Interview: Johana Linhart
- ayeshacantrell
- Dec 28, 2014
- 3 min read
This is the fifth in a series of interviews that have been designed to help you if you want to know how to become a yoga instructor.
I only practiced with Johana for a short time but she filled the sala with a very sweet prescence and taught with a gentle grace and wicked French accent !
Here's Johana's take on what you need to know before choosing your yoga teacher training course, teaching your first class and ultimately understanding how to become a yoga instructor.
Why did you decide to take your (first) yoga teacher training course? Did you always know you would teach?
My main training after high school, was "child care" in nursery and kindergarten, I had always love to teach and share. I was also a ballet dancer for nearly 15 years so teaching and body language was a good foundation. It took several years before making the decision that would change my life deeply. A lot of practice, many doubts and questions, meditation, and many escape to a more artificial samadhi ahaha! In 2012 finally it was the right time, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, were offering a 4 week intensive YTTC. Being very undisciplined I needed the strict discipline that live in ashrams demand, I'm French hey! ;)
What advice would you give to those choosing their course?
Before choosing your YTTC, decide on the length, 4 weeks might be too intensive, so make sure it suits your needed. Ask yourself what do you really want, what do you expect from this training, honestly, do you really want Yoga (in general, not only hatha) to have a significant part in your life? The only thing to remember is that after this training, it's difficult to go back.
What’s the biggest / most important thing you learnt during your yoga teacher training course? The biggest thing I learned during my first training... Hum... dealing with my ego, with my fears. I recognized and accepted that the mind is a real tester, a real jumping monkey. We are all humans, with our strengths and weakness, with our own history. Knowing how to control the mind, and recognize the play of the ego becomes a real force. I still deal with it everyday tho.
What advice would you give to someone teaching their first class? First class? Ahaha!! Good luck! No, I am only joking, it's a wonderful experience. But if I can give you advice, teach your first classes to some people you know, to some people who aren't afraid to be honest with you. Don't pretend to be someone else or more experienced than your are. As a teacher, exactly as a student, you will progress super fast, no worries! Which is your favourite asana? Which is the one you find challenging or are currently working on? My favorite asana is hanumasana, the splits. You need flexibility, strength ... And this opening! It hits directly your mind, through this posture you really understand this concept of letting go, of openness. It's always emotional, that feeling of being anchored and floating at the same time. I am working on the scorpion, vrischikasana. Man! I've been working on this one for months! Strength, flexibility, courage, you need everything! With this one, body, mind, ego, fear, you have to go through a lot of things.
Qualifications
I have been trained by the ashram of Yoga Sivananda in Orléans, France (200 hrs).
A Yin Yoga teacher training with the founder Biff Mithoefer (50 hrs). This year, I took this wonderful training with RainBow kids (50hrs) , I've been trained to teach yoga to the little humans. Precious! My inspiring teachers: Swami Sivananda, Swami Vishnudevananda, Biff Mithoefer, Gopala Amir Yaffe, Les Levental Kathryn Buding, Elena Brower, Cécile Roubaud, Mira Jamadi, Shiva Rea and more.
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