How do you choose a Yoga Teacher Training?

1. Meet the Teachers you will spend time with
2. How many times have they led a training?
3. Are your values aligned?
4. You get what you pay for

1. It’s worth meeting the lead teachers once before you begin a 200 hour training to see if it’s a fit. That’s a long time to spend with someone you may not like or be aligned with. There are many lineages to choose from and it’s good to find out by whom and in what the lead teachers are trained in. At Whole Body Paradigm, we run a multidisciplinary program and the lead teachers have been trained in both traditional lineages by a Guru and Western lineages. That way you can choose to go further in a more specialized lineage that works for you.

2. There’s a big difference between someone who has led one or even five training sessions versus someone who has taught more than ten. I have taught 40-200 hour trainings and the teaching staff improves the curriculum, the manual and schedule each time. The teachers are experienced and set up a brave and safe space. Both lead teachers at Whole Body Paradigm completed their Masters in Education to learn how to teach so students enjoy the learning process. We do not lecture, the teachings are interactive, creative and require your curiosity and input. We are a student-centered school, not a teacher-centered school.

3. Does the training talk about social justice issues? In this day and age, if a yoga school is not talking about the elephants in the room, they will do you a great disservice. We prepare you and have open, kind discussions on a variety of current social issues. We discus the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. We talk about how to make your class trauma-informed, inclusive and diverse in both students and teachers.

4. Taking a 200 hour online with pre-recorded lessons isn’t worth it if it is not engaging. If a school is taking anything below $3000, something is being compromised. Such as, the teachers aren’t being paid properly, the manuals or materials are either outdated or insufficient or there are too many students in training. A pre-recorded teaching video has a shelf life of one year and then it is outdated. We don’t take more than 14 students and sometimes cap it at 10. We run two trainings per year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. 

Reach out to us if you want some advice on a training that fits for you. We would rather you take training that fits you than make money. Yoga is our passion and our profession. Our students tend to be curious, receptive and excited to deepen their studentship. Some of our students love to teach even though they only wanted to deepen their learning. We prepare you to be a great teacher and how to continue to cultivate both your yoga and your teaching practice. We have long-term after graduation support. 

See the 200 hour page for our next training dates.