Is now the right time to pursue yoga teacher training? Do you feel ready but nervous and unsure of what lies ahead? If so, this article is for you!
We’ll cover the key considerations when deciding whether or not it’s time to take the plunge. It can be an exciting – yet overwhelming – experience embarking on a new journey.
Let’s dive in and explore how best to decide if now is truly the right moment for you to begin your yoga teacher training.
1. Is Teacher Training Right For You?
First off, It can be helpful to assess your yoga practice and where you are at. To determine if becoming a certified yoga instructor is right, take some time to reflect on why you want to go through with it. Are your motivations coming from a true yearning to learn about the philosophy behind the practice? Are you sincere with your practice? Or are you wanting to just look better in your yoga pants?
With these questions, we can begin to see what might be right for ourselves.
You do not necessarily need to want to teach yoga to others, however, as many people sign up for a course without an interest in teaching. The opportunity to explore the tradition and your inner world for 4 weeks is reason enough.
2. Are You Passionate About Yoga
It’s important to ask yourself if you are passionate about yoga and if it is something you can see yourself doing in the long term. If your answer is yes, teacher training could be a great way to deepen your practice and understanding of the philosophy behind it.
With that being said, you can do something for its own sake without projecting an imagined future. We often do something because we want to do something with it in the future, which is fine, as that is how you become a teacher and rise to a position. However, if you have no interest in becoming a teacher, passion is enough of a reason to do something.
Ready To Change Your Life?
Joining a yoga teacher training course is like taking the first step on an exciting journey of self-discovery. While there are no hard and fast rules for knowing when it’s time, some indications can help guide you toward the right decision.
It’s important, to be honest about whether you have a passion or are jumping on the bandwagon because it is trendy.
3. Ways You Know If it’s Time To Join A Yoga Teacher Training Course
The practice of yoga is like an ever-evolving journey, with no two paths the same. So what is right for you might not be right for the person net to you.
One way to measure if you are ready is similar to holding a compass in your hand waiting for the guiding hand of direction. When we feel into something, we tend to know before our brain does. Listen, and you will feel the knowingness of your intuition. Everything else is just the mind weighing the pros and cons.
The Foundation is laid
Knowing when enough groundwork has been laid down requires trusting yourself to guide you forward – listening carefully before committing to take those first steps onto this new leg of your yoga journey. Your practice holds the key; it holds all the clues necessary for making decisions that honor where your soul needs to go next.
4. Your Yoga Practice Is Everything
Have you ever been to a yoga class and felt that the physical practice was bigger than just the poses? Something special connects with that inner space that opens up when things align on the mat.
Yoga is more than a physical practice—it explores our innermost being. It calls upon us to reflect on who we are and why we do what we do, encouraging us to move in ways that challenge our bodies and free our minds.
When you are in a state of connection you know already what is good for you, what to do, and how to behave. In that state of being there is no question.
Are You Committed?
Assessing your commitment to your practice is important. Do you have a regular practice that you are committed to? Are you dedicated to deepening your understanding of the poses and their philosophy? Are you willing to put in the time and effort necessary to learn the material and teach others?
If you have answered yes to these questions, it might be time to take the plunge.
5. Great, But You Feel Stuck
It’s funny how coincidentally, we often feel stuck right before a major step forward. I remember feeling this way when considering yoga teacher training, not sure if I was ready to take on the challenge of becoming an instructor. Other people around me seemed confident and excited about it, but for some reason, my gut told me otherwise.
I spoke with several friends who had gone through the process themselves and found that they all went through similar feelings of being stuck.
Being stuck is just another sensation, another doubt arising in the mind’s eye. Do not give it any notice. Expect that you will feel resistance, then you will not feel confused when it comes.
It’s not uncommon to feel drawn to the idea of taking part in something while at the same time not entirely sure whether or not we’re ready.
Do You see the Signs?
It can be funny when life seemingly wants you to pay attention. You might be seeing signs everywhere telling you which way to go, from conversations with friends and family members and the books you read to the topics we share in conversations.
Our path is laid before us if we are open enough to listen.
6. Developing our skills
Developing our skills in other yoga-related areas can help us build confidence when making this decision.
Immersing ourselves in yogic topics, reading articles, and attending workshops, we can gain insight into how we respond when presented with certain situations.
If you have a keen desire to learn and share and you find yourself drawn to yogic texts, Indian studies, or classical Sanskrit mantras, there might be something that wants to be explored.
Connect our skillset with others
Taking part in a program, any program provides access to like-minded people who are all trying their best to learn something new together.
Whether you want to teach classes at your local studio, open up your own business, or go just for the experience of having supportive individuals around you helps to embody our dreams when we share the journey with others with similar goals.
How Can You Prepare For a Teacher Training?
We already talked alot about some of the ways you can clue into where you are at with your practice and mindset. But with so much to learn, it can feel overwhelming before you even start.
You can start simply, by taking time each day to learn about meditation, pranayama, kriyas, mantras, anatomy etc…
The best way to prepare is by getting comfortable in your practice. However, having a strong physical practice isn’t all required; you should focus on mental preparation too.
Attending courses in Yogic philosophy or any other yogic modality will provide useful insights that you can use to help prep you for what’s to come. Thankfully we do not live in the stone age and live in the age of the internet so we have unlimited access and resources to get us started.
What Are Your Goals For Yoga Teacher Training?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but many yoga teachers have second jobs besides teaching. This shouldn’t make you depressed, however, but realize that just because you got your certificate, doesn’t mean you are going to be successful at it right away.
It can take a lot of time and work to grow and establish yourself not only as a teacher but as a mode of livelihood as well.
If you are interested in making yoga a business check out our post about how to start a yoga business.
Are You Open To Learning New Things?
When considering whether someone is ready for yoga teacher training, it’s important to look at if you are open to learning new things.
The truth of this lies in learning to be open to ways of being that are outside of what you already know.
Take steps towards embracing unfamiliarity, and you will find horizons beyond previously accepted limits.
