Health care

I’ve always loved yoga and when my teacher told me his wife was doing a teacher training program ten years ago, I was

very interested. I didn’t want to teach, but just have the opportunity to go deeper into meditation and yoga for my

own personal growth. The first question I asked her was if I could just take it for my own growth and not become a

teacher. She told me that it was fine to do that, but to keep an open mind.

The training was excellent and I also connected to others interested in turning inside for peace and calmness, rather

that focusing on external stimulants. There was never any pressure to have to teach classes and my idea was that I could

show family members or friends if they showed an interest. Towards the end of the training we had to conduct a class.

I was very nervous but received nice feedback later. We were each paired up with someone for leading the classs so

it was helpful in preparation.

A few months after class ended, my teacher was going to India for a month and asked me to substitute for her class. I was reluctant, but also curious. It turned out to be very fulfilling. A lot of my fears revolved around having to be very flexibile. I found that people weren’t interested in that part and it is not the essence of yoga. Other fears had to do with forgetting the sequence I was teaching.I brought some cards with me and it went very smoothly. I was very surprised to later be offered a class at the center and it has

been extremely fulfilling.

Do not let your fears get in your way. If you love yoga and have found benefits for your own life, you’ll be able to communicate this to others. Think about how you feel after a class. I always feel lighter, less worried about things and find my busy mind has gotten more quiet. This is a wonderful thing that others will also appreciate discovering.

Remember that yoga is not a competition and it is about inner transformation. It isn’t about special clothing or having the prettiest mat in class. It’s about finding a place inside

that deepens and is able to stay peaceful even when there are challenging external situations and circumstances. This is a gem that we don’t learn in school and opens up the heart.

Learn more about yoga teacher training and yoga salaries.