Teacher training is a time and money intensive task. However, it just doesn’t end there. Yoga teacher training also means emotional and physical transformation. While everyone looks forward to the physical transformation, not all are ready for the emotional transformation. Therefore, before you invest your time, money and emotions into teacher training program, here are some more questions you should ask yourself.
What are you looking for in the teacher training experience?
Teacher training means different things to different people. For some it’s just a certificate to go out and get a yoga related job, for some it’s the urge to know more and go deeper in their yoga practice, and for others it is purely for academic purposes - learning different asanas and methods of teaching them.
There is nothing wrong with any of these purposes, although the first one may not help one become a very successful teacher. However, what is more critical is to decide the purpose and then plan on searching for a training program that will help fulfil that purpose.
What is your yoga philosophy?
This is in same vein as above. You need to identify your yoga philosophy and then ensure that your training program resonates it. If not, then you may find yourself uninterested in the program.
What is your learning style?
Every individual has his or her own learning style. Some prefer to go all out and are able to memorize everything they are taught. Others prefer to take it slow, in digestible bites. If you prefer the latter style, then going for a program in your local area, where you can extend your training program will be better than going for a 3-4 week stint in a faraway place. Even number of people in the learning group makes a difference. If you are someone who feels alienated in a large group or are hesitant to ask questions and seek clarifications then it will be best to go for a program that takes in lesser number of students and gives individual attention.
Do you plan to learn alone or with a partner?
This is a critical question. There are many couple retreats where yoga instructors teach to couples only. If you are looking for something like that then maybe you don’t need to opt for teacher training at all. Until of course, your partner too wants to become a teacher. Else, you can opt for a good yoga retreat in Goa or Bali or any other popular yoga hub and learn yoga together.
Are you and your teacher comfortable with each other?
Although many feel that they can only answer this once they join the course however, that’s a wrong approach. It is always advisable to meet your teacher online or in person to understand their teaching style, their philosophy of yoga and their overall personality. Understand how he or she teachers and make sure you are comfortable. For example, many teachers prefer to let the students discover the right way of doing the pose themselves, while others will drill it down into their students. Another aspect is that while some teachers focus on internal transformation through yoga, others seek perfection in poses. You need to decide what are you looking for and what you want in your teacher and choose accordingly.
What are you looking for in the teacher training experience?
Teacher training means different things to different people. For some it’s just a certificate to go out and get a yoga related job, for some it’s the urge to know more and go deeper in their yoga practice, and for others it is purely for academic purposes - learning different asanas and methods of teaching them.
There is nothing wrong with any of these purposes, although the first one may not help one become a very successful teacher. However, what is more critical is to decide the purpose and then plan on searching for a training program that will help fulfil that purpose.
What is your yoga philosophy?
This is in same vein as above. You need to identify your yoga philosophy and then ensure that your training program resonates it. If not, then you may find yourself uninterested in the program.
What is your learning style?
Every individual has his or her own learning style. Some prefer to go all out and are able to memorize everything they are taught. Others prefer to take it slow, in digestible bites. If you prefer the latter style, then going for a program in your local area, where you can extend your training program will be better than going for a 3-4 week stint in a faraway place. Even number of people in the learning group makes a difference. If you are someone who feels alienated in a large group or are hesitant to ask questions and seek clarifications then it will be best to go for a program that takes in lesser number of students and gives individual attention.
Do you plan to learn alone or with a partner?
This is a critical question. There are many couple retreats where yoga instructors teach to couples only. If you are looking for something like that then maybe you don’t need to opt for teacher training at all. Until of course, your partner too wants to become a teacher. Else, you can opt for a good yoga retreat in Goa or Bali or any other popular yoga hub and learn yoga together.
Are you and your teacher comfortable with each other?
Although many feel that they can only answer this once they join the course however, that’s a wrong approach. It is always advisable to meet your teacher online or in person to understand their teaching style, their philosophy of yoga and their overall personality. Understand how he or she teachers and make sure you are comfortable. For example, many teachers prefer to let the students discover the right way of doing the pose themselves, while others will drill it down into their students. Another aspect is that while some teachers focus on internal transformation through yoga, others seek perfection in poses. You need to decide what are you looking for and what you want in your teacher and choose accordingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment