Written By Stephanie Vanderbeck
Pilates nerds are so enthusiastic about their craft that almost nothing can stop their zeal. With workshops and continuing education, there’s so much room for growth. But given time, even teaching Pilates can get stale.
So what happens when even the most stimulating workshop fails to breathe life back into your teaching? Rather than going within your mind for knowledge, sometimes it’s best to look outward.
Enter travel teaching.
There’s no need to get stuck in one place when you have a job that allows you to go anywhere (kiddos and doggos and mortgages aside). Instructors are now getting coveted gigs to teach in travel destinations. If you haven’t heard of the travel-teach movement yet, trust us, you will soon. It’s a thing.Imagine traveling to an awesome location, then teaching part time while exploring the sites. We call this a “cost-neutral vacation”. Even starving artists (ahem, full time instructors, like myself) can get on board.
Dear pilates instructor, you have all the makings of a featured guest teacher. Yes, you! Why NOT you? And studios are looking! Currently, boutique pilates studio owners are more crunched than ever to meet the demand for classes and privates. So they’re getting wise and turning to temporary help during their busiest months. A temporary or seasonal instructor is a genius way to get your studio covered when you are getting married, having a baby, needing a medical procedure, or simply wanting a vacation of your own. Traveling Pilates Instructors was created by two pilates studio owners out of their own experience (and frustration) trying to keep all the metaphorical plates spinning. Their mission is to connect studio owners with instructors who love to travel. You can check out all of the job opportunities worldwide, as well as create your personal profile, on the website here. It’s pretty cool.
Here are some fantastic current travel and teach opportunities. (updated 11/11/21). Some jobs are date specific while others are flexible. Partner studios with Traveling Pilates Instructors list their opportunities for at least a year. So if you miss the dates listed below, many studios are happy to negotiate your length of stay.
Costa Rica
“Costa Rica has been our most viewed travel job this year. It’s a hot commodity,” says Tricia Whitlock, TPI founder aka Chief Travel Nomad. Host studio Florablanca Pilates is positioned directly on the beach in the town of Santa Teresa, a very popular tourist destination that positively buzzes in the high season. You are surrounded by nature and on the days you don’t teach there are many beautiful excursions to enjoy. Florablanca is offering a travel instructor the opportunity to spend the winter on the beach December 2021-February 2022.*
Tucson, Arizona
An outdoor lovers paradise, Tucson is in the Sonoran desert where the sun shines most days and the weather is beautiful all winter. You are surrounded surrounded by mountains to climb, bike, and hike. Teaching is part time, so you’re free to enjoy the great outdoors! Sage Therapeutic Pilates is looking for an experienced, certified Pilates teacher who is comfortable working with various orthopedic issues. If you’re a rehab-friendly instructor, this is your jam. Mid November 2021 – April 2022.
France
For some opportunities it pays to be bilingual. English-French instructors are invited to contact Inspire, a newly opened matwork studio in Haute Savoie. They’re looking for a pilates instructor for the winter months with flexible dates. The mountains are glorious all year around but in the winter they are especially magical so if you like skiing/snowboarding or have always wanted to learn then this is the place to be. There are also plenty of activities outside of alpine skiing like snow shoeing, cross country, horse riding, walking/hiking, paragliding and much more. This host studio can provide accommodations, so your dream vacation is within reach!*
What are you waiting for?
Expand your Pilates horizons by teaching in a new location— near or far. View all Pilates job opportunities US and abroad (Colorado, Nova Scotia, New York, and many more). Want to list your job opportunity, workshop, retreat or teacher training with Traveling Pilates Instructors? Learn more here.