YOGA TEACHER TRAINING: what to expect
HOW IT STARTED FOR ME…
Have you been triggered by doing a yoga teacher training, to deepen your practice and/or knowledge about yoga? Maybe you’ve seen lots of advertisements while scrolling on social media but kept thinking, nope I’m probably not advanced enough. Maybe every time you saw an ad, you felt an excitement coming up but you’re too scared to take the plunge?
I absolutely acknowledge how you feel! When I subscribed for my first yoga teacher training, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do, what I was expecting and if I ever wanted to teach myself. It was scary as hell.
So how did I decide to do it anyway? The first time I did yoga, my intuition was very strong about pursuing this ‘path’. I felt better in my body, felt healthier, my mind was more at peace and ease. So I started asking around, reaching out to people who knew more about yoga. There was a major offer on the internet for online yoga teacher trainings due to the pandemic. I was overwhelmed and didn’t know which one to pick and if I should pick one online anyway? I came across the website of Path of Yoga thanks to a friend. It looked very genuine, strongly built, no nonsense and reasonable priced. I took the plunge and started my first online YTT with them. It was very interesting, I learned way more than I could ever imagine! This was a 4-week course but you were able to do it at your own pace. During the pandemic I got a new job, moved to a new apartment and in week 3 I didn’t find any time anymore to finish off the training.
After some months, I felt that my practice was getting a bit sloppy but I still had the urge to deepen my practice, so I booked a yoga retreat in Portugal with Inpiro Yoga. This was an incredible experience. Lisa & Naza, the founders, are a powerful couple, yoga teachers & ‘life coaches’. In an instant I felt that I was at a place where I needed to be at the time. My lust for teaching began to expand but I wasn’t quite sure yet. I started talking with Lisa and she told me that she runs a yoga teacher training as well and together with her friend Elin they founded True North Vinyasa. A yoga teacher training which takes place in Sweden and in Portugal. I found myself looking into their program and website over and over again and decided to go for it. BEST DECISION EVER! People who know me, know that I felt lost and that I came back with a passion for yoga, life, mind & body development.
After the training I decided that I wanted to teach yoga right away in Belgium and observe how that would unfold. I did it for a year, on an independent basis, next to my other job. What a journey that was! It’s so rewarding to see people leaving your class with more peace of mind, being grateful having some time for themselves. I truly learned so much during this time. Anyway, some other urge kept rising to the surface: travel!
Traveling has always been on my mind an as my contract was short-term and was ending, I decided I wanted to go abroad and learn more about myself and yoga, figuring out what I want to do in the future. At that time, as if it was supposed to be (😊), an email from Path of Yoga landed in my mailbox, saying that they were looking for assistants at their next yoga teacher training in Thailand. I immediately jumped on it & they were happy to have me, on one condition: I had to finish my online teacher training course. So I did and in the meantime I left my apartment, packed my bags & traveled to Thailand. The rest is history!
Moral of story: whatever decision you make, the outcome will always give you new opportunities. 
IS A TEACHER TRAINING SOMETHING FOR YOU?
Whether you want to teach or just deepen your practice or knowledge, these trainings will provide you with the basic knowledge of yoga in general. You will dive into a new world in which you will gain new insights about your life and about yourself. A yoga teacher training is not only about learning (how to teach) the physical poses (Asana’s). It goes way beyond that. A YTT is suitable for:Anyone who wants to teach yogaAnyone who already has a yoga practice (you don’t have to be advanced at anything but the morning practices can be challenging and are made to improve your own skills, so it is nice to have a little bit of a physical practice already)Anyone who has a strong desire to know more about the yoga worldAnyone who wants to deepen their practiceAnyone who wants to invest in a more conscious way of livingAnyone who is ready to come out of their comfort zoneAnyone who gets excited about the idea of joining this adventure
THE BASICS
Start with the FIRST LEVEL:
200 hours in 3 to 4 weeks (or other, see later)Fundamentals of teaching & yogaYoga Alliance Certification
WHICH SCHOOL?
We are both very lucky to have such a wide offer on the internet but at the same time this can be very overwhelming. It doesn’t hurt to do your research, after all you really want to go with a school that suits your values.
Here are some tips on how to choose your school:
Where?
Do you want to stay in your own country or do you want to travel abroad? You could choose your training based on a country or the other way around. Maybe you just want to do it at the comfort of your own home?
Types of trainings:
There are 3 main options:
- In person 200-hr: 3 to 4 weeks immersion without much stimuli from the outside world (my personal preference)
- In person 200-hr: weekend program usually starting on fridays or saturdays spread out over 6 months to 1 year
- Online 200-hr: national or international; working through the course at your own pace
All these options have benefits and it’s really a matter of personal preference & time management.
When?
Be honest & realistic with yourself: do I have time to commit myself fully?
A 4-week in person training: are you able to leave your partner, kids… for some time? Will they support you on your journey? Can you take enough time off of work?
Weekend formula: are you ok with spending your weekends on teacher trainings?
Online course: do you have some ‘sacred space’? A room for yourself where you cannot be distracted? Will your house mates respect your space?
