Yoga Teacher Training

What’s missing from Yoga Teacher Trainings?

Investigating why and how allows us to more fully understand, and to share not just information, but our experience as well.

I am privileged to know some experts in the physical, mental and emotional bodies.  I asked one a while back if they practice yoga solely on their own or if they have a teacher they enjoy practicing with.

Their response was,  “I haven’t found a yoga teacher that I think really knows what they’re talking about, because their scope of training is so limited.”

That may strike a nerve for some.  AND… when we feel a need to defend or explain something, it’s usually just a sign to pause and investigate a bit instead.

Is there something missing from yoga teacher trainings?

Perhaps there is.  I think a more appropriate initial question is – What is the goal of a yoga teacher training?  And that answer will vary depending on the program.  In studying the curriculum of some teacher trainings, there is a clear goal to educate on the history and philosophy of yoga, human anatomy, particular shapes considered yoga postures, and how to cue people to make those specific shapes.

Here is what I’ve studied outside the yoga teacher trainings I attended that have had a massive impact on my life and the way I teach yoga:

• how to integrate the philosophy into daily living

• a practice of self awareness and regulation

• actual teaching practice – getting the words out effectively is very different from simply knowing the words

• understanding movement limitations, tissue response and biomechanics

• questioning why & how – investigating like this can deepen our understanding of what we’re saying and doing and allows us to share our experiences instead of simply repeating information

I have a deep appreciation for what I learned in the yoga trainings I have taken.  I am also incredibly grateful for my continued studies in energy work, human behavior and trauma, biomechanics, etc.  Putting it all together continues to evolve the way I lead movement sessions.

The goal of this yoga teacher training is to:

1.   Challenge what you think you know
2.   Improve your awareness of the physical body and its connection to the mental and emotional states
3.   Understand that self-awareness and self-control are more important than making a shape
4.   Give you ample practice applying what you’ve learned so you feel 100% confident in your ability to share your practice with others

Knowing information is important and helpful!
It’s the actual application of information – the doing (or letting the truth of the information permeate your life) – that can be a challenging next step.

It is important to recognize that bodies will have various limitations.

While it is outside a yoga teacher’s scope to diagnose or treat movement limitations, understanding the why and how of their existence is key in accepting that not everyone will look or move the same way or make the same shapes.  Which is paramount when guiding a movement practice.

Further, plenty of folks have a hard time accepting their starting point and want to jump directly to their perceived end result.  From the understanding of why and how limitations exist, we instinctively create an environment conducive to folks accepting themselves where they are.

Rachelle McGuigan, PT and I share a passion to empower people to answer…

What are you aware of, and how well can you control yourself?
Related to physical movement, as well as relationally in your life!

To empower folks to do just that, we combined our decades of physical body, subtle body and emotional body training with our spiritual and self-awareness studies, to create a comprehensive Physical Therapy Informed Yoga Teacher Training.

This is an accelerated course that requires some prior experience or training in yoga, body work, mental or medical health fields.

Rachelle and I are excited to prepare the next generation of physical therapy informed yoga teachers to share the mindset and techniques to think better, move better, feel better & human better!
Join us this October-November for Physical Therapy Informed Yoga Teacher Training – get details here.

Read more about Physical Therapy Informed Yoga here.

Find more helpful articles and videos from OPY here.