As we are weeks away from graduating our first group of baby yoga teachers, I have been reflecting on the path that led me to where I am right now. Maybe my story can help to clarify next steps for you, with the disclaimer that every individual is so different I am certain that your path will look different. Even so, let's consider these questions together: What do I need to know before starting a yoga teacher training? and How long should I do yoga before teacher training? This is a story about one Yogini who started down the yoga path without ever know she would be a yoga teacher; it is personal and maybe a little universal.
Summary: What you need to know before starting a yoga teacher training is if the training allows you to personalize the tools and techniques they teach for your own practice and if you can trust the teacher. You do not need to have practiced yoga for any specific length of time before starting training as most 200 hour yoga teacher training curriculums teach the basics of yoga poses such that you can learn them during the training without prior knowledge.
Many moons ago (ah look at the younger me, looking fresh and fit, but looks can be deceiving!) I found out that my immune system was in full protest of my life choices.
I began practicing yoga for personal healing and regulation of my nervous system which in turn helped to balance all other systems of my body. I began very slowly with one-to-one guidance from my friend and mentor because what I was seeking was not fitness or geared toward the generalized population. I practiced with her - and sometimes brought my kids rather than miss my weekly appointment - for nearly a year. During that time I learned so very much about the process of yoga and somewhat about the poses. I appreciated the homework she gave me, which I usually did in a sauna because very little of it required fast or crazy shapes. My yoga work early on was learning to listen to my body and respond to the tiny protesters running along my nerves and through my brain.
After a year of yoga from the inside out, my teacher suggested I add in group classes with a caveat - because she knew my ego was big and my capacity to do more than I should was available, if I joined her group classes I would have to practice from the back of the room and back off the big stuff when directed. It was a hard tonic to swallow from an A-type over-functioner, but was exactly the medicine I needed to stay on the healing path. Adding in more shapes, movement, and the externally focused awareness of being in a group class was the next step in my yoga preparation.
Throughout my early training my curious and very logical brain wanted to know the reasons why my teacher was guiding me through various different practices or breath work. She was wise and instructed me to just do them rather than think them, which I appreciated later for what it taught me about myself rather than what I might have learned about yoga itself. Just as I was learning to trust the process, my teacher told me she was co-leading a yoga teacher training that she thought I would enjoy to finally get all my questions answered. The intensive format of the 200 hour yoga teacher training made me very grateful for the years I had spent practicing yoga, personalizing my practice, and building trust with my teacher.
Do I think that you should all have years of personal practice and experience with yoga before starting a yoga teacher training? No. We all come to that moment of synchronicity when we are ready for the next step and the means appear. I do believe that if you are interested in yoga teacher training, and find yourself at that crossroad of interest, time, and means you could consider if the training allows you to personalize the practice for yourself and if you can trust the teacher.
My yoga practice now still integrates all the early inner yoga training and curiosity. I also have changed the physical way I practice yoga and adapt the poses I learned early on in my yoga teacher training, personalizing them through the years and through all the different phases of life. I am so glad to have those trusted yoga tools from early experience as well the trust in myself through time to continue adding to the toolkit.
Yoga teacher trainings are hours and hours of practice, discussion, and lectures about yoga in its many forms. Depending on the training you choose, there may be more emphasis on meditation or learning a sequence of yoga poses which would be really great to know heading in to the training. You are, after all, dedicating 200 hours of your life to the study and practice of this thing and as much as I believe yoga in all its forms can be beneficial, it may not feel that way at the end of an eight hour day moving your body like you never have before or training your mind toward stillness. Particularly if the yoga teacher training is specific about the way yoga is practiced, you'll want to be sure you have prepared yourself adequately. Ultimately, at the end of all your training, the tools and techniques you are left with will inform the way you continue to practice yoga in your life on and off the mat. Hopefully, those tools will be helpful and support the person that you are now and who you are becoming.
If you are not already practicing yoga with the Lead Trainer of a yoga teacher training, you may find it hard to know how to pick a training. Trusting your source is a very tricky game in this information age; weeding through who is authentic, transparent, and accurate to find someone you trust takes time, research, recommendations, and a bit of synchronicity. Start with asking your current yoga teacher who the recommend and why. Even if you love and trust your teacher, they may describe a teacher training program that does not appeal to you at all. If you are looking to learn something specific, have your teacher point you towards some trusted sources. If you are not practicing yoga yet, ask a friend who does practice yoga who they practice with and why. This why? question is very important because even when you love someone and trust them, you are not them in the end and have the privilege of choosing for yourself.
As you choose, when the moment is right and you are ready for your own reasons, I hope you find the yoga teacher training that fits you best regardless of prior experience. If you are looking for a great teacher training for all levels and all styles with an amazing view, check out Complete Yoga Training Summer Retreat on beautiful O'ahu, Hawai'i.
Nancy is a yoga teacher and lead trainer for Complete Yoga Training. She is an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT500) with Yoga Alliance and has lead specialized yoga training for children, pain, and holistic living. She loves that life has brought her back to the island of O'ahu to share donation based yoga in seaside parks.
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