n Do you want to begin a journey of self-
inquiry and are you willing to possibly detach
from what you thought was true of yourself,
and allow what is no longer serving you to
drop away?
n Do you have a real willingness to learn
and a hunger for knowledge? Are you able
to study and include reading and note
taking on core yoga texts such as The
Yoga Sutras, The Bagavad Gita, The Hatha
Yoga Pradapika and Light on Yoga by B.K.S.
Iyengar? The study of anatomy is also
important to gain a deeper understanding
of the mechanics of the body, and how the
body’s reaction to asana is deeply entwined
with our thoughts and general attitude
towards life and those around us. Does this
actually interest you?
n Does your life situation support your
study, or are you being unrealistic? Is the
framework of your life built around very
long hours building a high-flying career, or
a family to look after? Or do you get home
from work excited about hitting your yoga
books and mat?
n Have you found a training programme
that clicks with you? Does it feel like ‘home’
when you attend the teacher trainer’s
class or the studio where the course is
run? The energy that you feel when you
think about the course you’re considering
should feel familiar; it should feel ‘just right’.
Converesely, if something doesn’t sit right
about the course, it may be advisable to
search elsewhere.n What is your actual motivation for doing
the course? Are you viewing the training as an
easy way to fix things that you are not happy
with in your life? Or are you using it as an
escape from stressful situations in your life you
are not willing to address and deal with? Maybe
you are using the training simply as a stepping-
stone to something else? If so, I would suggest
being honest and asking yourself if you really
do feel a yearning from your heart to learn the
practice of yoga in order to share it with others
and to serve others? Do you have a willingness
to commit long-term even when life gets tough,
because this can be a time when the ‘true’ yoga
happens as we have to dig deep spiritually to
keep going.In my opinion this approach is what makes a
great yoga teacher and will allow your future
students to relate to you and feel safe in the
knowledge that you understand where they
are at and at different stages of their life.
The key is commitment. And if you are ready
for, and able to make that commitment, then
maybe the time is right for you to teach.Sally Parkes is the author of The Student’s
Manual of Yoga Anatomy and runs 200hr,
advanced yoga anatomy and pregnancy
yoga teacher training and anatomy
workshops (sallyparkesyoga.com)om yoga teacher training guide