Thinking of Being a Yoga Teacher? By Karen Kinnard, E-RYT
I have been a student and pioneer of holistic wellness and yoga in the Minnesota & Wisconsin for the past 25 years. For me, spirituality and wellness have gone hand in hand. However, 26 years ago my heart and mind yearned for a more purposeful and meaningful life and my body was always sick.
Now, at age 58, I look and feel more vital, content and alive than ever before and at the same time, I look forward to learning more and sharing what I learn. There are so many areas that we as human beings can explore and learn about and many career options or life paths.
I have chosen to teach yoga. I chose yoga because of its ability to help anyone, regardless of age, physical health, or religion, become healthier and at peace with themselves. I chose yoga because it gives my body excellent health and helps me to be focused and stable in my mind and emotions.
Each year, I am surprised by its benefits and at how much there still is to learn. This career of teaching yoga continues to fascinate me; it continues to support me in growing as a human being, as a spiritual being – and as a teacher.
Every day, I have the opportunity to teach yoga. It does not matter who wants to learn. Teaching beginners is much different than teaching advanced yoga practitioners and I love all of it. I am not talking about just the asana, the physical practice of yoga.
True yoga involves the mind more so than the body. The old texts of yoga focused very little on the physical aspects of yoga. The yoga sutras of Patanjali, the text used in many yoga teacher training programs, has one sentence about the asana – postures - that we in the U.S. call ‘yoga’. It says: “Asana is a steady, comfortable posture” II-46 . However, when teaching yoga, I must focus on the physical practice. Why? We do not really know how to take care of our bodies! An unsteady or unhealthy body is related to an unsteady mind. The exercise is a good place to begin (Although it does not have to begin there).
Until I studied yoga for the physical benefits, I didn’t know how to make my back strong or my upper body (arms) strong. I didn’t know that “crunches” were not good for my lower back. I didn’t know that muscles don’t really “stretch” until I attended a yoga teacher training program. Before yoga, I had not yet learned how to “listen” to what my body needed for nourishment. Yet now I eat a very healthy diet simply by listening to my body.
To teach yoga in the U.S., most teachers attend a 200 hr certification course. After completion, they then apply for registry with the Yoga Alliance. This gives you an “RYT” (registered yoga teacher) designation. (After you earn your certificate, you mail a copy to Yoga Alliance and pay a small annual fee for the designation). A course that qualifies you for the Yoga Alliance registry will give you the minimum requirements you need to teach yoga in a health club or some yoga studios.
Some yoga teacher training programs claim to take only 3 weeks or two months. This is simply amazing to me. The training I took was a 12 month program and it was wonderful! I studied very hard for my exam – in fact, I studied very hard for more than 3 weeks just to take the exam that was at the end of my program. I earned my 200 hr certification and was confident I had taken a program that was one of the best you can take. Now that I train yoga teachers myself, I realize how fortunate I was. Many training programs now in the U.S. - even those that claim they can grant you a 200 hr yoga teacher training certification - are really training you how to lead an exercise class with the minimum course work on yoga philosophy. I’m not saying this is wrong at all. Just that it is not really yoga. The exercise is a part of it, but there is much more to it than that. There are also apprenticeship programs available that yoga students can enter into with a teacher and become a good yoga teacher. I’ve known some really good yoga teachers who didn’t take a 200 hr. certification; they studied many years with a master teacher instead.
Before yoga became really popular in the world, a student had to study with a teacher several years before being allowed to teach yoga. Teaching yoga was a complete way of living and still is for some yoga teachers today. Teaching yoga can be one of the most purposeful and rewarding careers possible.
What is a yoga teacher? “Can I be one?” you may ask. Each teacher training student I’ve known is already someone who has a passion and unique gift to share. Each teacher is unique. There are many reasons students give for attending our programs. I have had applications from students who are passionate for sharing the healing benefits (body and mind) of a yoga practice with others. I have had graduates who want to empower young women through teaching them yoga. Another teacher I know travels with friends; she leads yoga on vacation – bringing more depth to their travels. Another teacher lives in a remote rural area where there were no well-trained yoga teachers before (just someone leading “stretching” class while gossiping and a yoga fitness class). Sadly, some people advertise a class as “yoga” and it is not that, turning some beginner students off from yoga early on.
The first thing you will want to look at when considering a training program is: why do you want to do it? Perhaps you do not want to teach. You may want to connect and align with your authentic self – that is a great reason to attend a 200 hr teacher training.
