What’s missing from Yoga Teacher Trainings?
Investigating why & how allows us to more fully understand & discern instead of simply repeating what we heard.
I am privileged to know some experts in the physical, mental and emotional bodies. I asked one a while back if they practice yoga solely on their own or if they have a teacher they enjoy practicing with.
Their response was, “I haven’t found a yoga teacher that I think really knows what they’re talking about, because their scope of training is so limited.”
That may strike a nerve for some, and when we feel a need to defend or explain it’s usually just a sign to pause and investigate instead.
Is there something missing from yoga teacher trainings?
Yes. Frankly, I think there’s typically something missing from trainings in nearly every field. The reality is we continuously learn from studies and experiences over time. What we’ve known & applied previously doesn’t always withstand the test of time! Stay curious. Remain open to learning what you don’t know that you don’t know 😉
What is the goal of a yoga teacher training?
That answer varies depending on the program. In studying various yoga teacher program curriculums, they typically have a clear goal to educate on the history and philosophy of yoga, human anatomy, particular shapes considered yoga postures, and how to cue people to make those specific shapes.
I have a deep appreciation for what I learned in the yoga trainings I’ve taken. I am also incredibly grateful for my continued studies in energy work, human behavior and trauma, biomechanics, etc. What I’ve studied outside the yoga teacher trainings I attended has helped me integrate the philosophy into daily living, practice self-awareness and regulation, and understand mobility limitations, tissue response and biomechanics. They challenged me to investigate why & how I say and do what I do, which has had a massive impact on the way I teach yoga – and on my relationships!
Our goals for Power Yoga Teacher Training are:
- To challenge what you think you know.
- Improve your awareness of the physical body and its connection to the mental and emotional states.
- Educate on mobility limitations and biomechanics (a step beyond anatomy).
- Understand that self-awareness and self-regulation are more important than making a shape
- Give you ample teaching practice to apply what you’ve learned so you feel confident in your ability to guide others’ in practice. Getting the words out effectively is very different from just knowing the words.
Knowing information is important and helpful. It’s the application of information – the doing and surrendering to let it permeate your life – that has more impact.
It is important to recognize that bodies will have various limitations.
While it is outside a yoga teacher’s scope to diagnose or treat movement limitations, understanding the why and how of their existence is key in accepting that not everyone will look or move the same way or make the same shapes. Which is paramount when guiding a movement practice.
Further, plenty of folks have a hard time accepting their starting point and want to jump directly to their perceived end result. From the understanding of why and how limitations exist, we instinctively create an environment conducive to folks accepting themselves where they are.
Rachelle McGuigan, PT and I share a passion to empower people to answer…
What are you aware of, and how well can you regulate it?
Related to physical movement, as well as relationally in your life!
To empower folks to do just that, we combined our decades of physical body, subtle body and emotional body training with our spiritual and self-awareness studies, to create a comprehensive Power Yoga Teacher Training.
This is an accelerated course that requires some prior experience or training in yoga, body work, mental or medical health fields.
Rachelle and I are excited to prepare the next generation of yoga teachers to share the mindset and techniques to think better, move better, feel better & human better!
Join us [upcoming dates TBD] for Power Yoga Teacher Training – get details here.
Much love,
Suzanne
Owner, OPY
Read more about our approach to yoga here.
Find more helpful articles and videos from OPY here.
