Have others felt this way?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Dear Yoga Family

I found yoga later in life and it saved my life. The universe put me in a place with a teacher and mentor that eventually resulted in my teaching and leading my own classes having been trained in a more traditional way by my teacher and mentor and not the YOGA ALLIANCE official way. I’ve studied a lot and for more than two years have taught at the same studio I started at. Even on my most toughest days and weeks (since I have a day job to pay the bills) teaching yoga always is the best medicine for me as well.

My problem? I’ve been given the opportunity to do a part-time weekend yoga teacher training. We’re part way through and I’m just not feeling it. I fully admit that the style of training I’m learning is making re-learn things and I’m open-minded and luckily old enough to know that I don’t know everything.

But again, I’m not connecting to the program.

Every single friend of mine who has done yoga teacher training has told me of their wonderful experiences. I’m not having one.

Am I just whining? Are my expectations too high? Should I just shut up and realize that I’m just being dramatic?

Does this happen to everyone?

#2

Excellent question.

teacher training

I don’t think you are whining or expecting too high. Issue is not with yoga or you. Trouble is about experiencing yoga by means of so called “Teacher Training”. It is hard to get connected with yoga in such trainings. There is a reason for that. Such trainings are confined within the syllabus that they have to cover. It is certificate oriented and not experience oriented.

Every single friend of mine who has done yoga teacher training has told me of their wonderful experiences.

This is temporary and dramatic experience. This is because many people join teacher training even though they may not have passion for yoga. So such trainings make some changes in their lives apart from their daily routine life. With slight change of anything, they feel good about it. Ask these people after say few months when yoga becomes routine.

Yoga does give wonderful experience but it comes with passion and practice and not with training (at least training which is bound by syllabus). Such trainings are more useful for official purpose.

#3

I have years of experience teaching and practicing yoga, but still often take yoga classes around the town, and the world. I run into poor classes and workshops often. But this still teaches me what not to do in the class, i still derive something from that experience. Same with my teacher training I took just for the paper. good program, but a lot of bs in it. Late on I have realized that it has its own value. But if I were you I would quit if it cost you some $$$, and find something better

#4

Apologies. I’m confused by your post.

You’ve been trained as a teacher already, by your mentor in a traditional way, as you state.

Then what exactly is the intention for involvement in this weekend training you are now bringing up? Why are you doing it, what has called to you?

For a teacher training it is far easier to connect with what’s going on when one is studying in that place, in that style, with those teachers. Otherwise you’re coming in without a context and some degree of dissonance is to be expected.

If you could fill in the blanks, commentary would be easier to provide.

#5

I guess it’s the same with everything, you might get to the point you wanted and realise it’s not for you maybe you just need to carry on and finish