Yoga Teacher Training Musings by: Alison King Tigges
This year marked the first annual One Tree Yoga 300-hour Teacher Training program. We have offered programs similar to this way back in the day, but nothing that was 100% developed and taught by us, Alison and Gabe. And now, as we are 2 months away from wrapping up this 12 month endeavor, I have thoughts.
Yoga is a life-long practice and it never ever gets boring if done right.
I have been practicing yoga for 23 years, teaching yoga for 17 years, and co-leading teacher trainings for 11. This is a long time! I can say, while my practice is ever-changing (how often, styles I practice, frequency of practice, what I teach, how often I teach, involvement in the business etc), I have never once been bored. I credit this to my teachers and my teacher’s teachers, as well as the community of OTY for keeping the true essence of yoga at the core. Yes, yoga is physical practice. It is exercise. But it is so much more and that is what always keeps it fresh and exciting. There is always more to learn and always more to explore. It is a practice of understanding yourself! And we (you) are never boring.
Yoga teacher training informs every aspect of my life, daily.
I loved yoga and found it beneficial before I ever enrolled in a teacher training program. It is a powerful and effective tool to navigate life and this body no matter how deep you dive. BUT! Like most things in life, the deeper you go, the more meaningful it is. Yoga classes are awesome, but let’s face it. You can only go so deep in an hour class. Taking the deeper dive in a training program gave me endless information! Yoga makes me more aware of my body in space. I have tools to help me move it in a healthy way, nurse injuries safely, makes my weightlifting form better and more mobile, and generally helps my posture and just makes life and getting around easier. The more I learn about poses and alignment, the more information I have on my body and how to age gracefully. Yoga teacher training also allowed me to dive into the philosophical aspects of yoga. Getting to teach yoga philosophy to others, year after year, just increases the knowledge and appreciation I have for the practice. Yoga philosophy has given me a roadmap for how to be kinder, more authentic, more honest, and more loving —with myself and others. Yoga teaches me how to move in the world more skillfully. And let’s face it, it ain’t easy out there! We need as much help as we can get! I take comfort knowing this practice has stood the test of time and has been helping humans for centuries.
Every year I do this, I get to see it transform people’s lives for the better.
I talk a lot about how yoga has helped my life. The beauty of sharing it with others is, I get to see how it positively impacts other peoples lives every day. Over the years, I have taught thousands of people. Many of them not your “typical” yogi, and that is my favorite part! Yoga can help anyone, if they are brave enough to start. Leading teacher trainings has given me the gift of watching someone fall in love not just with the physical practice, but the many teachings yoga offers for life off the yoga mat. Plus, the community built is unlike any other.
If you are on the fence about doing a training, do it! But be discerning.
Want to teach yoga? Not sure? Know for a fact you never want to tech yoga, but are curious? GREAT! Yoga teacher training is for you. Very few YTT graduates end up teaching in a traditional yoga studio setting. Those that do teach/share, do it in many unique environments: gyms, work spaces, healthcare spaces, online, with friends/family, individual sessions, social media…I could go on and on. And even if you never “teach” a single person or class, the things you learn in a training setting will only improve your yoga practice, and your life, going forward.
Fun fact! When I embarked in yoga teacher training in 2008, I was almost certain I did not want to teach. I know Gabe felt the dame when she did hers. I am so grateful that I did the training and listened to that little (scared!) voice inside that said “maybe you should do this”. And look where that led! So, you never know where things may lead.
I am biased, but One Tree yoga offers the best of the best training program around. It is comprehensive. You will learn yoga poses, alignment, yoga anatomy, philosophy. You will actually learn HOW to teach! Shockingly, this is not always the case in many programs. You will have experienced teachers guiding you who have made yoga their life’s work. It is fun! We laugh, we cry. You get to do a lot of yoga (the price of classes is included in training). Gabe and I have spent the last 11 years developing, re-developing, and improving our curriculum. Trust me, the manual you receive is pure yoga gold! Like most things out there, not all programs are created equally. So, do your due diligence when researching. Go take classes at the studio you are considering. Make sure it is a good fit.
We finish our 300-hour training this August. Our next round of 200-hour (where you typically begin) training starts this October. We love talking about our program. So if you have questions, please reach out! We aren’t pushy salesmen, so there is no pressure.
People often ask “is now a good time?” Is there evert really a perfect time for anything? If you are feeling the pull, this might be exactly what you need.