How to Get the Most out of a Yoga Teacher Training

If you are thinking of joining a yoga teacher training program, there are many things to consider.

Cost, time commitment, and location are only a few! Once you’ve made your decision, it is time to enroll and get ready for your teacher training experience. Here are some things to keep in mind as you enjoy your journey:

Love the teacher you work with
Regardless of the location or format of the teacher training, your experience is largely determined by the instructor leading the program. Everything they know and believe is infused into every aspect of the program. Make sure their work is in alignment with your needs.

Get ready to talk about yoga…all the time
You think you love yoga now? When you start a teacher training, the sheer amount of dedication it requires means that yoga is on your brain 24/7. You think about it, study it and practice it constantly. During this process, be sure to give yourself (and your friends and family!) a break from the yoga and turn your brain to other things you enjoy. This leaves you refreshed and ready to jump back in

Make lots of friends
Be open and available to connect with your fellow teacher training students. They, more than anyone else, know what you’re going through in the process and are supportive of your breakthroughs…and breakdowns! The community that you connect with during your program turn into life-long friendships and they understand your “yoga brain.” Reach out to them when you don’t understand alignment of a pose, and when you can’t figure out what Patanjali is trying to say in the Yoga Sutra! These friends are key for an awesome training (and life) experience.

Surrender, surrender, surrender
More than learning how to correctly sequence classes, develop cueing technique and refining your hands-on adjustments, teacher training is a transformative experience. You learn as much about yourself as you do about the practice so be ready for a shift in perception as you move through the course. Set up some time for yourself every day for quiet reflection, and when you need to engage in self-care: extra sleep, hot ginger tea, epsom salt bath, and fun things (not yoga) to let off some steam like running, concerts, or time in nature. All these things help the transformation to go more smoothly so that you absorb the yoga into your cells.

Let the yoga do its job. Let it become you. Allow yoga to be your new normal.

In this way, a teacher training program becomes not just a vocational training, but a life’s work.