1. What is one thing that every yoga teacher trainee must do?

Begin your journey with an open mind, otherwise you will miss many wonderful opportunites to see things in a different perspective. When your practice is done with an open mind, you eventually discover and meet your true self. Yoga is about discovering who you are and as a teacher, you should know who you are so that you can guide your students on their own journey of self-discovery.

2. What is one thing that every yoga teacher trainee must avoid?

Never doubt yourself. Always believe in yourself and your abilities as a teacher and as a student. Each time you bring yourself to your mat is a new experience, a new opportunity to learn and grow.

3. Is being a yoga teacher just trendy or is it here to stay?

I believe that yoga is here to stay. Although the western philosophy of yoga is different from the eastern philosophy, it has become more widely popular in so many forms. Yoga is constantly evolving, just as we humans do. However, I believe that any form of a yoga practice should always have the emphasis on Mind, Body and Soul. This way it will be a true and meaningful practice and not just a trendy fad that will be forgotten when the next new “exercise” comes along.

4. Can a yoga teacher still be successful if they are in a crowded niche?

Absolutely! Yoga offers up so many opportunities for a teacher to diversify him or herself. I believe that the sky is the limit with yoga practice and making it your own! If everyone practiced yoga, don’t you think the world would be a much more loving place?

“It is not that the student needs to accommodate him or herself to yoga, but rather the yoga practice must be tailored to fit each person.” T.K.V. Desikachar

5. What has the yoga teacher training done for you?
Where do I begin? In a nutshell, the teacher training was transformational for me. I learned so many things about yoga, life and myself. The training provided me the opportunity to push myself beyond my limits and to build up the strength and courage to face many challenges. I feel like a new person and the possibilities are endless for me to go out into the world and share my new yoga knowledge with others. Last but not least, the yoga training enabled me to meet many wonderful and special people, ones I know I will have friendships with for a long, long time to come.

Yoga is an endless journey and I am forever grateful for the teachers that have come into my life to help me along the way. It is through their teachings that I have been inspired to teach others.

Francesca Di Falco is a recent graduate of the yoga teacher training program here at Body Therapies Yoga Training.

What style of yoga is Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT)?

Rather than a style of yoga, Integrative Yoga Therapy is a process. A graduate from the IYT yoga teacher training program will be able to select and arrange yoga techniques in a way that the yoga classes fulfill a particular aim.

For example, the teacher decides on “Breath, the Heart of the Class” as the theme of the class. Which inspirational poem, mudra, pranayama, relaxation, meditation and affirmation will be selected? And what order will they follow?

I practiced Ashtanga yoga as well as hatha yoga, can I study in this program?

Yes, you can.  The Integrative Yoga Therapy yoga teacher training program will prepare you to teach yoga for total wellness.  Students practicing all styles of yoga have completed this training successfully.

Can I teach regular yoga classes with this training?

Yes. In addition to offering yoga classes to the general public, graduates teach yoga-based wellness programs in hospitals, businesses, universities, clinics, and complimentary health care settings.

How much time is required for home study?

There are 3 parts to the home study: reading and answering at least 2 questions, journalism, and practice.

Reading - One chapter of the manual is covered each month. Chapters include The History of Yoga, Ayurveda and Yoga, Stress Management, and Meditation, Imagery, Relaxation and Yoga Nidra. How quickly you integrate the material and answer questions will depend on how familiar you are with the topic.

Journaling – What prepares you to be an effective yoga teacher is your own personal experience and journey of transformation as a student of yoga. As you explore the topic for the month, you capture and share whatever you are comfortable sharing of that experience. Sharing may include creative drawings.

Practice – The foundation of yoga is practice, practice, practice. For this time is required. The yoga techniques are learned systematically and by actually doing them. Developing a daily practice brings many benefits. As you begin to appreciate the value of this, creating practice time becomes part of your flow. In addition, practice teaching to family and friends starts you on your teaching path.

How much time are you willing to devote to get the most of your teacher training? Some find 4 hours a week adequate.

I have just discovered yoga and got so much benefit  that I want to share it with others. Am I qualified to take the training?

You must know the basics of yoga before you can train to be a teacher.  While in training, you will learn the names of the poses and how to perform the pose correctly. Sometimes students feel they can never teach like their teacher, and are intimidated by this. This program assists teachers in developing their own unique vision and mission, along with the maturity and insight to clarify this vision.

Take the support of family and friends as you can dedicate the time necessary to complete the program thoroughly.

If you would secretly wish you could share the benefits of yoga with others and are wondering whether you could, if you would like to share yoga techniques on a professional level, here’s a very brief overview of Yoga Therapy.

Click on the link to view the video.

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Basic and advanced yoga therapy teacher trainings are available.

This is the 7th in a series of interviews with graduates from the Integrative Yoga Therapy teacher training program offered through Body Therapies Yoga Training. If you are thinking of becoming a yoga teacher, you’ll find these of particular interest.

1. What is one thing that every yoga teacher trainee must do?

Be willing to reflect and examine oneself deeply.

2. What is one thing that every yoga teacher trainee must avoid?

Seeking perfection.

3. Is being a yoga teacher just trendy or is it here to stay?

I think becoming a yoga teacher is something that a person does for him/herself so it does not matter if it is a trend or not.

4. Can a yoga teacher still be successful if they are in a crowded niche?

Yes, I think each yoga teacher has his or her own style and there will be students who will be comfortable with that style.

5. What has the yoga teacher training done for you?

Yoga teacher training with Heather Greaves has influenced my life immensely, spiritually and emotionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my love for yoga with others. Teaching yoga has added a rich new dimension to my life.

Anju Joshi
Integrative Yoga Therapy
email: yogawithanju@cogeco.ca

We hope you enjoyed reading Anju’s experience. And if you’d like to learn more about our Integrative Yoga Therapy yoga teacher training program, check for information at www.yogatogo.com and send us an email.

This is the 6th in a series of interviews with graduates from the Integrative Yoga Therapy teacher training program offered through Body Therapies Yoga Training.

1. What is one thing that every yoga teacher trainee must do?

Know that it is your journey and it can only be travelled by you.  You must be true to yourself and that means honouring both strengths and limitations.  Like all travels you will forget some of the experiences so keep a journal and remember that the destination is the ability to know your true self.

2. What is one thing that every yoga teacher trainee must avoid?

Do not compare yourself to the person beside you.  Yoga can never be a group sport nor a competition.  Yoga can only be about your own personal practice. Anything else and it is not yoga.

3. Is being a yoga teacher just trendy or is it here to stay?

Yoga has been practised for over 3000 years and it will continue to be practised but I believe the practise of yoga in North America will go through changes until it will find it’s own balance. Yoga is about finding a balance, individually and universally.

4.  Can a yoga teacher still be successful if they are in a crowded niche?

Absolutely.  It may seem crowded because of the attention it is gaining in every gym and health centre but that is only one very small representation of yoga.  Yoga is about adapting a practise to individual needs.  Yoga can be practised by everyone no matter their limitations.  The very young, the very old, the sick and the healthy, yoga can benefit all.

5. What has the yoga teacher training done for you?
Yoga teacher training has changed the way that I think about myself, about other people and about the journey that I am on.  It has taught me how I must continue to remove the obstacles that I have so carefully constructed around me, obstacles that have prevented me from living in the moment.

We hope you are enjoying reading the experiences of these lovely teachers. If you are,  let us know. And if you’d like to learn more about our Integrative Yoga Therapy yoga teacher training program, check for information send us an email or give us a call at 905-628-6463.