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To date there is no national or international certification program for yoga teachers. For many thousands of years, Yoga was passed from teacher to student on a one-to-one basis, and has only recently (last few decades) become available through group classes. Advanced practise of Yoga is best studied under on a one-to-one basis with a qualified teacher. Teaching yoga should not be a hobby or a sideline undertaken by someone who reads a few books or takes a couple of weekend workshops in Yoga. A teacher is someone who has practised for at least a year prior to their teacher training under a qualified teacher. Many teacher trainers believe that the student should be under supervision of the teacher to build their understanding of teaching and their respect for the practise. A qualified teacher does not take his or her training lightly and practises the teaching daily in their own personal life. The following are what many qualified teacher trainers (those with enough training, experience teaching and practise of yogic philosophy; usually decades ) believe are the minimum requirements for a competent Yoga Teacher.
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1. Daily practise of Yoga exercise, breathing and meditation. In order to make progress in Yoga one needs serious commitment to daily practise. A teacher must have this support to build the solid foundation of experience that is required before he or she can show others how to achieve that experience; daily practise is also needed to maintain the strength and health necessary for the demands of teaching. 2. Regular contact with your teacher. Guidance and support from your teacher trainer is important to continue growing as a teacher. A teacher cannot teach or learn in a vacuum. 3. Study of important Yoga texts. Study is one of the five observances that are part of the eight limbs of yoga. A teacher should have a background of study that includes Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and relevant yoga texts, as well as an compassion for all world philosophies. 4. Ethical behaviour. The five yamas (non-violence,truthfulness, non-stealing, non-greediness, periods of celibacy)and the five niyamas (purity, contentment, tolerance, study, remembrance) are the first two limbs in Patanjali's system of classical Yoga. The other six are
Kundalini Yoga incorporates the teachings and practise of all these limbs. It is important as a teacher to include not just some of the limbs but all to have a full comprehension of the benefits and effectiveness of yoga. These ethical guidelines are a |
part of yoga practise and support and protect the student during their personal experience and growth in their practise of yoga and meditation. An ethical teacher follows these guidelines and offers his or her students a safe enviroment, with responsible teaching techniques that do not push a student beyond their limits and aids their growth and understanding of all yogic teachings. A teacher never becomes sexually involved with his/her students. 5. Healthy vegetarian diet. As a student there is no requirement for specific diet. However, as a teacher of others, one needs to practise a non-violent attitude that comes through a vegetarian diet. Certainly this healthy lifestyle includes not smoking or using drugs (other than prescription) or misusing alcohol. 6. Basic anatomy and the effects of Yoga techniques. A teacher should know how to vary techniques according to a student's ability and advise students with common medical conditions such as hypertension, arthritic and back problems. A yoga teacher should not give advise in place of medical advise or offer specific counselling unless registered in that field. 7. Yoga and religion. Yoga has been passed through the ages as a philosophy and a way of living. Though it has been passed through teachers that practise the philosophies of Hinduism, Sikhism and others, yoga should not be confused as a religion. Yoga is a system of non-religious, transcultural techniques which can develop greater inner awareness and self-understanding - it can help deepen your chosen religious practise if you practise one but is not a religion. Yoga does not require that you adhere to certain beliefs or observe a particular prophet or god. It is not ritualistic, nor an occult. The Yoga texts are guidelines of how to use techniques safely and what kinds of experience might be possible. A teacher should never impose their beliefs on those of student, but teach the techniques and philosophy of yoga - that preceded religion. * |
When looking for a qualified yoga teacher in BC you might contact the Yoga Association of British Columbia (YABC). Ask which teachers meet the minimum 200 hour teacher training and are certified by a recognized organization. Not only this but ask for a teacher that has received a certificate from a qualified institution like KYI (Kundalini Yoga Institute, internationally recognized) or Iyengar, or the Yoga Association (US). In my opinion, teachers should at the very least have been practising yoga for 1 - 2 years under a qualified teacher prior to taking their training and receiving a certificate to teach. I do not believe that hybrids of yoga honour the tradition or philosophy of yoga nor do they give the student a true picture of the path of yoga or even the asanas. I would not consider a class in Spinning Yoga or Yoga Pilates or other classes that use another fitness class based instruction as a true yoga class. These classes would likely not taught by a certified or qualified yoga teacher. Yoga is not a fitness craze nor does it need to be sold as such or require modification in order to offer students a way of strengthening their body as well as nurturing their spirit. Yoga is a whole teaching not to be fragmented and divided simply to fit in a box of someone's choosing. When looking for a qualified teacher, ask lots of questions. Use the above as guidelines for your questions. Ask about their certification and how long they have been teaching. Ask who their teachers are and their training. Ask what upgrading they have taken recently. Be conscious of what you are looking for in a teacher and if you are interested in growing in your yoga practise consider private classes from a qualified teacher. |