The Definitive Guide To Becoming a Yoga Teacher

By: Ayla Hoogervorst, Certified Yoga Teacher

Two years ago, I was sitting right where you are, searching the web to start planning my teacher training. I had no idea what I was jumping into at the time. Now that I work in the industry, I have a different perspective as I see the reality of how trainings are run, and the realistic trajectory of a career in yoga.

I’m going to detail for you everything I wish I had known back then when I was first searching for training. There’s a lot to cover here, and I hope you walk away from reading this feeling significantly more comfortable and like you gained some clarity from reading this. Let’s get ready to dive in together!

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1. Decide on the format type (immersive or part-time).

Deciding whether you want to do your training as an immersive, abroad experience somewhere like India or Bali, vs. staying home and doing part-time training at your local studio is the first decision. There’s no one right answer to this. To me, this should hinge on one factor; if your main intention is to start a teaching career right away, and you are angling for a job, doing your training locally might be an option to consider. Studios are far more likely to hire candidates who come from their own training. If you’re looking for more of a transformative, life-changing experience with exposure to a more “native,” “authentic,” or “spiritual” training (whatever you want to call it), consider going abroad. An abroad immersive training will hardly be comparable to part-time teacher training. It will take you to depths within yourself that you didn’t know were there. Part-time training tends to feel more like school and classroom, where immersive training will touch on every aspect of your life. One is not necessarily better than the other, it just depends on what your intention is and you should be clear with yourself on that.

Pro tip: Ask the yoga teacher you admire most where they did their teacher training. They will have a lot of good insights for you.

2. Decide on your location (if you’re choosing to travel).

This is always the hardest part. So many options, with so little information. According to Google Trends, the most 5 most popular locations for remote teacher training are (in order): Bali, Rishikesh, Thailand, Costa Rica, and Goa. Each one has a different vibe, so be sure to do your research on each one. If I would go back, I would only consider Bali, Thailand, or Rishikesh. Goa is very loud and a party area and Costa Rica feels scattered and expensive. I did mine in Bali and I’m extremely glad I chose it. Generally, the value you get for your money goes much further in Thailand and Bali. India is great also, but if you’re going to do India, be prepared to be SERIOUSLY uncomfortable in many ways. That’s just how India is.

Pro tip: There are some aspects of this where you need to be rational; this isn’t one of them. Make a decision on your location purely from your heart. Where you will feel most excited and alive? You’ll be guided to the best experience by following that 🙂

 

 

 

3. Educate yourself on the Yoga Alliance Standards.

Grasping the Yoga Alliance system is pretty simple. Initially, it seems like a lot to digest but this should help: Your 200-hour certification is like an undergraduate degree and your 300-hour is a master’s. You need to do your 200 hours before you can do your 300 hours. Once you have both, you’ll be a 500-hour certified teacher. You can do your 500 hour all at once, but this is very rare and I wouldn’t recommend doing this. Just like in the real world, you want to get a little work experience before you go back to school. You can read more about the various yoga alliance certifications here.

Not all schools are Yoga Alliance certified. Many programs offer “200-hour equivalents,” which are generally acceptable on the market. You don’t need a yoga alliance to legally teach you, and there’s actually very little to no real benefit to the Yoga Alliance certification apart from the credibility to your name. I’ve found almost any school will accept you as long as you have done something close to the 200-hour training.

4. Narrow down your list, speak to them on the phone.

Create a shortlist of training — I highly recommend Find Yoga Training to do this — and then request to speak to someone from the training. I never did this when I was signing up for my 200-hour, but now that I work in the industry this is the first thing I’d do. You’ll feel instantly from the person’s voice and how they speak about their program if it’s something you’ll resonate with. You’ll also find many schools won’t get back to you for a couple of weeks; I find this is indicative of the type of service you will get on their training. My school responded to me instantly and they ended up being extremely supportive of my needs throughout.

Pro tip: I strongly encourage you to consider a Hatha-based program, not strictly Vinyasa or Ashtanga.  Hatha is the original style of yoga and all other styles derive from hatha, so it gives you a great foundation for all styles.

5. Put a deposit down.

Almost every school will ask you to put down at least a $500 deposit to reserve your spot. After you do this, they will likely send you a packet of details and preparation materials for the training. Make sure to stay in close contact with them throughout the process.

6. (post-training) Develop and master ONE sequence.

Ok so you’ve completed your teacher training, and you’re ready to hit the market. Many students find it extremely difficult to find guidance early in their careers. In his Yoga Teacher Career Course, Paul Teodo, who is one of the #1 teachers at the Yoga Barn in Bali, suggests starting, only teaching one sequence in your first 3 months. This takes most of the guesswork out of teaching. Mastering one sequence is easy and allows you to be much more confident when you step into the room. Paul’s online class is $89, and full of amazing tips for new teachers that tracks his path when he was starting off. Highly recommended.

7. Resolve to teach 500 classes your first year.

The other thing Paul really hammered into me when I took his course is the importance of teachings tons, I mean TONs of classes your first year as a teacher. Being a yoga teacher is an incredibly subtle art, and you’ll perfect it gradually with each class. Your first year you can’t be picky about where you teach. Iyengar said your first year you should be paying people to let you teach. Don’t be a fuss, don’t develop an ego, teach whatever damn class you can get! After you teach your first 500 classes, you’ll be able to develop more of an identity and start to plan your career for the long term.

If you follow these steps, I’m confident you’ll be on your way to great teacher training and have a strong foundation for an amazing career as a yoga teacher.

I hope this helps! If you need any additional help finding training, always feel free to reach out to us at info@yogaeastwest.com. Someone from our team is always glad to give recommendations for great programs no matter what area you are looking in.

 

 

 

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