By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Whether you need non-contact continuing education credits, or you are seeking your first Yoga teacher training diploma, online courses have many positive advantages. It is true that not all online Yoga teacher education is equal, but there are some easy ways to tell who is genuine and who is not.
Is the online training course written, designed, and graded by Yoga teachers? This may sound curious, but some courses are not designed by Yoga instructors. Is the course recognized by an accrediting body? Research the course and the school before you make a decision.
One more point to consider: Does the certifying institution focus on creating Yoga courses or do they have diplomas for gun smiths, dog grooming, computer programming, and appliance repair? You should consider a school that exclusively educates Yoga teachers.
Yoga is a very large topic, and it cannot be brushed over in a single course. Continuing education is an accepted part of Yoga instructor training. With this in mind, please consider the following benefits of online education for Yoga instructors.
1. Going Green: Traveling hundreds or thousands of miles by car, boat, jet, train, or bus takes a toll on the environment. If you are planning a vacation, and have no obligations to your children, you could create a Yoga training vacation. However, if the sole purpose is to become a certified Yoga teacher, long-distance travel is contributing toward air pollution.
2. Time: Each day, something or someone demands your time. If you ask your employer for a month off to attend an intensive training for Yoga instructors, will she or he understand? Holding onto a job is essential to survival and onsite training may not be an option.
3. Accessibility: You can communicate with your tutor at any time. Email and telephone support is a big help. However, forums and online chats with graduates, interns, and teachers is a big plus. This allows you interaction with like-minded people from every part of the world.
4. Documentation: Your Email conversations can be recorded in your files. It is not that easy to compile your notes in an in-person Yoga training intensive. In fact, some face-to-face trainings demand that you not have a lap top or recording device, because it is not considered “traditional.”
5. Cost: An on-site Yoga certification course can cost thousands of dollars or more. Yoga teacher training, by correspondence or online, will cost you hundreds. In a nutshell, distance learning for Yoga teachers is expensive when you train in person.
6. Flexibility: For Yoga teachers pursuing non-contact continuing education credits, shutting down the studio for a month may not be a viable option. For prospective teachers – telling your family and job to stay on hold for a month is not realistic. Training by correspondence, online, or a combination of the two, gives you plenty of flexibility in your schedule.
© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
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Tags: become a certified Yoga teacher, on-site Yoga certification, Online Yoga Teacher Certification, to become a certified Yoga teacher, yoga certification, yoga instructor training, Yoga Teacher Training, yoga teachers
Dear sir/Madam,First of all ” A very Happy New Year To You”
I have been thinking to enroll myself into your distant learning yoga program but still could not makeup my mind due to the fact that somehow I have feeling that on the spot or practical training cannot be a substituted by theoritical training through notes and correspondance. A personal attention of yoga teacher on his/her students according to the phsique type of body of student has cannot be determined in distant learning.
Kindly guide me in this regard to help me to take decision to become a yoga instructor.
I am 66 have been doing yoga for last 15 years and enjoying sound health.
Will look forward to receive your valuable guidance.
Thanks and best regards
Syed Ajaz Ahmed ( Pakistan )
Dear Syed Ajaz Ahmed,
Your points are well taken. If a Yoga teacher training course is purely “theoretical training through notes and correspondence,” you have a legitimate concern. Luckily, video technology has brought Yoga teacher training to an entirely new level.
There was a time when Yogis learned by practical work and by reading ancient scrolls. The authors of these scrolls only left words or drawings behind for scholars to interpret.
There can be no interaction with a Swami who has passed away. Unfortunately, video technology did not exist for us to learn from. Yoga must be seen and felt in order to learn as much as possible. You may want to view the following resources:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AuraWellnessCTR
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/yoga-practice-videos.php
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-386913693756370208&q=Ramdev+Pranayama&hl=en
Each video one views contains valuable information, which is of use to Yoga teachers, experienced students and interns. In fact, you should practice with local Yoga teachers and friends as often as possible.
Therefore, learning theory about any subject is limited, but practicing what you learn with groups of friends, and those who learn from you, is practical application of the Yogic techniques you learn. Your past experience of Yoga practice for 15 years is worthy of note.
Applying what you learn from your past Yoga training experiences, in combination with the DVDs we send, and the many video resources available on the Internet will round out your knowledge as a Yoga teacher.
May you and your family be blessed with good health, happiness, and success.
Happy New Year!
OM Shanti,
Paul
in regards to the previous about weather you should do yoga certification on line. if you use paul course on restorative yoga, not only will you recieve a very good education on the history of yoga, the philosophy and the asanas but you will definitly recieve valuable info on correct alighnment, anatomy and breath work and meditation i would advise you to take the course i just finished it and loved it. namaste pamela
I would like to add to the previous posts regarding the on-line training the is offered through Aura Wellness Center. I completed my Teacher Training program 2 years ago and am now in the process of completing my work for recertification. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Paul and the content of the course – I feel as though the material provides a very well-rounded basic education and serves me well. I certainly understand where concerns might arise; I do not think that merely completing the Yoga Teacher Training course means that as teachers we are done learning. Just as we are unable to provide babies with all the information they will need to grow to adulthood, we (teachers) will want to continue our education both on a personal as well as on a professional level. I believe that the true teacher is always a student and I also believe that each student we encounter will teach us something. Trust that the Teacher Training course will be a valued part of your journey!
New Year’s greetings to all – may the coming year hold many blessings for you and those you love.
Namaste~
Kay
Respected Sir,
Namste and Happy New Year. I am regularly attending yoga sessions thru net. I am very much impressed with the online yoga training. The reasons given are very much rationale therefore I suggest everybody to take the same and improve oneself.