It’s not about the “difficult” poses
Join me (Betsy) for a conversation about the experience of yoga teacher training, the logistics, the studio philosophy and style, and to ask questions. Teacher Training Info. Session Sunday, July 14 at 11AM. RSVP to betsy@yogahaven.com.
Did you know…
yoga teacher training isn’t just for the student who can perform difficult poses? There are many students who walk into a yoga class and are able to move their bodies in many different ways. They tend to have a greater balance of strength and flexibility than in the general population and therefore in classes. This group of students are inclined to have former experience in dance or gymnastics, and spend more time participating in sports and other physical activities. Movement comes easier to them, they have greater range of motion in their joints which enables them to forward bend or back bend more easily, twist more deeply and have less obstacles when working into inversions like shoulder stand, head stand, hand stand and forearm stand. But this doesn’t translate to becoming a yoga teacher.
Think about it this way…
you are good at balancing your checkbook and doing your own taxes, should you start doing other people’s taxes?
you take great photos with your smart phone, does that make you a photographer?
you can swim long distances, should you teach children how to swim?
you love the law, you read and educate yourself on current issues in the news, should you represent yourself when being sued?
The obvious answer here is no, all of these activities and professions take a multitude of talents and skills besides years of experience and education. And just because you love the way yoga feels in your body doesn’t translate into becoming a good teacher.
Instead, think about it this way…
Has yoga enhanced or changed your life in some profound or thoughtful way?
Do you feel yoga is an integral part of your life not only physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually?
Have you had the experience of starting with a physical barrier (injury or illness) and yoga was part of your healing experience?
Do you enjoy creating spaces for others to discover their own path of self-healing?
Has yoga been a part of your life for many years, and have you adapted and changed your practice to better serve your “current” body and state of mind?
Do you love to learn about a topic with others who are also interested, in-person and over a longer period of time?
In teacher training, we learn how to present an experience that is appropriate for the students in front of us as we consider their physical ability, emotional state and awareness of a spiritual connection.
Simply, in teacher training, we become skilled at how a pose, or a breath or meditation practice can be adapted, modified, propped or skipped completely depending on who has “walked into the room.” Additionally, we learn how to adapt for ourselves as we move through the many stages of this human life.
If any of this peeks your interest, set up a time to talk with me and together we can uncover your next steps.
Email betsy@yogahaven.com to RSVP for our information session Sunday, July 14th at 11am or to chat one-on-one about the upcoming Teacher Training.
