Yoga teachers are dedicated to improving both physical and mental health through movement, postures, relaxation techniques, breathing, and meditation. It's an ideal activity for reducing stress, improving flexibility, and fitness, as well as is beneficial from several different perspectives.
To become a yoga instructor, you'll need training. The training you receive can be divided into two types: short training – which aims to acquire a speciality and become a specialist in one type of yoga, or extensive training – which aims to obtain a diploma or certificate in teaching yoga.
What are yoga TTCs?
Yoga Teacher Training Courses (TTC) are meant to provide you with all the tools you need to become a successful yoga instructor.
A long teacher training course is highly recommended for those who wish to teach at a yoga centre: an intensive, demanding, and comprehensive course requiring between 200 hours and 500 hours of training.
How to prepare for your yoga TTC?
Ohmayoga, an online yoga academy certified by Yoga Alliance, recommends the following ten tips to help prepare for your yoga TTC:
1. Do your research
Take some time to identify what are your interests related to yoga and what's your motivation to become a yoga teacher. Knowing yourself is vital to discovering what you want and how to get it.
2. Find a methodology that matches yours
Not all academies use the same teaching methodology, let alone teach the same types of yoga. It is key to enrol in a programme whose methodology corresponds to yours.
3. Find a school that teaches the type of yoga you're interested in
Once you've decided which variant of yoga you want to get certified in, you'll need to look for schools that offer certifications in that particular style. Note that many schools have programmes that include Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Multi-Style Yoga, where different styles are taught under one course.
4. Work on identifying other people’s needs and physical limitations
As a yoga teacher, you'll need to frequently assess the physical abilities and needs of your students, and tailor the class to meet those needs. Some classes focus more on breathing and meditation, while others can be very physically demanding, and you'll have to prepare the classes for them accordingly.
5. Dust off your yoga philosophy
Teaching yoga is not only about postures, but philosophy as well. Succeeding at your yoga TTC will require you to internalise the philosophical principles of yoga to be able to later transmit them to your students.
6. Review your knowledge of anatomy
One essential factor of a yoga teacher's training is developing the ability to help students prevent all kinds of injuries. Human anatomy and physiology will most likely be two of the topics you'll go over frequently, so it's best to review it again.
7. Work on your communication skills
You'll have direct contact with students, so you'll need to develop a high level of empathy, patience, understanding, and sensitivity. This'll also help you integrate the group faster.
8. Ask about extra courses offered by each school
If you're interested in making the most of your time at the yoga TTC and learning something extra about your yoga certification course, we recommend that you find out if the school you're interested in offers any special courses or classes.
9. Organise your budget for the upcoming months
Yoga TTCs are paid, and some can be very expensive. Not everyone has the resources to afford these without saving money for some time in advance. Therefore, consider this and plan your budget, so you don’t have to quit before completing your course.
10. Understand that this is not the end
Yes, the last tip is to understand that after the course is over, your learning curve will be excellent, but it'll, by no means, be the end of it. There's always more to learn!
Do you want to know more?
If you're inspired by yoga and want to integrate it in your everyday life, we have a series of tips, advices, updates, and many other interesting articles that you can access online at Ohmayoga.
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