If your reason for teaching yoga is to earn a living by teaching, I do not want to discourage you. However, it will take years of hard work, practice teaching your friends, your neighborhood community, anywhere where people want to learn. There are a lot of yoga teachers and there are a lot of experienced yoga teachers. It is not a career choice if money is your objective. However, having completed teacher training – who you are “being”: more authentically and powerfully “you” – that is the “something extra” many employers look for when hiring someone for any career.
What is a good training program? Yoga teacher training programs are not all alike! If you are thinking about attending training, visit the studios and teachers that offer yoga teacher training. First look up the studio on Yoga Alliance website (http://yogaalliance.org/content/search). Teacher training programs that are “Registered Yoga Schools” RYS200 are qualified by a standard. These standards were set by yoga teachers from all over the U.S. who have been studying and teaching yoga. These teachers were concerned that unqualified teachers were calling themselves “yoga teachers” so they came up with a set of standards (http://yogaalliance.org/content/200-hour-standards) of education that a program should offer so that teachers would be qualified to teach and students are safe.
Yoga Injuries have been on the rise steadily from 2001 to 2014 as reported in a study published on the US National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health. In fact:
"A survey of more than 1300 yoga teachers worldwide indicated that the most frequent injuries occurred to the neck, lower back, knee, shoulder, and wrist, and the most common causes were poor technique, poor instruction, previous injury, and excess effort".
There are many ways a student can be injured; part of a thorough yoga teacher training is to learn how to prevent these unnecessary injuries.
Another step in seeking out a good yoga teacher training program is check your state laws. In Minnesota, yoga teacher training programs or any career training program that is 16 hrs or more, must be licensed with the Office of Higher Education (OHE). This is a controversial topic among yoga teachers and trainers however. As a teacher and Yoga Alliance member, I have given my word that I will follow the laws related to my profession, so I have licensed my program even though it is very costly.
After you have narrowed your list of schools, read about the training program on the school’s website to find out the application process, pre-requisites for the program and the emphasis of the program. Some programs emphasize specific styles of asana practices (example: power yoga, vinyasa yoga, Iyengar yoga, hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga. Kundalini yoga) and some programs give the student a foundation of hatha yoga (which is what all physical yoga practice really is). A good program also teaches anatomy, yoga history, philosophy, ethics, business of yoga, as well as teaching. Next step: start asking questions!
When you begin to ask questions and seek, you are on the path of yoga. When you begin to look at how a program like this will fit with you – who you really are and what you really want; then you are on the path of yoga. There is no short cut to being a yoga teacher.
After you have a list of 3 or 4 training programs you would like to check out, contact the teacher. There will be a main teacher in the program who has an “E-RYT” designation (experienced registered yoga teacher). This is the teacher you will be spending most of your hours with.
When I chose my own teacher training program, I visited the studio and took a class. I felt completely at home there. I emailed the teacher with questions too. She wrote back and she always remembered my name in person (she has an amazing memory for names). Most of all, I was impressed by her depth of training and knowledge. She holds a masters degree in exercise physiology, has extensive training in yoga and is a personal coach too. I gained an education in her program. The program also worked with my schedule – my children were young and the program was only one weekend a month. There were also asana class requirements: one evening class per week plus observation (observing yoga classes) hours that could be done in the same evening. It worked with my family schedule.
If you do not have to work around family or job, there are short and speedy intensive yoga teacher training programs available. These programs are not for everyone. They are intensive, which means you live and breathe yoga for all of your waking hours. This might not work for you if you require down-time (which I feel is healthier too). The "down-time" gives you time to fully integrate what you are learning. Several teachers I have met were not well satisfied with programs they had taken that were completed in only two months or less. I met one teacher who apprenticed with me who had an emotional breakdown during one of these "intensive" teacher trainings because the stress of learning too much in too short of time and practicing yoga too many hours wore her down physically and emotionally. I met another teacher who went through a quicker program too and she was an excellent teacher, however, she was prepared - she had practiced yoga intensively for a few years, studied yoga extensively before the training and simply wanted the certificate to prove she could teach (even though she may have already been a qualified teacher before the training).
If you do find the program you know will fit for you, apply right away. Do it now. No matter what you choose, just in the choosing the universe will align to set up the circumstances for you to achieve what you have set out to do.
