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| How does one become a yoga teacher? I'm interested to hear about anyone who started off learning yoga and started having strong feelings/urges that they wanted to teach it and actually are teachers of yoga now!! Is there a lot of training? How long do you have to have been practicing yoga in order to be able to teach it? What is involved?
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| Different people place different weight in what they do relative to yoga instruction. So for some it's a week long study and they are teachers. For others it's a lifetime of study and responsibility.
I personally began my practice when a friend invited me to class. I simply liked how I felt and continued my practice. I already had a background in teaching (that I don't want to expound on here right now) so when a teacher training came up I thought it might be good for me.
I kept seeing this one person, a teacher trainer (so to speak) over and over so I decided to follow and take a training. It was great. A wonderful experience that set things in motion, opened my eyes, and created a foundation. I was a different person.
It was a few years later that I realized I need to move out of the city I lived in and find the next step somewhere else. That somewhere else brought me to my current teacher and I've been training there ever since - that's three years. As vast as yoga is I could not hope to know it all. So I hope to know enough to help students move to their purpose in a safe way.
How long do you need to be practicing? I think the regurgitated answer to that is typically "five years" but that's not true for everyone. Some two years. Others, ten! LOL
I think there's a greater shift toward certifications. If not that then quality and credentials. Yoga Alliance seems to mean something to many folks and over time I think licensing may be something yoga teachers need, like a massage therapist (in some States). YA has 200 hour and 500 hour registrations. It legitimizes your study but it's not a substitute for your own discernment. Do not blindly walk into an Yoga Alliance certified training without looking carefully at the syllabus and comparing it to other trainings - assuming you teacher train at all. |
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Expert Yogi
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| Great story purna  I had been attending class for about 3 years but only had a strong practice of my own for 6 months before I got into TT. That is very unusual for Iyengar and in many ways I wish I had waited. But I am a teacher by nature and was already being asked to teach friends so the gods stepped in and brought me TT early. It took me 4 1/2 years to certification where many are finished in 3, which was a good thing  |
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| I never thought of myself as a teacher -- of anything. While I had taken yoga classes here and there, I started practicing regularly (with a teacher) in 2000. As time went on, I found myself totally intrigued by the mystery of it. "Why is this happening?" "Why is that happening?" "How is it causing this?" I began reading more, looking into things more, and then naturally went into teachers' training to quench that thirst for more knowledge. I still wasn't sure I'd ever teach. I've done 150 hours of a 200-hour course, and I'm teaching now.
When I went back through some of my journals through the years, I now see that a lot of things were leading me to this -- I just didn't know what "this" was back then. Over and over I would write through the years that I was interested in doing some type of healing work -- perhaps massage, maybe reiki. If yoga isn't healing, I don't know what is -- It's NOT that I view myself as any sort of healer, though; I'm just spreading the joy and healing nature of some of this ancient knowledge. It's an unbelievable and totally transformative experience. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | I already had years behind me of teaching fitness classes and managing gyms. Getting in front of a class of students and instructing was moot. I knew I wanted to let others in on the wonders of yoga. I didn't have the education. I was practicing for a few years before I made the decision to apply for formal education. The whole process was transformational for me. What started as a thought turned into a passion. From that passion arose the need to give to people in need. My greatest rewards are giving myself unconditionally from my heart.
I love giving the gift of yoga and knowledge to others in times of tramatic life events. Yoga will not take away the pain but it will give some the tools to remain balanced and focused to handle daily life. My heart throbs with love knowing that I've touched another's soul.
Mish
Edited by mishoga 2006-07-22 4:05 PM
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| Wow, thank you guys, its been most interesting hearing everyone's experiences on how they came about teaching yoga / desires to teach it etc - thank you for sharing!
It sounds as if everyone somehow 'knew' somewhere along their lives, that they were destined to teach yoga. Feelings and 'signs' if you believe in that kind of thing - am I right?!
