5 common fears of doing a yoga teacher training

5 Common Fears of Doing a Yoga Teacher Training

Doing a yoga teacher training is so often a powerfully transformative experience, but so many people talk themselves out of it, or at least they try to. Here are the top five common fears of doing a yoga teacher training that I come across and a few reasons why they aren’t true! Do of them any sound familiar to you?

I’m not strong/fit/flexible enough - you don’t need to be any of these things to teach yoga! Yoga is a vast practice that includes meditation, pranayama, philosophy, personal growth and self realisation, none of which require physical strength or flexibility. There are also plenty of asanas that are simple and accessible and most of your students will be doing these too, so you won’t necessarily even need to teach anything more challenging.

I’m not young enough - you’re never too old to do anything, including teach yoga. Some of the most amazing teachers are older, and for many students this is more appealing. I’ve trained people from 18 - 68 years old, and age has never been a barrier or issue.

I don’t know enough about yoga - that’s why you do a training; to learn! Any decent yoga teacher training will teach you everything you need to start teaching, and offer you the support to do this well. A lot of the learning also comes from doing/teaching, but if you never get started it’s makes this hard!. As a yoga teacher you’re always learning, and following a YTT you will naturally want to continue your studies. There is always more to learn.

I’ll never earn enough/anything from teaching yoga - lots of yoga teachers do it just for love and don’t want or need to earn an income from it. However there are also plenty who are making a living and roughly 95% of my graduates go on to run their own yoga classes within a few months of qualifying. The global yoga industry is valued at approximately $138.66 billion. I think there’s enough money in the industry to go around!

Who am I to teach yoga? You are you! 🙌 If you love yoga enough to want to teach it, then you have something to share. We're all unique and the way we teach reflects our individual perspective, so we all have something different to offer. A good training will also delve into the history and philosophy behind yoga so that you can teach it in a way that is respectful. This is so important as it helps us to acknowledge where yoga has come from and share it more authentically. There's no reason why you wouldn't be able to teach yoga! So what are you waiting for?

If you’re currently toying with the idea of YTT, you can join my next courses; hybrid online (starts June 21st), self paced online (starts any time) & in person in East Sussex (starts this winter)

And if you’re a yoga teacher wanting to evolve, my 300hour YTT and CPD courses are here for you too. With 1:1 mentoring and support, I help you get over these doubts and fears that hold us all back!

Teaching yoga is a way of living

Teaching yoga isn't just a way of earning a living, it's a way OF living. This is something I was reminded of a couple of weeks ago as I was teaching a class. As people settled into savasana I felt the energy simmer down. I was reminded of the hundreds of classes I've taught over the past 17 years, and how much this feeling has been a part of my own experience too.

Yes it can be a challenge to create a lasting yoga business or teaching practice that sustains you practically. But this is secondary (for me anyway) to the feeling that comes from sharing yoga. The calm that resonates at the end of a class is something people search all day for, and they find it within themselves. What a gift!

This doesn't end when you step out of the yoga class either. For a lot of people, teaching yoga is a calling, perhaps a personal dharma (svadharma). And it naturally seeps into how you show up in your life, how you interact with other people, how you manage tricky situations. What you learn through practicing yoga informs what you teach, and this informs your life.

I'm no guru, I'm certainly not perfect and I really don't have all the answers. But I can see how teaching yoga can really shape how we live and who we become. I know I'm a lot calmer these days than I ever used to be, and I've managed to navigate some pretty tricky situations with a lot more ease.

If you're curious about embracing yoga as a way of life more, get in touch to find out about upcoming yoga teacher trainings.

The next hybrid yoga teacher training starts in June, self paced starts any time and in person starts this Winter.

How I learned to be present (for a moment)

Whenever I talk about parenting I’m acutely aware that some people reading this may have mixed feelings towards the subject for so many reasons. So I try to share my experience with sensitivity to this, whilst being honest about my own journey and how it relates to my yoga practice, because for me the two are inextricably linked!

Each school holiday I’m reminded of so many lessons, but the one that’s stood out this Easter has been presence, something inherent to yoga. I have my daughter for most of the school holidays, and so work naturally goes out the window. But more and more, my mind stays focused on her rather than stressing about deadlines and the work I ‘should’ be doing.

I’m not sure if yoga has taught me this presence or if motherhood has. I don’t know if it would be the same if I had more than one child (probably not!!). But I do know that when I manage to just be here, fully immersed in what we are doing together, fully engaged, everything is easier!

Our state of mind can have such an impact on the people around us, and vice versa. As a single parent, I am acutely aware of this because there’s rarely anywhere to hide if I’m having a challenging day, no one to pass the baton to whilst I hide in a bath! And I don’t want my stresses or concerns to somehow spill over into my daughter’s world. Sometimes it’s inevitable, but the situation has made me so much more conscious of how I manage these stresses so that they don’t become bigger than they need to be.

I’ve worked hard to create a business that gives me a degree of security whilst also giving me all the freedom I need, so that I can step away in the school holidays without feeling too worried. But I’ve also worked hard on my mindset. It’s a work in progress, for sure, but this Easter I feel like I’ve nailed it (for now, anyway!).

I know so many of my students need the flexibility that I do, which is why I’m so committed to offering yoga teacher trainings courses that are adaptable.

My flexible self paced yoga teacher training is here whenever you’re ready. The hybrid version starts in June, which includes some live training, a start and end date and some accountability as you work through the content in your own time. And the in person training starts in Sussex this Winter, still with my usual supportive and understanding ethos.

And if you’re a qualified yoga teacher, my self paced 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training is launching this Summer, with self paced and hybrid online modules that you can take whenever you’re ready.

