After getting my 100 hour yoga teacher certification back in May, the plan was to complete the next 100 hours locally over the course of 4 months. From August through November, I completed a total of six, 10-14 hour weekends, put on a 1.5 hour workshop, attended a few trainee workshops, and completed 20 hours of additional workshops (think backbends, handstands, ashtanga, twists, etc). For anyone who doesn’t think it takes a lot in order to get certified.. well, it does. You can read all about it here, in 9 different blog posts, which barely even brushes the surface of what I learned in just the past 6 months alone!
Anyways… I finally finished off the last of my 20 required hours of workshops, and I am officially a certified 200 hr RYT! So what does this mean? In some ways, not much. I mean, it IS huge – I have way more knowledge, and some studios require teachers to have their 200 hour certification in order to even teach. I can also officially register with the yoga alliance, which means people can look me up to make sure I am legit and certified. It can also mean a bit more pay, since you have more experience, and you can charge more if you offer one-on-one services. For me, personally, I feel like I can officially call myself certified – not that I wasn’t before, but the amount of work I put into this certification + amount of knowledge I have accumulated makes me feel even more prepared to teach.
So what’s next?
Continuous education – a workshop with Tamara Levinson-Campos in NYC in December, and then headed to San Francisco in January for an entire weekend event with The Yoga Journal. Teaching 1-2 more classes AND putting on workshops on the weekend (more teaching of inversions!). Maybe in a few years I will eventually get started on my 500 hour certification….
Starting up my Youtube Channel – I am creating a wide variety of videos, anywhere from stretching, 10 minute flows, 30 minute flows, to inversions! If there are any requests on what types of videos YOU would love to see, let me know!
Everyone always says “Yoga is a lifelong journey”… well, sure, but isn’t everything? We are constantly growing and evolving as human beings – things change, and there will always be more information to learn. Same goes for teaching, doctors, etc. The learning never ends… which might seem a bit daunting and overwhelming at first. And it can be. It can get boring. However – a change of context always, always brings renewed energy. So constantly learning from others, seeking out new ways to make teaching exciting, and honing on the things that you feel most drawn to are what we should strive towards. Your excitement and passion is what makes a difference in others lives – if you aren’t bettering yourself for your own personal satisfaction/goals – why not do it for others?
And this is where I find myself – learning not just because I am curious & passionate about moving forward in life, but also being able to make some sort of difference… whether I am impacting a million people, or 1 just person 🙂
So for those who have received their yoga certification – what are your thoughts on 100 vs 200 hours and continued education?
For those who take yoga classes... what type of education/experience in a yoga teacher makes you feel comfortable enough to take their class? Or is this something you even think about??
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