Do you dream about becoming a yoga teacher? In this blog post we’ll guide you so you’re sure to pick the right yoga teacher training for you.
How to choose your yoga teacher training
Are you considering doing your 200-hour yoga teacher training? Awesome! Even if you never intend to teach yoga, a yoga teacher training is one of the most life changing, transformative experiences in your life. But, a myriad of yoga teacher trainings are offered, and it is a big investment. Therefore, it is important that you choose the right training.
In this blog post we have created a list of things we believe are important to consider when choosing your yoga teacher training. By considering these things you will hopefully be well equipped to choose the YTT that suits you the best.
1. Intention
What is your intention with your YTT? Are you looking for a transformational training? Are you looking for a training that focuses on a specific style of yoga, such as Ashtanga or Yin? Are you planning on teaching yoga after your teacher training, or are you purely doing the training to deepen your own practice and learn more about yoga? Basically, you need to ask yourself why you are doing a yoga teacher training in the first place.
2. Ensure the training is certified by Yoga Alliance
When it comes to Yoga Alliance there are many opinions, however, if you plan on teaching yoga, it is important that your YTT is certified by Yoga Alliance. Many yoga studios and shalas will only hire teachers whose teacher training is certified by Yoga Alliance, and they may require that you are registered with Yoga Alliance. Furthermore, Yoga Alliance has several requirements that yoga schools need to meet. This helps ensure that you get a high quality training.
Moreover, in some countries insurance companies only cover yoga teachers whose teacher training is certified by Yoga Alliance. This is important as you most absolutely need insurance as a yoga teacher.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any high quality yoga teacher trainings that aren’t certified by Yoga Alliance. But, for most new yoga teachers it will be beneficial to choose a training that’s certified by Yoga Alliance.
3. When and where
When choosing your YTT, you also need to consider when and where. Are you looking for a 1-month intensive training? Or do you prefer a training that stretches over the course of a couple of months with classes on the weekends? Or perhaps you would prefer a training that combines in-person and online. What you prefer will most likely depend on your family life, work, finances etc. Decide what is ideal (and realistic) for you, and choose a training that meets this.
4. Do your research on the teachers
One of the most important factors when it comes to your yoga teacher training is the teachers. How much experience do they have? Do they have an existing practice themselves? Do they live the yogi life? How long have they practiced yoga? Who did they study with? Once you have done your research we also recommend that you either call or email the teachers to ensure you actually get along with them, and that you feel safe with them.
5. Look at the curriculum
It is very important that you take a careful look at the curriculum, so you know exactly what you can expect to be taught during the training. It would be a real bummer if you expect a training that goes in-depth with the chakras, but you end up on a training that focuses on anatomy. Most 200-hour yoga teacher trainings will cover the same topics, however, what they choose to mainly focus on varies from training to training.
6. Style of yoga
There are many different styles of yoga today. You will find trainings that focuses on Ashtanga yoga, Yin yoga, Strala yoga, Acro yoga etc. Perhaps you dream about diving deep into the world of Kundalini yoga? Or maybe you feel called to explore Restorative yoga? Either way, it’s important that you decide which style of yoga you would like to focus on so you can choose a training that focuses on the style you wish to study.
7. Number of students on the training
Lastly, we recommend that you check how many students will be in the training. Some trainings have a very large number of students on each training, which doesn’t allow much time for questions or one-on-one time with the teachers. We personally believe that trainings with fewer students is more ideal. This gives you plenty of opportunity to ask questions, connect with the other students and have one-on-one time with the teachers. Furthermore, it usually creates a more safe space for students.
We hope that this blog post will help you choose the right teacher training. No matter what we are sure that you will have a memorable, transformative experience you won’t forget.
