Your Guide to Yoga Teacher Training South Africa

Yoga is the ultimate practice. It simultaneously stimulates our inner light and quiets our overactive minds. It is both energy and rest. Yin and Yang. We feel the burn and find our bliss. Elise Joan

Are you on a journey to seeking the perfect balance in your life between energy and rest?  

You have been practising yoga on a daily basis, but an hour of your day is simply not enough. You want to be engulfed in this meditation practice every single day, every single hour. 

Yoga has become your Yin and Yang and your passion for this beautiful practice is propelling you towards your purpose — becoming a yoga teacher. 

You are ready to become a yoga teacher and you would like to master each asana and cherish every breath. In this article, we are diving into the steps on how to become a yoga teacher. 

Now let’s get your journey started ...

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Step 1: Why Become a Yoga Teacher? 

The yoga pose is not the goal. Becoming flexible is not the goal. Standing on your hands is not the goal. The goal is serenity. Balance. Truly finding peace in your own skin. Rachel Brathen

The first and most important step in your journey is to have a clear ‘why’. Why do you aspire to become a yoga instructor? 

Yoga is a challenging, yet rewarding profession. It is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline that will stretch your mental and physical capacity to places you never knew existed. 

Did you know that only 30% of ambitious yogis complete their yoga journey?

If you are serious about becoming a yoga teacher, here are a series of questions you can ask yourself:

• Am I ready to dedicate 100% of myself and all of my days to yoga? 
• Is it my intention to pursue lifelong learning? 
• Will I be able to be technically proficient in both traditional yoga and its variations?
• Will I have the capacity to prepare both my individual and group training sessions in addition to my own training?

There are certain qualities a yoga instructor needs to have in order to be successful. If you answered yes to the questions above you are ready to tick off the following qualities: 

• Authenticity
• Adaptability
• Ability to connect to yourself and others
• Preparation
• Flexibility - in more ways than one
• Relatable
• Warmth and friendliness. 

If you possess these qualities or think you can learn some of these qualities it’s time to take the next step towards becoming a yoga teacher. 

Step 2: Decide which Yoga Practice You’d Love to Teach

The beautiful thing about yoga is that there are so many different approaches. As we go through our life cycles, hopefully we are able to find a practice that suits us. Tiffany Cruikshank

There are four main yoga styles that are taught in South Africa. They are: 

• Vinyasa yoga
• Hatha yoga
• Ashtanga yoga
• Kundalini yoga

Deciding which yoga style is your favourite is an exciting journey. By attending various classes and exploring different styles you can determine which one you prefer the most. 

Like more than one? There are many teacher training courses that offer a combination of techniques.

Which yoga style is your favourite?

Let’s move along to the next step of your journey …

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Step 3: Find the Yoga Instructor Course That Best Suits Your Needs

Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame. B.K.S. Iyengar

A 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) course is the basic course to become a certified yoga instructor. You can do this part- or full-time depending on your schedule. 

Part-time study is ideal if you have a permanent job or have other responsibilities that fill your schedule during the week. These courses run over weekends and will also need one of your evenings during the week. This is spread out over 2-3 months.

The investment for a 200-hour yoga instructor programme ranges between R15 000 to R30 000 depending on what the course entails and the school/instructor presenting the course.

Many of the programmes have offers like early bird discounts, and some of them also have a payment plan in place where you pay a monthly instalment until you have paid the full amount. 

The best yoga instructor course in South Africa will be accredited by Yoga Alliance International. Yoga Alliance is the most popular international accreditation for acquiring the title of yoga teacher. There are many schools in South Africa offering a Yoga Alliance internationally accredited certification, the one you select will depend on which yoga style you are passionate about.

After the completion of your 200-hour internationally accredited programme, you can complete a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training. You will then become a 500-hour yoga teacher. 

The good news is that you can also complete the 300 hours either part- or full-time. The extra 300 hours of training help you to not only deepen your practice but to get a deeper level of knowledge about the many different aspects of yoga. 

In a serene setting with beautiful views of the forest you will find Wellness Connection. It is an intimate studio in Hout Bay, Cape Town and is Yoga Alliance accredited. One of the benefits of taking courses with them is you can do your training in-studio or online.  This is only one of many amazing training studios in Cape Town and South Africa.

If you are looking for a more exotic programme and experience you can make your way straight to India. The ancient roots of yoga.

Did you know that yoga originated 5 000 years ago in Northern India?

With over 500 YTT courses available, you will definitely find a programme that is right for you.

Step 4: Moulding Your Own Method

Yoga is not a workout, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice; to make us teachable; to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are. Rolf Gates

When you have your teacher training under your belt and you are a registered yoga teacher it’s time to find your own feet within your practice. 

You will need to discover your own teaching method, the one that matches your personality the best. Specialising in a certain style can help you differentiate yourself from other teachers. Here are a few suggestions you can specialise in:

• Prenatal yoga
• Children’s yoga
• Bikram yoga, also called HOT26
• Yin Yoga 
• Restorative yoga

There are various courses available in South Africa to help you specialise in a specific yoga style apart from your 200/500 hours teacher training. The more you do your meditative practice the more experience you will gain. When you capture every experience you will start to realise which speciality will ignite the fire from within.

Constant learning and improving your teaching technique is key to making your yoga career a success. You can do this by:

• Asking your students to give you feedback
• Train in another discipline such as meditation or breath work, to compliment your current practice
• Train with other yoga professionals 
• Read articles and books about yoga and teaching
• You are almost there. Here is the final step.

Step 5: Put Yourself Out There

Let your practice be a celebration of life. Seido Lee deBarros

Well done on completing your yoga teacher certification. You are now ready to find a job as a yoga instructor. But first, you have to decide which type of job you would like to pursue. Here are the possibilities based on your preference: 

• Teaching at a yoga studio
• An independent teacher that gives private lessons. You can be a teacher at private/public schools or set up your own yoga studio
• A volunteer teacher

From the start you might know what kind of employment suits you. If you don’t, you will need to be prepared to take on various types of jobs to determine which is the right fit for you. 

Whatever employment type you choose, it’s important to be proactive and make yourself known through various channels:

• Networking - word of mouth is one of the best marketing tactics.
• Create social media channels that showcase who you are, what you specialise in and how you can help others through practising yoga. 
• Record yoga lessons and videos, start a YouTube channel and post them on there
• Get a website designed and start a yoga blog and write about anything that relates to yoga. Alongside a blog you can connect your social channels to your blog and share information that is relevant. 
• Tutor on a platform like Superprof.

Take a deep breath in, now release and start your yoga teacher journey …