My first yoga teaching vacation!

How I traveled to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica to teach yoga for one week!

I recently returned from a lovely trip to Jamaica, where I spent a week teaching yoga class at a luxury resort. This was my first yoga teaching vacation, and I’m so grateful for the experience! Best of all, my trip only cost me a fraction of what most people pay for an all-inclusive vacation in the Caribbean! Here’s how I did it.

Getting started

I got started with my first yoga teaching vacation through my cousin Coach Ayana, who is also a yoga instructor. She told me about Fit Bodies, which is a program that offers all-inclusive trips for certified fitness instructors, in exchange for their services. When you sign up with Fit Bodies, you get access to their catalog of luxury resorts that need someone to teach onsite fitness classes, such as yoga!

Fit Bodies offers a significant discount on your trip, compared to what you would pay for a regular vacation. I paid about $1,500 USD for two people to go to Jamaica for one week, which would have normally cost around $5,000 USD. With Fit Bodies, you pay an admin fee, entertainment fee and/or gift fund fee (air travel is not included). When I was searching on the Fit Bodies website, the admin fees ranged from $500-550 USD and the gift fund/entertainment fees were between $150-$175 USD. The fees vary by hotel and destination, so keep that in mind.

Choosing my destination

Fit Bodies offers different membership tiers to get access to their programs. I decided to sign up for the Pro membership, which cost me $67/year to get access to trip dates and locations for 12 months out. I uploaded my yoga instructor certifications to the website, and after my account was approved, I began my search for my ideal destination!

The process was fairly easy. I just went to the Fit Bodies website and filtered my search by the yoga teacher specialty. I was pretty open to whichever weeks were available. Then I browsed flights online, as airfare would also determine where and when I would be traveling. I also utilized the Fit Bodies Facebook group, as many other teachers use it to post about their trips and offer tips and recommendations.

Booking my accommodations

I ultimately chose to stay at the Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall in Jamaica from October 23rd to October 30th! I submitted my payment for the admin fee and gift fund, which came to $650 USD. Then, I waited for my trip to be approved by Fit Bodies, and after I received confirmation, I booked my flight! I was allowed to bring one adult companion along with me at no additional cost, so I also submitted their information at my time of booking. I received a confirmation from Fit Bodies with details about my trip and the check-in process for once I arrived at the hotel.

Next, I booked my transportation to and from the airport and hotel for an additional cost. I also purchased access to Club Mobay, as I would be arriving at the Montego Bay airport in Jamaica. Club Mobay is a VIP service that helps you get through customs faster. They also have a lounge at the airport where you can get access to food and drinks. If you ever travel to Jamaica, I highly recommend using Club Mobay as customs can get pretty hectic and the lines can get long.

Welcome to Jamaica!

After a smooth flight, we made it to Jamaica! When I arrived at the hotel, the check in process was great, as I just showed the front desk my voucher provided by Fit Bodies. There were two parts to the resort; I stayed on the adults only side (Hyatt Zilara), but I also had access to the family/kids side (Hyatt Ziva). I did upgrade my room to an ocean view for a discounted rate through Fit Bodies, but all the rooms at the hotel looked beautiful! The staff were all very welcoming. After checking in, I contacted the resort’s entertainment manager through the WhatsApp group, to set up a time to meet. Fit Bodies set me up with this WhatsApp group so I could stay in communication with the Fit Bodies team and the entertainment manager throughout my stay.

Getting settled

The entertainment manager was super helpful and walked me around the resort and explained my teaching schedule. I was scheduled to teach at 8:30am and 4:30pm Monday through Saturday. My morning class was outside in the beach gazebo, and the afternoon class was outside on the gym terrace. I had mats, towels, and blocks available from the resort, and a staff member was available at each class to help if needed. I was also provided with a sign-in sheet and a waiver for each class participant to sign. I also have yoga insurance through Philadelphia Insurance Company, which covers me on international yoga teaching trips.

This was a new experience for me, so I was definitely nervous to teach on my first day. I had prepared a vinyasa sequence for the morning classes, and more of a yin style for the evening classes, but I wanted to be open to tailoring my class based on the students I had. To calm my nerves, I was able to get to my classrooms early and take time to warm up alone before my students arrived. I also brought my own small speaker to play music for my classes.

The all-inclusive experience

It was so amazing to meet people from all over the world in my classes! I feel like I built a little community with my recurring guests. I had a few individuals during the week who were new to yoga, so offering modifications and variations for poses was super helpful for the students. My class size ranged from 7-15 students in the mornings, and in the evenings I had 1-4.

For a few days I didn’t have anyone for the afternoon class, so I used that as time to utilize the gym or work on my business. During the rest of my day, I was at the pool or beach, and I even took an aqua class! The hotel also had scheduled activities during the day and shows at night. I mostly relaxed outside of my teaching time. The food was amazing and there were many options to choose from (you can check the website for more info).

Final thoughts

The whole experience was a 10/10 and I am definitely planning on traveling again with Fit Bodies! Everything was easy and smooth for me. Jamaica is definitely a special place for me as it's the birthplace of my family. It was so special to be there for my first teaching trip, sharing my passion for yoga, and enjoying the perks of an all-inclusive resort!

Larissa is the founder of Evergroundz. She began Evergroundz for individuals to cultivate their inner wisdom through yoga, meditation, and wellness practices, while navigating life experiences with compassion and confidence. You can find her on Instagram @evergroundz.

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