I just finished my 200-hour yoga teacher training in Istanbul, it was a unique experience filled with joy, new learnings, new friendships and growth.
I want to share my experience, reflections and advice, in case you are considering participating in a yoga teacher training.
I spent a lot of time in Istanbul, I made beautiful new friendships and fell in love with this magical city
Background information
My yoga journey began about two-and-a-half years ago in Australia, where I lived right at the beach and very close to a yoga studio, I practiced almost every day.
In the beginning, my main attraction to yoga was primarily for the physical benefits; this shifted with time and practice. I became very passionate about yoga and I felt the desire to take a teacher training.
It took me a while to find the right training. When I signed up for my teacher training, I was an intermediate practitioner.
Note: You don’t need to have an advanced practice to take a teacher training! That being said, it helps if you are not completely new to yoga either. I mention this to point out that there is no need to hesitate to sign up for a training if you feel your practice isn’t good enough. The training will help you to develop and deepen your practice - for sure!
Finding the right yoga training
If you google yoga teacher training, you will find endless options.
I searched for a long time for the right location (Bali, India, Costa Rica, etc.), but it was hard to choose from a wide range of trainings.
In the end, my path led me to Istanbul, where I ended up completing my 200 hour training. Why Istanbul?
In summer 2018, I got to spend some time in Istanbul and I lived close to a yoga studio called Cihangir Yoga. Over time, I built a good relationship with the studio, I felt very connected to the teachers and the practice style (CY method a vinyasa-based system), it really resonated with me.
Last year in April I had to fly to Istanbul for work, I arrived exactly one week before the new training started (which is once a year). I took a chance and signed up for it.
In the end, it was the best decision I could make and I am happy I took this big step.
My training was split over 10 months, which gave me time to digest, reflect and apply my new learnings. My body had time to open up, I built stamina and I increased my overall flexibility in mind and body!
There are many places that offer a 200 hour course as a one month intensive, I haven’t experienced that, so I have no opinion about it, one way or the other.
The only thing that I can say is that you receive a lot of information, so I was happy to have some time to process and apply what I was learning in my home practice.
My Advice:
- Find a studio and teacher that resonates with you and that you feel connected to
- I suggest practicing with the teacher before you sign up for their teacher training. In the end,
you will learn from his/her style and technique; it’s like when you were in school, you didn’t
resonate with every teacher.
- Make sure that the training you are considering is a registered yoga school through The Yoga
Alliance
- Trust that when you are ready, the right training will find you; keep your eyes open, research, try
out different studios and teachers and when the time is right, you will feel where you are supposed to be. There is a very nice yoga saying that i like, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
Deepening our practice
Content
A teacher training comprises a theoretical and practical part. You will have lectures, practice yoga, and do partner or group work as you apply your new skills.
Topics we discussed in my yoga teacher training:
- Tradition: why do we practice yoga?
- Yoga history
- The Bhagavad Gita
- Tattvas
- Anatomy
- Subtle body
- Practice: Alignment principles
- Pranayama (Breathing) and Bandhas
- Meditation, mantras and mudras
- How to instruct (theme for a class, room structure, the language of instructing poses,
observation)
- Adjustments (physical adjustment, verbal adjustment)
- How to do “demos”
- Building a sequence for a class
As you can see a teacher training contains many elements, it is full of valuable information that can be taken off the mat and into life.
My teacher training helped me to deepen my practice and understand the many layers and aspects of yoga.
I can tell from my experience, that it can be very challenging, and it takes commitment. It will be hard to persevere if you are not passionate about yoga. You will have to push yourself and go to your limits, but that’s when the transformation happens! It’s rare that amazing things happen in the “comfort zone!”
Don’t worry or stress about the challenges of such an undertaking, you will feel motivated by your own progress and achieve levels you never expected being capable of. Your body will open up over time and you will feel the shift in your body, your mind AND your heart!
One lesson yoga taught me: everything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it.
Through yoga I developed a completely new feeling and appreciation for my body, I was always fit and skinny, but not strong. I built a lot of stamina and strength, which feels empowering.
What I learned is, if you feel good in your body, you will good in your mind as well!
No pain no gain!!!
Invest in yourself
It’s important to know that not everybody who takes part at a yoga teacher training is planning to teach.
There are different reasons, why people take such a training, often they want to do something good for themselves and invest time in themselves. It is a great chance to get to know yourself on a deeper level, to find out new parts about yourself and to challenge yourself.
I believe that an experience like a teacher training can improve the quality of your life, as you will become more conscious about life itself.
My driving force to sign up for my training was my passion for yoga, to deepen my practice, to invest time in myself, to learn new skills and to learn how to teach.
Yoga helped me to reconnect with my body, and I want to pass my yoga experience to other people and help them feel good in their bodies.
I think it is a blessing to share the gift of yoga and I am excited to teach more!
My teacher training was a unique and valuable experience that transformed my life in positive ways and opened many new doors.
Don’t hesitate to do a teacher training, because you don't plan to teach, you will learn valuable skills that you can apply in daily life. Who knows, maybe you will become so passionate about yoga, that you will start to teach... Let it unfold, it is full of beautiful unknowns!!!
And... if you do end up teaching yoga, just share yourself! Everyone has something of value to share!
Community
During a training, you are walking a path with like-minded people, which is a beautiful experience. You are in it together! I met wonderful people at my training and made new friendships.
It feels good to meet new people, who are passionate about inner-growth and who equally want to learn and invest in themselves.
Yoga is your own personal journey, yet you walk the path with a community at your side, which gives you strength and inspiration.
Furthermore, I enjoyed doing my training with international people. I love to learn about other cultures and the training gave me the chance to spend more time in a foreign country which allowed me to expand my experiences and perspective.
Sunset yoga flow - I love to practice outside in nature
Fears
Where one journey ends... a new journey begins. What’s next?
Ten months are over, I have completed my yoga teacher training and insecurities arise like “Am I ready to teach?“, “Am I good enough? “, “Where should I go?“ or “What should I do?“.
I think it's natural that fears arise when something ends and uncertainty faces you. I try to replace my fears with excitement and trust, it’s just the beginning of a new journey.
It’s time to jump in the cold water, trust that I am good enough and start to teach. Learning by doing!
My Post-Training Advice:
- Trust in yourself! You are good enough
- Start to teach and try out different things
- Write down your language and speak it out loud
- My teacher suggests us to record ourselves and to improve one thing at a time - Be kind to yourself, sharing yoga is a gift and not an examination
- Give yourself time and room to grow
My first teaching experiences
My first teaching experience was positive and challenging. It was something completely new and it felt unfamiliar to take the seat of the teacher.
It seems easier than it is, to stand in front of people and instruct a class with a clear language and communication. I see it as a chance to grow and to learn how to stand and speak in front of people with confidence and clarity.
In the end, teaching took away my fear of teaching! I have fun doing it! It feels good to share my knowledge and to help others on their path as they connect with themselves.
I truly believe that yoga can benefit everybody and I am excited to share the gift of yoga.
Last words: Invest in yourself, follow your dreams, follow your passion and share your light with the world!