There are 2 angles to this question – one is what we can do to professionally go forward in this career and the other is how to become an authentic teacher who is able to understand the student’s needs and provide solutions accordingly. Both the qualities are different and a successful teacher must have both of these qualities to develop hand in hand.
Pre - Requisites to Become Yoga Instructor
Before thinking of becoming a teacher one must be a good practitioner of Yoga. You must have at least six months to one year of regular practice before you think of becoming a teacher. Only a disciplined practitioner can become a good teacher.
There is no age criteria. I have seen people becoming a Yoga Teacher and teaching classes from the age of 16 years to 80 years. Many institutes do not have any age criteria for their Yoga Teacher Training Courses.
Education wise also there are no hard criteria as such but you should definitely be able to read and write and understand a language. It can be English or Hindi or even regional language.
Medically a person should be fit and fine. The person should not have any major health issues or any regular medication routine. No recent surgery or any spinal issue should be there. If a person has such issues he should get rid of these things with the help of yoga and then plan for becoming a teacher.
Choose your Yoga Course
Once you fulfil the prerequisites of becoming a Yoga Teacher. Then you should finalise on what type of course you want to do. There are three kinds of courses available in the market today. And the comparison is given below.
How to Choose the Best Yoga Institute
Now is the time to shortlist an institute for yourself. That institute should be authentic and should have a history of giving good students to the society. To validate this you can use the following checkpoints.
- It should be registered under international bodies like Yoga Alliance, World Yoga Federation etc.
- It should have great google reviews and a good name in the industry.
- It should have a good website with authentic photos and videos and all the details.
- Check their social media and validate the authenticity.
- The teachers from that institute should be well educated (at least YCB Level 3 Certified) and experienced.
- Check details of their founders, they should be trained from authentic gurus of the country and they should be well educated as well.
- It should have various levels of courses for all kinds of aspirants.
- Check what types of certificates the institute is offering.
After you validate the institute and finalise. Enquire about their next course and enrol for one.
Recommended Certifications in Yoga
Two certifications in Yoga are considered to be the best. You should aim for these while deciding on a course for yourself.
1. YCB Certification
YCB stands for Yoga Certification Board and it is set up by the Ministry of AYUSH, Govt of India. It conducts examinations for various levels of Yoga Certification. It is extremely authentic and recognized worldwide.
2. Yoga Alliance, USA
It is an international-level organization that provides certification to Yoga teachers and Yoga Schools. It is a very popular body and is worldwide recognized, especially in the US and Canada.
Journey After the Course
The main journey of becoming a teacher starts after you are done with your course. Now is the time when you have to deliver what you have learned and also take care of the student’s capacity.
The key is “start teaching.” Whatever the situation, whatever the arrangement, you need to start teaching. You can start with your family or friends or society or relatives, etc. You can also start for free. The more you teach, the more you will learn. More teaching means more learning. Slowly, with your consistency and sincerity, your group will grow, and you will have a big batch. You can also increase the number of batches as you are available.
Look for job opportunities on various online job portals too. Keep teaching, keep learning, and keep practicing. If any of this stops, your growth will stop. Teach with good intentions and take a Sankalpa of stress and disease-free society.
