In-Person vs. Online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
In-Person Vs. Online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training— One of These is right for you!
I’ll never forget my first yoga class— an infrared hot yoga class.
I don’t remember what asana we were in but I couldn’t do it. The woman next to me couldn’t, either, and while we dripped sweat, we both gave a helpless laugh but somehow made it through the next 60 minutes.
Fast forward to a few years later and I was now a regular at the local studio. After one particular class on a Thanksgiving morning (more on that story later), I knew that sharing the power of yoga was something I needed to do. Just after I made the choice to become a yoga teacher, the pandemic happened. Studios shut down, they struggled to go remote and the teacher training I was ready to pay for was no longer available.
It just so happened that I got an email from Manduka yoga. They were offering a free online class taught by Kacee Must, the owner of Citizen Yoga in Detroit. After taking that class at 5 am on my patio (Detroit was two hours ahead at that time), I couldn’t shake the vibes Kacee gave off. I popped onto their site and saw that they were offering a YTT virtually. I signed up the next day and never looked back.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you had your own transformative experience and now you’re considering signing up for that 200-hour teacher training.
Because my experience was online/virtual there are three things you may want to consider before you commit to that YTT for the next few months of your life.
Train with a Yoga Studio That Fits Your Vibe
For four years, I’ve been attending a local yoga studio in the south Phoenix neighborhood I live in. The vibe is good and I really like some of the teachers. But there’s something about the studio— it’s great for a hot yoga class, the people are friendly enough but the studio seemed to have a more toned-down vibe that seemed to focus more on moving us in and out of the studio from session to session as opposed to the focus of the practice of yoga and all of the wonderful lessons that come with it. Not to say this is negative in any way, but if you’re looking for a more progressive type of studio, be mindful of this when choosing where you are going to go through training. “The vibe attracts the tribe” applies here.
Things to Consider When Choosing A Yoga Studio to Take YTT:
What does the studio focus on?
Do they focus on alignment, messaging, breath work, philosophy?
What type of off-the-mat classes does the studio offer?
Do they offer chakra classes, singing bowl, Ayurveda or self-reflection workshops?
What type of on-mat classes does the studio offer?
Do you notice most classes are beginner classes and a few vinyasa classes? Or do you notice that there is a good balance of schedules offering blends, anatomy, Ashtanga, slow burn, chair yoga, yin, R&R, etc?
What does the vibe feel like?
Do you like the teachers, studio, location? Do you feel positivity and spiritual and intellectual connections when you walk in or do you feel like you’re just there to take a yoga class?
These are all critical details to consider. If the studio you are going to take training with doesn’t vibe with you in any way or you feel they don’t explore all that the practice of yoga has to offer, you will find that the topics you learn about aren’t going to be fulfilling or give you what you’re looking for in your own teaching someday. You don’t want to end 200-hour YTT wondering about chakras and anatomy because the studio you trained with doesn’t focus on it.
Break down the pros and cons of online or in-person yoga teacher training
Prior to COVID, there wasn’t an abundance of online options when it came to 200-hour YTT. However, when the pandemic hit, many studios had to remain relevant and offering 200-hour YTT online was one way to do it. If you really think about it for a minute, it’s incredible that you can actually learn how to teach yoga— a very hands-on and personal practice— in an online setting. For some of us, online training may not be the way to go.
—In-Person Vs. Online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)—
Pros & Cons
Online Yoga Teacher Training Cons
You’ll likely not physically meet the people you come to know well during the training. If fostering face-to-face relationships is important to you, you may want to reconsider.
You won’t get any “hands-on” training at all. Trying to see how hips aligned in a certain pose can be difficult to determine through a grainy live video.
Can be difficult to coordinate times to meet in your mentorship groups outside of training hours.
If your internet connection is poor, it can cause frustration
Online Yoga Teacher Training Pros
Diverse group of participants from all over the world
Flexible schedule
Accessible for those not near a physical studio
Easier to attend for those with children or dependents
Larger selection of studios to choose from
No driving/transportation needed
In-Studio Yoga Teacher Training Cons
Plan for extra time in your schedule to drive to and from the studio
Weather conditions may interfere with class meeting times
May not feel as comfortable in front of others
Childcare, if your kids are young, may become a challenge
In-Studio Yoga Teacher Training Pros
Face-to-face interactions and relationship building
A sacred place to get away from your home life
Hands on adjustments
Easy access to connect with teachers
Embrace your reason for Choosing Yoga Teacher training
If the reason you haven’t signed up for YTT is because you think you need to live and breathe yoga, or you think you need to look a certain way, think again.
You don’t have to be a certain height, weight, age— you don’t have to cleanse your home’s energy with sage smudging or go vegan (though I always condone that!)— you don’t have to wear the best, most expensive yoga clothes, mat or props.
You don’t need to plan on teaching yoga. In fact, you don’t need to do anything with your certification.
THAT’S OK!
The reason you choose to take 200-hour yoga teacher training or become a certified yoga teacher are your reasons— no one else’s.
I took 200-hour YTT with 60+ beautiful souls. There were women and men. The youngest was 20 and the oldest was in her 60’s. Some took YTT to learn more about alignment, one wanted to be able to incorporate it into spin classes that she was becoming certified to teach. Some took the training together, some planned on working with trauma patients, others wanted to work in the studio.
Me? I decided to take YTT so I could work with folks in retirement homes and in the veteran’s hospital.
If I can show even one person that the beautiful, physical movement of yoga paired with the right breathing and concentration can clear their minds and relieve not only physical stress but the mental and emotional stress, then I have done what I set out to do.
Now, it’s time for you to do what you set out to do.
The lightness and darkness in me
loves, honors and respects
the lightness and darkness in you.
Namasté
-Jen
