Is it Time for Yoga Teacher Training?
hint: the desire to teach others isn’t a pre-requisite (and didn’t have anything to do with my YTT journey either)
If you would have told me the first time I wandered into a yoga studio that I’d one day be teaching yoga to others (and teaching others how to teach yoga), I would’ve looked at you sideways.
I came to yoga for the physical, wanting to find ways to move my body that felt good and that I could be “good at” (whatever TF that means), especially during times in my life where I was otherwise struggling. I stayed for the deep emotional release, soul nourishment, and healing.
As I kept showing up I began to loosen my grip on the need to be good at poses or let being good at anything define me. By the time I realized yoga was helping me lean into radical self-acceptance, I was in too deep. I knew I’d found a way back home to myself through this practice and yearned for more knowledge to help me take my practice off the mat.
When yoga teacher training was announced at the studio where I practiced at the time, one of my first thoughts was:
“This is what I need. To actually study yoga in all its forms and not just try to ‘do’ yoga.”
I was tired of doing. And while I was in the throes of burnout at the time, investing energy in my healing and wholeness seemed worth the risk of adding something else to my plate.
The teaching part? Yeah, that didn’t really cross my mind until well after I started considering YTT. And if I’m being real, it was the hustler in me that first wanted to teach so I could make some of that money back I’d have to shell out for training 🤣 Obviously a lot has changed since then and teaching - paying it forward - is one of the most fulfilling aspects of this journey, but it wasn’t in the plans…
Why am I sharing this?
Because the journey to becoming a yoga teacher may not start with a desire to teach yoga to others. And you don’t need to have it all figured out to take the first step.
This isn’t a linear process and everyone arrives at the decision to start YTT through different paths. You don’t need to be able to do handstand, meditate for hours on end, be vegan, have a “perfect” practice, know Sanskrit, or be skinny, rich, white, or any other stereotype you’ve seen out here in these “wellness streets.”
What do you need?
A desire to go deeper than what you’re learning in your regular yoga classes. And I don’t mean how to physically go deeper in a pose (though you will learn the mechanics of poses and how to safely deepen and modify them according to the student’s body). I mean a desire to dive into the philosophy behind the entire system of yoga. In YTT, you’ll explore each of yoga’s Eight Limbs and learn how to live them. You’ll also be introduced to the science behind systems like Ayurveda and the Chakras, anatomy, and more.
A willingness to study yourself. I’m telling you, deep doesn’t begin to describe it when you start studying yourself from a different lens (self-study is also one of the Eight Limbs, BTW). You’ll find yourself asking questions like: What does it mean to embody non-harming? Is it your intuition guiding you or is it ya ego doing the talking? What are you attached to that is no longer serving your highest self? How can you embrace and love both your highest and lowest selves? (Yeah that’s a tough one, but yoga at its core means “to yoke,” “union,” and more specifically, union of opposites). Be ready for lots of “oh shit” and “aha” moments.
An open heart. Listen there are plenty of people who graduate YTT and never teach a formal class in this lifetime. And that’s cool. But please believe that the knowledge you gain will transform the way you view the world and how you interact with it. And when that transformation happens within, it radiates and impacts those with whom you connect. So even if you don’t think of yourself as a teacher, you will be one through your everyday interactions with others. You’ll just show up different. In a good way.
Okay, aside from the above “prerequisites,” you’ll also need time and typically a sizable chunk of money for YTT, too. Keep reading…
Time: 200-Hour YTT is basically the entry level of training, and it’s likely the minimum that most of the teachers you’ve practice with have. For a 200-hour YTT, you’ll spend about 180 hours in instructor-led sessions and several hours of study. There will be homework, papers, exams, and “teach backs” (where you teach your YTT classmates and/or facilitators). There likely isn’t as much physical practice as you might think, but YTT is a huge energy commitment and you’re not likely to find a perfect time to get started. Take it from me. It may mean sacrificing social commitments, using your lunch breaks or late nights to study, or getting creative with your time in other ways. I repeat, there isn’t going to be a perfect time. Sacrifice is inevitable, but don’t force it. If you know that you truly don’t have the capacity to give YTT your attention so that you get the most out of it, be honest with yourself. YTT will be there when you’re ready.
Money: The monetary investment for most 200-hour trainings is steep - usually in the $3,500 range. Yes, several bags, I know. Do you get what you pay for though? Absolutely (but do your research on each program). The monetary cost includes compensating experienced and knowledgable teachers for the time and energy they’ve invested into honing that knowledge and sharing it with you, as well as overhead costs for executing a quality comprehensive program, and more. Thankfully, many programs offer arrangements to make the investment more accessible, such as scholarships (shoutout to Afro Yoga by Angie), internship exchanges where you work for the yoga school/studio in exchange for all or a portion of YTT costs, registration discounts, payment plans, sliding scales, and more. Again, do your research. You’ll find the right program for you at the right price for you.
So are you ready for YTT?
I’m excited to be a co-facilitator of Your Inner Yogi’s 200-hour YTT alongside four other incredible Black womxn teachers in the Memphis area! The program is offered on weekends, is taught both online and in-person, and covers a deep breadth and depth of yoga styles and philosophy while honoring multicultural perspectives. Check out this page for info on the upcoming 2022 training that starts in January. If you have questions about this training or YTT in general, drop me an email.
Seeking ways to deepen your practice but aren’t quite ready for YTT yet? Book a free consultation and let’s chat about private Soul Care coaching to explore yoga’s roots together.
If you’ve read to this point, you already know that yoga has made a powerful impact in your life. Wherever you are in your journey, if you’ve had a curiosity to learn more beyond your regular classes, YTT may be for you. Among the many lessons I learned along the way, is to trust the timing of your life - and trust yourself.
