I never planned to teach a yoga class.

Never.

Yet my 200 hour yoga teacher training program was like personal growth on steroids. A good training program can take our own yoga practice (which we love already) and turn it into a passionate love affair. The gift of this training is that everything about our practice become laser sharp and focused.

Here are eight good reasons to say yes to yoga teacher training this fall:

Find the Big Why

Teacher training gets us very clear on the Big Why: What exactly am I looking for? What do I want to do with my grown up self? Here’s an ironic tidbit I learned—it’s not about teaching yoga, even when it’s about teaching yoga.

Face Those Fears

The fastest track to confidence is standing in front of a room full of people. The only way we can stand up in front of others is to go ahead and face whatever fear is keeping us in our seat. You know what happens when you face the thing that scares you?

Nothing.

Oh…except fear goes away!

Find A Purpose

Deep immersion in a program allowed me to get very clear on ‘What’s Next?’ Creating a Why lays the foundation for deciding what the long view will look like. Taking a peek down that road and then having the courage to take the next best step helped illuminate what my path could be. And from that place Purpose will show itself.

Learn To Fail

To become a yoga teacher—or really to become anything at all – we have to fail often and fail fast. Nothing creates massive growth like a super fast series of failures. The bigger the better.  And failing in front of others? Yep, that’s the kicker. Practice teaching with my training group allowed me to fail and fix and re-iterate. Feedback from the team and mentors was like a being whipped into mental shape like nothing else. Take the hit, get back up, learn to duck. Try again.

Sharpen the Sword

Inspired teaching requires a daily practice. I found that nothing got me more present and in my body than the class I would ‘take’ right after the class I ‘taught’. The focus of having the teaching land in our body is a beautiful double-edged sword. It sharpens both our practice and our teaching.

Eat The Frog

Because we need to go ahead and face the thing that scares us, yoga teacher training forces the habit of, what productivity experts call, ‘Eating the Frog’; reading the texts, memorizing the sequence, practicing in the mirror or on a friend, recording our teaching—each task becomes like rungs on a ladder. If I wanted to reach the next step I had to do what was needed at the present step. The concept of Eat the Frog takes a bite out of whatever is in the way.

Build The Bridge

Our body knows when we’ve skipped a few days. It teaches us, in a physical way, the commitment we need to make to get to the next level. Daily practice becomes the bridge we build to the next highest version of ourselves.

Manifest

When we take a step into our power the Universe rushes to greet us. Which is very good news. If we allow ourselves to prescribe to the notion that we all have a unique gift—a gift that only we can bring—then the intentional action of stepping into power seems to align the energy for us. It’s like the Universe says, “Alright, let’s do this thing!” and an avalanche of possibility and opportunity falls before us.  And all we have to say is Yes!

 

 

 

Relephant: 

5 Things to Ask Yourself Before Signing Up for Yoga Teacher Training.

 

 

Author: Linda Fenelon

Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: kellinahandbasket at Flickr