What makes our teacher training different from other training courses?
Insights from a former student
It’s the focus on personal practices. This is both the development of your own personal practice AND gaining the skills and knowledge to design personal practices for your students and clients, and teach them how to apply this transformative process in their lives.
When I started my training at The Yoga Institute I had already completed a 300 hour yoga teacher training course, where there was not one mention of a personal practice.
I spent my first mentoring session with Rosie at The Yoga Institute developing a practice, specifically designed for me, my body with all its broken bits and my current emotional state which needed some extra attention. I left the session feeling curious about doing yoga in my own home. Was I going to be motivated? Who was going to keep me accountable? I was unsure but willing to give it a go.
After a week I was hooked, fast forward 8 years and my personal practice is now like brushing my teeth. It has to be done daily, ideally twice. It doesn’t have to be long, I don’t need candles, a quiet space or even a yoga mat. All I need is my mind, body and breath (and a pair of sunglasses if I am in a public place, so people don’t look at me weird).
What I love most about being a yoga teacher is teaching my students one-on-one. I also love teaching group classes, but the development of a personal practice is truly where the magic happens!
What does Michael de Manincor think?
“One thing of great value that I believe is glaringly missing from the picture of Yoga in the Modern World is yoga being taught one-on-one, as an approach for guiding students in the development of their personalised practice, the way yoga was traditionally taught.”
“In general, it is fair to say that the vast majority of modern yoga is being taught in group classes, often standardised, not a personalised one-on-one approach. There is nothing wrong with teaching group classes. Teaching yoga in group classes has been a really wonderful gift to our world. Classes create community and connection, provide an opportunity for some of us to “get away” from the distractions and business of our homes and work, provide “accountability” in “showing up”, sometimes a place to feel safe, or just be, and they continue to bring many benefits to the lives of many people.”
“I have been teaching group classes myself for nearly 30 years. And in our teacher training courses at The Yoga Institute, we train people to teach group classes – but in a way that addresses individual needs within the group.”
“Importantly, we also train students to design and teach personalised practices and I’ve both personally experienced and witnessed hundreds of times over, how much more powerful a yoga practice can be, when it is tailored to the individual in a one-on-one session.”
What is a private one-on-one session?
When a teacher meets one-on-one with their student, they will first gain a clear picture of the student’s needs and where they are at. Then they work together to co-create a personal practice for the student. The practice is personalised, designed (or modified in the case of an existing practice) according to the current needs and aims of the individual student.
Students are encouraged and empowered to do their practice regularly at home. It might take a few sessions to establish and refine the practice, and then they will meet with their teacher once a month or so, to review and develop the practice further.
The teacher’s role is to ensure the student understands the various components of the practice, guiding and supporting the student in their practice and answering any questions. Here, the student accepts responsibility for doing their own practice, rather than the teacher always being with them and doing the practice with them.
Personalised yoga practices might include a range or selection of suitable asana, pranayama, relaxation, meditation, yoga nidra, sound and chanting, visualisations, forming intentions, or discussions about yoga philosophy, psychology or lifestyle; all designed in response to an assessment of the individual needs, interests and goals of the student (not the teacher!).
This student’s email says it all….
“Twenty years ago I completed my yoga teacher training, and went on a study trip to India, excited about embarking on my yoga teaching journey. But then life happened. I moved cities three times, had a family, and my yoga practice and teaching dropped away. I tried sporadically to re-engage with my practice, and attended classes from time to time, hoping that would help renew my commitment to get back on the mat.
Group classes were often an enjoyable experience, but for me the results felt superficial and short lived.
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a daily personal practice, but the memory of it is so strong in my body and my mind. Nothing compares to the feeling of self integration and awareness that I have experienced practicing in my own home, regularly, over an extended period of time. A practice that has been intelligently designed by my teacher, with the right sequences of asana, pranayama and meditation, to suit my needs. A practice that evolved as my needs changed, under the guidance of a teacher, with the skills and experience to design a practice that was right for me, and hold me accountable to myself to do it.
To find my yoga again, I need to find a teacher!”
Evening ‘Letting Go’ practice for you…
Here is an example of a personal practice ‘take home’ by one of our beautiful teachers Gill. Gill is particularly artistic, not all personal practices look quite so neat and nice! 🙂
How can we support you?
Interested in teacher training? Visit our webpage
Interested in Yoga Therapy Training? Visit our webpage
Interested in developing a personal home practice? Visit our webpage
Email or call us on 0477 021 219
teachertraining@yogainstitute.com.au
Join us, together we will grow, learn and inspire.