Posted on May 19, 2011.
Have you ever thought about becoming a yoga teacher? You may be surprised to hear that, but nobody goes into the training of yoga teachers. I know this for a fact. I was a yoga instructor for eight years, you see, and practicing yoga for nearly 30. I have studied many styles of Ashtanga yoga, including Iyengar, Kundalini and yoga. I also studied many teachers, and took classes yoga styles worldwide. I am an expert in yoga, but I've never tried to be.
Although people do sometimes make the mistake of going into teacher training yoga saying that this will be an easy path to a career easier, the fact is that the ability to teach yoga comes only as the result of extensively studied. I have known many great yoga teachers, and not one to be set. What they did do is what all great teachers do, whatever the field. They fell in love with the subject they studied, and went to the extent they should.
Although it is often required to follow a training program and yoga teacher, this is only done as a means of advancing the study of yoga. You do not learn yoga as a way to fill a class in yoga teacher training. You complete teacher training yoga as a way to learn yoga.
If you've been drawn to the teaching of yoga as a possible career path, I would ask you to reconsider this idea. Instead, find another way to make money. Ideally, you should find one that implies that the commitment of time possible while giving you enough money to live comfortably. Then you must study under a teacher who you know and respect.
If your teacher does not offer a yoga class in the training, the better. If the teacher is not, it does not mean you should go find another teacher. Study with the teacher until you can learn more from them, and then find someone to teach yoga. teacher training, yoga, after all, should be a step in your quest to master the study of yoga as completely as possible.
Never leave a good teacher simply because they can not give you the certification you want. It is easy to obtain training for yoga teachers. There are many courses that will give you a piece of paper. But what people want to know is if you have studied with good teachers, and if you understand yourself yoga.
