How did I choose my yoga teacher training course?

My last post centred on tips for choosing your own yoga teacher training course. How did I choose mine? Along a similar flow…mostly…

I'm not actually sure now whether it took me longer to decide if I should do a yoga teacher training course or if the time taken to choose where or who to do one with was longer. To be honest, I think I actually decided where and who I was going to do the course with before I'd actually decided to take the plunge. That says a whole lot about how my brain works! I obviously wasn't quite ready to admit to myself that this was about to happen.

When the thought of taking a yoga teacher training course first occurred to me, I started to talk to yoga teachers that I was practicing with. Who else better to give you advice on this subject? (That's why I've included a whole section for yoga teachers on this blog.) I would ask them where they did their courses so I could see if training where they trained was an option. A few times I had other courses and teachers recommended to me too. I would always go and track them down online, read about what was being offered, how it was scheduled, what was included and of course where it was held.

In the end, I was torn between two options. Pankaj is one of the teachers that my teacher Sharon speaks very highly of. From her stories and feedback from others who had met him he sounded ideal. The course was significantly cheaper than my other option, but it was in India. I had been to India before and spent some time learning yoga in Mumbai and I can't say I felt comfortable. As a white blonde female, I felt vulnerable and wasn't too keen on repeating this experience. Don't get me wrong, I'm well traveled and love to see new cultures and traditions but I have never felt as uneasy anywhere else. I certainly didn't want to go by myself and I wasn't going to be able to go when Sharon and a bunch of her friends were going.

Although I loved practicing with Sharon, which is why I'd explored learning with her teacher, she teaches a traditional hatha class. My head had been turned by vinyasa, I loved the playfulness and the modern interpretation of the spiritual aspects. It made me feel less at odds with the incorporation of yoga philosophies into class. By chance, a good friend of Cynthia, Anna came to teach a few classes at Ocean Sound Yoga. I loved her class and subsequently found out that she was conducting a yoga teacher training course. Although more expensive than flying to India and take Pankaj's course I felt that this style was what I wanted to know more about right now. Having practiced with her too, I knew exactly what I was in for. I believe this is crucial, if you can practice with your teacher before you decide, so much the better.

I believe I will go to India and most likely practice with Pankaj in the future, but I know I would've regretted missing Anna's course. She is unlikely to do another in the next few years whereas Pankaj runs several each year giving me so much more opportunity.

If you have been following this blog on how to become a yoga instructor, you will have seen some great advice from some of my yoga instructors on how to choose a yoga teacher training course, please soak it all up like I did.

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