Our First Yoga Teacher Training Cohort Has Been So Much Fun to Watch

When American Yoga Academy first approached us about hosting the in-person portion of their Yoga Teacher Training at Peace of Mind, I thought it would be such a nice fit.

Their students do their coursework online, meet regularly through Zoom or in person when they can, and then come together for the in-person part of the training, including an intensive weekend before graduation.

It gives people a lot more flexibility than some of the more traditional Yoga Teacher Training schedules, while still giving them time to actually be together and practice.

What I didn't expect was how much I would love watching the group itself.

Our first cohort has been amazing.

They are so supportive of each other. They practice together. They share what is going on in their lives. They help each other when someone is nervous. They ask questions. They laugh a lot. And they are really becoming friends.

It has just been so wonderful to watch.

You definitely do not have to walk in feeling confident

I think this is important because Yoga Teacher Training can sound really intimidating.

I can completely understand someone looking at a YTT and thinking everyone there is going to know more than they do.

Maybe everyone else has been practicing for ten years.

Maybe they know all the Sanskrit names.

Maybe they're more flexible.

Maybe they've been taking studio classes forever and you mostly practice at home.

We actually had someone in this first cohort who had never taken an in-person yoga class before starting the training. They had only practiced online.

And they came.

They were welcomed and embraced by the group just like everyone else.

I love that.

There was no, "Wait, you've never taken a class in a studio?"

They just became part of the group.

Everyone came in with different experiences. Some people were more comfortable with certain things than others. Some were nervous about practice teaching. Some had questions other people didn't have.

That's the whole reason you take a training.

You aren't supposed to know how to do everything before you get there.

The flexibility really does matter

I also know how hard it can be to look at a traditional Yoga Teacher Training schedule and figure out where you are supposed to put it in your life.

People work.

People have kids.

People have families and responsibilities and a million other things happening.

Giving up weekend after weekend isn't realistic for everyone.

That's one of the things I really like about the way American Yoga Academy structures their training. Students can work through their coursework online and still have regular opportunities to connect through Zoom and in person. Then we get to bring everyone together at Peace of Mind for the in-person experience.

I wondered a little in the beginning if people would feel as connected with a hybrid model.

This group answered that question pretty quickly.

They really connected.

They practice together outside of what is required. They check in with each other. They know what is happening in each other's lives. When someone is nervous, the other people in the group are right there encouraging them.

It doesn't feel like a group of people who happen to be taking the same online course.

It feels like a cohort.

Our piece is the trauma-informed piece

When American Yoga Academy asked us to host the in-person portion, one of the things that made it such a good fit was being able to bring the trauma-informed approach we use at Peace of Mind into the experience.

That doesn't mean we are teaching yoga teachers to be therapists.

We aren't.

It means thinking about how we teach people when we have no idea what they may be bringing into the room with them.

We don't know someone's history with their body.

We don't know whether they like being touched.

We don't know whether closing their eyes feels relaxing or makes them uncomfortable.

We don't know what experiences they have had before they walked into class that day.

And a yoga teacher doesn't need to know any of those things.

We can still give people choices.

We can ask before touching someone.

We can pay attention to our language.

We can teach in a way that doesn't make someone feel like their body is wrong because a pose looks different for them.

We can give people room to decide what works for them that day.

Those are things I want teachers thinking about.

And yes, practice teaching can be scary

I think this is probably one of the biggest things people worry about when they think about Yoga Teacher Training.

Eventually, someone is going to ask you to teach yoga.

In front of other people.

And you may be nervous.

You might forget where you were going next. You might mix up right and left. Something that made perfect sense when you planned it might suddenly make absolutely no sense once you're trying to say it out loud.

That's okay.

Watching this group practice together has been one of my favorite parts because they give each other room to learn.

Nobody is standing there waiting for someone else to mess up.

They're helping each other get better.

And then they try again.

That's how you learn.

I am really grateful we said yes to this

I knew hosting the in-person part of American Yoga Academy's YTT made sense for Peace of Mind.

I didn't know this would be the part I loved so much.

Watching people come in nervous and get more comfortable.

Watching them practice together.

Hearing them talk about their lives.

Seeing friendships start.

Watching someone try something they were scared to do and having the rest of the group support them through it.

That has been really special.

And I especially hope people who are nervous about Yoga Teacher Training hear that part.

You don't need to spend a year getting yourself "ready" before you sign up.

You don't have to suddenly become more flexible.

You don't need to start taking yoga seven days a week.

You don't need to know everything.

One of our students had never even taken an in-person yoga class.

They showed up.

The group welcomed them.

And they got started.

Sometimes it really can be that simple.

I'm so thankful American Yoga Academy asked us to be part of this, and I am really looking forward to watching future groups come through Peace of Mind too.

If you have been thinking about it

Our Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training page has the details on the program, the in-person portion here at Peace of Mind, and when the next cohort starts.

And if you already know this is something you want to do, you can register for Yoga Teacher Training here.

We would love to have you.