Yoga is about much more than doing poses, it is a philosophy, a way of living your life. Yoga has gone from a small subculture to a global phenomenon that has motivated millions of individuals to align their body, mind, and spirit. Yoga teacher training (YTT) is one of the most eye-opening experiences an aspiring yogi can have. Will earning your yoga teacher training (YTT) certificate make you a yogi? It’s not just the next step to becoming a yoga instructor — the benefits you may experience on your personal journey go way beyond the mat.
Whether you want to pursue the path of a yoga teacher or just want enhance your practice YTT can change your life in ways you never thought were possible. In this blog, we’ll share with you how yoga teacher training has the power to change your body, mind and soul – and in turn help you live a healthier, more fulfilling life.
- Deepening Your
Physical Practice
One of the clearest advantages of a yoga teacher training course is how much better it will make your practice. The most common reasons people practise yoga are to become more flexible, build muscle or decrease stress. Although YTT is about more than the physical postures, there is no doubt that the alignment, form, strength and flexibility information and advice will help you to refine your practice.
During YTT, you’ll get individual feedback and guidance on your poses (asanas) from seasoned teachers. You’ll take your practice to the next level by mastering tricks for deeper stretches, increased muscle engagement, and knowing how to modify poses to work for your body. This deep learning helps build a more meditative and intentional practice to not only assist in the development of your physical growth, but is beneficial to your entire well-being.
And as you go ever further into the anatomy of the body and the workings of the various systems (nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, muscular system) during your teacher training, you will come to understand how yoga works with every one. With this knowledge, you will have the skills to learn how to take care of yourself and to teach other people how to properly and safely practice.
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Strengthening Your Mind-Body Connection
Yoga is a potent means to get to your mind-body connection. Minimizes the clatter: YTT fosters mindfulness both on and off the mat and enables you to enhance your understanding of the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and sensations. As a student, you’ll begin to notice when various postures or types of breathing elicit mental states, whether that’s tranquillity or focus or inspiration.
As you bring mindfulness in to every session, the more you will notice how your body reflects your mind and your mind your body. This awareness can enable you to recognize stressors, anxiety, and other mental behaviors that you may not have known were there before. With yoga, you will learn how to control your emotions, control your thoughts, and to stay in the here and now. Using some of these tools, you can increase your emotional resiliency and be able to deal with life’s hardships with greater perspective and steadiness.
Furthermore, Yoga Teacher Training offers the time and space to delve into more profound philosophical teachings like the Yamas and the Niyamas (the ethical guidelines in yoga) and the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras. These are lessons on how to lead a life and it tells you what gets in your way from it: how to clear and have a balanced and open mind and emotions for you to practice having an enthusiastic approach to life being guided by your inner peace.
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Gaining Confidence and Personal Growth
Yoga teacher training is an introspective experience. As you delve deeper into your own practice and assume the role of teacher, you will be surprised at the areas in which you gain confidence. It can be daunting to lead a group of people through a yoga class when you are just beginning. However, as you continue to prepare, and educate yourself and your teaching, you’ll also begin to notice a newfound significance that carries over into other areas of your life.
You have very little confidence all of the sudden. Yoga teacher training supports you to break through limiting beliefs, fears and self-doubt. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and teaches you to be vulnerable. Oh, and as you become stronger and more capable on the mat, your self confidence skyrockets! You start to believe in yourself more, not just as a yogini but also as an instructor and even just as a being.
The transformation that occurs at YTT is not only physical. You will notice yourself becoming more adventurous, more open to change, kinder — to yourself and others — and more courageous about meeting life’s challenges head-on. The right yoga teacher training can help you access the best version of you—a person who’s empowered, resilient and grounded in your own sense of purpose.
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Building a Sense of Communit
Yoga teacher training tends to be a profoundly communal experience. It tends to be a very intense and personal journey, and the friendships and the bonds you make throughout this period can end up being some of the most powerful relationships in your life. Training groups like-minded people together, who have the same values and goals. The relationships you make with other trainees can result in a great feeling of support, motivation, and long-life interest.
Whether it is commiserating with fellow classmates over shared experiences or sharing wisdom and guidance with your instructors, the community that your YTT creates will assist you in navigating the peaks and valleys of your personal and professional paths. Once you graduate this network can remain as your source of inspiration, motivation and accountability as you progress along your yoga journey.
Being part of a yoga community also means you have a chance to grow–to grow outward, but also inward in a way that can only be done if you are sitting next to someone else on their mat, feeling the energy in the room and running your practice, getting you there. Each person has it’s own scope of view, information, and experience of life. You can learn about yoga, spirituality and life together with the teachings we share. A community of wisdom When we come together as a group of conscious beings, our individual and community understanding can change your practice of yoga and your relations to the world.
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Embracing a Healthier Lifestyle
Yoga teacher training isn’t just about teaching yoga — it’s about living yoga. You will be halfway through the training and you will be encouraged to practice to embody life. A lot of yoga teacher training consists of nutrition, meditation and mindfulness courses, which trainees can incorporate into their physical health routines.
Through YTT, you might become more conscientious of your diet, your sleep cycles, and your anxieties, which in turn might lead to more healthful decisions that support mind-body wellness. You might start eating more whole foods, experiment with meditation or journaling as part of a toolkit for mental clarity, or work on better self-care habits to make sure you’re giving yourself the rest and relaxation that you need. Such beneficial lifestyle choices bring a higher level of physical health, emotional happiness, and mental peace.
200 Hour Yoga teacher training invites you to consider the practice of yoga as a vehicle for living with more intention and awareness. When you start to see your life through the lens of yoga, you may naturally notice that you’re seeking more balance, you’re showing yourself more care and you are making decisions that align with your values. This dedication to living a healthier, more mindful life can actually change the way you perceive and interact with the world.
Conclusion
YTT is a transformative experience that can change the way you see yourself, your body and the world. It is a chance to further your physical practice, connect with your body and mind, grow confidence, connect and make relationships and create a healthier you.
Whether or not you have a desire to become an instructor, the impact of yoga teacher training goes far beyond the yoga class. It’s a path of self-exploration, learning, and change. It gives you the means and the knowhow to live life with more purpose, more awareness, more joy. Something magical happens during yoga teacher training — and the learnings go way beyond that of learning poses and how to teach.
