Yoga Teacher Certification

Given the stress and strain of our daily lives, we must learn to retreat in a place away from chaos and be that much closer to finding inner peace, balance and harmony. Attitudes to health, spirituality, lifestyle and mankind's place in the environment have changed dramatically and people are seeking answers to their everyday existence. It is this pursuit of happiness and inner peace that has introduced the discipline of yoga to mankind. The practice has developed over the period of 500 years, turning into a science focused on improving the mental and physical health of individuals. The main principle of yoga revolves around the concept of mind over matter, and it teaches individuals to master one's mind and senses leading to the cessation of misery. Yoga, unlike other exercises, is an antithesis of the 'no pain, no gain' philosophy; graceful, fluid movement's replace muscle pounding workouts, creating a balance of mind, body and spirit

Consider Training

If you've been practicing yoga for some time and have gotten better at it, maybe you should consider getting a thorough training. Of course, it doesn't mean that you should start training others, but it can help increase your knowledge and develop a deeper understanding about the theory of yoga, its history, and the various postures and forms of yoga. And if you choose, you can go on to become a registered trainer/teacher of yoga.

Teaching Yoga

Today, we have well over 30,000 yoga instructors and thousands of studios across America engaged in teaching and passing on their wisdom of yoga to individuals who aspire to attain peace and health. The teaching of yoga is not associated with a set of hand or body movements, or just sitting and meditating, but to establish a unique and direct connection with the universe. The universe here refers to the environment, the surroundings, nature, and all that is part of our world. The person who over time is able to gain or raise himself / herself to such a high level of enlightenment or mentorship is recognized as "acharya", which is a Hindi word meaning teacher or mentor.

Becoming a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)

The Yoga Alliance is a non-profit body established to promote yoga, its instructors and institutes focusing on spreading the knowledge and technique associated with yoga, while supporting instructors by providing certifications, acknowledging their experience and level of wisdom through practice and mentoring. Once certified, the instructors can use the title "Registered Yoga Teacher" with their names, or the acronym RYT.

Training Programs

The Yoga Alliance certifies individuals on the basis of completing and qualifying for a comprehensive program. The program has 2 parts, each comprising of learning and adopting the discipline and theory of yoga, and practicing it as a lifelong experience. The initial program is referred to as the 200 hour training program, which focuses in developing a starter level understanding of the history and philosophy of yoga, as an art and as a method of self-realization and self-purification, and attaining a state of stability and relaxation, and enriching oneself with the true attributes of oneness.

Yoga instructors normally complete this initial course and practice yoga on their own, through instruction and mentoring and also by passing the knowledge and technique to others who aspire to learn more about the benefits of yoga and practice it. This program can last anywhere between a few weeks to a few months, depending on the training program chosen.

This however is not the end, and it is followed by a secondary training process, which is called the 500 hour training program, essentially adding to the initial 200 hour program. The extended program focuses on lessons based on asana and prayanama and attuning to the multidimensional body, mind and soul. The advanced program would also focus on refining evaluation skills needed for assessing imbalance at the physical, psychological or spiritual levels, including assessments of joints, breathing and the subtle body. The theory of this program is derived from various sources making a perfect blend that serve primarily as a guide and support personal practice. With regular practice it is the aim of the program to reveal the wisdom of yoga to the practitioners.

Once certified, the teachers then embark on a lifelong journey of learning and seeking wisdom to broaden their horizon through instruction, learning and teaching, and through establishing self-discipline and practice. Through this, each practitioner sets out to explore themselves, their inner path, and the unlimited potential for healing and wholeness that lives in the reunion of mind, body and soul.

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