Want to know how to become a yoga instructor? With the increasing popularity of yoga, the number of people that are becoming interested in mastering the said workout is also rising.
If you belong in that equation, it is incredibly essential for you to be familiar with the how to’s of one’s journey to becoming a yoga instructor. Fortunately for you, this article is the best map you’ll ever have in navigating the process.
Why do you want to become a yoga instructor?
First things first, you must identify your intent. Becoming a yoga instructor is not just some random decision that you made based on your mood. This is a form of passion-turned-career that requires commitment. Before we head off into the actual breakdown of the process of becoming a yoga instructor, you must start by identifying the reason why you want to be one in the first place.
Knowing your intent will also serve as your motivation. The journey towards becoming a yoga teacher is not as easy as pie, and possibly somewhere along the journey you might feel discouraged to go on. If you ever cross that bridge (but hopefully not), you can just look back at the main reason why you took this path. Define your objective. Are you here because you want to embrace yoga as a whole? Or are you just here for the sake of getting that certification? (We’ll discuss this matter later).
Important Things You Must Know About Becoming A Yoga Instructor
To get your yoga-teaching journey started, we listed below everything you need to know about how to become a yoga instructor. Read carefully!
1. Yoga teacher training course
Becoming a successful yoga instructor, like every other career, means going through a systematized learning process. Every aspiring yoga teacher must take a yoga teacher training course to be properly educated on everything they need to know about mastering the art of yoga. Yoga studios and schools offer teacher training courses that cover several areas of yoga such as its history, philosophy, anatomy, and physiology.
Also, taking the yoga teacher training course will develop your teaching methodology. Before becoming a teacher, you must first understand how it is to be a student. Taking up a teacher training program will test your physical, mental, and emotional capabilities so you must come prepared.
2. How long does a yoga teacher training course last?
The standard longevity of a yoga teacher training course is 200 hours. It may seem long if you look at it that way, but the wonderful thing about this is that it’s a “learn at your own pace” type. It means that you can take the course either full-time or part-time, that is if you have other commitments or responsibilities.
A 200-hour teacher training course can be disseminated into months, three to five at an average. During this period, you will be learning everything about yoga. It’s going to be a long but fulfilling experience.
3. Am I going to be a certified yoga instructor?
You’re probably thinking, does becoming a yoga instructor means having your license? Yes, of course! Upon completing the 200-hour yoga teacher training course, you will be taking an exam to determine whether or not you are ready to be a registered yoga instructor. Once you pass, you will be given a certification proving your accomplishment as an official instructor of yoga.
Remember, the certification just doesn’t give you a title, it also serves as a reminder that you came through the teacher training program. It shows how you persevered and now you’re given the go-signal to share your knowledge and experience in your yoga classes.
4. Learn about the Yoga Alliance
The Yoga Alliance is a non-profit, global organization that represents yoga. Many yoga studios align their standards with Yoga Alliance and you can obtain a certification under them. You should also know that you can pay Yoga Alliance for permission to make use of their RYT (registered yoga teacher) trademark after your name, but keep in mind that this is not relevant at the government or nation-state level.
5. You don’t have to be an expert right away
Some presume that before you learn to become a yoga teacher, you must be at some level of a yoga expert. This isn’t necessarily true. Anyone can join the teacher training program. It is recommended, however, that you have practiced even the basic yoga asanas for more or less a year. If you have already familiarized yourself with yoga, it will be easier for you to learn about it in yoga teacher training classes. You will have a better time adjusting and your learning pace will be much smoother than you’d expect. But just so you know, it’s not really a requirement.
6. Choosing a teacher training program
Yoga is a very diverse type of workout. Over time, it was developed into many variations to cater to the different types and needs of the body. As you hop on the train to the station of becoming a yoga instructor, it’s important to carefully select the teacher training program you’ll be taking. You have the freedom to choose which type of yoga class captures your interest the best.
There are different types of yoga teacher training programs such as:
- Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training
- Hatha Yoga Teacher Training
- Hot Yoga Teacher Training
- Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training
- Yin Yoga Teacher Training
7. Selecting a good yoga school
Choosing the right yoga school for you is the same as choosing a teacher training program. There are lots of yoga studios out there but you have to carefully pinpoint the one that shows promise and produced a lot of good yoga teachers. Join a yoga studio that offers a good curriculum and is known for being generally exceptional at teaching their students. This way, you can assure that you are at the right place and you are not wasting your time and money.
Here is a sample of a yoga studio that offers a 200-hour yoga teacher training program.
8. The difference between teaching yoga and practicing yoga
There is a fine line between being a practitioner of yoga and becoming a yoga teacher. Just because you are an excellent yoga practitioner does not guarantee that you’ll be an amazing yoga teacher. There is a difference that you must learn to recognize, otherwise, you will be left disappointed or surprised.
When you’re training to become a yoga instructor, you will be understanding how it is to effectively teach yoga. This isn’t just about you anymore—in the future you will be teaching aspiring yoga practitioners. You need to learn how to communicate properly so you will be able to give the right cues and instructions to your soon-to-be students. Patience and gentleness are also major points to take into consideration in becoming a good yoga teacher.
9. It’s going to be a bit expensive
No sugar-coating here—learning how to become a yoga instructor is going to take a huge dip into your savings. You have to make sure that you are financially prepared to take a yoga teacher training course. It does appear to be costly but the great thing about it is you get what you paid for. Teacher training courses cover a lot of aspects of learning about yoga and its teaching methodology so it’s considered to be a good investment.
10. An emotional roller-coaster ride
Taking the yoga teacher training course is said to be a challenging process that will bring out a lot of your emotions. There will be times you’ll find yourself happy, sad, and angry. Yoga is known for being a very intimate and personal exercise. By learning to master it, you are bound to let out emotions and feelings. Sometimes they are due to the physical pain you’ll be trying to endure but the others will probably be out of the spiritual healing that you’ll encounter along the way.
Simply put, yoga is a life-changing exercise.
Are you ready to become a yoga instructor?
Hopefully, this article fed you with all the information you need about how to become a yoga instructor. Just remember, yoga is a beautiful physical activity that will not only enrich our bodies but also our minds and spirits. Wanting to become a teacher of it is already one great step you are taking, just imagine if you push through with it!
All in all, good luck on your yoga-teaching journey!
