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 and it's many lesson

My love affair with yoga began 15 years ago. You'd think I'd know all there is to know about yoga by now, but I am constantly amazed at how the practice keeps unfolding and revealing a little more, both to me and of me! Over the past few months I have been journeying along the 'yoga teacher training' path with a group of incredible women, all studying for different reasons. I have no doubt that the experience of learning about yoga has been transformational for them - there's no way that it can't be when you are learning so much about such a wonderful subject! But I have been surprised at how much I've discovered personally through teaching this course; about the depths of yoga and all it offers and about myself as a teacher, a student, a person. 

Yoga is so many things to so many people. The word 'yoga' is commonly described as 'yoke' or 'union'. It's about connecting our mind, breath and body; ourselves to the world around us, to the life-force that flows within and without. Yoga is about finding balance through that connection, calming the 'fluctuations of the mind'. And yoga is about transformation, as we move along the path of Ashtanga towards 'samadhi' or enlightenment. 

As I teach, I learn more and more about the roots of yoga, the heart of the practice and the essence that goes far beyond the physical postures. And I learn about myself. I have gained a far deeper awareness of how I feel in my own body.  As I start to listen to my body I can hear when it isn't happy and I try to make changes to overcome this. 

So what are the main things that teaching yoga has taught me? To watch and observe, notice the tightening of someone's brow and the clenching of their jaw, and encourage them to move a little more gently. To notice when a new student appears nervously at the door and always offer a smile! And to know that when I'm having a day that's not so great, if I smile this is reflected back to me too. To not be greedy. One of the yamas (like a moral code) in yoga is Aparigraha, non-greed, and this comes up both when watching my students grasping for an asana and as I develop my teaching business. Teaching yoga is my job, but how much do I need to earn? How much work do I need to do? This is so different for everyone but it has been something I've reflected on a lot recently when discussing the 'business' side of teaching with my students. 

But the biggest lesson Yoga has taught me is to be accepting. As I teach my trainees about the stretch response I am reminded  that when we try to force the body beyond it's natural range of motion it tightens up. But when we accept, breathe and let go of expectations our body starts to slowly unfold like the petals of a flower.

Acceptance does not mean we just sit back and let life happen to us. Yoga also reminds me that if we focus on our goal and practice, practice, practice, all is coming. But as the saying also goes, 'grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference'. The more we can accept, the more content we become, the less our monkey mind disturbs us and perhaps the closer we get to Samadhi. This is a life-long learning for me.

If, like me, the practice of yoga is something that enriches your life why not embrace this and join us on our next 200 hour yoga teacher training course in Sussex this Autumn?! Our down to earth approach helps you to fit the course around your work, life and family - we know how tricky this is! Find out more here or drop us a message here

***I have been writing this blog post all week, but my days are no longer my own and I have been trying to steal a few minutes in between the totally consuming task of raising a willful almost 8 month old. THIS is the greatest lesson in acceptance I am learning so far, but that's for another post!***