To quote Patanjali : “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be” (from David Swenson’s book: “Ashtanga Yoga” “The practice manual”)
Author: Karen Kinnard, E-RYT
Karen was the director of Yoga Prairie’s teacher training program and owner of the studio. She has been practicing yoga since 1986 and training yoga teachers since 2006. She is the current director of Good Vibrations Yoga teacher training program that will be licensed in December 2017 and trainings begin February 2018. Contact Karen for more information and an application form for the program. karen@goodvibrations-yoga.com
Now, at age 58, I look and feel more vital, content and alive than ever before and at the same time, I look forward to learning more and sharing what I learn. There are so many areas that we as human beings can explore and learn about and many career options or life paths.
I have chosen to teach yoga. I chose yoga because of its ability to help anyone, regardless of age, physical health, or religion, become healthier and at peace with themselves. I chose yoga because it gives my body excellent health and helps me to be focused and stable in my mind and emotions.
Each year, I am surprised by its benefits and at how much there still is to learn. This career of teaching yoga continues to fascinate me; it continues to support me in growing as a human being, as a spiritual being – and as a teacher.
Every day, I have the opportunity to teach yoga. It does not matter who wants to learn. Teaching beginners is much different than teaching advanced yoga practitioners and I love all of it. I am not talking about just the asana, the physical practice of yoga.
True yoga involves the mind more so than the body. The old texts of yoga focused very little on the physical aspects of yoga. The yoga sutras of Patanjali, the text used in many yoga teacher training programs, has one sentence about the asana – postures - that we in the U.S. call ‘yoga’. It says: “Asana is a steady, comfortable posture” II-46 . However, when teaching yoga, I must focus on the physical practice. Why? We do not really know how to take care of our bodies! An unsteady or unhealthy body is related to an unsteady mind. The exercise is a good place to begin (Although it does not have to begin there).
Until I studied yoga for the physical benefits, I didn’t know how to make my back strong or my upper body (arms) strong. I didn’t know that “crunches” were not good for my lower back. I didn’t know that muscles don’t really “stretch” until I attended a yoga teacher training program. Before yoga, I had not yet learned how to “listen” to what my body needed for nourishment. Yet now I eat a very healthy diet simply by listening to my body.
To teach yoga in the U.S., most teachers attend a 200 hr certification course. After completion, they then apply for registry with the Yoga Alliance. This gives you an “RYT” (registered yoga teacher) designation. (After you earn your certificate, you mail a copy to Yoga Alliance and pay a small annual fee for the designation). A course that qualifies you for the Yoga Alliance registry will give you the minimum requirements you need to teach yoga in a health club or some yoga studios.
Some yoga teacher training programs claim to take only 3 weeks or two months. This is simply amazing to me. The training I took was a 12 month program and it was wonderful! I studied very hard for my exam – in fact, I studied very hard for more than 3 weeks just to take the exam that was at the end of my program. I earned my 200 hr certification and was confident I had taken a program that was one of the best you can take. Now that I train yoga teachers myself, I realize how fortunate I was. Many training programs now in the U.S. - even those that claim they can grant you a 200 hr yoga teacher training certification - are really training you how to lead an exercise class with the minimum course work on yoga philosophy. I’m not saying this is wrong at all. Just that it is not really yoga. The exercise is a part of it, but there is much more to it than that. There are also apprenticeship programs available that yoga students can enter into with a teacher and become a good yoga teacher. I’ve known some really good yoga teachers who didn’t take a 200 hr. certification; they studied many years with a master teacher instead.
Before yoga became really popular in the world, a student had to study with a teacher several years before being allowed to teach yoga. Teaching yoga was a complete way of living and still is for some yoga teachers today. Teaching yoga can be one of the most purposeful and rewarding careers possible.
What is a yoga teacher? “Can I be one?” you may ask. Each teacher training student I’ve known is already someone who has a passion and unique gift to share. Each teacher is unique. There are many reasons students give for attending our programs. I have had applications from students who are passionate for sharing the healing benefits (body and mind) of a yoga practice with others. I have had graduates who want to empower young women through teaching them yoga. Another teacher I know travels with friends; she leads yoga on vacation – bringing more depth to their travels. Another teacher lives in a remote rural area where there were no well-trained yoga teachers before (just someone leading “stretching” class while gossiping and a yoga fitness class). Sadly, some people advertise a class as “yoga” and it is not that, turning some beginner students off from yoga early on.
The first thing you will want to look at when considering a training program is: why do you want to do it? Perhaps you do not want to teach. You may want to connect and align with your authentic self – that is a great reason to attend a 200 hr teacher training.
If your reason for teaching yoga is to earn a living by teaching, I do not want to discourage you. However, it will take years of hard work, practice teaching your friends, your neighborhood community, anywhere where people want to learn. There are a lot of yoga teachers and there are a lot of experienced yoga teachers. It is not a career choice if money is your objective. However, having completed teacher training – who you are “being”: more authentically and powerfully “you” – that is the “something extra” many employers look for when hiring someone for any career.
