Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Answers

Hatha yoga is one of the most common forms of yoga practiced today. The discipline itself is extremely vast, encompassing aspects of meditation (dhyana), breathing exercises (pranayama), postures and poses (asanas and mudras) and procedures for purification (shatkriyas or neti kriyas). This leads to a complete system of holistic healing for the body and the mind. The sheer number of things which are involved in Hatha yoga is mind boggling, and it is extremely difficult to master them all on your own. Yes, there are educational videos etc. that you can use but nothing beats having a trained instructor right there to guide you through the processes.

It is important to remember that yoga is a process of continual learning that can take a lifetime. Formal Hatha yoga teacher training is just the first step on that journey and by partaking in a Yoga Alliance certified institution course you will be enabled by common recognition to easily teach something that you're passionate about. Choosing said institution from which to take a course can be slightly tricky though, due to the many varieties and subcategories that are flooding the market. In fact, popular modes of yoga like Bikram, Iyengar and Ashtanga are derivatives of Hatha in one form or another.

The overall organization of the institution, its location and fees will also play a role in your selection of a training program. One of the biggest factors though is the instructor from whom one actually gets the training. Unlike Bikram or Iyengar, which has a fixed set of postures and established conditions, under which they may be performed, Hatha is fairly flexible, as long as the basic concepts, morals and theories are adhered to. This leaves a lot of flexibility for the instructor to choose how he wants to approach the discipline and offer more room for a good instructor to best help their students. Some instructors prefer a meditation-intensive or pranayama-intensive approach, while others opt for a more vigorous physical route.

Hatha yoga teacher training can be an intense experience, both physically and mentally. Standard courses are either 200 or 500 hours in duration, and the class hours may be spread out over a time period ranging from two months to two years. Some students may opt for daily and rigorous class schedules, while others prefer weekend classes or more infrequent class sessions. It really is up to how much you're comfortable with so take this into consideration when you're choosing a training program. This choice should be made on the basis of practical convenience, as well as one's aptitude.

A comprehensive training should give you, the trainee, a thorough grounding in the theories, philosophies and practices that went into the creation of the path. The founding 15th century text, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yogi Swatmarama and the works of Patanjali on Ashtanga yoga, if studied in great detail, will be most beneficial. The contribution of subsequent stalwarts like Sivananda, Satyananda, Satchidananda, BKS Iyengar, Swami Sundaranand (the last of the great Himalayan Yogis) and others is also worth becoming familiar with. The order in which these are emphasized may vary according to the beliefs and allegiances of the training institution.

There are many reasons to pursue Hatha yoga teacher training. Perhaps you'd like to make being an instructor into a career. Maybe you'd just like the chance to pass on knowledge which has brought you a great deal of peace and happiness. Either way, training from a certified institution is a necessity. Though by no means exhaustive, it provides a deep insight into the methodology that not only enables one to become a better teacher of yoga, but also a better student. After all, the practice of yoga is a process of learning and unlearning that never actually stops.

Sherry Holistan is a Hatha, Vinyasa and Bakti Yoga Practitioner. For more great tips on yogatraininganswers.com/hatha-yoga-training Hatha Yoga Training please visit yogatraininganswers.com yogatraininganswers.com/