Yoga courses in India: How to become an internationally certified instructor
If you have a desire to help others while continuing on your spiritual path and better health, then becoming a teacher is ideal. You will become better in tune with yourself, and develop a deeper knowledge of yoga. Becoming an internationally certified instructor is not simple, but it is a great way to earn some income and do a great service to others.
The ideal destination for your YTT?
There are training classes all over the world, so it can be difficult to decide where you want to get your training from to become a teacher. One of the best locations to take a teacher training course is in Rishikesh, Goa or Kerala. It is where yoga originated and where you will find the purest form of the practice. However, there are a few other reasons that make India a great destination choice.
The ancient, fascinating and complex society that is India has provided mankind with many gifts of spiritual guidance and understanding of the world. Going there directly provides a glimpse into Hindu spiritual tradition.
An interest in Eastern philosophy and practice has been on the rise ever since the late 1960s and currently continues to captivate and improve the quality of life for people in the Western world. With India serving as the epicenter nexus and progenitor of many religions or spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, it may be advantageous for someone who is interested in expanding their skills as a teacher or instructor to visite yoga schools in India itself.
Advanced techniques are all about learning to relax and open your senses to the spiritual world. Rishikesh, India offers the terrain to make it easier. The country is very diverse so you can find temperatures that you prefer, all with breathtaking views. The cheaper way of life also reduces your stress by not having to worry about needing to make as much money.
Variety of Types to Choose From
Another great blessing of becoming an instructor through training classes is the ability to choose which type of yoga you want to teach. There are many different types of TTC to choose from and they all have their own benefits.
Anusara
This new form of yoga training was developed in the United States by John Friend. However, it uses more of a physical practice to bring more grace to a person’s life. Participants will experience a more rigorous routine that helps open the heart and free the mind.
Ashtanga
An older, but still vigorous and advanced form of yoga that did not come to the west until the 1970s. The ancient teaching style has participants breaking a sweat and linking each pose together. Ashtanga is unique in the manner that it is performed exactly the same way, every time. This means you will only need to learn one sequence of poses.
Vinyasa
If you like the fluid, rigorous style of Ashtanga yoga but want a different routine, then Vinyasa is more your style. This style will have you constantly moving, and music will help keep the momentum up, but no class will be the same. As a teacher in Vinyasa, it is important that you help your students maintain breathing as they transition from pose to pose.
Bikram
Another style that is similar to Ashtanga, using the same sequence of movements, Bikram will use heat to sweat toxins from your body and clear your mind. It is important to learn the poses as Bikram Choudhury designed because he will sue studios that do not follow his trademarked routine. It is also important that you remind your students to bring a water bottle since the studio will be heated.
Hot Yoga
This type of yoga will give you the heat and continuous motion of Bikram, without the necessity to follow the same form. It is better for people who need to modify for all participants. Other than the modifications, the Indian Hot Yoga class is run the same way as Bikram, so you will want everyone to bring water bottles and mats.
Hatha
If you are interested in teaching a class that will leave participants looser, more relaxed, and experience increased flexibility, then you will want to learn Hatha. This is the style that much of the West, including the United States, has adopted. This is also the ideal class for a person who is starting out in yoga training and needs help learning all of the different poses. Very rarely will you expect to leave class in a sweat, but it does give you the same spiritual journey as other classes.
Iyengar
Sports cause a lot of injuries but yoga is designed to assist and you can help them by teaching an Iyengar class. This is a style designed by BKS Iyengar to help keep the body in proper alignment. It is a very meticulous class and uses a variety of tools to assist participants, including chairs, blocks, blankets, and even straps. You will be requiring people to get into a position and hold it while you stretch your body out. Increased heart rate is not the goal of this class, but rather helping people recover from injuries, tight muscles, and prevent future injuries from happening.
Restorative
The final type of class you can teach is designed to calm the spirit. Similar to Iyengar, it uses blocks, bolsters, and blankets to help students into positions that may require effort to get into. Teachers should be expected to watch the students and make sure they are staying in a very relaxed state so that when they leave the schools, they are rejuvenated. These classes are generally held in the evening and/or at the end of the week to help the working class unwind.
Selection of the best YTT
When you are looking for which training course you should take to become an instructor, you want to make sure that you have the ability to learn all of the different forms of yoga and get a certification. This will give you the flexibility of finding the school you like the best. However, instructor classes should go much further. You should learn how to create your own sequences, how to use the poses to strengthen your body and your mind, as well as learning how poses affect your chakras. Asanas, poses, can be altered to help with whatever condition the body is in, so you will need to learn how to modify them appropriately. You also need to look at which school to attend and length of courses, including offering 200 hour, 300 hour and 500 hour TTC for certification. Finally, with proper education, you will have a good understanding of how the scriptures and poses will be extended from the actual class to a lifestyle of peace and harmony. This is something you can then take to your students and give them a spiritual life that is less stressful and healthier.
