How do you know when you are ready to start yoga teacher training? By Sally Parkes
I
have run many 200 hour YTT and
pregnancy trainings and the most
common question I get asked by
students considering enrolling is
to do with the level of their asana
practice. This is a challenging question to
answer. Although yoga teachers do need
to know an asana well in order for it to be
taught safely, the practice of yoga asana is
such a small part of yoga. So, placing all of
one’s focus on this does not do the practice
of yoga justice, or give the student credit
if they are proficient in another aspect of
yoga such as meditation. There are so many
other elements to consider when thinking of
becoming a yoga teacher.
An obvious question to ask as to whether
you are ready or not for training is regardingReady for action
the length of time you have been practicing
yoga. I have noticed that this is not as
relevant as I first thought, however. For
example, many people have been practicing
yoga asana for several years, but the practice
has not been regular and other aspects of
yoga (such as adopting a more calm lifestyle
and a sattvic diet) have not yet infiltrated
into their daily life. This approach to yoga is
absolutely okay and is sometimes all that life
will allow, and the practitioner’s health will still
improve for the better. But if you have this
kind of practice – and also want to embark
on teacher training - maybe now is the time
to address these conflicting aspects of your
life, so the practice of yoga can be refined
before you look to help others with their
own practice?In contrast, there are others who may
be relatively new to yoga with just a couple
of years practice under their belt, but they
practice with intense enthusiasm and try to
learn as much as they can. Their desire to
learn is unwavering and they are fully aware
and engaged when in class. If your life allows
you to be this kind of student, then maybe
you are on the path to teaching already and
now is the time to start looking to deepen
your knowledge further with a course that
speaks to you when you read about it.
But where to begin searching for a training
course? The choice of YTT courses is so vast
now that I often have students contacting me
not really knowing which direction to turn as
they are overwhelmed with choice. So start
by asking the following questions:om yoga teacher training guide