Simply choosing to enroll in Yoga Teacher Training is a big deal.  Most of us contemplating the decision are doing so while already working or studying full time.  Most of us contemplating the decision are doing so because yoga at one point or another had a profound impact on our lives.

So after making the biggest decision of actually signing up for Yoga Teacher Training the next is which Yoga Teacher Training?

Yoga Teacher Trainings come in all different forms.  The most popular you will find while researching are:

• Month Long Intensive.  These typically meet Monday through Friday for four weeks.  It’s the quickest way to get trained but packs a ton of material in a small period of time.  You will be fully immersed in everything yoga for that month and do a lot of chaturangas.
• Weekend Trainings.  These are usually spread out over six to nine months and include meeting on Saturdays and Sundays (sometimes Fridays too).  This is what I decided on because it fit best with my schedule logistically.  I was able to still work full time while getting trained.  There is also an infinite amount of material to learn from anatomy to alignment to philosophy. It was nice to have a longer period of time to let things process.
• Destination Trainings.  These are typically month long intensives in exotic locations around the world.  Anywhere from Costa Rica, to Bali, to India.  While the idea of this is obviously the most appealing it just wasn’t realistic for me personally.  With that said I am sure that those who have done their training abroad have nothing but good things to say.

Other things to consider:

• Do you know the teachers?  This might go without saying but making sure that there is a mutual fit between you and the teachers of the training is essential.  I started practicing at the studio where I attended Yoga Teacher Training a few months before I signed up.
• What is covered?  Depending on the teachers, different things can be covered within the 200 hours or training.  Some teachers may focus more on philosophy than anatomy or vice versa. Decide what is important to you.
• Teaching opportunities?  If you want to teach once you are done with training you may want to consider what teaching opportunities are available.  Will your teachers give you opportunities to teach community classes?  Will they let you observe and/or assist them during their teaching?
• Distance from home?  I almost enrolled in a training that was 2+ hours away in Boston.  I am thankful that I didn’t because I know it would have simply exhausted me.  Take into consideration your current schedule.  You don’t want to make your training a hassle or something you don’t look forward to because how difficult it is to get there.

Of course, everyone is different.  People enroll in Yoga Teacher Training for different reason with different intentions.  The above is simple advice that I was given and what I learned from researching before I made the decision.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions.  No matter what you decide, Yoga Teacher Training will make you come alive in ways you never thought possible!