LOL SiriusSpirit, I have never thought I could be a teacher of anything either (I'm still not, but the urge is there for some reason)!!. Like yourself, I am very intrigued by how it is that yoga can do this and that, and heal this and heal that. I seem to have a natural thirst for knowledge when it comes to yoga and the more I practice, the more I want to know. Yoga has helped me to realise that the only time I've really been truly happy or content is when I've felt connected to others by helping in some way.
Mish - You say 'your greatest rewards are giving yourself unconditionally from your heart' - I would love to be able to do this. I feel like a lot of my unconditional love only extends to my family & friends. Giving comes naturally to me but not so much the communication part. I really feel that yoga could help me to open that part of myself up to strangers who need me, family & friends even more and maybe mostly to myself.
So with Yoga Teacher training, do you have exams to do or is it more practical working with students and 'shadowing' professional yoga instructors? So you have to have been practicing for at least a few years to apply for teacher training?
I basically posted this thread to get an idea of the above and also to hear about how others got into teaching and what inspired them to want to teach yoga. I know this may sound very strange because I've only been doing yoga consistently for about 6 months but I've been having very strong feelings about wanting to teach it later on. I would just love to be able to teach others and give them the gifts of yoga and what it can do. I know I have a lot to learn still and explore of course but this, I'm willing to do, actually more than willing, I WANT to do. I haven't used that word so surely about anything for so long! Do you think its crazy that I feel like this?! Is it just the initial euthoria of yoga that is making me believe I can do such a thing as teach it?!
Hee hee, just the mere thought of teaching something makes my heart race. I suffer from anxiety, panic disorder and stress and am a very shy person - how would I teach it?!! lol....you have to be confident and sure of yourself to be a successful teacher and that - I am not - not right now anyway! Am ranting now......
Thanks again for sharing everyone,
Namaste,
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Expert Yogi
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| I should qualify my statement of being a "teacher by nature." I have friends who describe it more as "bossy and opinionated" and "likes to tell other people what to do" But I think of myself as the average person who can be helpful and a good model for others who see themselves that way. A lot of yoga teachers are naturally athletic - mine used to teach gymnastics, for example. I figure normal people need teachers who look and act like them to feel "hey, if she can do it, I certainly should be able to give it a try." |
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| I think you have to, one has to have some yoga in the body. Is six months a reasonable amount of time for that? I don't know. It would not have been for me on my path. And some days it's still not. We should always teach only what we know. Some days I think that's nothing and I should not be teaching at all. And I've been teaching now for five years.
A true answer for you will be in your heart center, not in your head. When you really connect with your own heart you can feel if it is your dharma to be a yoga teacher. Otherwise "we" run the risk it could be ego or co-dependency moving us into teacher, not a wholesome foundation.
Relative to teasting and exams...I'm in a pretty intensive program right now and whiel there are no exams like grad school there are anatomy quizes, book reports, apprenticeships etcetera. Please DO consider apprenticing with a senior teacher at some point if you forge ahead with teacher training.
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Expert Yogi
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| purnayoga - 2006-07-22 7:40 PM
We should always teach only what we know. Some days I think that's nothing and I should not be teaching at all. And I've been teaching now for five years. So true, purna. I have had teacher friends come back from Pune and not want to teach again for a long time. They feel the depth of yoga in India, I think, and although BKS no longer directly teaches, they see him in action and realise they are still yoga babies.
Please DO consider apprenticing with a senior teacher at some point if you forge ahead with teacher training. I can't imagine any other way of training. I have heard weekend cert people say they thought their training was "comprehensive" but until you have had someone with 30 or so years of experience guide you through practice after practice and class after class, you just have no idea of what comprehensive is. Although we teach group asana classes now, yoga still needs to be passed on one-to-one. |
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| truly, i can't say enough about apprenticing. the whole relationship is so amazing and challenging and dynamic and whatever else you can think of. It takes you to an entirely different level personally and professionally. |
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| tourist - 2006-07-22 9:48 PM
I should qualify my statement of being a "teacher by nature." I have friends who describe it more as "bossy and opinionated" and "likes to tell other people what to do" But I think of myself as the average person who can be helpful and a good model for others who see themselves that way. A lot of yoga teachers are naturally athletic - mine used to teach gymnastics, for example. I figure normal people need teachers who look and act like them to feel "hey, if she can do it, I certainly should be able to give it a try."
