by (kripalu): You’ve been practicing for years, yoga has had an immense impact on your life, and you’re wondering if now’s the time to take things to the next level and enroll in yoga teacher training…
How do you know if you’re ready to take the plunge?
We asked two of our Kripalu School of Yoga faculty members to offer their insights on that question. If any of the following four signs resonate with you, then perhaps it’s time for you to dive into the world of yoga teacher training.
1. You’re called to share with others the practices that have impacted your life.
“Yoga teacher training will solidify your calling by giving you a valuable set of tools to find your voice and hone your skills,” says Kripalu School of Yoga faculty Erica Arce. “You not only become someone who can guide a posture sequence, but, more importantly, a teacher who lives their yoga and expresses this felt sense maturely, authentically, and confidently.”
2. You want to deepen your practice through an immersive experience.
“I never fully understood what yoga really was until my Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training,” says Cristie Newhart, Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga. “Through a month of both living and learning yoga, I realized that what I was studying represented a journey through my whole self, not just my body. As my awareness deepened, my practice blossomed.”
3. You’re just as interested in exploring yoga off the mat as on.
“Asana, pranayama, and meditation are essential,” says Cristie. “But without off-the-mat practice, the lens through which yoga teachers view themselves and their students becomes narrow, and the practice loses heart—yoga becomes an exercise alone. For me, off-the-mat inquiry, such as exploring the yamas and niyamas and cultivating Self-Observation Without Judgment, keeps yoga real.”
4. You’re willing to pursue your passion with a beginner’s mind.
“I admit that when I graduated from Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training, I had a hard time at first taking other people’s classes,” recalls Erica. “I found it nearly impossible not to be in ‘teacher mode.’ However, I eventually learned that, regardless of whether I liked a class or not, or agreed with a teacher or not, there was always something to be gained. If you are willing to pursue the yoga teacher’s path with a beginner’s mind, you are in a great position to stay open and curious. And most likely, you’ll learn a lot more than you ever expected you would.”
