Yoga Teacher Training Forum

I wish I can share the yoga teacher I had when I did my first course on yoga. He was amazing. It was at our local college as an continuing course and they had yoga level 1 and level 2. I was 13 at the time and everyone was older and had a lot of problems with physical movement as well had personal issues they wanted yoga to help with. It was also before Madonna made yoga look cool.

He was awesome he told us the history of yoga we were able to ask questions. Everday we would bring in a wacky type of yoga (I remeber flamingo yoga he found). But this guy didn't JUST study yoga. He also study human biology. Which I think EVERY teacher HAS to go to school not just for yoga, but biologhy too. Why? Because it makes a HELL of a diffrence. People who are telling other people how to move when they don't know how the other's physical traits can limit there movement in a pose that can be a bit dangerous.

Did you know in Canada you don't need a diploma to say you are yoga practisioner? You can take a 1 month course and say you know how to teach others yoga. In the U.S. they give you a diploma, but I don't believe the course includes basics in human biology.

He showed us how to do headd stand, but stress to us that you should never do a complete yoga head stand without the pointing out the risks and how to hold your head as well as the teacher covering for you if something goes wrong he is right there. The neck is so fragile you don't have to mess with it. He even said do not attempt it even if you did his course. I see that all the time in every yoga class I've been to. they tell you to do a head stand if you want to, but they NEVER tell you how to hold your head properly.

That's why I thought he was great. He showed us the whimsical version of yoga and then the scientific version of it (for instance chakaras they really don't exsits, but back then they didn't have doctors like we have today and that was a way to explain where to treat there problem and how)

So since our teacher knew if one of the people were feeling pain somewhere he knew EXACTLY what to do. It sometimes was as simple as sitting on a chair and fold over (which I don't EVER see chairs anywhere in yoga studio if the person has weak bones or knee problems they assume that all the other people around there age is on the floor so there is something wrong with them if they feel pain sitting cross legged.

He also had an awesome story to tell. He used to work for the government had a wonderful car, pretty great pay cheque as soon as he had to go to the himalayas for buisness the locals showed him yoga and he stop his job. Sold everything that he really didn't need like his expensive car and his salary to study yoga.

Because of him When I go into yoga classes with a teacher that is in his head more then his students who wants to get something out of it. I am glad I am confident enough that I know when a teacher doesn't exactly know what he/she talking about.

I don't know if that makes me a yoga snob. But I am on the team of having yoga teacher earn there degrees a little better then a 1 month course. Even fitness instructors are the same ball game. And the better ones have taken a course in biology at some point.

Sorry for the long winded complain but IF YOU ARE NEW TO YOGA! CALL IN AND ASK ABOUT THE TEACHERS HOW LONG THEY TRAINED FOR? ARE THEY GREAT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE MAINSTREAM STICK YOGIS. DO THEY HAVE A DEGREE IN ANY OTHER FEILDS IN YOGA (if they say psychologhy that doesn't really count lol)? AND try hatha yoga first it's the basic of the basic and you can then branch out on other styles if you want to try something more later on. OH! and don't be afriad to walk out of a yoga class if you are not having fun. You won't get your money back, but you will make an impression that this yogi is not teaching right.

Hope that helps!