Tourist - I'm sure your friends mean well when they say that sort of thing!! Don't take it to heart (obvioiusly you haven't otherwise you wouldn't be a yoga teacher now!!). You say a lot of yoga teachers are naturally athletic - I'm not at all but through yoga, I intend to develop my strength, stamina and flexibility. I notice that you like your faces too!
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| purnayoga - 2006-07-22 10:40 PM
I think you have to, one has to have some yoga in the body. Is six months a reasonable amount of time for that? I don't know. It would not have been for me on my path. And some days it's still not. We should always teach only what we know. Some days I think that's nothing and I should not be teaching at all. And I've been teaching now for five years.
A true answer for you will be in your heart center, not in your head. When you really connect with your own heart you can feel if it is your dharma to be a yoga teacher. Otherwise "we" run the risk it could be ego or co-dependency moving us into teacher, not a wholesome foundation.
Relative to teasting and exams...I'm in a pretty intensive program right now and whiel there are no exams like grad school there are anatomy quizes, book reports, apprenticeships etcetera. Please DO consider apprenticing with a senior teacher at some point if you forge ahead with teacher training.
Hi Purna,
Oh no, I wasn't implying that I was to go into teaching now!! No way!! For a start, I think you have to have been practicing for at least a few years, I'm not even a baby baby as I've only been doing it for 6 months and a lot of it has been on my own! But this is just an idea to work on for myself. Perhaps sometime in the future, the feelings of wanting to teach yoga may disappear or they may become stronger, the truth is I don't know. For now, all I want to do is continue practicing and let my heart speak out for me when the time comes.
Everyone talks about the importance of apprenticing - how do you go about finding a very good one and does it cost a lot of money to work in direct relation to an experienced yogi?
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| I'm trying to write just such an article (on apprenticing).
My sense is, and by no means am I an expert on "how to go about apprenticing", that you first find a teacher you would like to apprentice for. This by itself might take a while. But I think once you find this person you can simply make arrangements to apprentice. As I understand it, you still pay for the classes in whcih you are working, though different studios operate different ways.
How will you find the teacher you want to apprentice with?
Will this be a senior teacher? One educated in the style you hope to pursue?
One who is registered with Yoga Alliance?
One who has had an apprentice before?
I would inquire as to how the teacher/apprentice relationship works before jumping in.
I would not take on an apprentice who has not completed a teacher training. Likewise I'd want to know the curriculum of the training they took. And they should have an asana practice of their own.
I wouldn't stick to a particular length of time for their practice, like two years, before apprenticing, but it wouldn't hurt.
Edited by purnayoga 2006-07-23 7:02 PM
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| well, you find a teacher whom you like and who is willing to take you on as an apprentice. when i apprenticed, i kinda "fell into" the role. It started out as me taking classes with a teacher. After about 6 or so months, we'd discussed how to become a teacher (at this time, i'd already been doing yoga for many years--i started as a child, but started 'official' studies on my own about 5 years prior to this time). she talked about her process, and then because of financial constraints, i started to help out around her studio. I washed towels, mats, and other props, i swept floors, i greeted people and helped new people feel comfortable and taught them the basic 'ropes' of the studio. I checked her mail, and did any other errands that she needed or wanted related to the studio.
over time, this extended into taking multiple classes a week and observing classes. there were private lessons and discussions that were unscheduled and we also meditated a lot together. she recommended many books--and we discussed them. I also recommended books to her and we discussed those. After about 6 or 7 more months, she suggested that i start working with another teacher in our area as well. I began to take classes with him--and i started to volunteer at that studio as well.
