Advanced Yoga Training: What Is It and Why Do You Need It?
By: Steph Ball-Mitchell, ERYT500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP, CAADC
Are you a yoga enthusiast wanting to take your practice to the next level? Are you also considering enrolling in an advanced yoga teacher training program, but are unsure of what it entails? Well, in this blog, we delve into the world of advanced yoga training, what it is, and why you might need it for personal and professional development. Let’s flow, yogi!
What Is Advanced Yoga Training?
Advanced yoga teacher training (AYTT) is a specialized program that builds upon the foundational knowledge and skills acquired in basic yoga teacher training. While basic yoga teacher training focuses on teaching the fundamentals of yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), and meditation, advanced yoga training goes beyond these basics to explore more complex aspects of the practice, from philosophy and mudras to new sequences and yoga styles.
The Primary Curriculum
The curriculum for an AYTT program can vary depending on the school or organization offering the education. However, some common topics covered in most programs include:
- Advanced asanas: More challenging postures that require a deeper understanding of alignment, anatomy, and modifications.
- Pranayama techniques: Often include a deeper exploration of different pranayama techniques, their benefits, and how to incorporate them into a yoga class.
- Meditation: Delves into different types of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation or transcendental meditation, and how to guide students through these practices.
- Anatomy and physiology: Learning about the body in more detail and how different yoga poses and sequences affect it.
- Teaching methodology: Focuses on refining teaching skills, developing workshops and retreats, and exploring other teaching styles such as restorative, yin, or Ashtanga yoga.
- Yoga philosophy: A deeper dive into the philosophical and spiritual aspects of yoga, such as the eight limbs of yoga or different schools of thought.
Prerequisite Recommendations
Most AYTT programs require applicants to have completed basic 200-hour yoga teacher training and have some teaching experience. These prerequisites ensure students have a solid foundation in yoga before diving into more advanced topics and teaching techniques. Expanding and evolving existing methodologies and practices is a primary objective of an advanced training program, and having a solid foundation built beforehand can play a critical role in understanding and learning more advanced ideologies.
Why Do You Need It?
Now that we have a better understanding of advanced yoga training and what it is, why do you need it?
Deepen Your Knowledge and Practice
Deepening your understanding and practice of yoga is one of the most obvious reasons to enroll in an AYTT program. As mentioned earlier, advanced training covers more complex asanas, pranayama techniques, and meditation practices. This advancement allows you to expand your repertoire as a teacher and practitioner and helps you develop a more well-rounded understanding of the practice.
Enhance Your Teaching Skills
Completing an advanced training program can help you take your teaching skills to the next level if you’re already a certified yoga teacher. You will learn new teaching techniques, refine your cueing and sequencing, and develop workshops and retreats that cater to specific populations or themes. This knowledge can make you a more versatile and sought-after teacher in the industry and ultimately increase your profitability.
Stand Out in a Saturated Market
The yoga industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with more teachers graduating from basic teacher training programs each year. Completing an AYTT program sets you apart from the crowd and shows potential students and employers that you are committed to continuous learning and growth in your practice.
Boost Your Confidence
While completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training can be a life-changing experience, it’s common for new teachers to feel unprepared or lacking in confidence when starting to teach. Advanced training can help alleviate these feelings by providing you with more knowledge and skills, making you feel more confident and capable as a teacher.
Personal Growth
Yoga is not just a physical practice; it’s also a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Advanced training allows you to deepen your understanding of yourself and your relationship with yoga, leading to personal growth and deeper transformations.
Expand Your Network
Enrolling in an AYTT program gives you the opportunity to connect and network with like-minded individuals from all over the world. These opportunities can lead to new friendships, business connections, and greater access to teaching openings.
Additionally, expanding your network can help you explore more yoga retreat opportunities that allow you to take on more students and increase your outreach. Hosting retreats is a great way to connect, discover, and bond with fellow yogis and ultimately share the joy of yoga around the world.
Open Career Opportunities
Completing an AYTT program expands your knowledge and skills and increases your career opportunities. You can apply for positions at yoga studios, gyms, retreat centers, or even start a business as a private instructor or workshop facilitator.
Yoga can become a relatively lucrative stream of income, but to earn big, you must learn big. Advanced teaching programs grant you access to increased insights and teaching methods, which enhances the teachings you offer to your students.
Continue Your Learning Journey
Yoga is an ever-evolving practice, and there is always more to learn. Completing an AYTT program allows you to continue your learning journey and stay updated on the latest trends, research, and developments in the yoga world.
You can share the new knowledge with your students and give them a confident, safe place to retreat to for their personal practice. Becoming a wealth of knowledge for your students is the gateway to ensuring lifelong learning and connection.
Online Yoga School’s Advanced Education
As you can see, enrolling in an advanced yoga teacher training program is beneficial for your personal and professional growth. Advanced training might be just what you need if you have completed a basic 200-hour teacher training and are looking to deepen your practice, enhance your teaching skills, or explore new career opportunities. So, why wait? Take the next step on your yoga journey and enroll in an AYTT program today with Online Yoga School, your one-stop resource for yoga teaching and education!