Yoga teacher training is a life-changing program to commit to. It might begin as a curiosity or a desire to deepen your yoga practice but what will surprise you is how much more you can take from it. By the time you graduate from the program, you will walk away with a fresh perspective of your life, body, and surroundings. Preparing yourself for a yoga teacher training program is not only about researching logistics or deciding your destination, it is also to learn how to incorporate yoga in your daily life and train your mind as well as body for handling the long hours of practice.
When you start your YTT journey by being fully prepared, you are going to thrive on your experiences. Building strength, flexibility, calming your mind, and setting realistic expectations are going to keep you grounded when the program starts to feel heavy. Once you are prepared, it helps you to fully absorb the teachings and also become the most confident as well as centered version of yourself. In this guide, you will learn how to prepare yourself before joining a yoga teacher training program.
Understand What Yoga Teacher Training Actually Is
Before you jump into the decision of joining the yoga teacher training program, make sure you are crystal clear about what it actually is. Many people think of this as an extended yoga retreat which is about detoxifying, rejuvenation, and some perfect Instagram-worthy poses. But yoga teacher training is a rigorous program from the moment you arrive. Your days are planned, scheduled, and structured and the students are expected to be disciplined as well as committed enough.
The early mornings start with meditation or pranayama while watching the sunrise, then long asana sessions. Then you spend your other half of the day off the yoga mat, understanding the yogic philosophy and exploring the anatomy of a human body. Yoga teacher training is about showing up everyday with the same discipline and focus to grow. You will feel exhausted and intimidated on some days but that is a part of the process. This is what makes the entire journey transformative and enlightening for you. It gives you a chance to escape from your old patterns and reconnect with your true self on a deeper level. If you are passionate about teaching yoga and sharing its wisdom to others, then this is the perfect opportunity to build the skills required for it.
Start Building your Personal Yoga Practice
By starting your personal practice before you start the yoga teacher training program, you will get one step clearer during your training period. You can easily absorb all the teachings as you are already familiar with yoga. This doesn’t mean that you need to have the ability of floating into a headstand or nail the advanced postures. What matters is that you have consistency and a habit of always showing up on your yoga mat.
Building yoga practice before joining the YTT program is important for two reasons. First is that your body will be grateful to you for putting it into a habit of performing asanas daily. Yoga teacher training is a rigorous program which requires you to physically practice for several hours. If your body is not in a habit of moving regularly, then you might feel uncomfortable and wiped out during your training. So it is recommended to start your personal practice at least 6-8 months prior to the actual program.
Secondly, building personal yoga practice and preparing your body will also help you stay mentally disciplined. You should always remember that training is not only about physical posture but also about showing up everyday even if you are tired or not in the mood. Incorporating this habit of practicing daily will serve you during the tough times in your training journey. If you are not sure about when you are starting, just add some short home yoga practices to your days and mix it with pranayama and meditation. By the time your program starts, you will feel more prepared and stronger to step on the mat with confidence.
Also Read: How Much Time Does It Take to Become a Certified Yoga Teacher?
Getting Familiar with the Yogic Philosophies
In your yoga teacher training program, be it the foundational or the advanced course, there will be lessons on yoga philosophies. These are important to understand as it is the base of every yogic aspect. That is why starting to read these philosophies and teachings before you start your program will help you be ahead of your time in this journey. Explore the chapters and ancient text and build a familiarity so that when your instructor mentions the terms dharana, prana, or samadhi, you are not confused about it.
Some approachable options to read the yoga sutras are the Bhagavad Geeta, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Patanjali Yoga Sutras. These texts outline the deeper purpose of yoga and teaches you the spiritual path of this journey. You can also listen to some podcasts or watch YouTube videos which break down the ideas mentioned in these traditional textbooks. By providing a headstart to yourself with yogic philosophy, you will be walking into the yoga teacher training program with curiosity and questions, not with an overwhelming nature.
Improve your Lifestyle
Several yoga schools emphasize on living a sattvic life. This means that you should eat clean, keep your habits simple, and live your life in a way that makes you feel lighter from mind as well as body. It is about creating a surrounding for yourself where you have steadiness supported and your mind is more present. Try to improve your lifestyle or bring some sustainable changes before you start your YTT journey as it will prepare you for the future changes.
The first thing to improve is the food you consume. If you are someone who loves having heavy and processed meals, lots of caffeine beverages, and late-night snacking, then these habits lead you to feeling sluggish and uncomfortable. To fix this routine you don’t need to force a sudden diet but make small changes. Start by adding more fresh fruits and plant-based meals in your diet instead of unhealthy junk. Try eating lighter meals at night as it is easier to digest and helps you sleep better.
You don’t need to become a monk in order to prepare for a yoga teacher training program. Avoid alcohol and other related substances before starting your course. Cut back on caffeine consumption, reduce sugar intake and gradually swap your regular beverages with herbal teas. This will help you to make adjustments more sustainable during your time in the program. These small lifestyle changes make you more aligned and energized for your yoga training.
Also Read: How to Become a Yoga Teacher: Step-by-Step Certification Guide
Learn the Art of Recovery
When you join a yoga teacher training program, you consider pushing yourself to more classes and longer hours of poses is the right way. But you should understand that rest and recovery are also the two important aspects of this training journey. Your yoga training days are physically demanding, which requires your body to be hyperactive. For this, learning the art of resting and recovery is also necessary in order to maintain the balance.
One of the ways to do this is by practicing restorative yoga. It is all about deep rest and postures which are supported. It helps you to completely unwind yourself and recharge your body. You can also start with building daily habits which promote recovery in your body such as gentle stretches, giving yourself one rest day in a week, and practicing slower poses as well. Yoga Nidra is also one of the most powerful tools to foster recovery in your muscles. It is a guided meditation for 20-30 minutes where your nervous system slows down and relaxes. Understand that resting is not about practicing less, it is about practicing in a smarter way so that you don’t overexert yourself.
Get Clear on Why You are Joining This Program?
Ask yourself why you are interested in joining the YTT program and analyse your reasons. For some individuals, the biggest reason is that they want to teach yoga professionally in the future and for some it might be about their personal growth and having a stronger connection with their bodies. Clarity on this topic is crucial as yoga teacher training is not a vacation, it is an intense training program consisting of long hours of practice, theory and practical lectures, constant self-reflection, and early morning exertions.
On your days, when you feel exhausted and doubt yourself, this particular question of “why you want to complete this program” will become your anchor. Write your reasons down and always return to it whenever you are in doubt. Choose a yoga school which encourages and supports your decision of becoming a certified yoga teacher, no matter what the reasons are. One such school is India Yogashala, where the experienced yoga instructors encourage their students to share their reasons before starting the sessions. This is not done as a formality but to understand the intentions of each individual. So before arriving at the yoga YTT program destination, have clarity about why you want to join the program and let the reasons guide you through your practices in the future.
At its core, yoga teacher training is not about making you a brand new person. It is about peeling the layers of self-doubt and excuses to make you a better version of yourself. Preparing yourself for this journey is to give yourself a gentle head start before actually starting the training. This way your body and mind will be familiar with the sessions, making you fully present during the lessons. So handle your preparations with kindness and see it transform your experience of the yoga teacher training program.
