I often get asked where I did my yoga teacher training. For those who are new to yoga, most yoga teachers complete what’s called a 200 hour teacher training that is recognized by a larger governing body called Yoga Alliance. I will tell anyone who asks that I completed mine at an intensive retreat, meaning I did the 200 hours in 4 weeks, at Yandara Yoga Institute in Baja, Mexico. There are so many yoga teacher trainings to choose from. People usually choose based on the teachers, the style of training, the location or affordability.
Kelly Stackhouse, NYC yoga teacher and dear friend.
After getting to know more and more yoga teachers, I have been finding that all yoga teacher trainings are not created equal. At Yandara, they were very strict that teachers in training practiced a yogic lifestyle while at the training, meaning no sugar or caffeine, no phone calls or internet except on Sunday, daily meditation, eating breakfast in silence to continue meditation and more. I personally found this to be a unique experience that enhanced my learning at the Institute. However, some teacher trainings comprised of weekend workshops in the city that take place over several months and have a totally different feel than the intensive. My dear friend Kelly Stackhouse (pictured) did her teacher training over 8 months, and for her taking the extra time to really learn the information and practice helped her to absorb better. She found that taking the information and applying it helped her to really learn it in her body. I am considering doing the Urban Zen Intensive Yoga Therapy program in New York next year. They provide a year long program 500 hour program that includes eastern practices such as rieki, essential oil therapy and restorative yoga that can be used in hospitals to enhance patient care.
Yandara gals holding a wisdom mudra as a peace sign.
Here is a picture of the group of girls that I went through my yoga teacher training with. As you can see we had a very small group and we were led by Shane Perkins. To this day, I think back on that experience and I am so glad that I learned in that environment with those people. I learned to create yoga classes and sessions from the heart, that there is no right or wrong yoga pose and most importantly, I learned to always follow my dreams. I am always continuing my education, finding new teachers and even learning from the people I teach.
Everybody has a different experience and many people consider doing a yoga teacher training, and want to hear about yours. Please comment if you have anything to share about your teacher training experience. It’s totally up to you if you want to mention the name of the school or not. I would really like to hear about what people love or didn’t love about their 200 hour teacher trainings.