The Importance of Continuing Education for Yoga Teachers
The Importance of Continuing Education for Yoga Teachers
Yoga is a lifelong journey, and you are forever a student. After you graduate yoga teacher training, the learning doesn’t stop there!
200 hour yoga teacher training is a lot of new information given to you usually in a condensed amount of time. But now that you have the skills to teach and have learned the basic foundations of yoga, 200 hour YTT is really a gateway for you as a student, and now as a teacher, to gain a deeper understanding of yoga through continuing education.
WHY is continuing education important?
Continuing education is extremely important because the more you grow as a teacher, the more you are going to be able to help your community and your students grow as well. If we as teachers aren’t showing up for ourselves and educating ourselves about yoga, we cannot elevate our students. There will be a ceiling that we will hit in our teaching, and a ceiling that our students will eventually hit in their learning, because we aren’t going to have anything else to offer. Once they hit that ceiling, students may go elsewhere to seek a certain subject or a part of yoga that they are interested in. And you know what? That’s totally fine! You don’t need to be the yoga teacher for everyone. But on the other hand, if you’re further educating yourself on things you are passionate about, you won’t hit that ceiling. And you are going to naturally attract an audience who wants to learn more about what you are knowledgeable about, and who wants to go to classes that incorporate that in.
How do I figure out WHAT I want to continue learning?
Everyone coming out of a 200 hour YTT should take time to reflect on what they have learned, and be curious as to what comes next. Reflect on what part of yoga is really calling you in this moment. What do you want to share with your students? What messages are resonating with you? Maybe it’s that you are enjoying fast sequences, or meditations, or yoga philosophy, or anatomy. A good way to figure this out is to go back through your yoga teacher training manual and notice where you were scribbling more notes, highlighting, or underlining certain topics versus others. Identify where you might have had an awakening and were genuinely excited about that subject.
HOW do I continue learning about it?
Once you get clear on what you are curious or excited about, do a simple search and find an easy experience. It doesn’t have to be expensive- it could be as simple as a free video on YouTube. Maybe there is a book, or a class you can take online. Search a hashtag on Instagram or TikTok. Lean in to that interest, because with a curious mind and great search engines, you will find Master Teachers on whatever it is you want to learn more about. Maybe you realize you want to take your 300 hour yoga teacher training. People often ask me “when” is the right time to begin their 300 hour YTT, and I say that everyone is different, but my personal recommendation would be to give yourself at least a year. Allow yourself time to process your 200 hour YTT, see how you are navigating yourself on your yoga journey, and see where your interests lead you.
If you stay curious, keep learning, and continue to show up for you- you’ll never stop elevating yourself or your offering!
To listen in for more advice follow along on the Next Level Yoga Academy Podcast on Spotify HERE. Listen on Apple Podcasts HERE.
