Can a Beginner Attend a Yoga Teacher Training?
If you haven’t spent much time on your yoga mat but find yourself wondering what it would be like to teach yoga, you might be wanting to know if a beginner can do a yoga teacher training.
A yoga teacher training can be done by anyone, wherever they are in their lives. While advanced yoga teacher training courses usually require having completed a 200 hours yoga teacher training, for a beginner level yoga teacher training course no prior experience with yoga is needed. So, you can be an absolute beginner and still join a yoga teacher training.
That said, answers in life usually aren’t that simple.
Before enrolling for the next training you find online and embarking on your journey, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind. And a few more questions to be answered.
How much experience do I need before enrolling in a yoga teacher training?
If the voice in your head tells you that you need to practice more on your mat before thinking about a yoga teacher training, it is not entirely right. You do not need much experience.
Some prior practice does help because it familiarises you with what yoga feels like. But that’s about it.
There are no prerequisites in terms of how flexible you are or how many times you’ve made it to yoga class.
If you are wondering whether you are the right age, there is no wrong age. If you are choosing a yoga teacher training later in life and doubt whether you will be as flexible and strong, remember that yoga is not just about the physical.
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. — C.S. Lewis
Though there will be much to gain physically too, the journey that you take inwards will be much more valuable.
And even if you want to teach later, remind yourself that teaching yoga is different from practicing yoga.
Whatever physical limitations you might have, a good yoga teacher is one who understands the poses and her students. Age is not a barrier to that.
When am I ready for a yoga teacher training?
Let your passion be your guide.
If you are curious about yoga even though you are new to it and you feel that time on a yoga teacher training is better spent than going to your next beach vacation, you are ready.
The only self-check is assessing how sure you feel about the commitment.
Yoga teacher training is an intense experience and requires a lot from us, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Once you feel you can commit to what it takes, head-on.
What do I need to know before I do a yoga teacher training?
Here are some tips worth knowing before you sign up for a yoga teacher training.
1. Evaluate what drives you to do a yoga teacher training
Doing a yoga teacher training is a big commitment, both in terms of time and effort.
Understanding what drives you will help you feel more steady and ready about making the commitment.
For some, the reason for doing a yoga teacher training is straightforward – they want to teach yoga. Many others do it for personal reasons like going deeper in their practice, physical and emotional healing, spiritual upliftment, or finding their inner support system.
In the process of the yoga teacher training, as your light starts to shine brighter, you may find that the goals that you began with are shifting. And that is ok too. You will find your way.
2. Know what you’re signing up for
Yoga teacher training is not just about the physical aspect of yoga. Other than asana (yoga poses), a typical training includes the study of philosophy and reading texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.
There are yoga teacher trainings that focus more on the asana. There are those that stress more upon the philosophy.
If you have a clear inclination towards a particular aspect of yoga, say the physical practice, make sure that the course you choose lays emphasis there against the theory of yoga.
If you have any questions or concerns about the course, raise them.
Perhaps you would like a class not exceeding a certain number of students, or you would like to know if there are enough gluten-free meal options in a residential program.
Get your answers before paying the fee.
3. Take a few different classes
There are varying styles of yoga and they can all be quite different from each other.
Do a few rounds of your neighborhood classes.
Explore what it feels like to do a vinyasa sequence, a hatha yoga session, or an Iyengar inspired class.
When you experience the uniqueness of what each style of yoga has to offer, it will be easy to find the one that speaks to you.
Though course curriculums explain their lineage, only when you are in an actual class can you know what that really feels like.
Knowing which style you resonate with will also help you narrow down your search and you will save yourself from going through hours of curriculum reading.
You may also like 👉 Can a Yoga Teacher Teach Pilates
4. Choose the right YTT course structure
Figure out the basics – cost, duration, location, etc.
Course Level
The most standard yoga teacher training is the 200H course.
Most studios ask for at least a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification in order to teach, among other things.
There are other YTT programs, however, that last 300H, 400H and 500H, which are more advanced.
Cost of yoga teacher training
Depending on where you live, the cost of doing a yoga teacher training can vary greatly. It is possible that what you pay in your city is almost the same as what you would pay if you were to fly to a different country.
Keep your options open and explore. This could lead to a wonderful opportunity to travel to a far-away, exotic land and do a yoga teacher training in a whole new environment.
Wanna know more? 👉 Here How Much Does it Cost to Become a Yoga Instructor in 2021?
Duration of the course
There are yoga teacher training courses that are structured in a way that you can work your five days a week job and attend course classes over the weekend.
Or you could choose an intensive, full-time residential program that could last anywhere between one and three months depending upon your course level.
See what fits best into your life and choose a structure where you can be fully present.
Registration with Yoga Alliance
It is recommended to make sure that the course you choose is registered with Yoga Alliance.
Yoga Alliance is one of the world’s largest registry of yoga teachers. It sets minimum standards for teacher training programs worldwide.
Though doing a yoga teacher training from a Yoga Alliance certified school might not always be a prerequisite to teach (though in certain cases it might also be), it at least assures that a minimum level quality standard is met in your course.
5. Some preparation
If you are a beginner, there is a chance that you are not familiar with the environment that you are likely to find in a yoga teacher training school.
This is especially relevant if you are enrolling yourself in a residential program.
Yoga teacher training involves sitting on the floor. Hours of meditation practice. Learning about human anatomy. Adapting to certain food choices. Walking the talk. Some familiarisation can help.
If your hips are not open enough to make sitting on the floor feel comfortable, you might want to get used to it a bit. It will make your time in the course easier.
Similarly with food. Almost always, yoga schools would not serve meat in any of their meals. If that’s something you need time to adapt to, start right away.
Your daily schedule could find you waking up much earlier than you are used to. Looking at it positively, it is a great opportunity to detox and cultivate positive habits.
Still finding your ideal yoga style? 👉 In this article we discuss why Iyengar yoga its a great yoga style for beginners of all ages. Check it out!
Final thoughts
As a beginner, doing a yoga teacher training will be a transformative experience, as it will lead you to discover your own inner world and a new way to live.
It is something that will stay with you for life and open a gateway for you to tap into your resources whenever you need them.
In whichever way you manifest your practice in your physical reality after finishing with your yoga teacher training, know that you will have changed on the inside. And that is what yoga is all about.
If you found this post useful, you might want to save THIS PIN below to your Pinterest Yoga Teacher Training board to check the post later when new updates are announced.
