Hard Decision... Yoga Instructor Training.

I am by nature a procrastinator.    I guess it has to do with laziness,  being involved with things etc..   When I am home and I think about practicing, I generally put it off for a while instead of diving right in..

One thing I am struggling with is the decision as to whether to take yoga instructor training.  This would be the 200 hour  Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training that is offered at a number of places where I live.

 I would take training for a few reasons.   The first one is that it would help me deepen my practice and make me more aware of the physical side of yoga  as well as teaching me the relationship between poses and muscles.  I could also one up some of my instructors on the Sanskrit names  of each Asana.  The second would be to perhaps teach older  (50+) students some day.    I sometimes look at yoga as a youth teaching age.  A lot of the teachers that I have met are very young  (less than 30) and many of the classes taught by them  (and the very fit 50+ teachers).  As we age,  Yoga must change and I think that teaching to those who will never do a head stand but who would still benefit from yoga would be a good thing. 

Now, I am no where near a yogi.  I have a very tight lower back,  aches and pains after a few days in a row of practicing and I will never be where many younger (and some older) students are in my classes in terms of flexibility.    This is one of the reasons that I would say,  do not do this.   But then I think that many people are overweight and out of shape. Does that mean that they don’t enjoy the great benefits that yoga can bring? I would argue that it means they deserve it even more. . Who better to teach older people yoga than a guy who struggles every day to touch the ground? Such a person would not be intimidating , but can still lead a flow and can show how to do poses in a way that is geared toward their age group.   I can also show that even over 50,  a person can be thin and healthy.   And perhaps,  I can even convert one or two to the evils of vegetarianism. 


The biggest reason that I struggle with this decision is that I am unsure that I can dedicate a goodly percent of my life to the practice.  I guess by writing this blog,  you can say, but you already are.    But after 2+ years,  I still prefer some days to take my dog for long  4 mile plus walks instead of doing a Ashtanga flow.   I still procrastinate to practice  (but once I do I am happy to have started).   But the biggest reason is that with job,  travel,  life, kids etc,  it will be a big step.    

Yoga has made me more flexible,  stronger,  more muscular and more relaxed.   Sharing that with others would be a great thing.   I am just still not sure if I should take that next step.

What I have decided to do is to research the programs around me to see what they offer.   Timing is an issue as I cannot take time off from work and thus I am limited to weekends.   I would prefer 1 weekend a month for 6 to 12 months.    There is one class starting in a few weeks that is 1x a month  (all day Saturday and Sunday) for 5 months.   That with teaching and home study would make up the 200 hours.  It would be a good fit (time wise) but I have done nothing to even approach the class or the studio  (back to my being a procrastinator)...

More on this at another time.

Namaste.