Yoga is not just another form of exercise, but rather it is a way to lead your life! It is a complete philosophy of life not wholly based on philosophical values but also on scientific principles and can be efficiently used for healing and self-realization process. Yoga is the tool that unites our mind, body, and soul guiding us to a new path leading to a composed body and balanced state of mind. However, it is a process that can both make or break you! Teaching yoga is not just a duty but also a responsibility. It all depends on the right direction. So how to become a yoga teacher? Here are the two steps:
#1 Find a mentor:
When you try to teach something to someone else you should have the answers to all the “whats” and “whys” that may arise and for that, you must have the knowledge of the subject yourself. That means that you have to explore the subject deeply. Yoga is art so uncomplicated that if practiced under good supervision, a few sessions are enough to get a precise idea of the dos and don’ts of yoga. But at the same time if not done properly even the common yoga poses can cause serious injuries like nerve damage, torn cartilage, and strokes among others! You should take courses in varying yoga forms to understand which style works best for you. Also, the style of teaching may vary by facility and teacher. So you should pay attention to these styles to identify which style suits you the best.
Yoga instruction is all about the interaction between the teacher and the student, the more good it is, the better results it will bear. You should probably do a little research about the mentor before you select the course because a mentor helps an aspiring teacher to learn about various teaching techniques and forms of yoga. Also, they help in finding the style that defines you the best.
#2 Complete a Yoga teacher training course
One could always get the idea what to do from anywhere-be it the internet or the CDs of yoga available almost everywhere nowadays, but it is all about explaining the process, about how to do it. Moreover, this is the fact that draws the line between the effective teachers from the rest. Learning how to “align” properly is something that needs an “expert eye” which can only be achieved through the yoga teacher training courses. Yoga teacher training includes coursework in anatomy, physiology, instructional techniques, and yoga philosophy. You can gain hands-on experience by observing teachers and their teaching styles. Many schools adhere to the guidelines set by Yoga Alliance for 200-hours and 500-hours teacher training programs.
You should network with your teachers, classmates, and faculty to get the knowledge about the field you are stepping into. Competition among yoga teachers is strong in some areas so you should take a unique approach to make yourself stand-out in the crowd.
Yoga is a highly scattered market which is spreading rapidly, and that has studios opening up on nearly every next block around you to accommodate the increasing number of the practitioners. So you should be well aware of the competition you are stepping into!
