This is an important question to ask. Teacher Training is a demanding program. That said, this schedule is paced over nine months (Sept – May), giving students ‘breathing room.’ Our program does includes a good amount of out-of-class study but we’ve crafted a schedule that affords a student ‘space’ as they work to learn and integrate the material – meeting only one weekend each month for the first half of the program and then ramping up into weekly meetings for the final stretch.
But I’m not sure I actually want to teach.’
There are plenty of people who enter Teacher Training Programs not certain if they want to teach – who ultimately end up teaching. That said, there are also students who enter thinking they will teach – who don’t. And then there are the folks who enter the program thinking that ‘teaching yoga’ means one thing, but leave the program knowing something different. Throughout this program seeds are planted (often without any of us knowing it) which manifest in all kinds of ways in the future. Teaching yoga in a studio or gym is just one small way that those seeds might manifest. And yes, graduates of the Blue Banyan program have gone on to study yoga therapy, start their own small business, teach in studios across the region (including Blue Banyan) – but others have gone on to teach yoga as volunteers in community centers, offer classes in their living room to family and friends, and integrate yoga in their professional work – and still others have left the training program and chosen not to teach at all (having been no less transformed in their lives and personal practice then any of the others). Will you teach? What will you teach? Who will you teach? These questions all get answered over time…and if you know for certain, that teaching yoga is not in your future – there is always the Yoga Immersion track. A less intense, non-certification course of study.
‘I can’t do all those ‘fancy’ or ‘advanced’ yoga poses, how am I supposed to be a yoga teacher?’
Teachers of yoga are first and foremost students of Yoga. We believe that it is your relationship to the practice that is most important to your being a good teacher – not your superior flexibility or strength. Of course, with consistent practice comes a more ‘advanced’ practice. But as far as we are concerned, ‘advanced’ isn’t about how long you can hold your handstand or whether or not you jump into your arm-balances. It’s about approaching the whole of the practice of Yoga with openness, and dedication, and surrendering to the inevitable transformation.
‘You know…I’ve always wanted to do a Teacher Training Program – but I’m just don’t know if now is the time…’
Well, this is a tricky one. Because the truth is – only you know if the time is right. And in fact, you may not
know it until you do it. When you set an intention for something like this, it really becomes about being open to what the universe sends back at you. We know that’s not a very straight forward answer, but it’s true. There are seasons of life when we feel like there is more space to take on an endeavor like Teacher Training – however, the reality is that we make the space and we
find the space once we have made the commitment. It can be a tricky thing to ‘plan’ for, but if you’ve
always wanted to do it…
‘What Makes Blue Banyan’s Yoga School Distinctive?’
Like several area programs, Blue Banyan Yoga School is certified by Yoga Alliance at the 200hr level. And like some programs, we far exceed the minimum number of require hours for certification and we have a diverse adjunct faculty of gifted professionals that present guest lectures throughout the program. And at Blue Banyan Yoga School, we believe that Teacher Training is about more then just ‘instructing’ a good vinyasa yoga class – so we spend a lot of time and energy on self-exploration and personal integration of the material. Our program strikes a strong balance between the experiential and the academic study of Yoga (just take a look at our application!). Other distinctive features are that we spend a good amount of time considering how to teach to non-mainstream populations & in 2020 we are excited to be adding curriculum addressing a teachers responsibility to racial equality and inclusion in the yoga room. Studio and gym classes is only one small part of how yoga is taught and applied and so we work to prepare students to enter the world of teaching in a way that will serve them and the communities in which they live. We commit to smaller class sizes so that trainees get the necessary one-on-one attention and mentoring. And we run a Yoga Immersion Program parallel to Teacher Training affording a diverse student population with which to share, and from which to learn.
Any questions please contact Sophie directly.
