Every year when I open registrations for my yoga teacher training in London, I get this question. Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s emailing me, almost apologetically, asking if they’re too old to become a yoga teacher.

The short answer is no. Absolutely not.

But I understand why you’re asking. So let me give you the longer answer too.

Why people think they’re too old to train as a yoga teacher

I think I know where this worry comes from. Scroll through Instagram and you’ll see a very particular image of yoga — young, beautiful people in bikinis doing impossible poses on beaches. It’s easy to look at that and think yoga teaching isn’t for someone like you.

But social media isn’t reality. And that image has very little to do with what actually makes a good yoga teacher in the UK — or anywhere else.

Here’s something that might surprise you: according to recent industry data, around 40% of yoga teachers are over 40. Many don’t start teaching until their 50s or 60s. You’re not unusual for considering this now. You’re actually in good company.

In my experience, the people asking “am I too old to do yoga teacher training?” are often the ones who would make wonderful teachers. They’re thoughtful. They’re self-aware. They’ve lived enough life to bring real depth to their teaching.

What I actually see on my yoga teacher training courses

Let me tell you about the people who train with me in London and online.

On my courses, I see students from their late 20s all the way to their mid and late 60s. My previous course skewed older — mostly 40s upwards, with several students in their 60s. My current course is a lovely mixture, with people in their 30s training alongside people in their 60s.

This isn’t unusual for yoga teacher training in the UK. It’s common to have women in their 50s and 60s joining. Some are thinking about retirement and want something meaningful to move into. Some are empty nesters with more time on their hands. Some have practised yoga for years and finally feel ready to share it.

None of them are too old to become a yoga teacher.

Your age is not a barrier to becoming a yoga teacher — it’s an asset

Here’s what I’ve come to understand after 17 years of teaching yoga and training teachers:

Your age and life experience are exactly what will make you a good teacher.

Whatever you’ve been through up until now — the challenges, the joys, the heartbreaks, the growth — all of it adds depth to your teaching. It gives you understanding. It gives you empathy. It gives you the ability to meet your students where they are, because you’ve lived enough to know that life isn’t simple.

A 25-year-old teacher and a 55-year-old teacher will bring different qualities to their classes. Neither is better or worse. They’re just different. And there are students out there who need exactly what you have to offer.

You’ll attract the yoga students who are right for you

Something I’ve noticed over the years: you attract the students you’re meant to teach.

When I started teaching early on in my 20s, many of my students were younger too. Now I’m in my 40s, and my students have grown with me. My classes are full of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. They come to me because of who I am now, not who I was at 25.

The same will happen for you. People will be drawn to you because of who you are — your energy, your experience, your way of seeing the world. Your age is part of that. It’s not something to overcome. It’s something to bring.

Different ages, different gifts as a yoga teacher

Each stage of life brings different qualities to your teaching.

In your 20s, you might have physical energy and enthusiasm. In your 40s, you might have more patience and perspective. In your 60s, you might have a steadiness and wisdom that younger teachers are still developing.

There’s no age at which you have nothing left to offer. If anything, the opposite is true. The longer you’ve lived, the more you have to draw from.

I’ve watched students in their 60s become beautiful yoga teachers — warm, grounded, and able to hold space in a way that comes from decades of life experience. Their age wasn’t a limitation. It was their superpower.

But can I physically do yoga teacher training?

This is sometimes what people really mean when they ask about age. They’re worried their body won’t keep up with the training.

Here’s the truth: you don’t need to be able to do advanced poses to become a yoga teacher. You don’t need to stand on your head or put your leg behind your ear.

What you need is an understanding of how yoga works, the ability to guide others safely, and the presence to hold a class. You’ll teach from your own practice — whatever that looks like for your body, at your age, right now.

Some of the best yoga teachers I know aren’t the most physically flexible. They’re the most attentive, the most knowledgeable, the most able to adapt practices for real people with real bodies.

On my training in London and online, we focus on teaching skills — not athletic performance. You’re learning to become a yoga teacher who can work with all kinds of bodies, including your own.

Is there an age limit for yoga teacher training in the UK?

There’s no official age limit for yoga teacher training. The British Wheel of Yoga, which is a governing body for yoga in England and offers the highest regulated qualification (Ofqual Level 4), has no upper age restriction on their courses.

What matters is that you:

• Have a regular yoga practice
• Are willing to learn
• Can commit to the training schedule
• Want to share yoga with others

That’s it. Not how old you are. Not whether you can do a handstand.

The question behind the question

When someone asks me “am I too old to do yoga teacher training?”, I hear something else underneath it.

I hear: “Is this something I’m allowed to want at this stage of my life?”

The answer is yes. You’re allowed to want this. You’re allowed to pursue something meaningful for yourself, even if you’re not 25, even if you’ve got responsibilities, even if it feels a bit late.

It’s not too late to become a yoga teacher. Not at 40, not at 50, not at 60, not even at 90!

Yoga teacher training in London and online for people with full lives

If you’re considering yoga teacher training and you’re wondering whether you can fit it in, my 14-month BWY Level 4 programme is designed for people exactly like you.

We meet once a month on Saturdays in person in London, with the rest online via Zoom. You’ll need around four hours a week between sessions for teaching practice, reading, and assignments. It’s a part-time pace that works for people with jobs, families, and busy lives — whatever age you are.

If you’d like to find out more, you can read the full details HERE or get in touch for a chat. I’m always happy to talk through whether it’s the right fit.

And if you’re sitting there wondering if you’re too old to train as a yoga teacher — you’re not. I’d love to hear from you.

Hana Saotome has been teaching yoga for over 17 years and is a BWY Diploma Course Tutor. She runs yoga teacher training in London and online, and has trained students from their late 20s to their late 60s.

FAQs about taking Yoga teacher training in midlife and beyond