Before You Start Your First Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)

By: Kayla Nielsen

Practicing yoga at Still Salty Escape.

Set An Intention

This is a great way to take your yoga practice off the mat (and that’s what true yoga is all about anyways, right?).

The same way that you set an intention for your asana practice, you can set an intention for your training. If you’re new to setting intentions, think about it as your WHY, rather than a goal you’re trying to achieve.

Your why will likely come from your heart, rather than your mind. And, if you need a little help tapping into you heart, then just carve out a few moments of stillness to sit with yourself, and actually ask your heart for the intention to come through. 

Release Expectations of Outcome

I’ve been a teacher for nearly 9 years now, and when I did my first YTT I was convinced that I was doing it only to deepen my practice, rather than to become a teacher. 

I believe this choice to let go expectations of outcome is what helped me build up the courage to just DO IT. I felt less pressure for the YTT to go any sort of way, and less internal pressure to immediately become a teacher. 

In order to keep the stakes low, I also chose to keep my current job, rather than quitting and diving head first into teaching after graduation in order to simply survive. Keeping my current job allowed me more space and flexibility to ease into teaching with joy, rather than out of necessity or fear. 

In the end, the space I created (by releasing expectations of outcome), allowed me to find my true voice as a teacher in a more organic way, instead of rushing the process. 

Advanced Practitioner, New Teacher

Most of the time, people decide to start their YTT when they’re an intermediate to advanced asana practitioner. It’s important to remember that although you feel strong and confident in your practice as an asana student, you are stepping into an entirely new role as a teacher as a BEGINNER. 

I practiced yoga for 14 years before I did my first YTT, and I was quite advanced physically. Yet, when I started teaching, I really needed to peel the layers back, and return to the foundations in order to be a safe, effective teacher. 

Many YTT students and/or new teachers struggle to adapt back to that beginner mindset when they’re used to being more intermediate/advanced. 

Remember that teaching is a completely separate practice, and a craft that takes time to cultivate and flourish. The best thing you can do is be patient with yourself, and have compassion for yourself on this brand new journey of teaching. 

Book your next YTT with us today!