How To Know If You’re Ready For Yoga Teacher Training 

So you’ve fallen in love with yoga and can’t get enough of it. You’ve gone from weekly classes to daily practice, and you’re reaping the benefits. 

Maybe you’ve attended a few retreats, and with every new ounce of yogic wisdom you gain, you want to go deeper and deeper.

Now you’re considering doing a teacher training course. However, perhaps this thought is accompanied by worries, such as “am I ready for yoga teacher training?“

I had this same apprehension when I started thinking about doing my first YTT. I knew I was incredibly passionate about yoga and had come a long way since that first class years ago.

However, I kept thinking, was I ready to take it to the next level and become a yoga instructor?

If you’re feeling the same, don’t fret. To help you decide if you should sign up for that course, here’s how to know if you are ready for yoga teacher training.

6 Signs You’re Ready For Yoga Teacher Training

1. You’re Passionate About Yoga (Beyond The Poses)

You may have been initially drawn to yoga because of the physical side. Perhaps you even started attending classes as a way to keep active. However, at some point, something shifted, and you began to see yoga differently from every other movement practice.

You noticed how you felt much more wholesome after a yoga class than after a run or workout. Not only was your body becoming stronger and more flexible, but something was happening internally too. 

Now you’re seeking to discover how this magical practice affects your mind and emotions. If so, you are totally ready to do yoga teacher training.

2. Yoga Has Become Part Of Your Lifestyle

Some people enjoy yoga as a hobby or a social activity with friends. Some make it part of their daily routine as a short morning or evening practice to calm their busy mind. Others take it even further and start practising yoga off the mat as well as on it.

The more you learn about yoga, the more you discover it goes far beyond the postures. So if you’ve begun readding yoga books and studying the philosophy side of yoga and putting the teachings into action, you’re definitely ready to do yoga teacher training!

3. You want to share the benefits of Yoga with others

Yoga improved your life, and now you want everyone to know about yoga’s incredible power. 

You’ve become yoga’s biggest fan and a walking advertisement, asking everyone you meet, “have you tried yoga before?” Maybe you’ve brought some of your friends along for classes at your local studio, or perhaps you’ve even taught them the basics yourself.

If you have a strong desire to share the life changing benefits of yoga with others, there is no doubt that you are ready to do yoga teacher training and begin your teaching career.

However, I also want to mention that if you love yoga but don’t desire to share it with others, this doesn’t mean a YTT is not for you. Yoga courses are for both yogis who want to be teachers AND anyone who simply loves the practice and wants to learn more.

So, if you resonate with some of the other signs in this article, you should definitely sign up for a YTT, even if it’s just for yourself and you don’t feel like teaching.

4. You’re on a Spiritual Journey

If you’re feeling called to get to know yourself more, discover your life’s purpose, heal from past trauma or do some inner work, a yoga teacher training course will assist you. 

Yoga means “union“, and, when we practice yoga, we work to unite our bodies, minds, and spirits. This makes yoga an internal practice – or a work-in rather than a workout. Through yoga, we develop self-awareness, gaining the ability to listen to our bodies and hearts.

Yoga teacher training will take you deep into your inner being, where you’ll discover so much about yourself that you didn’t know before. You’ll come face to face with your inner critic and will witness your “shadow side” first-hand. While it will likely be an emotional journey, discovering that you are not your mind and the thoughts it creates is hugely empowering.

For many yogis, a YTT feels like a healing journey or an inner discovery. So, sign up for yoga teacher training if you want to learn more about who you are and why you are here.

5. You’re seeking a BIG life change

Are you feeling stuck in a rut, unsure of your career choices, or simply thinking, “there must be more to life than this?”. Doing yoga teacher training will completely transform your life (for the better), so if you’re seeking change, you are likely ready to do yoga teacher training.

Your inner journey during yoga teacher training will bring to light your self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours. You’ll see how, up until now, you have been holding yourself back or staying small. 

However, through discovering your authentic self and having the support of a like-minded community, you’ll gain the confidence and assurance to step into your power and chase your dreams. As a result, you’ll stop seeking to please others, start saying no and setting boundaries instead.

6. You don’t know all the poses

I hear many yogis say that they aren’t good enough to do a YTT because they cannot do all the poses. However, this is absolutely not true; it’s the opposite. Not being able to do all the poses actually means you SHOULD do yoga teacher training!

Remember that a YTT is about learning and deepening your practice. Therefore, there is no prerequisite for being super flexible already or being able to do specific asanas. Moreover, they will not test you on your handstand, headstand, or arm balance skills or mark you down if you can only perform basic asanas.

During your yoga teacher training, you will break down all the most common yoga poses, including some more challenging ones. The course might help you get closer to doing the full splits or master headstand. But if you still can’t do advanced poses after you graduate, that’s totally ok too.

I remember everyone in my YTT was at a different level. Some classmates could do inversions and arm balances, and others could not. Likewise, some were super flexible, while others had limitations. There was never any sense of competition, and no one was made to feel bad because they couldn’t do a particular asana. Everyone was simply on their own journey. 

Can you do yoga teacher training as a beginner?

You may also be wondering ‘can you do yoga teacher training as a beginner or if you have no experience?‘

Some programs will accept complete beginners, but many programs require potential students to have at least 6 months of regular yoga practice, so the answer depends on which yoga school you train with. You can compare all the different YTT courses around the world on www.bookyogateachertraining.com to find ones that accept beginners.

Having said that, doing a YTT is physically and mentally intense and if you’ve never practised yoga before you might find it too challenging. Your yoga level matters alot less than your passion, but if you have at least a basic understanding of yoga and a decent level of fitness you’ll have a more enjoyable and less overwhelming experience.

So Are you Ready For Yoga Teacher Training? 

Don’t let your worries hold you back. It doesn’t matter if you’re not super flexible, haven’t yet mastered the more advanced poses, or don’t actually want to teach yoga.

If you absolutely love yoga and want to learn more, signing up for yoga teacher training is an excellent idea. 

Even if you feel you are a beginner now, doing a YTT will really take your practice to the next level, and there are many benefits you’ll gain from the experience, besides a yoga instructor certification.

There’s a huge variety of YTTs, so before you book your course check out more of our articles including reasons to do a yoga teacher training, how to choose the best yoga teacher training course, how to prepare and what to pack.