For me anyway, a key part of feeling calm is knowing I have options, some kind of structure and a lot of flexibility. If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you!

The difference between listening to your body and hearing it

I woke up this morning thinking about the difference between being able to listen to your body and being able to hear it - and there is a distinct difference. I'm wondering if it's something other people think about?!

One of my siblings and I's favourite movies growing up was White Men Can't Jump. In it, Wesley Snipes says to Woody Harleson, who was playing Jimi Hendrix in the car: "You can listen to Jimi, but you can't hear him" and I have never forgotten this - just because you're listening, it doesn't mean you're hearing. 

I'm currently writing content for my 300 hour yoga teacher training, exploring how as teachers (and students) we regularly say to people to listen to their bodies, do what feels comfortable, do what feels right etc. But a lot of people don't know what it is they're even listening for, and some aren't able to hear it. It makes this concept pretty devoid.

We can listen to something and notice it in the background, but that's not the same as actually feeling it, tuning in, understanding and experiencing. This isn't so easy to do, especially with our bodies. So many of us go about life in a state of semi-stress. We're distracted by technology, work, life and it takes us away from ourselves. Furthermore, when people have experienced trauma they sometimes dissociate from their bodies, making hearing it's signals even harder. And there can be a discomfort in re-connecting that must be approached with care too. 

We also exist in a culture that encourages us to push ourselves further and further, to keep striving, keep climbing up the mountain of capitalist life. There is truth in the idea that growth happens outside our comfort zone, but are we differentiating 'good stress' from pain or exhaustion? Often, no. 

So what can you do instead of flippantly saying 'listen to your body' or 'do what feels right for you'? (and I'm guilty of this too) What can you do as a yoga student?

As a teacher, explain what you are asking people to listen for - sounds simple! 

And as students, get curious about the sensations in your body. Try to take the emphasis away from whether or not you can make a certain shape and instead see if you can focus more on how that shape feels inside your body. If there's sharpness, tingling, shooting sensations etc, always stop. But even if there's simply a slight discomfort, pull back for a moment. Breath. Ask yourself why you even need to go further. Perhaps this will be enough for your body to release into the position you are trying to move into. Perhaps it won't. 

Being able to 'hear' our bodies takes time. It asks us to slow down, especially in our yoga practice. But when we commit to this, our bodies hold so much wisdom. There's a saying 'the body knows before the mind does', but so often we second guess our bodies, listen to our heads, analyse our way out of things, and then realise our bodies knew all along. 

So, perhaps this is my invitation to you - especially as we begin to wind down for the year. To slow down a bit, sit in your body, and really start to hear it. 

I'll be exploring this a little more in my last class of the year, next Wednesday 17th December. You're welcome to join me! >>>

p.s.. if, like me, you find this stuff fascinating, you can delve into it all more on my upcoming 300hr yoga teacher training, starting in March >>>

And if you're not yet a yoga teacher, maybe it's time? 200hr YTTs start in January in Sussex and online >>>

Hybrid YTT starts in January, and self paced starts whenever you feel ready!

Exhaling to reduce stress

Our breath is a pretty powerful tool to support our mental and physical wellbeing. It’s fundamental to our yoga practice, and it’s often said that without the breath there is no yoga; the asanas become just shapes. However, when thinking about the breath it’s the exhale that plays a major role in how we feel and it can be really helpful for us to focus on it!

When we inhale the intercostal muscles contract to expand the ribcage, the diaphragm contracts to move down, and the lung cavity increases. Air moves in due to the change in pressure. This is an ‘active’ part of the breath and it’s linked to the sympathetic nervous system and our stress response.

In contrast, when we exhale the intercostal muscles relax and the ribcage moves back in, the diaphragm relaxes and recoils, the lung cavity decreases and air is pushed out. This part of the breath is usually ‘passive’, the body is relaxing and it is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system. So, when we focus on this exhale we are tuning into the rest and digest response.

When we’re under stress our breathing rate increases and there is an emphasis on short sharp inhales. However when we’re calm our breathing rate decreases and we usually breathe more fully and deeply, with longer exhales. When we do breathing practices that focus on the exhale and lengthening it, we can essentially ‘trick’ our nervous system into thinking we’re calm. Our sympathetic nervous system begins to dial down and we start to relax. Research also shows that breathing out for a bit longer than we breathe in helps to tone the vagus nerve, which supports how we manage stress.

During times of stress, or even during exercise, shallow breathing can lead to more residual carbon dioxide in the lungs. A build up of this can make us feel agitated, and it’s why we often sigh; to release all the residual waste gasses and make space for more oxygen to enter the lungs. The oxygen is then transported to the cells in our body and brain, helping us to function better, feel calmer and think more clearly.

Focusing on the exhale is a great way to use the breath to support your body and mind. A simple way to start is to just notice the breath, and begin to see if you can breathe out for a bit longer. Begin to breathe, noticing the length of each inhale and exhale. You can count in your head if this feels ok for you, but some people find that counting actually stresses them out!

Once you’ve noticed your breath you can work towards using a 2:1 ratio, so you're breathing out for twice as long as you're breathing in, if this feels comfortable for you. A few other ways to extend your exhale include blowing through pursed lips or sighing the breath out. You could even have a go at interrupted inhale, where you breathe in a little then pause, then breathe in a bit more, and then breathe out fully (2 sips of breath in, 1 full breath out). This is a technique I use when running to prevent my heart rate spiking, although I’m not sure how well I’ve mastered it!

We cover all of this and more on my new Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, which focuses on using yoga and the breath, mindfulness and meditation to support the nervous system and help people to rest and restore. The course can be taken:

• Self paced, start any time OR

• This September with two weekend training days live on Zoom

You can find out more about this course by following the link below, or get in touch!