om yoga teacher training guide
Get a planner and set yourself time to study
When we have many layers to our life such as full time work, family,
friends and a training course to complete it is often easy to feel
overwhelmed and for time to fly away from us. In these instances,
it is essential to schedule time for study.
A wall planner is your friend as it not only helps you plan your
time, but will let others know when you plan to study. In the age
of technology, it’s also useful to set a reminder on your phone or
computer, so that you don’t become distracted by other things.
Think outside of the box and maximise
on your study time
Make the most of your time, so that you can maximise on your
goals. For example, is it possible to complete course reading or
research whilst on your daily commute or at the gym whilst pounding
away on the treadmill or cross-trainer? Or is it possible to wake up
30 minutes earlier to complete a few rounds of Sun Salutations or
write your yoga journal, before you start the rest of your day?
Set up a study group to share ideas and to help keep
each other motivated
Staying connected to your training group in between study
weekends, can help you to feel connected with the course and
maintain motivation for study. Facebook, Whatsapp and other social
media groups are an excellent way to stay connected with each
other and to ask questions or share resources and experiences.
Set yourself breaks and rewards for study
Writing an essay or revising for a practical or theory exam is no easy
feat, and we can often find ourselves distracted by the simplest of
things, such as feeling a sudden urge to tidy our wardrobe or sort
out the kitchen cupboards! But, procrastination doesn’t help us to
achieve goals, therefore plan in time for a break and reward yourself
for maintaining your focus.
Schedule yourself time for writing, but plan quick breaks into that
time and rewards. These could be as simple as after writing 300
words, you then allow yourself a 10 minute break to make a cup of
tea and catch up on Facebook, Instagram or your emails.Remind yourself why you are doing the course and
your end goal
Keep your end goal in mind, and if you find yourself feeling
overwhelmed, remind yourself why you enrolled onto the course and
what you want to achieve with it. Whether it’s to become a full time
yoga teacher, a yoga therapist or to expand your knowledge of yoga
for your own personal development and practice. Writing positive
affirmations and your goals on post-it notes and placing them in
prominent places around your home or office can often help to
maintain focus and motivation.
Remember it’s important to enjoy the experience and the process
of self-development and discovery.Dawn Morse is a lecturer for the Open University, a senior yoga
teacher, and the proprietor of Core Elements which provides Yoga
CPD and Massage Therapy Training courses in London and Wiltshire
(coreelements.uk.com)