om yoga teacher training guide
Life on a teacher training course: the emotional and physical effects.
By Sarah Swindlehurst
Hidden forces
A
s a teacher trainer, I work
with many students on their
specific training courses,
and in doing so I see many
students face challenges
they might not have foreseen when they
signed up for the trainings. Deciding on the
right training for the individual is in itself is
a huge decision for many and this decision
can be so very full of their aspirations,
dreams and hopes, and in wanting to make
a positive contribution to society by way of
teaching yoga. Simply said, a student from
this moment has given themselves a certain
amount of personal (and professional for
some) pressure and this can then surface
in a variety of ways, both emotionally and
physically when they later attend and start
the training.
The student has usually researched the
training beforehand and has an idea of
what to expect from the course, however
what they sometimes experience is a whole
lot more than they had initially bargained
for. Emotions can run high as they become
excited about what they are learning and in
the anticipation of qualifying, self-doubts
can set in as to whether they are up to
the training and thoughts of ‘what if I’m
not good enough or as good as the other
students’ can come up. Personal issues canstart to surface too as they start to reflect
on the meanings of yoga and how it helps
in a person’s wellbeing. Physically they can
be challenged with the practice of the tasks
and postures, as well as physical stresses
manifested from nervous tensions and
anxieties of the mind.“I experienced a range of emotions
including; joy and happiness as I was
enjoying the course contents so much
and what the learning experience
was about to open up for me. I also
experienced sadness when going
through some of the exercises which
involved me opening up and having to
come to terms with experiences that
I had tried to bury, which was both
difficult and necessary.”
Katy Wise – Children’s Yoga and
Mindfulness Teacher“I came away from the courses feeling
really positive. I met some interesting
people training and it was good to share
experiences and ideas for the future.
The days are in-depth so you need to be
prepared that you will cover a lot and
may come away feeling a bit drained
(but in a good way.) You also need
to prepare yourself to teach in frontSTUDENT SURVIVAL GUIDE
of others (daunting but rewarding as
everyone is really supportive.)”
Victoire Mitchell – Children’s Yoga and
Mindfulness TeacherAll of a student’s challenges (physically and
emotionally) are helped and managed by the
teacher trainer and personal mentoring can
be given for those requiring it. The positive
outcomes most certainly outweigh the
negatives, and the students achieve so much
more than their certificate at the end of the
training. A student on qualifying will have
faced their fears and come out triumphantly,
they will have gained much knowledge
and the necessary skills for their chosen
vocation, and mastered their personal and
professional goals.“The training has mentally helped me to
discover my creative capacity and how
to use it as tool to expand my business
ideas as well as learning that one can
never learn enough of yoga.”
Andreina Turner-Ramirez – Parent &
Baby Yoga, and Toddler Yoga TeacherSarah Swindlehurst, senior teacher trainer at
Yogakidz Worldwide, a not-for-profit company
that runs teacher training courses, for
teaching all ages (yogakidzworldwide.com)