The day yoga came into my life, I fell in love and knew this was a practice I wanted to dive deeper into for the rest of my life.
After browsing online, and contemplating many yoga teacher trainings all over the world, the 6-Week Full Immersion Teacher Training that Krishna Village offers was calling my name. I knew that this was the place I wanted to deepen my knowledge of the true meaning of yoga and gain my teaching qualification.
A full 6 weeks in a spiritually likeminded community of yoga, asana, pranayama, meditation, kirtan, ayurvedic food, sleeping in a tent, gaining lifelong friendships, emotional ups and downs and much, much more!
Yoga teacher training challenges and changes you: physically, mentally and emotionally. It is not just about learning how to become a yoga teacher of physical asanas, it’s about diving deeper into your highest self so you can authentically share the gift of yoga, the gift of connection. It’s exciting, daunting, very long and fast all at the same time …
What to expect during your Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga, and lots of it!
Not just asana, but meditation, kirtan, pranayama and selfless service every day! You connect and serve yourself and others with a higher purpose every day.
Expect to cry at least once during the experience
A roller coaster of emotions will be brought up. First you must go through something yourself in order to teach others. From the lessons you have learnt yourself you can then serve, share and teach others. They say “your mess is your message”. Whatever comes up during the course, just know you are in a safe place to let go and surrender – many other people are going through the same thing with you.
Study, practice, and teaching
Yes, you will be practicing what you have learnt and will teach this to others pretty much straight away. You’ll learn something new every day during your course. We only remember 10% of what we read, 70% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we personally experience and 95% of what we teach others (Edgar Dale). The only way to remember what you’ve learnt, and to make progress is to practice and teach others. When one teaches, two learn.
An abundance of gratitude
Imagine the feeling of waking up surrounded by beautiful mother nature and knowing that you will be learning, growing, sharing and practicing what you love every day. Try to soak in every minute and live in the present moment. Be grateful for the life changing experience – it will soon be gone in the blink of an eye.
Expect lifelong friendships and memories to be made
You’ll be surprised how quick your YTT group becomes family. The variety of ages, nationalities and personalities make it all the more fun. Expect to give your time to others to help them grow, too. The more you give, the more you will receive in return. By being selfless you will learn and grow more than you would have ever expected.
Expect cherished memories to be created
Funny ones, sad ones, happy, embarrassing and tired ones. On your training you will be given the gift of moments you cannot even put into words. Cherish the memories, friendships and feelings gained.
What not to expect during your Yoga Teacher Training
A holiday where you get a lot of down time and get to practice a bit of yoga asana
Even though, yes you do get time to relax, you are there to become the best yoga teacher you can be. It’s six weeks of your life dedicated to fully immersing yourself into a yogic lifestyle that will hopefully become a daily sadhana when you leave the Krishna Village. Just like the saying goes: you should practice what you preach/teach. If you want a holiday, look at the YTT Retreat Immersion option – that’s the same course, but with much more rest and no teaching commitments and assessments, as it comes without the certification.
Do not expect everything to be comfortable
Everything good in life comes with discipline, it is not all sunshine and daisies. You will be doing things you don’t normally do, you may learn something you do not like or have to face your fears. It is in the discomfort where you grow. Nothing grows in your comfort zone. Be open to feedback, be confident that everything you need is already within you. Feel the fear and do it anyway. When you are teaching yoga to students, they are not there for you or what you look like, they are there for themselves. You are a servant that has been opened to the torchlight of knowledge, so share it wisely.
Don’t expect to just dabble in the yogic lifestyle
During your life changing immersion, you will be elevating your consciousness, finding your dharma and what makes you happy so you can share this with the world. You’ve experienced the yogic lifestyle, now continue it and share it, share more love, peace and kindness!
Bonus! What to expect after your YTT
Once you graduate and leave your yoga teacher training, expect change. You will not be the same but your old world and maybe the people in it are still the same. You are coming back to your old world with many new gifts, ideas and things you did not have before. Remember to nurture yourself during this time when integrating back into “reality”. Be vulnerable enough to share what you’ve learned with an open and receiving heart. Be gentle with yourself, be gentle with others and let go of your expectations of what other people may think and say.
Always choose to grow, never doubt that growth is worthwhile. Also, expect to put all your new learned knowledge into practice, and go out there to achieve your dreams! Be open to all the endless opportunities coming your way.
I know I’ve kind of made the point of this post about expectations, but it is more of a guide line. Life is about the experiences you cultivate. Take what you need and leave what you want. Once you release your expectations that the world should fulfil for you, your disappointments vanish and you become free.
‘’In teaching others, we teach ourselves.” Do what you love and you will continue to inspire and awaken the hearts of others.
Love and Light
Lana
