Hello everyone...
I recently decided to become a yoga teacher and I'm having a bit of a trouble figuring out what makes a "good program"... Does the studio you choose make a huge impact? course structure? There's quite a bit of price difference in each of these *which does kind of matter to me... i would like to save money if possible* and my brain is hurting from the decision.
If anyone has time, here's the three programs I'm choosing between. Any input would be great! :
Yama Studio, Baltimore
www.yamastudio.com/training.htm
The Yoga Center of Columbia
www.columbiayoga.com/Teacher...ing.html
Midtown Yoga
www.midtownyoga.org/teachertraining.htm
any help is greatly appreciated!
namaste!
I recently decided to become a yoga teacher and I'm having a bit of a trouble figuring out what makes a "good program"... Does the studio you choose make a huge impact? course structure? There's quite a bit of price difference in each of these *which does kind of matter to me... i would like to save money if possible* and my brain is hurting from the decision.
If anyone has time, here's the three programs I'm choosing between. Any input would be great! :
Yama Studio, Baltimore
www.yamastudio.com/training.htm
The Yoga Center of Columbia
www.columbiayoga.com/Teacher...ing.html
Midtown Yoga
www.midtownyoga.org/teachertraining.htm
any help is greatly appreciated!
namaste!
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Maryland
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Tue, June 20, 2006 - 2:02 PMWho's the teacher you're studying with or who inspired you to want to become a teacher? What do they recommend?
Other than that I can't say anything about the sites you listed, but can offer some ideas to consider.
* Yoga Alliance certification is useful & can make you more employable in gyms & fitness centers.
* Look at qualifications & experience of the person leading the program. If you don't know them or haven't taken a class from the, do so before signing up.
* A lot of time in teacher training programs can get used up learning yoga instead of learning how to teach. If that's a concern for you, make sure the program has entry requirements. -
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Fri, June 23, 2006 - 2:41 AMReally the question should be "what makes a good teacher, and 'what is a teacher"
Its the questions that are most important, in life....
L
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Mon, June 26, 2006 - 11:58 AMthanks for your input and suggestions. :) I am planning on taking classes at each facility to see which I like best, but it's good to mention the whole teaching yoga/vs/teaching HOW to teach yoga perspective in there as well.
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Fri, June 23, 2006 - 9:20 AMHI Brooke:
I have always favored the master-apprentice approach to passing the knowledge of yoga. I would recommend that you find your teacher, the teacher who you feel you can resonate with and learn from, and then proceed from there. That said, I am pretty sure that Midtown Yoga in Baltimore has a teacher I would recommend named Phil Lynch. I am not sure if he is involved in their teacher training program but I used to take class from him in Santa Cruz, and he is something special in the world of yoga teachers. Good Luck and trust your intuition about this! The right path will come along. -
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Mon, June 26, 2006 - 11:57 AMthanks for the recommendation! I will certainly take a class with him and see what he's like...
I've been taking class for over a year at the Columbia Yoga Center and, though I've found quite a few teachers I really admire there, they don't always have the same teachers leading the training program *that I know of*... also, it is a bit pricey, so I wanted to get a better idea from people currently teaching as to what they think makes a good program. -
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Mon, June 26, 2006 - 3:07 PMI see what you mean.
What I would look for/questions to ask:
Who is going to be teaching you--do they embody what they teach, in terms of physical embodiment in asana, psycho-spiritual embodiment in practice and delivery of teachings ( for example, but not limited to, non-harming, compassion, patience, free of judgement)? Who taught them? How long have they studied/practiced?
What does the program cover? What kinds of practices, what kinds of historical/ spiritual fundementals will be covered? Will it touch on other limbs of yoga or just asana practice? How many asanas? It there a section on sequencing? Does the program encompass the yoga that you have been learning? Is it any particular "style" or will you be getting information about a variety of styles? Or perhaps it has simply put aside styles? Will you be learning traditional anatomy? Will you be learning energetic anatomy/techniques, like bandhas and pranayamas?
Will the program cover how to do physical adjustment of your students, how to touch, intention and clarity of touch? Does your teacher do this well?
How will the program teach you to see bodies? Is there a long, practical component to the training that involves apprenticeship and observation of experienced teachers? Being a teacher is about being clear in yourself and about being able to really see and understand the people who learn from you.
How do you test out? Just a written exam/ A practical exam? Several practical exams under different conditions? Can you speak with people who have completed the program for feedback? Are there ample opportunities to get feedback from your instructor(s)?
There is a lot to this, and I will write more as I think of it!
Namaste
Emily
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Mon, June 26, 2006 - 4:16 PM<<Does the program encompass the yoga that you have been learning? Is it any particular "style" or will you be getting information about a variety of styles? Or perhaps it has simply put aside styles? >>
I think this speaks to the point I made about spending time in a teacher training program learning yoga instead of learning how to teach. If the teacher trainees aren't already firmly grounded in a particular tradition of practice that is the focus of the teacher training program, then it's kinda hard for me to see them as much different than any student who spent the same amount of time taking yoga classes is that style.
Anatomy, learning how to see & give proper adjustments, etc.... all very good. However, I think the most important thing is a good practicum. That is, you can spend hours & weeks talking about sequencing, but you'll learn a lot more about teaching in a few minutes standing in front of the other students giving instructions. -
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Re: choosing your Teacher Training Program
Wed, June 28, 2006 - 9:11 PMHi Brooke. I'm up at Mt. Madonna right now, and although until this program, I
was not really familiar with Astanga, I would recommend this training program
highly. Thay are really putting us through our paces. Everyday there is an overview
of different areas of yoga, from the limbs and putting them into practice( they are
detoxing us daily) to core classes with teacher apprentices, where a few asanas
are thoroughly discussed and practiced at a time. On top of that, the area is gorgeous
calming, and peaceful. The community as a whole is welcoming and there is
a lot of bonding going on among the 40 or so students. I feel very blessed to be
going thru this program. Good luck to you in whatever you choose.
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