Advice on Yoga Teacher Training and is it worth it?

It’s exactly a year since I finished my Yoga Teacher Training, thought I’d reflect on how I’ve done, a year later, while also giving advice for those that are looking into doing a Yoga Teacher Training (TTC) themselves. What did I learn? Did I enjoy it? Lastly and most importantly was it worth it?

A 200 hour TTC barely scratches the surface. 

The philosophy behind yoga, is ancient and expansive! I did naively think, that I’d know everything about yoga, find my style, go back into the “real world” and just nail it.

This was not the case.

I’ve now realised that I will be learning for the rest of my life about yoga, its philosophy and the different lineages/styles. Which makes life so much more interesting. There is a saying at it takes 50,000 hours to become an expert in your field, so I have 49,800 more hours of learning to go.

Practice is a life long discipline 

The physical practice isn’t only what yoga is about and not it’s not just a form of exercise. Yes of course yoga Asana (poses) do add a beneficial dose of toning and lengthening to your body. But it’s also about taking that yoga off of your mat. Being more patient, with your body, with your surroundings and realising that you can control at least how you react to what goes on around You and not letting what happens Control You.

This requires a lot of practice, I still get angry, snappy and I react way too quickly, but at least I’ve started to notice my behavior and these reactions are only human. With practice I believe that this will become a more natural way of behaving for me, if I keep putting the work into it.

Meditation Sucks

I knew that we’d do some meditation, it turns out we did it 6 days a week at 7 am for one hour. As a beginner, I can only describe that it felt like torture! Of course, I was interested in meditation and to learn more about it. However like everything else, you learn through doing and wow! One hour of sitting still (it was Vipassana style meditation) with mosquitoes swarming around you and flies, it was sooo haaaaard!

However a year later, I realise that having that hour to ourselves was a luxury, rather than a burden. I’ve spoken to other friends who did the same TTC with and they miss that hour of meditation. I’ve been practicing meditation, I can say that when I do meditate for even 15 minutes, I’m a ever so slightly better version of myself and I do feel happier for the day.

Yoga Teacher Training Class in a tropical garden

Teaching Yoga is scary

So you’ve got your Yoga teaching certification, you’re now out there and you can teach. Yes its terrifying, however I knew in a way that it would work out. You see I work and live in a mountain village. Where snowsports and yoga is a great combination. I didn’t know how or where I’d teach, but I did manage to teach yoga. I’ll write another post focused on teaching yoga as a newbie qualified instructor.

Remember that you are providing a service, whatever style of yoga you have chosen, you now hold that knowledge and you can serve people. My word of advice would be to believe in yourself that you can teach and of course to ask around. As long as you have a space, that’s warm (its cold in the Japanese mountains) and you’ve told some people, then you can teach!

Was Yoga Teacher Training a terrible idea?

No it definitely wasn’t for me, I’m so glad that I did my Yoga Teacher Training. I made great friends there and I learnt a lot. I feel like I really have changed for the better (I’m not perfect but I’ve upgraded somewhat a little) and I honestly LOVE teaching yoga!

Also guess what? Friends on the course went to TTC to be able to learn more about yoga, it is a much more cost efficient albeit quite mentally and physically challenging type of yoga retreat.

I hope that this post was helpful for those on the fence of whether to do a TTC or not. I sincerely hope that you do!

Are you wanting to do a Yoga Teacher Training, what is it that holding you back?

Ayutthaya visit near Bangkok before heading home from my TTC in Thailand

A little more information:

I did my Yoga teacher training at Samma Karuna, on Koh Phagan island, Thailand. I’ll write my review of the school soon.

One of my teachers Vanessa Burger is an incredibly energetic and knowledgeable South African lady.  Vanessa is now running her own school and yoga teacher training at Anahata Yoga Shala, also on Koh Phangan in Thailand. I haven’t had the pleasure of going there, but I enjoyed her teachings and know that she’d have a great school too.