What is a good training program? Yoga teacher training programs are not all alike! If you are thinking about attending training, visit the studios and teachers that offer yoga teacher training. First look up the studio on Yoga Alliance website (http://yogaalliance.org/content/search). Teacher training programs that are “Registered Yoga Schools” RYS200 are qualified by a standard. These standards were set by yoga teachers from all over the U.S. who have been studying and teaching yoga. These teachers were concerned that unqualified teachers were calling themselves “yoga teachers” so they came up with a set of standards (http://yogaalliance.org/content/200-hour-standards) of education that a program should offer so that teachers would be qualified to teach and students are safe.
Yoga Injuries have been on the rise steadily from 2001 to 2014 as reported in a study published on the US National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health. In fact:
"A survey of more than 1300 yoga teachers worldwide indicated that the most frequent injuries occurred to the neck, lower back, knee, shoulder, and wrist, and the most common causes were poor technique, poor instruction, previous injury, and excess effort".
There are many ways a student can be injured; part of a thorough yoga teacher training is to learn how to prevent these unnecessary injuries.
Another step in seeking out a good yoga teacher training program is check your state laws. In Minnesota, yoga teacher training programs or any career training program that is 16 hrs or more, must be licensed with the Office of Higher Education (OHE). This is a controversial topic among yoga teachers and trainers however. As a teacher and Yoga Alliance member, I have given my word that I will follow the laws related to my profession, so I have licensed my program even though it is very costly.
After you have narrowed your list of schools, read about the training program on the school’s website to find out the application process, pre-requisites for the program and the emphasis of the program. Some programs emphasize specific styles of asana practices (example: power yoga, vinyasa yoga, Iyengar yoga, hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga. Kundalini yoga) and some programs give the student a foundation of hatha yoga (which is what all physical yoga practice really is). A good program also teaches anatomy, yoga history, philosophy, ethics, business of yoga, as well as teaching. Next step: start asking questions!
When you begin to ask questions and seek, you are on the path of yoga. When you begin to look at how a program like this will fit with you – who you really are and what you really want; then you are on the path of yoga. There is no short cut to being a yoga teacher.
After you have a list of 3 or 4 training programs you would like to check out, contact the teacher. There will be a main teacher in the program who has an “E-RYT” designation (experienced registered yoga teacher). This is the teacher you will be spending most of your hours with.
When I chose my own teacher training program, I visited the studio and took a class. I felt completely at home there. I emailed the teacher with questions too. She wrote back and she always remembered my name in person (she has an amazing memory for names). Most of all, I was impressed by her depth of training and knowledge. She holds a masters degree in exercise physiology, has extensive training in yoga and is a personal coach too. I gained an education in her program. The program also worked with my schedule – my children were young and the program was only one weekend a month. There were also asana class requirements: one evening class per week plus observation (observing yoga classes) hours that could be done in the same evening. It worked with my family schedule.
If you do not have to work around family or job, there are short and speedy intensive yoga teacher training programs available. These programs are not for everyone. They are intensive, which means you live and breathe yoga for all of your waking hours. This might not work for you if you require down-time (which I feel is healthier too). The "down-time" gives you time to fully integrate what you are learning. Several teachers I have met were not well satisfied with programs they had taken that were completed in only two months or less. I met one teacher who apprenticed with me who had an emotional breakdown during one of these "intensive" teacher trainings because the stress of learning too much in too short of time and practicing yoga too many hours wore her down physically and emotionally. I met another teacher who went through a quicker program too and she was an excellent teacher, however, she was prepared - she had practiced yoga intensively for a few years, studied yoga extensively before the training and simply wanted the certificate to prove she could teach (even though she may have already been a qualified teacher before the training).
If you do find the program you know will fit for you, apply right away. Do it now. No matter what you choose, just in the choosing the universe will align to set up the circumstances for you to achieve what you have set out to do.
To quote Patanjali : “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be” (from David Swenson’s book: “Ashtanga Yoga” “The practice manual”)
Author: Karen Kinnard, E-RYT
Karen was the director of Yoga Prairie’s teacher training program and owner of the studio. She has been practicing yoga since 1986 and training yoga teachers since 2006. She is the current director of Good Vibrations Yoga teacher training program that will be licensed in December 2017 and trainings begin February 2018. Contact Karen for more information and an application form for the program. karen@goodvibrations-yoga.com
