It is not the first time that I am receiving messages explaining me « Hi, I don’t really know Yoga but I usually trained twice a week as a runner », or « I am teaching Pilates, never really practice Yoga but I would like to attend a Yoga Teacher Training Course », or « I am a personal trainer having experience in some stretching exercices so I would like to participate to a Yoga Teacher Training Course », or « I don’t know what are the main differences between Ashtanga, Hatha or Vinyasa but I am applying for this Course », and so on.
Some people who are not practitioners at all, having no clue about Yoga, no idea of what it is, one morning woke up and decide to become a Yoga Teacher…… why?
Unfortunately it is becoming very common and I do not understand this approach.
How come people want to teach something that they don’t know?
How do they know that they will like it?
How to be sure that it is their dream-job when they have absolutely no clue about it?
So whose fault is it? Too many Yoga Schools? Is this becoming THE dream-job for everyone who want to change their life?
How can I give any advise to a student who want to attend a Yoga Teacher Training course and who have absolutely no idea of the style of Yoga he/she is practicing and what are the main difference in different style? Be curious! Start digging the information on your side by practicing!
If people don’t know Yoga and want to become a Yoga Teacher the first question is why do you want to become a Yoga Teacher? Where does this idea’s coming from?
Why investing money in a course for something that you haven’t taste?
Personally I have been practicing since 1998 but attend my first Yoga Teacher Training Course in 2011 because before that time I did not feel ready for it. Same for Pilates, I practiced Pilates for 3 years before attending and starting a Pilates teacher training course. It would have been insane for me to start something without any knowledge!
If people are really serious about Yoga and its teaching they first should commit, not toward a Yoga School but to themself. Go and practice every morning for one year and start noticing what is happening in your body, in your mind, then only you might think of becoming a Yoga Teacher.
I am not talking about flexibility and advanced crazy yoga poses, not at all, I am talking about « Tapas« , the very first thing that shall wake you up every morning is the Discipline and the connection you will develop with your Yoga Mat and the relationship you will start having between you and your practice, the relationship between you and yourself. Then only look for a Yoga Teacher Training Course.
Do not expect to learn everything from one course, join a course with solid roots, with yogic knowledge wether it is about the Asana, Pranayama or Philosophy.
The work start with you first, do not expect the teachers you will meet to feed you daily, do not expect to find all answers in a book, start thinking by yourself and experiment. Practice what you want to teach, practice what you want to preach, you should know your subject before going deeper into it.
– Namaste –