Hatha yoga is the catch-all term for physical forms of yoga. Technically, this includes the major schools of yoga practiced in the West, including Ashtanga, vinyasa, Iyengar and Bikram, and any other type of yoga where the emphasis is on physical postures, rather than more esoteric aspects like chanting or studying sacred Hindu texts. Hatha classes may also include breathing exercises and meditation.
Home or Away
One of the basic decisions any would-be teacher will face is whether you take your teacher training at home or away. If training is available at a local yoga studio, and you like the teacher and style, that might be a good place to study. But many students go away for their training, either because no appropriate training is offered close by, or because they crave immersion into a yogic lifestyle.
Traditional Training
Some trainings are more traditional than others. Integral Yoga has trained teachers since 1966. Its month-long Yoga Basic Teacher Training course requires students to live closely while studying meditation, relaxation, breathing and chanting. Sivananda Yoga also has a long-running training course. Since 1969, they have trained more than 26,000 yoga teachers from all over the world. Sivananda courses take place in many countries, and involve living in an ashram, or spiritual center, for four weeks during training.
Gym Yoga
Some teachers and their students prefer to focus on the physical aspects of yoga, and skip the philosophy and spirituality. The YogaFit certification program might be a good match for these folks. YogaFit instructs teachers on how to help people with various ages and body types to incorporate yoga into their daily fitness regimen. This can be a good approach when teaching yoga at a gym or community center.
Advanced Hatha Training
To continue to learn and expand their job opportunities, yoga teachers often take advanced trainings. These include workshops that focus on anatomy, such as a shoulder or hip focus, or on segments of the yoga population, like teaching yoga to people with cancer or cardiac problems. The Integral Yoga Center offers advanced trainings on many specialized subjects. Sivananda's advanced training course focuses on doing more difficult poses and studying Vedanta philosophy.
References
- "Light on Yoga"; B.K.S. Iyengar; 1966
- YogaFit: Hatha Yoga Teacher Training
- Yogaville: Satchidananda Ashram
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