Am I ready to become a yoga teacher?
Students of yoga often find themselves asking the question am I ready to become a yoga teacher? It’s a big step, but one which feels natural after all those hours you’ve put in on the mat.
There are different motivations for why someone would consider training to become a yoga teacher. Sharing your love of yoga with others who want to learn is an obvious one. But, also, a yearning to understand more about the practice of yoga is another common goal.
Whatever drives your decision, training to become a yoga teacher will have a profound effect on your life, while significantly improving your development as a student of yoga.
As with any potentially life-changing activity, you must be sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Training to become a yoga teacher requires hard work and dedication – and your success will depend on how committed you are to the course.
So, if you’re asking yourself am I ready to become a yoga teacher? first consider whether the following 4 factors resonate with you.
Passion
Passion is what underlies your drive to succeed. But how do you know if you’re truly passionate about something? A good way to determine this is to think of what falling in love is like.
- Do you find yourself mentioning yoga a lot in conversations, even when the discussion is about something completely different?
- Are you restless without yoga, unable to contain your excitement until it’s time for the next class?
- Have you started cancelling plans with friends or family so that you can devote your energies to an upcoming yoga event?
- When others say you’re wasting your time or tell you there are more important things in life than yoga, do their reservations fall on deaf ears?
A key thing to remember when asking yourself am I ready to become a yoga teacher? is that passion is more important than skill. Yes, you need to have enjoyed a consistent yoga practice, and developed your knowledge, style, and technique during that time, but you don’t need to be an expert.
Yoga teacher training is all about training you in the aspects of yoga you don’t know. Don’t worry if you haven’t mastered handstands or complicated inversions yet. There are 8 limbs of yoga, and Asana is only one of them.
This is a mental as much as a physical journey, where you will gain a deeper connection to your yoga practice while learning how to communicate the benefits of yoga to others in a meaningful way.
When applying for a yoga teacher training course, make sure your passion for yoga shines through.
*Read our article ‘Am I experienced enough to teach yoga?’ here
Curiosity
Even if you don’t want to become a yoga teacher, a yoga teacher training course is the perfect way to take your curiosity for yoga to the next level.
A typical yoga class takes one hour. And you might only participate in two or three classes per week. That’s great for your general development, but there’s so much more to learn – and you know it.
If you find yourself asking internal questions such as: ‘What is the ultimate purpose of yoga?’ ‘Where does yoga come from?’ ‘How does yoga actually work? then it’s time to satisfy your yearning for knowledge through further training.
The trigger is usually a desire to understand the philosophy underpinning the physical elements of your practice.
- You’re curious about the different paths of and to yoga and what they really mean.
- You want to understand the wider history of yoga, as well as how to integrate yoga into everyday life.
- Gaining insight into the anatomical aspects of yoga is also something your wish to pursue.
Undertaking a yoga teacher training course doesn’t mean practising yoga for 200 hours. It’s about learning the philosophy and history of yoga, as well as deepening your understanding of anatomy and how different parts the body work.
The best yoga teacher training courses combine teaching assessments with coursework, essays, case studies, workshops, and exams. Are you a lifelong learner, prepared to ‘go back to school’ to study hard for your qualification? Does continuing your learning and development even after your certified sound appealing?
If your curiosity for yoga is strong, you love learning new things, and are ready to put in the required effort to succeed, then completing a yoga teacher training courses is a great next step for you.
People
The social aspect of training to become a yoga teacher cannot be understated. And emphasising the importance of cooperation and connection is a central aspect of yoga teacher training courses.
Yoga teacher training schools expect you to engage with the other students during and after lessons. As well as interact with yoga professionals and learners outside of the 200-hour program.
This helps engender the family ethos implicit in the practice of yoga. Yoga means to unite, ‘to yoke’. As a yoga teacher, bringing people together will become a key part of your job. After all, students will keep coming back if they feel like they are part of a community.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an introvert or extrovert. But if you do find meeting and talking to others challenging, then you’ll have to work doubly hard to overcome those anxieties and learn to reach out and collaborate with peers.
Connection is particularly important. If you’re considering training to become a yoga teacher, there’s probably a part of you that yearns to spend more time with people who share your passion for yoga. Yes, going deeper with your yoga practice is a personal ‘inner journey’, but it’s only a truly worthwhile journey if you share it with others experiencing the same changes and learnings as you.
If you’re not ready to immerse yourself in training to become a yoga teacher, then it’s probably not the right move for you at this stage.
Challenge
Most yoga teacher training courses will expect you to complete an application and interview process. It’s a competitive market, and schools need to ensure you’re a good fit before allowing you on the course.
A key aspect of this assessment process is determining whether you’re up for the challenge. If you’re applying to a yoga teacher training course for the sake of it, or because it ‘looks fun’, schools will spot this attitude straightway.
Remember, this is almost a year of your life. You need to have staying power, tenacity, and a willingness to challenge yourself every day – not just for the 200 taught hours – so that all aspects of your yoga practice improve.
One of the wonderful things about yoga is how it teaches you to explore who you are and what you really want from your life. ‘Doing the work,’ however, is never easy. A yoga teacher training course is emotionally as well as physically demanding, but the payoff is worth it if you engage with the experience and demonstrate commitment throughout.
If one person on the course isn’t pulling their weight, appears distant and inattentive or is unwilling to share their weaknesses and vulnerabilities with others, it’s going to impact everyone on the course.
Think very carefully before you apply whether you’re ready to dedicate your time and energy to a yoga teacher training course.
Are you ready to become a yoga teacher?
If you’ve read the above and find you’re even more determined to train to become a yoga teacher, then it’s probably time to explore your options further. Read about choosing the right yoga teacher training course here.
Find out more about Newcastle Yoga School’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course here.