Intensive Training in Yoga

Dive deep into your yoga practice by attending a yoga teachers training course. Whether you intend to teach yoga or not, there is no better way to intensify your practice then by learning how to teach it as you eat, sleep, think and breathe yoga on a daily basis during a residential training program.

  1. Types

    • There are several styles of yoga, so it is useful to familiarize yourself with these before choosing the school where you will train. All yoga comes from one ancient tradition, yet over time the practice has been adapted in several ways to accommodate different interests. Common styles include Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Ananda, Integral, Kripalu, Kundalini, Sivananda, Vinyasa and Power. Some practices are slower and pay more attention to anatomy and detail, while others have a faster pace or emphasize the use of breath as the central focus.

    Locations

    • Some established yoga ashrams (yoga retreats), such as Yoga Works, the Sivananda Yoga Centers, the Integral Yoga Centers and the Kripalu School of Yoga, offer residential yoga training in the United States as well as internationally. Global locations can serve as a way to add a unique cultural experience to your training. There is often free time during the training when you can explore the surrounding area. If you are trying to cut costs, choosing a location close to you can reduce travel expenses.

    What to Expect

    • During yoga teachers training, you can generally expect to wake up early, practice some sort of meditation and/or chanting, eat a vegetarian diet, practice yoga postures--Asanas--several hours a day, learn and practice breathing exercises--Pranayama--and perform some community service in the ashram. For yoga certification, yoga trainings must include 200 hours of instruction, which is normally spread over four weeks. You will be given options for accommodation, which range from camping to having your own room with private bathroom. Normally, an ashram will also have rules they expect participants to observe during their training, such as refraining from smoking and from drinking caffeine.

    Considerations

    • These courses are intense. As well as energizing and fun, yoga teacher trainings can be physically and mentally demanding. Remember to utilize the available services and facilities, which may include saunas, Ayurvedic massage treatments, counseling and private meetings with senior teachers or Swamis in residence. Check with your physician to confirm that an intensive yoga training is right for you, especially if you have specific health conditions, take medication or are pregnant.

    Benefits

    • The benefits of yoga are manifold. According to Yoga Alliance, the national education and support organization for yoga in the United States, yoga offers such benefits as stress relief, pain relief, flexibility, better breathing, increased strength, weight management, improved circulaton, cardiovascular conditioning and inner peace.

    Famous Ties

    • Countless celebrities practice and advocate the benefits of yoga. One example is the musician Sting, who in an 1995 interview with "Yoga Journal" had the following to offer about his own intensive yoga practice:

      "When I really do my Yoga in the morning, I have more energy in the day. I get more done. My mind is more composed. There are more benefits to it than I would have thought. They are not just physical, but mental and I am even coming to believe that they are spiritual."