What Is A Yoga Training Program Like

What Is A Yoga Training Program Like

In many cities across Canada – Vancouver, Victoria , Kamloops, Banff, Jasper, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Regina, Saskatoon,  Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St Johns –  many people are considering taking a yoga teacher training (ytt), but are not sure what is most important to consider in taking one. 

Having finished a yoga teacher training almost five years ago, I can say that a lot of my initial ideas about yoga teacher training were wrong. Here are some of my perspectives on what my training experience was like:

Faculty

As I have taken several training programs, my experience with faculty varied. What I can say is that faculty in those yoga teacher trainings were humans at the end of the day. But like other leadership positions, some were good and some were okay.

All I can say,  is if you’re given an opportunity to talk with any of the leaders of a ytt prior to taking it that can’t underestimate.  A leads personality like yours will make the program much easier; despite what they teach you.

Other Students

Too many people come into a yoga teacher training program with crazy ideas. Most think they will be entering a benevolent spiritual brothership.

But this is wrong, in North America yoga has been contorted to the idea  that it is simply teaching a series of poses and that yoga classes are somehow lead by a spiritual guru. 

Many people gravitate to yoga as a way to alleviate their own personal sufferings. Many believe that by taking a ytt that they have transcended their own sufferings. 

My experience in my two training programs is that the other students were like most people in society.  There were a range of personalities, some had narcissistic tendencies, while others were hippies.

What I’m trying to say is that don’t expect that by taking a yoga training program you’ll be making lifetime friends. You may just come out with a teaching certificate and a few acquaintances.

Emotions and Feelings

Just like when you practice yoga by yourself, you’re going to experience emotions in a yoga teacher training. You are going to experience this; as you will be doing a lot of yoga,  and old issues will come up. Thus there is a greater tendency of issues bubbling to the surface.

That’s not a bad thing, because a yoga teacher training should help you end your own sufferings. Only if you’re able to end your own sufferings can you be a competent and decent yoga teacher.

Summary

Yoga training can be a great experience. It can help you find a rewarding new career, and it can also help you to end your own suffering.

But there is an investment that needs to be made financially, emotionally and physically to complete a yoga teacher training right. Take some of the suggestions above the heart, and finding a yoga teacher training that’s best for you and  when you feel ready, fire the bullet and go.