On Becoming a Teacher

Yoga Teacher Training
#1

Hey!
I was debating completing a teacher training course. For those of you that are teachers - is this something that you just ended up in, that is do you have a degree of some sort, work some other job, or was this something you geared yourself toward?

The reason why I ask is simply that I am curious as to my options for the future. I am a first year college student who’s taken off a few semesters to work, and would like to continue my education toward psychology. I’ve been practicing yoga for a few years and feel that with the right training I would thoroughly enjoy teaching someday.

So, not that it’s about this, but in so many words I’m asking about the salary, the time I’ll have to do my thing and go to school, and the difficulty of finding work. Surely these are relative to the situation, but maybe you could share your story? It would be greatly appreciated. I’m walking in the dark.

#2

I was premed at my university when I met my Yoga therapy teacher, Mukunda, in a Ayurvedic and Yoga program that I was doing concurrently–I love being a student and learning. Digging into my work and studies with Mukunda was God’s grace working in my life. I finished that initial degree of integrative physiology and then completed Mukunda’s Structural Yoga Therapy program. For me, I knew I loved to study the body, the first kosha, but I didn’t know the many and varied ways I could do this until I started studying Classical Yoga as therapy.

If you are looking for money, I will give you the advice that all of my teachers have lovingly given to me, regardless of their own success and wealth, don’t work with Yoga with the goal of making money. This has proven true for so many reasons, as I have found for myself and seen with others. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t grow your business or work hard, but use care around knotting Yoga and money together.

Since you expressed your interest in psychology and Yoga, have you considered doing a more body-based education such as Somatic psych? It might interest you: Somatic Counseling Psychology

Kind wishes on your search,

#3

if your question is whether you should teach yoga in order to make money then the answer is no, do something else.

Some earn a living teaching yoga. Many simply do it in addition to their career.
My hope is that prospective teachers consider the depth involved in teaching any subject then magnify that thought process to envelope the vast nature of yoga as the subject.

It is not that we need fewer teachers. We need many teachers who are well trained and can open their hearts in order to conduct yoga to others.

What we do not need IMHO are poorly trained teachers or those who teach in order to bolster their ego or their wallet (exclusively).

We teach yoga to help others find their purpose for being here. It is only a by product that we, the teacher, “like” teaching. Our affinity for teaching yoga should not, in my opinion, be the prime mover for that pursuit.

In my own experience I was already a teacher and then I discovered yoga. I wanted to share what I got out of the practice with others. And while my path is my path, if I had it to do over I’d think much more deeply about teacher training and the hows, whys, and wheres.

#4

Hi,

If you want to or feel that you are ready to teach (not become a teacher, as IA said you are already a teacher before you even start yoga) then by all means do it. If you do it for the money, all I can say that it is the wrong motivation and intention and you have to re-think carefully why you want to do it.

I am a teacher in South Africa, chances of making a decent living out of yoga here is very slim, except if you heavily over charge your students. Therefore I still have my business as my general source of income, which leaves me free to tell people to come even if they can’t afford it, which is a real problem in SA as many people just don’t always have the financial means to afford the monthly fee, but who need yoga. It is also my way of giving then back to the community in a meaningful way.

But, I have an even bigger issue and that is with the type of course you going to follow. If you going to do a teacher course, please select a decent one. I am sorry, but I just don’t believe that somebody can teach you all the intricacies of yoga and especially anatomy in two months or 40 days or even two weeks I see now. Please select a course that is at least a year long, where there is constant interaction between you and your teacher and where the curriculum makes provision for intensive training on the many aspects of yoga. I think it is an abomination that people can become teachers in two weeks or even through correspondence course now.

Then, and I say this with deep respect, I gather that you might still be very young. I hope I am correct here, if not please ignore this. I am not sure what is the situation overseas, but in South africa, people will defnitely have a problem doing yoga with a person who is still in their 20’s. This is a cultural thing here and you must ask yourself if that perception might be a problem for you as well, if you are very young and teaching. If so, perhaps waiting a few years until your 30’s might serve you better.

Good luck.

#5

Thank you all very much!
Your conjecture is true, I am only 20, and have considered that it is a little young to start teaching. There’s a 9 month program in my city I was considering, and thought that maybe I would be able to make it work somehow as I was in school.

I guess I’m trying to get a general idea of how to go about doing something I love to do - for a living. I don’t mean to make it about money, to rephrase I could say – canI make a living from this exclusively or would I just be jumping in too soon.

Haha, then again this could be two of those archetypal college student dilemmas - what should I major in, and how am I going to pay for it.

#6

Hi,

20 is bit young. Perhaps wait with the yoga teachers course (9 months sounds ok if they are reputable) get more exposure, there is so much that you still need to or can learn which can only come with experience and as time goes by. Remember yoga is also not just about physical asanas, people come to you with their problems regarding home, family, work etc. Do you really think you are ready or even want that kind of responsibility at an age where you must still enjoy yourself and search the different paths?

Enjoy your youth rather, find a good teacher who will be willing to take you further in yoga (all aspects, bhakti, Dhyana, Laya, Kundaline, Kriya, Tantra etc) and I can promise you this, when you will then eventaully do your teacher’s course it will be so much more meaningful as you have this wealth of experience and knowledge to add to it.:wink:

#7

[quote=Pandara;9733]Hi, 20 is bit young. Perhaps wait with the yoga teachers course (9 months sounds ok if they are reputable) get more exposure, there is so much that you still need to or can learn which can only come with experience and as time goes by. Remember yoga is also not just about physical asanas, people come to you with their problems regarding home, family, work etc. Do you really think you are ready or even want that kind of responsibility at an age where you must still enjoy yourself and search the different paths?

Enjoy your youth rather, find a good teacher who will be willing to take you further in yoga (all aspects, bhakti, Dhyana, Laya, Kundaline, Kriya, Tantra etc) and I can promise you this, when you will then eventaully do your teacher’s course it will be so much more meaningful as you have this wealth of experience and knowledge to add to it.;)[/quote]

This is really disappointing to me and it surprises me that this is coming from you Pandara.

#8

[quote=Nichole;9720]I was premed at my university when I met my Yoga therapy teacher, Mukunda, in a Ayurvedic and Yoga program that I was doing concurrently–I love being a student and learning. Digging into my work and studies with Mukunda was God’s grace working in my life. I finished that initial degree of integrative physiology and then completed Mukunda’s Structural Yoga Therapy program. For me, I knew I loved to study the body, the first kosha, but I didn’t know the many and varied ways I could do this until I started studying Classical Yoga as therapy.

If you are looking for money, I will give you the advice that all of my teachers have lovingly given to me, regardless of their own success and wealth, don’t work with Yoga with the goal of making money. This has proven true for so many reasons, as I have found for myself and seen with others. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t grow your business or work hard, but use care around knotting Yoga and money together.

Since you expressed your interest in psychology and Yoga, have you considered doing a more body-based education such as Somatic psych? It might interest you: Somatic Counseling Psychology

Kind wishes on your search,[/quote]

Wow, that is really great… Thanks a lot