Intention:
What is your intention? What do you want to gain out if this? Are you willing to have an open minded approach?
Financial:
A teacher training is not the cheapest training to exist, so ask yourself: am I financially able to do this? Check your finances, your possibilities. It can look like a very expensive form of education and to be honest, yes it’s not something you book overnight. But it is an investment in yourself, in your future and to be honest I haven’t been thinking about the money anymore and I don't regret my choice for a second. Figure out if the school offers payment installments or if you are willing to save or ask for a loan with someone inside your family.
Some schools will be cheaper than others, usually depending on the country.
Intuition!
THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE!
What does your intuition say? Trust your gut & go with the school that EXCITES you as you’re scrolling down their website.
At the end of this blog, you'll find some options. Have a look and maybe it speaks to you 😊
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
ASANA:
Asana meaning posture. Lectures about breaking down the most common poses, how to get in and out of them safely & how to teach them in a clear way. Other than that there will be an asana practice every morning, depending on the training, usually about 90 to 120 minutes. PRANAYAMA:
Meaning breathing techniques. Usually before or after asana practice comes pranayama. You will get familiar with a few techniques, how to practice them yourself & how to teach it. MEDITATION:
Meditation will also be included in your (morning)practice. You will learn how to guide someone into a certain type of meditation.HISTORY OF YOGA:
Important knowledge about the history of yoga. It is important to know how it started, evolved, who was involved... Knowing this, you will understand the concept of yoga even more. ANATOMY FOR YOGA TEACHERS:
Basic knowledge of anatomy. Learning the understanding of how the body works, what is happening when practicing particular poses, what may cause injury, how to safely instruct students to prevent pain, etcPHILOSOPHY/THE 8 LIMBS OF YOGA:
More info about Patanjali - the 'Godfather' of yoga. Diving deeper into the yogasutra's = written texts about the philosophy and practice of yoga. As the title already reveales, it consists of 8 limbs:Yama (restraints)Niyama (recommendations to support your practice)Asana (postures)Pranayama (using the breath to cultivate more prana/life energy)Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)Dharana (mental concentration)Dhyana (meditation)Samadhi (awakening)
Patanjali was the first person to 'systemize' yoga according to the subjects above. There will be lectures or practices from each limb (except for the awakening, which is a state of being). SANSKRITThe translation/meaning behind the postures & exercises.SEQUENCINGIt is important to have thought behind your class so that it can be practised in a safe way. Things to take in consideration are for example: how do you build up a sequence, what is the intention behind your class, are you working with a peakpose, do you want to focus on a body part? This goes together with observations of classes during practice: breaking down the structure of the class & giving feedback. TEACHING YOGABasic guidelines, practicing teaching 1:1,1:2,1:3, a group,... Finding your own voice, teaching style. Practice teaching asana, pranayama & meditation.CHAKRA'SIntroduction to the chakra's KRIYA'SIntroduction to some purification techniques such as Neti Kriya & tongue scraping.SELF PRACTICELearning how to create your own 2-hour self practice in the morning including asana, pranayama & meditation. BUSINESS & MARKETINGYou get the "basic package" on how to start a business & how to promote it. Also brainstorming about: your yogi name, who you want to teach, where, what kind of classes and so on. EXAM?
You will get both a written and practical exam. This is just to check if you understand everything you've learned so far during the training, after all, you do want to know what you are teaching! It's also good feedback for the teacher, meaning that if most of the students don't get it right, it probably needs some more attention. 
SCHEDULE EXAMPLE
OTHER TOPICS MAY BE:
Introduction to ayurvedanon violent communicationecstatic dance sessionschanting sessionstrauma informed lectureyoga nidramovie/docu nightJournaling (Depending on the school & amount of spare time)
yOGA SCHOOLS
I DO NOT RECEIVE ANY MONEY TO PUBLISH THIS. I ATTENDED A CLASS OR TRAINING WITH EACH SCHOOL. i recommend these schools because i value them.TRUE NORTH VINYASA
True North Vinyasa is run by Elin Jensen & Lisa Andersson Rhodiner, both strong & creative women from Sweden. They offer 200-hour (Level 1) trainings in Sweden & Portugal. Guest teachers may drop in, for example Lisa's other half Nazareno: king of arm balances. Focus: Vinyasa style. They also offer a 50-hour advanced training in Switzerland for those who want to upgrade their teaching skills. PATH OF YOGA SCHOOL
Path of Yoga School is run by James French (UK). The school expanded over the years and has several trainings with different teachers in different countries such as Thailand, India and Peru or online. Path of Yoga offers both 200 and 300-hour (Level 2) trainings. Focus: Hatha Vinyasa style.
DE YOGALOFT
The Yogaloft is run by Joachim Meire (BE). Joachim offers 200-hour (Level 1) & 50-hour yin yoga trainings over the weekends. These take place in Ghent, Belgium. Joachim is fascinated by how yoga & (neuro)science work together and therefore the focus relies more on the functional aspect of yoga asana or simply called 'functional yoga'. You can also join Joachim for breathwork sessions (highly recommend!) or join the online breathwork & pranayama teacher training.