One of the most controversial questions surrounding yoga teacher trainings (YTT) concerns whether one can become a true practitioner in only 200 hours, which is considered too short a time frame. There is a growing number of schools and Ashrams, in fact, that offer intensive trainings of 200 hours spread over 3 or 4 weeks while others spread over a period of 3 or 4 years.
As a yoga teacher training institute that offers such intensive and engaging training, we want to explain what we believe in and why the yoga teacher course is valuable for all those who wish to deepen the ancient teachings of the discipline.
First of all, the YTT 200 hours is a foundational training that teaches one to teach and what makes YTT extremely engaging is precisely the continuous and accelerated and intense pace of the program. This allows a total immersion in the study and practice that would otherwise be very difficult to experience.
But if yoga is a lifelong journey, when can one really claim to be a qualified teacher of such a profound science?
To answer this question we need to clarify some important aspects of the issue. Obviously through a yoga teacher course one cannot aspire to understand and absorb this ancient discipline in its entirety. Yoga is much more than notions to learn and postures to perform. In fact, yoga goes far beyond academic learning, in that it represents a true way of life. Although yoga is much more than the practice performed in the classroom, and that life in yoga extends far beyond the yoga mat and is practiced all and every day, the YTT is still a very useful first step in understanding the basics and from there, the yogi certainly need to continue to deepen, perhaps moving toward specific styles of yoga that one would like to explore more.
In yoga there is no end point. One has never arrived, but is always searching and discovering something new in the exploration of the self through studies and the practice itself. A great teacher once said : “in yoga, even when you think you have understood and have arrived, then you will enter a whole new space and be a beginner again and so on.”
There are more and more YTTs in the world, but thanks to some major international yoga organizations, many schools registered with them are held to a program that is true to the yogic tradition and where the informations are very accurate. Ravi Marga Yoga School is under the high standards of Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists, which are the most important associations internationally. In fact, at the end of the course, students will receive the school’s accredited certificate and therefore will be able to register in the Yoga Alliance’s database of certified teachers, increasing job opportunities in the industry.
Below we present other reasons to make the yoga teacher training 200 hours course:
Alignment
If you want to understand the alignment of each asana perfectly, during normal practice maybe you can’t follow the proper alignment, but in a teacher’s course you would have the assistance of the lead trainers who will guide and correct you.
The anatomy of Yoga
Thanks to the YTT the student can deeply understand the fundamentals of yoga’s anatomy and the biomechanics of the movements in order to help their future alumni in the safest and the most effective way.
Understand all the components of yoga outside the asanas
Many students never learn the history of yoga, understand the Sanskrit words, or learn the eight pillars of yoga or all the philosophical aspects that gave rise to this ancient discipline. During the daily classes even if your teacher inserts philosophical parts you cannot get the full picture, because it is so vast! The training will give you the opportunity to understand the broader context of yoga, which will deepen your understanding and we guarantee will provide help in many parts of the participant’s life.
Getting the tools for a healthy life
in the YTT one can explore the traditional yogic lifestyle and thus also a whole series of ancient breathing techniques which are a very powerful resources for a life time.
Dig deep into oneself: A phrase often heard from many people after taking a yoga teacher training is: “This training has changed my life!”. Through focusing your attention, you will rediscover feelings and emotions that you have hidden in yourself for years, exploring your physical and mental abilities. Being part of a good support group can encourage you to express yourself freely experiencing a more clear mind.
The ability to relate and speak to a group
The thing you will discover later is that the skills that the teachers’ course will give you are not limited to teaching yoga, but you will find yourself using them in your everyday life as well, at work , with friends, it will be a wonderful discovery of yourself and what you can really do.
And thanks to the new Yoga Alliance standards, we have introduced into our program a new topic. The Nad Yoga , the yoga of sound, learning how to use musical instruments such as Tibetan bowls, Handpan and more in a yoga class. The students have so the opportunity to get additional fascinating skills as yoga teacher.
Is it worth doing Teacher Training if I don’t want to teach afterwards?
If you have these doubts we invite you to take a little test by answering the following questions.
* Have you been practicing yoga consistently for at least 6 months, and have you noticed that you are better not only physically but also emotionally and mentally, and do you know that this practice will be part of you from now on?
* Would you like to learn how to build your own practice without always following a teacher?
* Are you fascinated by the spiritual, philosophical aspect of yoga and would like to better understand where it originated, how it developed, and how we get to the yoga we practice today?
* Are you curious about how our bodies work and want to learn those basics of anatomy that will allow you to progress greatly in your practice with total confidence?
* Do you feel that what you learn and have learned in class is a lot, but know that there is much more about yoga that you can and want to learn?
If the answer to two or more of these questions is yes: yoga Teacher Training is definitely worth doing!
Whether you decide to teach or not, joining a Yoga Teacher Training will enrich you in body and spirit. The beauty of yoga is also this: the more we know about the subject, the more we realize we still have more to learn.