September is the traditional time for us to list information about teacher training programs, concentrating on those located in California. We sent out thousands of questionnaires asking for information, as we do every year. This year, we also posted on Facebook asking for participants, casting the net throughout our network. Click here to see the responses received.
When considering the information here – or any information about teacher training programs, it is important to remember that teacher training is more than numbers (number of hours, numbers of students or numbers in the cost). A variety of factors affect the fit between a teacher training program and a trainee. In order to properly evaluate these, it can be beneficial to understand why a person may be embarking on the path of teacher training. For some, the immersion offers a way to deepen their practice, study the texts and philosophies, develop a routine practice, teach their families or offer lunchtime Yoga at a workplace. For others, teacher training can be the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream or the natural progression through practice (even though it is not a mandate that all yogis teach, except maybe by example).
For those who do feel the call, choose wisely. When evaluating programs, look at the teachers who are doing the training and your relationship with them, how well the format of the training fits into your life and schedule and whether or not it covers the material you wish to learn (such as philosophy, Sanskrit, meditation, Ayurveda, Vinyasa flow sequences, how to adjust and so on). Other factors to consider include knowing something about your own learning style, whether a retreat-style intensive or program that is spread out in digestible modules that go at your own pace fits better with you. Do you love a specific style or tradition or do you prefer a cross-disciplinary eclectic approach? Look for ways to get your questions answered, try out teachers, attend information sessions or talk to graduates. And whatever you do, practice well.
By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.