5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Yoga Teacher Training

Here’s what they don’t tell you about Yoga Teacher Training

There are so many yoga teacher training courses out there today (especially in Bali) making it next to impossible to figure out which one’s for you. No matter how much detail the course description provides or how many ex-trainees you contact to find out more, sometimes there’s no other way to commit to a training than to trust that gut instinct feeling and just GO FOR IT.

That being said, it can help to have some insider info before you go booking flights halfway across the world, so we thought we’d put together a short list of some of the things that happen on a yoga teacher training that you might not be expecting…  

1. You Will Cry

This is a fact. While yoga teacher training is a massive undertaking for anyone seeking to delve deeper into their physical practice of yoga, it’s also a major stepping stone towards some deep introspective work that many of us simply haven’t done before. An intensive teacher training is generally a very well-structured month-long course which is designed to take you through the basic knowledge required to teach yoga. What a lot of people don’t understand however, is that this includes MUCH more than just asana. To teach yoga requires a deep sense of personal understanding and awareness, acceptance and sense of stability in one’s own skill set, and the process of realising and acquiring this can bring up some emotional stuff. Getting in touch with our emotions and baring all to a room of strangers might seem impossible for you now, but I guarantee you, yoga teacher trainings have a weird effect on people. It’s also genuinely a long and intense journey you’re deciding to embark upon together, so everyone will have their day(s)! Let’s face it – yogis are emotional!  

2.  You’ll Feel a Bit Overwhelmed

One of the most common things I’ve heard from chatting with people on their yoga teacher training journey is simply how much there is to know. Being familiar with the yoga asanas is one thing, but do you know what a kriya is? It’s normal to feel like you’ve arrived knowing less than you ever thought you knew about yoga, but don’t worry – you’re in good hands. This is why you’re here, is it not? No matter how many years of practice (or teaching!) you have behind you, there’s always something new to learn from the practice of yoga, and this is partly what makes it so appealing to us.

3.  You Will Sleep….A lot!

Physically demanding asana classes daily combined with the concentration and attention required for meditation sessions, lectures and deep conversations with your fellow teacher trainees means that you will need a LOT of energy on your yoga teacher training. The good news is that if you eat right throughout the day and ensure you listen to your body and take breaks/modifications to your practice when needed, this could be the transformative experience you’re looking for. It’s all worth it at the end of a long day when you crash into bed at (ahem) 8.30pm…..

4. It Takes Time

As with all things worth doing, it takes time to become a confident yoga teacher. Not everyone will saunter into the shala with a few years’ casual teaching experience or neuroscience degree behind them, so it’s important to acknowledge where you are on your journey to enable you to begin steadily from there. The first time you stand in front of a class might well be the most daunting thing you’ve ever done, and keep in mind that not everyone embarks on a yoga teacher training with the intention to teach right away!

5. You’ll Make Amazing Connections

One thing you’ll notice pretty much straight away on a yoga teacher training is simply how open people are. For the most part, you’ll connect straight away and learn that everyone has their stories – how they found yoga, how it helped them, how they want to use it moving forwards, a yoga teacher training is an amazing way to meet likeminded people and connect on a deeper level through sharing something you love!