How to Find the Perfect Advanced Teacher Training Program

There’s no doubt you enjoy your job as a yoga teacher. It’s rewarding, to say the least. Guiding people through a blissful practice and furthering their own understanding of their body and mind connection is a great responsibility. Good yoga teachers are those who understand this responsibility and further their own yoga education to stay on top of their teaching game.

You’ve completed your 200 HR teacher training program and you’ve taught your own yoga classes for a few years. You’re probably thinking of a how you can get a fresh lease of energy and creativity into your class sequences. One sure way to amp up your teaching game is by doing an advanced teacher training program.

There are plenty of teaching programs out there to choose from and the information can be overwhelming, even for seasoned yoga teachers. So how do you find the right program and most importantly know that you’re investing your time and money in the right direction? This article will help look into the finer details of how to choose your perfect advanced teacher training program.

Why upgrade?

This is the most important question that you need to ask yourself before deciding to enroll in an advanced program. Think of your 200 HR yoga teacher training certification (TTC) as the first level that is necessary for any teacher to start teaching yoga. Your advanced certification would be an add-on to the current skills that you’ve acquired as a yoga teacher. Advanced courses are usually 300 HR programs. This would mean, you taking a chunk of time off from your regular teaching schedule and investing that time into the program. So choose wisely.

When you have exhausted all the knowledge from your basic teacher training into your own practice and teaching, or when you feel like a particular training would give you an edge and more opportunities, that’s when it’s wise to enroll. Start this process with clarity and the right intention.

Choose to specialise

Your basic 200 HR TTC would have covered yoga philosophy, a little of anatomy and physiology and the basics of asana, pranayama, and meditation. But most 200 HR don’t go into the details or depth required for you to learn further about yoga. So start by knowing what area you’re keen to specialise in – you can choose from alignment and anatomy or deepen your understanding about the Yoga Sutras or any other branch of yoga philosophy. All advanced courses will very specifically mention one area, which will allow you to dive deeper. Other courses that add on to your profile as a yoga teacher are Ayurveda, yoga therapy or yoga massage courses, as they will diversify your services from teaching only asana classes.

If your basic teacher training only taught you the basics of asana, then you could also choose your advanced course to specialise in any other yoga style. The options are endless, you could keep it traditional by choosing Hatha, Ashtanga or Iyengar Yoga or explore a modern style such as power or yin yoga.

Teacher training team

A good and experienced teacher can thrust your own learning to another dimension and you understood that first hand during your TTC. So once you find your preferred advanced teacher training program, do some research into the team that leads the training. A little bit of internet research will give you an insight into their values and core teaching style. If you’re going for a well-known yoga teacher hoping their name would look good on your profile, you should be able to identify with their style of teaching to truly learn from them. If the school lists out relatively unknown teacher names, then do research yoga directories which allow student feedback.

Location and cost

You’ve already invested in a bit for your first TTC and the advanced level also requires investment in terms of time and money. So check out the fees required to enroll in the program and see if it fits into your budget. If it’s a tad bit expensive, plan to do the course later and start saving up from your current teaching gigs. If you have an active teaching schedule, taking time off might hurt your income, so saving up is crucial.

If you have set aside some money and planned ahead, then you can focus on where you can explore studying. If your chosen yoga course is held abroad, then you have the option of a short refreshing break. Keeping the course local could help you save a little more dough. Find out what suits your financial budget and choose accordingly.

Theory vs. practice

There are subjects in yoga one can learn online and these would consist of yoga philosophy subjects such as The Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Bhagavad Gita and even learning Sanskrit. These are mainly core theory subjects that can be studied in via online courses.

What you should focus on knowing from your advanced training program is how many hours are devoted to hands-on practice. We do know that the real lessons of yoga teachers are from their own self-practice. A good advanced teacher training would have you polishing your own practice and while under the guide of an expert teacher.

Create your own checklist

There are many reasons for wanting to do an advanced teacher training program and to choose one that’s perfect, you need to start planning early.

Once you are clear about why you’re keen on enrolling in a program, create your own personalised checklist. A basic checklist would include the following –speciality of the course, TTC teacher team, course prospectus, total cost of TTC, location, transportation costs, etc. This will help you get started on helping you find your perfect advanced training program.