As someone who works in the teacher training industry guiding students to teachers that they connect with and I’ve observed many obvious trends about what leads to a good experience for students. Time and time again I see students who are disappointed by their training experience, and it makes me sad as my yoga teacher training was the most meaningful experience of my life. If there’s one thing I could share with you from all my experience, it would be the following:
If you want to actually learn yoga, rather than just be a generic teacher or Instagram yogi, do not do a part-time teacher training. Do an immersive training somewhere closer to the source of yoga (Bali, India, Thailand).
Yoga traditionally has been taught in ashrams where students had to spend months, years or decades with teachers. Yoga is very subtle, and it takes an incredible amount of focus and dedication to understanding. The invention of part-time weekend programs is a modern function of businesses capitalizing on the market opportunity, rather than trying to convey true yoga to students.
It’s simply not possible to get at the level of subtlety necessary in this type of environment. Yes, intensive training is not perfect by any means, but they are significantly closer to the authentic experience of how yoga was meant to be shared. Scientific studies have shown it takes 21 days to develop a new habit, and when you are doing nothing but yoga for this period of time, the teachings sink significantly deeper than if you are starting and stopping.
I see it time and time again that students who do the intensive training develop a deeper love for yoga, as it takes the intensive environment to really sink in. I have heard many teachers who have expressed an opinion otherwise, that the local training can be as good as the intensive programs. I feel this is completely false.
I would invite these teachers to come on intensive training with a real Indian yoga teacher because it’s just a whole different universe. It’s like describing what a rose smells like to someone who has never smelled one. You have to experience it to know. There are many reasons I feel so strongly about this.
1. The value is so, so much better doing an intensive program abroad.
You’ll pay at least $3,000 for teacher certification in a part-time program in the US or Europe. Keep in mind this is for the training only, and typically only for 1-2 teachers leading. For that same amount of money, you could train with a group of teachers in a luxury resort in a tropical location, with all food, accommodation, and training paid for, with multiple teachers. Knowing this, I honestly don’t know why anyone with the available time would elect not to go this route.
If you are going to pay $3-4,000 for yoga training, you want to make sure it’s something you have with you for life. If nothing else, on an immersive experience you’ll have an adventure you’ll remember for the rest of your life, and a network of worldwide friends.
2. The teachers are typically more focused and present with students
Think about it; a teacher running a part-time training program in a major city is almost certainly balancing the training with a regular schedule of classes, work & family obligations. Teachers who run intensive training often dedicate their whole lives to running teacher training. They move to more natural locations to live slower lifestyles in order to hold better space for students.
It takes a huge amount of focus to properly convey yoga to a new student, and teachers who are not completely dedicated to this mastery are not going to do as good of a job as someone giving it their entire focus. Being a good yoga teacher is not just about being knowledgeable, it’s also about being balanced and fully embodied yourself.
3. You will go significantly deeper into yoga
Learning yoga is learning how to live in balance, and there is no limit to the depth you can go to. It’s hard to really maintain balance if after an amazing day of deep practice you have to go to work the next day. During yoga, your body gets very sensitive, and if in your sensitivity you are exposed to too much stress and stimulation, the sensitivity can actually have a negative effect.
When you have 3-4 weeks to do nothing but yoga, you can relax and seek deeper into the practice. Going deeper into yoga is developing new thresholds of peak experiences. To go deeper, you have to have the momentum of constant practice and attention that builds with each day. You simply cannot get this experience in a part-time program.
4. More industry exposure
Teaching yoga in a major city is stressful work. In fact, I haven’t found that it is a sustainable lifestyle, simply impossible to make more than $50,000 a year as a yoga teacher teaching studio classes in a major city. All the opportunities to really build a yoga career involve traveling and creating experiences for others, and going on one yourself will give you good exposure and learning for when you decide to do this yourself.
The other side of the argument:
Naturally, this is just one opinion, and I’d like to address some of the reasons you might want to the local program.
1. You don’t have time to go away for a month.
This is a real concern for many. Intensive training is good to do in-between jobs or on sabbaticals. My recommendation is to then wait until you are between jobs, or have enough vacation built up to get away for a month. If you are truly valued at your job or relationship obligations, you will be valued enough to be allowed to take time for your own personal development.
2. I have a strong spiritual connection to my local teacher
If you feel a very strong spiritual connection to a local teacher, this is a very good reason to stay home and do the training. But I invite you to be aware of the difference between a spiritual connection and a social connection. You may admire a teacher, their career, and how they present themselves, but this doesn’t mean they will be able to help you deepen.
When you have a connection to someone spiritually, their presence should bring light into your life. If you find this with someone locally, more power to you. I would also invite you to ask your teacher who their teachers were and consider looking into programs closer to the source of their teachers. You will likely find something magical!
3. I want to get “in” with a local studio
Yes, true local studios are much more likely to hire students who go through their training. My opinion is that this is rather short-sighted, however, as the average turnover for studios is extremely high. I’d encourage you instead to make your decision based on what inspires you the most, and what will lead to the strongest long-term foundation for your practice.
Again, the deeper you go, the longer the inspiration will stay with you. Following this will be the best career move, long term. If you would like guidance choosing a program, I am always willing to help new students. You can email me at adam@yogaeastwest.com. I truly feel our 200-hour teacher training program is the best in the world.
Perhaps I am a little biased, but I am not aware of any other programs that bring native Indian teachers, pair them with popular teachers from LA & NY, and put them in luxury accommodation in Bali, for a price point that is one of the lowest in Bali, and comparable to most part-time programs in the US & Europe. You can find more info on our training at https://yogaeastwest.com/yoga-teacher-training-bali/
Happy Training!
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