This post is part of the Yoga Teacher Training series! We love welcoming new yogis to the community - and love that they want to share their experiences with The Collective. Teachers and students will be sharing their reflections with our community.
Interested in a yoga teacher training? Learn more here!
#1 Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) isn’t just for yogis looking to teach.
Many people do a YTT to deepen their practice, or for other personal reasons with no intention to teach. I came into my YTT knowing that I wanted to teach after I completed the program, however after just three weeks of training my practice has already deepend so much and I can see why it’s also a good program for people who are looking to delve deeper into yoga- practice, and theory.
#2 I’m super sore but my practice is noticeably different!
As part of YTT you need to take a bunch of yoga classes to meet your 200 hour requirement. I have been doing yoga (on and off) for a number of years but since my YTT I’ve ramped up my practice to around 5 days a week! This increased practice in combination with “posture clinics” (classes where we go over every pose in detail and how the body should be aligned for it) has helped my practice so much! I’m noticing misalignments in certain poses I never would have caught, or even thought about before. Being able to notice when I’m rotating out of my shoulder instead of my obliques, or when I’m slumping my weight into my lower back instead of opening my upper back hasn’t only helped my practice but it has also helped protect my body from injuries.
#3 YTT isn’t something super scary and professional.
We laugh, we have fun, we do yoga, and we learn! I wasn’t sure at first how YTT was going to be, if we were going to be doing yoga the whole time or sitting and being lectured and then quizzed about our yogic knowledge. It turns out it’s pretty low-key! We do learn a lot but it’s pretty fun and interactive learning. My YTT has three three hour long sessions a week and they fly by when I’m there! YTT is a nice blend of lecture, yoga, and learning postures in-depth! One class we had was a movie night/ potluck, and we’ve even planned a few outside events together!
#4 So much effort goes into a yoga class!
From the music, to the lighting, the sequencing of the class and even the cues for each pose your yoga teacher is working super hard to make your class as smooth as possible and get you the best possible workout for your overall body. I never thought about this before YTT. Perhaps I’m not the most observant student but instructors often change the lighting to reflect the energy level of the poses you are doing. The same goes with music, and instructors hand craft playlists to reflect this.
#5 YTT is a journey
I may only be three weeks into my journey so far but many teachers say that teacher training is an intense period of time where people learn a lot about themselves.Yoga isn’t solely about the physical aspect of hitting the mat and bending into different poses, it is also very mental. We’re learning about the history of yoga, about guiding principles of life, and about who we are. I definitely wasn’t expecting this coming into my training, but it’s a very welcome addition in my life.
If you’re thinking about teaching yoga in the future, I encourage you to go for it! I put of YTT for three years because of college, and I’m regretting waiting so long! I’m loving my time in my training! YTT seems to be mystified and can seem scary, or even daunting but taking that leap is worth it! If you’re still unsure talk to an instructor and they will be more than willing to share their experience in YTT.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Donnelly was born and raised in Scituate, and graduated from UMass Amherst in May 2018 with a B.A. in Anthropology. She started practicing power yoga in her senior year of high school at Open Doors and just fell in love with how it made her feel! Leah enrolled in the Spring 2018 Wicked Om Yoga teacher training with Ciara Desmond. Besides yoga she's a super bookworm and loves to spend her free time reading all sorts of things. After graduating she moved home, and recently adopted a tiny little kitten named Zora! She's a bundle of energy but also super cute and cuddly when tired, she routinely "helps" Leah practice yoga by chasing around her fingers and climbing on Leah.