then, within another 6 months or so, i started assisting my teacher in classes and observing classes at the other studio with the other teacher. and, a few months after i started assisting, my teacher told me to go and teach a class for her. I was scared, but i did it. Following that experience, i began assisting at the other studio (rare for iyengar studios, but nevertheless), and i also took on more responsibilities at that studio as far as 'running' it--setting up schedules, taking in money and making bank runs, ordering supplies, etc. I also started teaching 'parts' of classes--i would be asked to teach a certain pose, or lead the pranayama, or guide the meditation or mantra practices. Sometimes, i was to give the brief lecture on philosophy or history or other topic that the teacher asked me to study and share with their classes. And finally, i started to sub for the teachers whenever they asked, and occassionally they would have me teach workshops on my own (with their support and supervision).
in the last year with these two teachers, they asked me to consider studying another style of yoga as well. i met another teacher and started to study with her in earnest. while i never taught for her or assisted or the rest, i did study with her very closely--spending time doing asana, pranayama, meditation, and discussing both buddhist and vedic philosophies (all three of my teachers were buddhists, i had been studying and practicing buddhism for about 8-9 years at this point). My other two teachers would ask me what i learned in the other styles, and we would talk theory and challenge the various ideas about style and philosophy of various schools.
After 5 years with the first two teachers and 1+ year with the third teacher, i graduated from university and moved away. After a year of practice and volunteering at a studio in my new area, i was taken on as apprentice at another studio where i studied and practiced, then taught, for 3 more years.
I didn't pay any money for any part of the apprenticeship--not the classes that i took, or any other thing. simply, my exchange was my dedication to my teachers, their work (and their businesses), and of course, to the practice and teaching of yoga.
I do take on apprentices, but i am a very demanding and passionate teacher. I want the student/apprentice to be dedicated to the practice of yoga and to learning how to teach yoga to others. I prefer that my apprentices have no other teacher trainings but i often recommend trainings to them once we've started working together to enhance their studies and their practice.
aspects of the apprenticeship are formalized--i ask for a certain number of classes a week (taking classes with me), and i ask that they observe and assist a certain number of classes a week. i also ask that they attend 'teacher training' workshops and discussions that i hold on certain days. All of these are free of charge.
most of my apprentices are extremely dedicated practitioners with a deep desire to learn how to teach yoga to others. they also understand that apprenticeships are deep energetic relationships and that my demands on their time (classes, etc) are not 'willy-nilly.' most also recognize that they need to do some form of 'community service' in exchange for my time. Often, they give me a great deal of help in numerous ways, but i'm even more pleased when i discover that they are 'earning' their training by volunteering in the community at large in one way or another.
so, this is the way tht i do things. i do not like to think of teacher training as a business--even though it can be great money for studios or teachers who train teachers.
Edited by zoebird 2006-07-23 7:07 PM
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| purnayoga - 2006-07-23 7:00 PM
I'm trying to write just such an article (on apprenticing).
My sense is, and by no means am I an expert on "how to go about apprenticing", that you first find a teacher you would like to apprentice for. This by itself might take a while. But I think once you find this person you can simply make arrangements to apprentice. As I understand it, you still pay for the classes in whcih you are working, though different studios operate different ways.
How will you find the teacher you want to apprentice with?
Will this be a senior teacher? One educated in the style you hope to pursue?
One who is registered with Yoga Alliance?
One who has had an apprentice before?
I would inquire as to how the teacher/apprentice relationship works before jumping in.
I would not take on an apprentice who has not completed a teacher training. Likewise I'd want to know the curriculum of the training they took. And they should have an asana practice of their own.
I wouldn't stick to a particular length of time for their practice, like two years, before apprenticing, but it wouldn't hurt.
I'd be very interested to read your article on apprenticing Purna once it is completed!!
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| Zoebird,
Thanks so much for sharing your story about apprenticing - I really enjoyed reading it. I guess it really depends how much you want to put into yoga and how much you want this to reflect in your personal teaching. I'd love to be your apprentice, providing you'd take me on of course!! But granted, I'd need a lot more years of yoga under my belt than the mere baby months I have now!!!
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Teaching Yoga
