Choosing a yoga teacher training program this second time was easy: I wanted to go back and continue my studies with my teacher Yogrishi Vishvketu.
When I was wondering how to choose a yoga teacher training program for the first time, I knew two things: I wanted an immersive program (five weeks straight instead of every other weekend for a year or whatever), and I wanted it in India.
An early internet search yielded a result that started a month later. Perfect! I signed up.
And it was amazing. It was the best experience I could have hoped for.
That said, I don’t really recommend that method of choosing a yoga teacher training program. 🙂
There are a lot of considerations. For example:
Can you take time off work?
I did my teacher training in 2007, shortly after my year as an au pair and my summer working at a fitness camp. I hadn’t secured a full-time job yet, so it was the perfect time for me to go. If you’re between jobs or are otherwise able to take time off, I’d recommend an immersion program. That’s my personal preference; I want to be able to focus completely on what I’m doing. I don’t want to try to study after work and before making dinner.
Do you like to devote yourself completely to your studies, or can you fit it in between the cracks in the rest of your life?
What can you afford?
Another major reason I ended up choosing my program in India was because it was actually cheaper to pay that tuition and the plane ticket to get there than it was to pay for almost any other program I could find in the States. My program included room and board. Many in the States don’t, certainly not if the classes are stretched out over several months, the idea there being that you would choose one in your own town. Unless, of course, your town doesn’t have one.
(By now, a lot of studios are offering 200-hour teacher training courses. If there are more than a couple studios in your town, chances are at least one of them offers a training.)
You’re looking at $3,000-5,000 for tuition for a 200-hour yoga teacher training. That’s generally just for tuition. Along with room and board, you have to consider transportation, books and materials, and possibly other yoga classes.
But remember this: it’s worth every penny, whether you decide to become a teacher or not.
What kind of experience are you looking for?
I love to travel, so part of the draw for me was the opportunity to go to India. I also liked the idea of going to the source of yoga. And as I mentioned above, I wanted to make sure I could focus 100% on my studies.
What does your gut say?
I found the best teacher for me, and it was purely accidental…or was it? Allow yourself to be guided by your intuition. Just like you’re not going to jive with every teacher at the studio, you’re not going to jive with every teacher trainer, either, but the stakes are greater because you’re committing to 200 hours spread out over six weeks (or a year) with that person rather than an hour in class.
Don’t stress about it, but if the little voice inside you says, “Not this one,” don’t ask why, just listen to it.
If you’re a yoga teacher or a training graduate, how did you choose your training program?