Nicaragua is one of the ideal places to learn Yoga. With the increasing popularity of Yoga and meditation in the world, more and more practitioners are looking to deepen their knowledge of the practices or even act as a Yoga teacher.
And if you submit to your first training course to be a Yoga teacher it is a great investment – both financial and time consuming. It can be a wonderfully transformative experience, but it is worth doing some research and thinking about what type of training program is more in accordance with your needs.
In this article, we will contemplate some important factors that you should take into account when choosing a training course to be a Yoga teacher:
Should I study with a local teacher or travel to do a training with a recognized teacher?
– Give a class and give a training course in Yoga is not the same, and require different skill sets. Make sure that your local teacher, who you like so much and with whom you have your classes, has sufficient experience and deep knowledge of the discipline to teach a longer course. Maybe you can ask people who have already done a similar course with that teacher to know their opinion about it.
However, in the end, if you identify with their teaching and teaching philosophy, you may be inclined to ignore the lack of experience. And that is a reality when you live in a small city where the options for a training course are limited. There are training programs in small towns and terrible in large cities, and vice versa. But even if you decide to travel to study with a renowned teacher, be sure to research: ask the people who have already trained their opinion with that teacher;
Ask what is the reputation of that teacher (a) and the center / school; and in the case of an employment contract. Send your questions by e-mail to the teacher (and expect to have a return) and try to go to his workshop, if any happens in your city. All this can give you clues if the teacher is ideal for you or not. Being famous (as) or sometimes having the course done in an exotic location should not be decisive factors for you. Your intuition will guide you to make the right decision, but doing a survey before will not hurt either.
Considerations about the format – Should I do an intensive one month or a six, nine or twelve month course in weekends?
– If you are a month-long intensive (usually around 26 days – if it is less than three weeks, you would be very skeptical about it) or a weekend course lasting six to nine months, both formats have their pros and cons. As for the intensive format: it can be difficult at times, and you can feel physically and emotionally exhausted, saturated with information, but, on the other hand, it can be an immensely transformative experience where you will learn a lot and that experience can shape you as a teacher or Yoga practitioner for the rest of life.
On the longer course: the content is distributed over a longer period, which makes it easier to digest (it will not saturate), it may be more viable, once you continue taking care of the other aspects of your life situation (work , family, responsibilities) since the learning process does not demand as much as the intensive one. On the other hand, because learning is not so intense, it may not have the same impact of transformation on you. You need to see which is the most viable format for you and which one is going to meet your learning style.
I just want to deepen my practice, I do not think about teaching …
– On average, 20-40% of students who take a Yoga training course are thinking (and generally saying) that they do not want to teach. If you are one of those people and you are sure that teaching Yoga will not be your career choice, you can also look for a lighter format of “deepening-immersion” courses, which are generally not as rigorous and time consuming .
I have been practicing for some time now and I want to share the same benefits that the practice of Yoga provided me with my future students – I certainly want to be a Yoga teacher
– In addition to the factors already discussed above, make sure that the curricular grid spends a good amount of time (ideally 50% of the curricular grid) teaching methodology – developing your skills in that aspect.
Participating in a class and facilitating one requires different skills – it’s like reading and writing. Some courses may focus more on technique (for example, asana sequence), others on anatomy, yoga philosophy or meditation, but if your goal is to teach, you will need to know how much time of the course you are dedicated to developing these specific skills. Again, when research comes into play, then do not hesitate to ask several questions.
An online course can offer the same quality of a classroom course.
– If that is your first training course, I would not recommend doing it online. There is something special that happens when you are in the presence of your teachers and the friendships you make during training are valuable.
The understanding of what a Sangat (spiritual community – your support system) is will not be achieved by doing an online course. On the other hand, if it is your second or third training and you know the teacher, your philosophy and teaching methodology and identify with them, you can benefit by doing the theoretical part of the online course, although you can still be requested to meet some contact hours participating of a retreat with that (a) teacher (or teachers) at the end of the course. I strongly recommend doing it. Again, this will depend on your learning experience and the disciplined (a).
What is the importance of continuing the training in Yoga after completing the 200 essential hours of training?
– What you can expect to learn in your first 200 hours (Level 1) of the training program is simply the basic of how to lead a yoga class. Generally, after a few months of teaching, you realize how much you do not know. But do not despair – most learn by working, as we test our new teaching skills, many times, failing.
Continue training in Yoga is of the greatest importance if you decide to continue your career as a Yoga teacher. After teaching for some time, you may want to start looking for a course or workshop sequences that could help you build knowledge and confidence in a particular area (or areas) where you feel it may be insufficient.
These are some issues that you may want to consider when investing in your first Yoga training course and the list is not at all final. Coco Loco Eco Resort has specialized courses to help you achieve your goals, courses that include hotel accommodation and certified teachers that will help you improve your level.