How to Choose a Yoga Teacher Training Course:
There are as many different reasons to take a Yoga Teacher Trainer (YTT) course as there are individuals who want to become certified. There are also many different kinds of training. The purpose of this blog is to help you understand some of the different kinds of training and what you will gain from them in order to help you determine which course is best for you. A YTT course is a big commitment both financially and in terms of time. In addition, a YTT course will have a tremendous impact of your life, possibly even changing the direction of your life. Therefore, it is very important to understand the two kinds of certification, Yoga Alliance and YogaFit, and what you should look for in a teacher and the curriculum.
Yoga Alliance is a nonprofit organization with credentialing standards for certification of teaching yoga. Yoga Alliance represents all yoga disciplines and all yoga lineages. This fact alone implies the varied possibilities within a Yoga Alliance YTT certification. For this reason, you should also consider the curriculum and the background of the teacher(s) for any course you may wish to take. Yoga Alliance promotes research, training, education, and raising awareness of all aspects of yoga including mental and spiritual aspects of the practice as well as the physical discipline and development. Yoga Alliance also promotes continuing education, citing the philosophy “of being open and to continue improving” (YA education). The primary focus of Yoga Alliance is to promote the “integrity and diversity” of teaching yoga. In other words, in any Yoga Alliance YTT course, you will receive a background knowledge of the different schools of yoga.
The only other kind of yoga teacher training certification is more like a physical trainer course that focuses on yoga as the main type of physical exercise. This brand of yoga is generally found in health clubs and fitness facilities.
Both kinds of certifications will teach you the “basics” of yoga including asana (yoga poses), anatomy, and how to teach yoga. Beyond that, Yoga Alliance is the only organization that offers a complete course of instruction that includes body, mind and spirit as the core essentials of yoga.
A Yoga Alliance certification course takes students into an in-depth exploration of the inner self by understanding how the body holds emotions. It also goes deeper into meditation, the role of breath in making movement happen, and both physical and spiritual development. Yoga as a tool for emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical healing, yoga as a tool for overcoming addictions, trauma, and more, and spiritual topics including forgiveness, peace, compassion, and love are also an integral part of any Yoga Alliance YTT course.
If you are looking for a YTT course, your first decision is whether you want to focus on yoga as a physical exercise, or yoga as a body-mind-spirit practice. If you determine that a Yoga Alliance YTT certification is your goal, you should then seek a YTT course that fits your more specific goals.
Within this avenue, there are practical logistics and the philosophical components to consider. Time, location, opportunity, and cost comprise the practical concerns. Matching your philosophies of lifestyle with a particular of style will require more research about the different styles of yoga.
Lotus Wellness Center and Yoga Studio is offering a YTT course (200) taught by Marsh Pappas beginning in May, 2017. Applications are available. If you are interested in learning more about this Yoga Alliance 200 hour YTT course, email your questions or request your application: lotuspainrelief@gmail.com. Space in this course is limited.