoga.
Generalist messaging blends in. Clear positioning stands out.
Where the Real Opportunities Are
1) Be where people are searching
Google is where your future students already are.
If your website and Google Business Profile are optimised, you can show up in the moment someone is ready to book.
If this feels overwhelming, my Mini SEO Course breaks everything down step by step.
2) Lead with a distinct point of view
“Vinyasa yoga” isn’t a niche.
A niche is something clear, relatable and human:
Prenatal yoga
Gentle yoga for beginners
Strength + mobility
Chair yoga
Yoga for cyclists
Restorative yoga for stress
Trauma-informed slow flow
When your message is specific, you stop competing with “all teachers” and start attracting the right students for YOU.
If you need support with this, my Building Your Brand mini course walks you through defining your message clearly.
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.
Connection keeps students returning.
message people after class
celebrate small wins
remember names
be warm and human
create safety and belonging
You can’t “saturate” genuine community.
A Simple Plan to Stand Out (and Fill More Mats)
1. Own your local searches
Create individual pages on your site for:
prenatal yoga in [town]
restorative yoga in [town]
chair yoga in [town]
Add:
class times
who it’s for
venue and parking
FAQs
photos
“Book Now” buttons
If all of this is overwhelming to you, why not have a look at my SEO mini course, just £55
2. Optimise your Google Business Profile
Add correct categories, keywords, weekly posts, and photos.
I have a full guide on this → How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile for Yoga Teachers.
3. Make your voice obvious on your homepage
Say clearly:
➡ what you offer
➡ who it’s for
➡ why it matters
Include local references and social proof.
4. Send supportive, helpful emails
Teach something small, remind of upcoming classes, share a story. Consistency beats perfection.
5. One focused offer per quarter
Beginners series, seasonal resets, specialist workshops — all supported by clear landing pages.
The Takeaway
Is the yoga market saturated?
It’s busy — yes.
But it’s also full of people actively searching for classes, connection and community.
Students aren’t disappearing.
The demand is real and growing.
The teachers who thrive are the ones who are:
clear
discoverable
specific
consistent
rooted in community
There is space for you. And your people are out there searching. 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.
Want help with this?
My Build Your Yoga Business course supports yoga and Pilates teachers with:
finding your niche
strengthening your message
improving your local SEO
creating a website that converts
building community
setting up a simple, sustainable marketing system
Warm, practical, and designed around the real lives of yoga teachers.
👉 Explore Build Your Yoga Business OR join my friendly membership group for helpful, actionable marketing advice.
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?
