Reflections of a yoga teacher trainer
As September comes around again, and we look forward to a new intake of students onto the yoga teacher training course here at Lough Road Yoga, I thought it would be useful to put down some thoughts about what it means to train others to teach yoga. The course that we run here was put together by senior yoga teacher Lynda Gregg, and it started after she had been teaching yoga and running retreats for over 20 years. She designed a comprehensive course that has produced some wonderful yoga teachers, both in the local area and from different parts of Ireland. I love the thought that her teaching is spreading far and wide, inspiring others and starting them on their journey, as it did with me all those years ago. Lynda was my first yoga teacher, and here I am, teaching on her training course! I would never have imagined it.
Lynda asked me if she could use my studio about 6 years ago, and also if I would teach on it as well. I said yes to her using the studio, but I think initially my reply to teaching was no, as I didn’t feel like I knew enough or had enough experience. I do tend to overthink things, and also I am extremely unassuming about my skills. She talked me into it, and I’m really glad that she did.
Teaching on a yoga teacher training course is very different than teaching a regular yoga class. In a regular class, you have a variety of different levels of experience, and people can have lots going on with their bodies. Also, depending on their view on life, they may not be interested in learning any of the deeper aspects of anatomy, subtle yoga and yoga philosophy. So if you start talking about muscle function and the nadi network, you may find blank stares coming back at you. As a teacher you have to pitch the class to your students, and not necessarily teach everything that you know. On the teacher training course, you really get to go into the fascinating aspects of the body, the nervous system, the chakra system and yoga philosophy. It’s a real pleasure to share this with the students, and to find that they are interested and engaged. It can also reignite your own love of yoga, which like any job, can ebb and flow at times when it becomes a routine.
You get to spend a lot of time together as a group, and we love to get to know everyone over the 10 month journey. Lynda is a really patient and supportive teacher, and I’ve watched everyone thrive under her care. The break and lunch times are just as important as the training sessions. Usually before I pop in to say hello at these times, I can hear the laughter and the lively chat. These are the things that I remember most about my own teacher training courses: connecting with like minded people, talking about really interesting topics, the excitement of learning now things and making friends for life. You will need your fellow yoga teachers for support when you get your first class, or when someone arrives with an injury and you don’t know what to do. Make the most of the time that you spend on the course and the people that you meet, as when the course is over and you scatter to your respective corners of the country, you may not get to see them as often as you like, and you’ll probably be busy setting up your own business too. This time on the course is unique.
Recently I decided that I would prefer to leave teaching postures to other trainers, and focus more on philosophy. This was a big step out of my comfort zone. I had always wanted to teach philosophy since my university days. My favourite class was learning about the philosophy pioneered by the French writers Sartre and Camus (Camus was Algerian but of French descent) and I used to be totally engrossed in it. I asked Lynda if she would mind if I switched to yoga philosophy and she was fully on board with it. Yoga is more than just the postures, and I am more drawn to the esoteric side myself, which is maybe not as popular as learning to do a headstand, but I find it much more interesting and useful. Luckily I had a great response to my class, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with this years students. Even if a student doesn’t love philosophy, I am grateful for the fact that everyone is respectful of each others opinions, and we were able to have lively debate on a range of topics without anyone falling out or taking offense. It was a really great experience.
We aren’t seeking to produce clones of ourselves on the course, instead we want to make a group of individual yoga teachers, who each bring something different to the table. Over the years we have welcomed students from all different backgrounds: from medical, educators, therapist, opticians, musicians, artists, business people, no two students are the same. Therefore they will all teach differently, and we can all learn from each other. Each teacher will attract different students as well, so it’s good idea to be your authentic self so that your students will find you and stay with you. You will learn so much on the course, it can seem a bit overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to take everything in all at once, you are only on the first step of a lifelong journey, so there is no rush, take your time.
If I had one thing that I could go back and tell myself as I started out on my teaching journey, it would be to not put pressure on myself. I compared myself to thinner, more flexible people all the time, who could do postures that I still can’t do, and I gave myself such a hard time. The thing that I didn’t realise at the time is that yoga is a lifestyle, not an exercise class, and it is worth reminding yourself of that when you are feeling like you’re not good enough or that you’ll never get there. The training will help you to refocus your life in a meaningful way, and this is what you can share with your students when you start to teach. It happens on and off the mat, and sets you on a path to better understanding of yourself and the world around you. Don’t forget as well that you have the support of Lynda and the rest of the team of trainers that you will encounter on the way. Who knows, it could be you standing in front of the next group of nervous student teachers, reassuring them that they will have fun and that they will be ok.