Hello! I am researching possible Yoga Teacher Training courses and would love to hear of your experiences and recommendations. Are some courses better than others, are there any to steer clear of? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I’m interested in this too, but my question is on teacher training in india and can anyone recommend a good school ?
Hello Jilly,
The nature of an answer to your question depends on the intention behind your pursuit of teacher training.
There are a variety of yoga teacher trainings and there are a variety of motives for those who offer them. You can take a “yoga teacher” training which spans a weekend or you can take one that spans several years.
And, as I mention above, there are a variety of motives for taking a training. For the person simply looking to add a class to their almost-full scedule at the local gym a weekend training might be appropriate (for them). I personally feel that a 200-hour training is the bare minimum for training to be a teacher of yoga in a fashion that is both safe and effective.
I also feel that students should be very thoughtful about their choice to teach yoga and take it seriously (without being stuffy). To me it requires a certain level of commitment, some very difficult challenges, and an understanding that the skill set of a good student is not the skill set of a good teacher.
What I looked for when I wanted to deepen my life in this way was a teacher who practiced (lived) what he was teaching and embodied yoga on a level deeper than physicality. I looked for a teacher who had several decades of study within them. I looked for a teacher who was not just a master teacher but a teacher OF teachers. I loked for a place to learn where I would have support and peers that I could turn to later in my practice and my teaching to confront the things that sure-as-shootin’ come up for yoga teachers if they’re doing the work. And so I studied with and continue to study with Aadil Palkhivala. An opportunity to study with him is an amazing experience on so many levels. Take it if it presents itself.
There are many good teachers and you must find one that resonates with you and your mission. Look carefully and pay due diligence shopping your program.
I just completed a 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training in Connecticut. I hadn’t done much research beforehand so was quite lucky that I ended up in a good program. I knew I wanted a program that was Yoga Alliance certified, so looked up the registered schools on their website that were in a drivable distance from my house. The factors I considered were the style of yoga, the location of the studio, and how long the training would take (I wanted a course I could complete over the summer). Since there was only one summer training course within an hour’s drive of my house, the decision was easy.
If you live in a city, you will surely have many more options than I did and might consider the rigor of the program, how many students will be in it (in my opinion, the fewer the better so you can get more individualized attention), the background of the instructors, etc. I also recommend taking a yoga class at the studio, ideally with the instructors, before signing up for training if you can.
Also, if you definitely want to become a teacher, make sure your program is rigorous enough. I’ve heard of programs that had upwards of 50 students and to get certified, all you had to do was teach a few poses. After that, I would not feel confident enough to teach a class. On the other hand, that might be just fine for someone who wants to take the training for the sake of learning.
I hope that helped!
How about ashtanga/vinyasa yoga teacher training courses in India - intensive 1 month from beg October? Any recommendations?
Many thanks!
Hello , many greetings to all ,
me and my sister are also planning on a teacher trainings course in India , the thing is that we are both quite experienced practitioners ,i been practicing for 14 years and she has been about 8 and she already teaches for a few years and is very advanced in her asanas .
We are a bit afraid that we will find the trainings a bit to slow or basic for our undesrtanding , we both need certification at this point due to our future plans but we dont need necesarily the Yoga Alliance one as we can validate the ones recoginzed by the Indian Goverment later on …
Does anyone recomend anything that is slightly rigurous and not so for beginners ? I was planning on the Sivananda but after some research im dubting on it and leaning towards the Yoga point which is also much more economic.
any guidance would be much appreciated
Thanks and peace
D and M
Hello
After alot of research for a good teacher training course I did my course at Ananda yoga vedanta ashram ,anandayogashram.org. I loved it, they are very dedicated to yoga and vedic sciences. Their group was very small, only 15 people, very traditional and spiritual people. Atmosphere was just perfect, definitely worth going again…good luck
YOU are a “good sport”.
Yoga is a system for human evolution.
Hello
I am practicing yoga for last 10 years and I wanted to do a good teacher training course for very long. I wanted to go to India for the TTC as I wanted to have the knowledge directly from the roots. After long research on talking to many schools in India I did my TTC at Ananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram, North India. It is beautiful ashram and a perfect place for those interested in Yoga and spirituality. The atmosphere is very peaceful.
They only accept 15 students in a course, the course was an eye opener, I saw many differences in Yoga in west and Yoga in India, now I know alot more than I expected from this course. The teachers were very inspiring and caring I would highy recommend it, you can check them at anandayogashram.org…goodluck!
[QUOTE=Dinka;22829]Does anyone recomend anything that is slightly rigurous and not so for beginners ?[/QUOTE]
Venkatesh (Atma Vikasa) in Mysore sounds right up your street! 
Thanks very much.