Should I Get My Yoga Teacher Certification?

I have asked myself a lot of questions lately. Should I get my yoga instructor certification? Is the 200 hour yoga certification right for me? Will I have time to commit to yoga teacher training? Is the 200 hour yoga certification worth the money? Will I benefit from yoga teacher training differently than if I simply commit to taking more classes? Will I make money as a yoga instructor? How do I make money as a yoga instructor?

These are only a few of my questions, and they probably sound familiar to you if you are still reading this. I'm 41 years old. I'm a stay at home mom to a 5-year old and a 3-year old. Yoga is one of the few things that brings me peace, clarity and the ability to calmly manage the rest of my day. Yoga helps to keep me focused and positive. Not to mention I’m stronger, more flexible, in good shape and I have noticeably better circulation.

In other words, I love yoga and what it’s done for me, both mentally and physically. But is that reason enough to spend $3000 on my yoga teacher training? Is it too selfish and self-induldgent to justify? Is it worth all the time that I will ultimately be away from my family? My mom asked me, "So, what are you planning to do with it once you get it? Couldn't you just keep taking classes?" And, at the time, I didn't have a good answer. So my commitment waned.

Then, still uncertain, I decided to at least fill out the application for the yoga teacher training at the yoga studio where I usually practice. One of the questions on the application was as follows: Explain your interest in the Yoga Studies, including your personal and professional goals within the field. What are your criteria for choosing a school to do your training?

I probably could have written anything and been accepted, but I took the opportunity to really think about it and reach deep down to understand my intentions, my goals and myself. Taking the time to articulate the answer helped to seal my decision. This weekend I begin my 200 hour yoga certification.

This was my response to the above question:

I’ve been practicing yoga for over 10 years and have always enjoyed it as a supplement to my running, as a stand-alone workout, or, more recently, as a way to re-center, re-group and un-stress. While I’ve always focused first on the exercise aspect of yoga, I’ve recently come to appreciate the mindful side of the practice just as much. I feel like at age 41, I’m at my peak ability and I don’t know how long that will last. I feel strong, I feel flexible and I feel confident on the mat. I believe this is the right time to deepen my practice and my understanding while I am very physically able and spiritually open to get the full benefit.

Being a stay at home mom, while very fulfilling in many ways, is at times also very difficult for me. I’ve put my own career and my own aspirations on the back burner to do what I know my family needs right now, and honestly, what I want to do for us. I have no regrets with my decision and I hold no resentment toward my husband, who works full time, or my kids, who need me. However, I began to notice that it is also very easy to put my own needs on the back burner, which I am afraid can lead to regret and resentment. So, for the past few months, I have allowed myself to take the time I need and to do the things I love without the full weight of the guilt that had previously held me back. I’m realistic about my family’s needs – my husband works full time (downtown, and late, and from home most nights), my children are young and often sick, and I have no family nearby to help. But I am also realistic about my own needs – I cannot take care of them if I do not take of myself, inside and out. My decision to move forward with yoga teacher training is one way that I have decided to take care of myself right now and down the road.

As my kids get older and are both in school, I’m doubtful that I will go back to work full-time, as long as our financial situation allows. Ideally, I’d like to have my yoga instructor certification and perhaps begin instructing some classes or workshops at that time. Throughout my life I’ve found that when I am truly passionate about something, I want to share it. So while I know that teaching yoga classes wouldn’t necessarily elevate me financially, I do believe that teaching yoga classes would elevate me spiritually.

I don’t have any current plans to open a studio, but I would at some point like to own my own business. Taking into consideration my drive and my passion, I would like to explore what I could do down the road that could be related to yoga, even if not necessarily a brick and mortar studio. For now, I plan to blog about my experiences during training to help others who are making this decision understand what it is about, what to expect and what there is to gain, as well as how to balance that gain with what must be surrendered to get there.

I’ve been coming to [your studio] off and on since having my first child and moving from the city to the suburbs. I enjoy many different types of yoga classes, and in the past six months as I’ve considered yoga teacher training, I’ve spent time at a few different studios to understand my options and to be sure I’m choosing the right program. While I appreciate various class structures, I tend to keep coming back to [your studio]. Every time I attend class with you, I work hard, I have an opportunity to try new things and I feel more confident and at peace. My first experience in yoga, which cemented my love for the practice, was a very similar class structure and brought up similar feelings. Since leaving that gym 9 years ago I hadn’t been able to find a studio or class that I consistently valued for those same reasons until finding [this studio].

A Core Power instructor teaches the class at [my gym] that I often attend. Every time I am there I am reminded why I stopped going to Core Power – it is a great workout, and the instructors understand their specific class script, but I don’t feel like the instructors truly understand yoga. However, attending that class regularly (because it fits my schedule and my day care needs) has actually helped me become more patient, more present and more positive. I choose to show up, to work hard, and to better my practice and myself, even if it is not the most ideal class for me.

All that said, I believe that getting my yoga teacher training at [this studio] is the right decision for me. I considered a more “vinyasa based” program but I believe that the Anusara style and the thoughtful training and support you can provide are more in depth, allowing for a much better base and a much better fit for me. After a year of soul searching I feel very confident about my decision to train with you, if you’ll have me.