You love yoga and are ready to begin the journey of not only being the student but becoming the yoga teacher. Right now you may be experiencing excitement at this new decision and even a little anxiety. This is totally normal! Putting yourself through a yoga teacher training program can be an extreme personal and professional challenge but if you are completely prepared for what is in store for you it can be the most rewarding experience in your life.
Start the research
Once you have taken the time and have found the program that you wish to take make sure that you read through all the paperwork they send you and ask questions. Find former students of the program and get some honest feedback about the program itself and how much is expected of you. Are you going to have a reading list? How much time are you going to be in the class session? Is there homework, tests and how much or how often? Find out as much as you can before you jump in with both feet so that your focus is not on what is going to happen but rather on what you need to be learning and absorbing from your instruction for your yoga certification.
Prepare your mind and body
Before you begin your yoga teacher training you may want to spend some extra time working on your asana and preparing for the physical demands of what training is going to demand of you. Know the names of your poses! Make sure not to over-do the practice because you want to begin your training with a well-rested mind and body.
Start to reflect on your self-inquiry
You know through your yoga teacher training you will have to know all the Sanskrit names by heart and be able to demonstrate anything asked of you, but you may not realize how much time you will actually spend thinking about what is going on within you and your own practice while you are preparing yourself to teach others. This process of self-inquiry could be a positive experience or it could potentially bring up some hidden feelings and worries that you have ignored.
We know that while we are connecting to our inner awareness and everything that is going on in our lives can affect us at that moment. Normally what thoughts and feelings do arise are ones that we need to be able to address in our journey to becoming a yoga teacher. We need to be able to allow it to happen and work through the process. You are already mentally prepared to deal with anything that comes your way. Always be aware of what you are facing and work your way through it.
Testing
Yoga teacher training of course has its physical and emotional challenges but through yoga training you will also have the testing challenges which can cause some anxiety. This is not meant to be more than an assessment and has no impact on your teaching abilities. You are evaluated based on mentor relationships, homework, in class participation and your attitude. Testing helps your instructors gain an idea of what material still needs to be addressed in your training program. The program is as committed to you as you are to completing it.
Support & Relationships
Your yoga teacher training is not always just about testing and class sessions. It is also there to provide you with support from other yogi’s with the same goals and ideas. You will be surrounded by the same group of people which will help create a bond and relationship bringing a certain comfort level to your experience.
Yoga teaching will provide you with a teacher-mentor which will help guide you through times of frustration. Classmates are also there to lend a helping hand or for some listening. Relationships are made by allowing others in to share your experiences.
Be Ready for the Journey!
This journey through yoga teacher training brings you into a world where you are surrounded with yogis from all over and when you accomplish the mental and physical demands of the program it can be life-altering! It may take time for you to be able to fully absorb you experience. Your reaction to being a teacher may kick in as soon as your program ends or not until your first students are walking into your very first class session.
A yoga teacher training program will bring you awareness to your mind and body and who you really are. The training will provide for you the basics of poses, how to modify for different types of students, building sequences, but it will also bring to you an understanding of what it means to live and breathe and teach yoga.
