Why a Yoga Teacher Training Program is For Everyone…& What to Look For. By: Alison King Tigges
We just wrapped up another year of yoga teacher training at One Tree Yoga. It’s the best. I am clearly biased, but each year I am reminded of what a transformative journey it is for all involved. It truly is the game changer most people seem to crave, both for their yoga practice and their lives. In light of this, I wanted to answer the following questions, based:
1. Why a yoga teacher training program is awesome for everyone (even if you aren’t sure you want to teach yoga!)
AND
2. What things to look for in a yoga teacher training program.
The WHY:
First, if your dream has always been to teach yoga, then this is easy, and you can skip to the next section. But for most of us, myself included, we aren’t necessarily sure we want to teach. When I did my YTT (yoga teacher training) over 12 years ago, I had no intentions of teaching. I just loved doing yoga, I loved how I felt after class and what it was doing for me (even though I did not fully understand it) and I was at this spot in my life where it made sense. Why not? I wanted to learn more, and I had great respect for the teacher leading it, so I jumped in!
I find this is how most come to training. A little unsure of what it all means and entails, but eager to dive in and learn more. And that is essentially my whole pitch. If yoga is something you enjoy, then dive in! Even if yoga is something you rarely do but know you need to do more of, then what an opportunity to commit! I like to think of a YTT program like the graduate school of yoga. You can learn some stuff in a 60-minute yoga class for sure, but YTT is where you get to explore ALL of it. Yoga is so vast: the poses, the anatomy, the philosophy, and the spiritual aspects. Yoga is a practice that has been around hundreds of years. Trust me, there is enough information to fill multiple graduate and PhD programs! So even if teaching yoga isn’t on your radar, I have seen the YTT experience transform and inform hundreds of lives. It helps you get to know you, and who couldn’t benefit from that? At the very least it allows you to dedicate time for yourself and do something that is good for your body and mind.
Often, the people most unsure about teaching change their minds through this process! I did and then some. My YTT program changed the whole trajectory of my life. The beauty is yoga is more mainstream and common than it ever was. There are opportunities to share yoga and “teach” in many ways! Whether it be a yoga studio, gym, office space, one-on-one, with family or friends….everyone can benefit from yoga, and there are many ways to share it.
The WHAT:
Perhaps I have piqued your interest about this whole YTT thing. The question becomes: What do I look for in a training program? Even in Omaha alone, there are lots of programs out there! How do I choose?
Integral to the teachings of yoga is the idea of discernment. Use your wise, yogi brains and do your research! There are great programs are out there. There are always considerations, so some things I think you should consider:
(1) How comprehensive is this program? Is it just focused on one piece of yoga? Or, does it try to capture ALL/lots of it? If yoga is about uniting mind/body/sprit, then a program should match that.
(2) Do the trainers have experience, and do they continue to study? If I am going to learn from anyone, I want to make sure he/she knows their stuff! The key is that all good teachers are forever students. They are (hopefully) always learning and adapting based on what they learn, and a YTT program should reflect that.
(3) How long is the program? How is it structured? Every program is different. Because yoga is so vast, we set our program up as such. We meet one weekend a month, for 9 months. We understand that society tends to favor the “quicker is better” approach, but we truly believe it takes time to learn this material. It also takes time to create a habit of consistent practice. So, it is worth considering what you want and can realistically make happen in your life. What are you willing to commit to?
(4) Does the price of training include the cost of yoga classes? Integral to most programs, class requirements outside of the training hours are key. We want you to practice as much yoga as you can! It is also worth looking at where you are going to be taking the classes. Will you be exposed to a lot of different styles of yoga? Different instructors?
(5) Does the program teach you how to teach yoga? Seems silly, but you would be shocked at how rare this is. We often have people come to us saying they have their 200-hour certification, only to feel like they have no clue how to actually teach as class! Yikes! Luckily, a great program will not leave you hanging. We have 2 months strictly dedicated to teaching methodology, how to sequence, the art of verbal cues, theming, you name it. We feel strongly that our graduates should feel confident in their abilities to teach a class. And if you don’t want to teach, the good news is all of this only helps deepen your understanding of yoga and your personal practice. Win/win!
I could go on and on! Just some food for thought on this topic. Gabe and I (Alison) have been leading YTT’s together for almost 10 years now. While this blog is based on our opinions, we have some years at this to base those opinions on! We have seen what works and what doesn’t. We have written and re-vamped our manual and presentations year after year, based on consistent training and learning (and un-learning!). We are forever students of yoga and have each been teaching yoga regularly for over 12 years. We LOVE to share it with others. We know we have a top-notch program that is the real deal. And if we are not for you, hopefully this blog helps you sort out some considerations in your quest. Interested in learning more? Check out the TT tab on our website or email us for questions!