Yoga Teacher Training – Is it for me?

You’re passionate about the practice. You’ve received yoga’s abundant gifts through your time on the mat. Maybe the gifts have flowed off the mat too and into your daily life. Perhaps you’ve been inspired to share what you’ve learned, or enhance your local community with the benefits of yoga. Or it maybe it’s that you’re looking to deepen your practice and immerse in yoga. The reasons for joining a yoga teacher training are varied and inexhaustive!

Whatever your reason, we welcome you.

Throughout our experience of creating space for yoga-teachers-in-training, we’ve witnessed common self-doubts, fears, and uncertainties prior to the training. Students arrive with huge self-expectations – to know the poses perfectly, to be able to hold a headstand, and basically know everything about yoga before they’ve even begun the training! Remember, you are on the teacher training to learn, grow, and develop. Here we debunk the myths and common self-doubts of joining yoga teacher training and on being a yoga teacher so you can breathe easy.

Am I too old?

No! Just as yoga is an ever-evolving journey with gifts along the way, as is the human experience. Each age and stage in life provides you with unique wisdom, insight, and gifts to share. Yoga embraces life and is not bound by age. During the training you’ll meet a spectrum of yogis from 18 to 73 (the oldest so far!). Take inspiration from New York-based yoga teacher, Tao Porchon-Lynch, who has been teaching for more than 75 years and is approaching her 101st birthday!

I can’t do a headstand. Can I still do the training and become a yoga teacher?

Yes. Yoga is for everyone. Headstands/handstands are not a crucial element to immersing yourself in the practice of yoga or teaching yoga. Inversions are plentiful and as a student and teacher, it is wise to know variations to allow yoga to be accessible for all.

I am not the typical yoga teacher persona

For every yoga teacher, there is a student out there waiting just for you. We live in a world of diversity and it is vital that yoga teachers reflect this. Yoga is for everyone, whatever age, ethnicity, gender, or ability. Embrace ‘your yoga’ and uniqueness and share it through yoga.

I am not flexible and bendy, are you sure I can become a yoga teacher?

Yes. Yoga is for everyone. And just as we discussed previously there will be students out there just for you and your style of practice and flexibility. There are so many people who don’t practice yoga for fear they cannot contort their bodies in a particular way. To find a teacher who teaches, just as they are, and creates an accessible practice is fundamental to encouraging and opening up yoga to everyone.

I’m not skinny 

Social media is awash with images of yoga. Whilst there is beauty in the human form, yoga is a practice far deeper beyond the physical asanas and it is important to remember that. We live in a diverse world of all shapes and sizes and yoga needs to reflect that back out into the world.

I want to deepen my practice but I’m unsure if I want to teach

Yoga teacher training is a transformative experience and a great way to deepen your practice and explore all aspects of yoga in an immersive environment. We’ve sometimes noticed that students who start with that intention are so inspired by the end that they choose to teach!

I’m hesitant about the investment

The investment goes far beyond the training program. As well as equipping you with tools, techniques, knowledge, and experience ready to be a confident, skillful, heart-centered yoga teacher, it is a transformative immersion and one that can enhance the rest of your life. If you’re hesitant about the return, sometimes it’s worth asking fellow yoga teachers – was it worth it? And we can predict the answer!

“One year ago, I took this same journey on my 65th birthday, also full of doubts. It was the best thing ever and I am now teaching others of all ages and degrees of flexibility to learn to relax first, then enjoy the the breathing, poses, and deep savasana that are the heart of  Sri Sri Yoga. Dive in, you can do it!”  – Jane Palmer

Next Steps

Join us for Sri Sri Yoga Teacher Training – an authentic and immersive 3-week 200H Yoga Alliance accredited training with a world-class faculty. Dive deeply into yoga and emerge from this life-changing immersion as a confident, heart-centered yoga teacher with a profound practice to share. Learn More Here: Sri Sri School of Yoga