Yoga Teacher Training - What to Consider Before You Apply

So now you've got the yoga bug. You find yourself going to class, or at least wanting to, every day of the week. You wish you had more time with the teachers or could afford private lessons so you could deepen your knowledge of yoga! Then one day, while in your final shavasana, your teacher says, "We're offering a 200 hour level Teacher Training course next month." Eureka! The answer to what feels like all of life's questions ironically comes to you in corpse pose. But the answer of "Yoga Training Training" only leads to more questions. I will attempt to answer some of these questions for you.

Before you apply to a teacher training course, there are a few things you need to consider. "Why do I want to take a yoga teacher training course?" This question is important as it may effect where you decide to take your course. You may be looking to improve your personal practice, deepen your general knowledge of yoga, or actually become a teacher.

If you are looking to teach, a good idea may be to talk to teachers whose classes you've taken and appreciated. Finding out where they trained and what the program entailed may give you a good idea as to what you need to look for in a training course.

You may, however, want to focus on teaching a particular style or segment of the populous. For example, there are yoga studios that specialize in working with children, senior citizens, pregnant women, post traumatic stress disorder victims, etc. Most schools offer a discounted first class or a "community" class that is usually less expensive than normal. I recommend taking advantage of these opportunities and trying out a few different studios to see if any of the studios or styles are more appealing to you. Doing the research online and getting feedback from past teacher training students is also a good idea.

Depending on your lifestyle and obligations, you may want to take an intensive program that meets more often over a shorter period of time. This may be convenient for you if you have summers off, taking a semester off from school, or in between jobs. If that doesn't suit you there are also long format training that may meet every other weekend for longer sessions and can last anywhere from 4-6 months.

Whether long format or intensive, yoga teacher trainings usually require a serious personal commitment. There will be lectures, yoga classes, projects, essays, books to read, and karma yoga. It can seem overwhelming, but is usually more enjoyable and enlightening then you'd think and well worth the process. Just think about why it is that you want to undergo the process, and let your intention guide you through your decision. After you have taken time to consider these things, you will be ready to apply to a ishtayoga.com/teacher_training yoga teacher training program.

Roque L. Rodriguez III is a poet and yoga instructor in New York, NY. He is currently taking the 300-hour ishtayoga.com/teacher_training yoga teacher training course at ISHTA Yoga NYC.