October 16, 2018
If you are considering a career as a yoga teacher, or have other personal or professional motivations to take the plunge into YTT (yoga teacher training), I’ve been in your shoes. Saying YES to YTT can feel like an exciting, scary, expensive, life-altering decision. Breathe deep yogis, you got this!
During my first days of yoga teacher training, I was surprised to learn how few students actually had plans to become yoga teachers after graduation. Some students wanted to deepen their own personal practice, others planned to use this training to supplement their existing careers as counselors or therapists, and some were enrolled with programs focused on anger management and coping skills.
As I look in and evaluate the next stage and direction of my personal yogic training, I find myself flooded with uncertainty, excitement, hope, and questions all over again. Here are three factors to help narrow your options and land on the perfect program for you.
Factor 1: Style of Yoga
There are so many styles of yoga to choose from, but how do you know what style of yoga is right for you? Ashtanga? Vinyasa? Hatha? Kundalini? Jivamukti? Yin? A combination of styles? Sign up for a diverse variety of classes, styles, and teachers that you feel drawn to Notice how you feel after each class. What elements of class speak to you? Use this critical information as a part of your decision making process.
The infographic below is one interpretation of the six main styles, or branches, of yoga:
But where is Vinyasa yoga? Vinyasa is a popular style of yoga categorized by some yogis under both the Hatha and Ashtanga yoga umbrellas. Vinyasa can be a vigorous, alignment based practice that leverages the breath to balance the duality of the body and the mind. Research the types of yoga within each umbrella and decide which style or hybrid is right for you.
Factor 2: Level of Study + Your Teachers
Most studios will require your registration with the Yoga Alliance (YA) as a teacher. Yoga Alliance is a non-profit membership organization and centralized directory in the yoga community. Although you can earn a 500 hour level certification right away, most yogis typically start by earning their 200 hour level certification. You can search for registered yoga schools by clicking here.
Becoming a RYT with Yoga Alliance will secure your spot on the RYT directory which increases your market visibility, plus you can log teaching hours and keep track of CE requirements all from one easy dashboard.
Regardless of the style of yoga you chose to study, the syllabus should comprehensively cover certain key areas: asana, pranayama, anatomy, sequencing, and philosophy. These are fundamental concepts which help shape a well rounded yoga teacher.
Do your homework on your prospective teachers and their teams. Where did they complete their training? How long have they been teaching yoga teachers? What YA designation have they completed? Keep an eye out for open houses and Q + A sessions, talk with former students about their experience, or try to attend a prospective teacher’s yoga class. Your teachers will be among the first to shape your yogic intellect, so put your feelers out there and trust your gut.
Factor 3: Logistics
Teacher training programs come in all shapes and sizes. A month long intensive training in Bali and a year long program in your area can both earn you an RYT 200. When narrowing your choices, consider three main logistics factors: location, duration, and cost.
Would you prefer to earn your RYT with a local program, or with one in a tropical paradise? Would you prefer a program in the city, or one a little more remote? Online or in person? Can you dedicate five intensive weeks to a program or would you prefer to dedicate one weekend a month for a year? What is your budget? You can expect most 200 hour programs to range from $1,000 – $3,000+ and some may have financing options available. Bonus Tip! Look out for early registration discounts.
My relatively local program took about a year to complete, and I graduated with 25 other classmates. There’s a lot to learn in these first 200 hours of study, and I was grateful to have a month in between each weekend intensive to let the lessons sink in and resonate with my everyday life.
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Tune in and trust your intuition or sense of direction. Find stability in the roots of your decision and be confident you’re on the path, even if you can’t see through the fog ahead. Do your research, ask the right questions, evaluate your options, actionize your dreams, take a risk, and manifest some shit!
