A 200-hour yoga teacher training won’t prepare you to teach yoga.
If you’re planning to join a 200-hour training because you want to teach yoga, be advised . . .
In my full-time work in the yoga industry, I talked to thousands of yoga teachers all over the globe. Not one of them said they felt 100% confident and ready to teach upon earning their 200-hour certificate.
200 hours was established as the “standard” in 1999, before Yoga Alliance was formed. Frankly, it’s arbitrary.
Think about it.
Only 200 hours to gain a solid understanding of:
- Yoga postures, transitions and cuing techniques
- Breathing and synching breath with movement
- Anatomy and contraindications
- Yoga philosophy
- Ethics of teaching
- How to create and lead safe, effective, and enjoyable classes
- How to modify poses for different students and skill levels
- How to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere
A 200 hour training isn’t going to cut it.
Here’s what you need to know:
- You’re going to need to spend a lot of time studying and practicing outside of your 200-hour training. If you can take time to review after each session and do some deeper research on your own, you’ll maximize what you get out of training. Otherwise, there’s so much content, you’ll only pick up on parts of it.
- You might not ever be done training. A 200-hour training will open your eyes to infinite paths to explore. It will teach you how much you don’t know. The opportunities for growth are limitless.
A 200-hour yoga teacher training is the beginning of the learning process. If you want to learn more or you want to teach, go get the training. It’s life changing. Just know before you go that if you get to the end of your 200-hour and you don’t feel ready to teach, you are NOT alone.
Have questions about yoga teacher training and/or teaching once you’re certified? Have feedback on your experience after teacher training? I’d love to hear from you!
