“We are all students and teachers of one another. I often ask myself, what did I come here to learn and what did I come here to teach?” ~ Author Unknown
Yoga is all about learning. On a basic level, we all come to yoga class to learn about the various poses and alignments that make our minds and bodies feel so amazing.
Think about it, did you have any idea what “Eagle Pose” was before you took your first yoga class? Of course not! So you signed yourself up for class and, just like you learned your ABC’s in school, starting learning the names and alignments of each pose.
Yoga teaches us so much more than Sanskrit words though. Each time you step onto your mat, each time you try a new variation of a pose or play around with a prop, you are inviting curiosity into your life and that, my fellow Yogis, is where the true learning begins. Yoga gives us a space, free from judgment, where we can explore the limits of our bodies and minds and, over time, stretch those limits.
Like us, you’ve probably dragged yourself to yoga class after a “no good, rotten, truly bad day” at least once or twice. You could have opted to go home, changed into your ugliest (but most comfy) sweatpants, and spent the evening watching Netflix, but instead you chose to go to yoga. Despite how yucky you may have felt walking into the studio, you probably left class feeling like an entirely new person! That’s the thing about yoga: sometimes its lessons just sneak up on you when you least expect it!
Teaching yoga is also, ultimately, another form of learning. During yoga teacher training, you learn about proper alignment, the roots of yoga, and even anatomy. More importantly though, you learn about yourself and what yoga means to you.
Maybe your goal is to teach yoga in a local studio, or you’re simply looking to deepen your understanding of the practice that brings so much light and love into your life. No matter the reason, learning the skills necessary to teach yoga broadens your understanding of yourself as well as the incredible world around you.
The learning hardly ends there. Each time a yoga teacher guides a class, they are simultaneously learning about their own lives, limitations, triumphs, and goals. Yoga truly turns the student into the teacher and, no matter what, always turns the teacher back into the student time after time again.
Ready to take the plunge? Registration for our Fall 2017 200-Hour Teacher Training is still open! Classes begin on September 16th and, in just 8 short weekends, you will be a certified yoga teacher! CLICK HERE to reserve your spot today or email yogatt@healthyogalife.com for more information!