The benefits of training in person…
The yoga landscape has changed in lots of ways since the pandemic. When I completed my 200 hour training back in 2015, online trainings were a rarity; in fact I can’t even remember there being any wholly online training courses. Now the yoga world is awash with online trainings, classes and workshops and if you’re thinking about taking the next steps in your teaching journey you might be asking yourself ‘why would I train in person?’ Well, read on!
Like so many other things, an in-person experience is different to an online experience and while each has its plus points and may depend on your preferences and situation, learning in person still has the edge for me. Here are my top five reasons for taking an in-person teacher training course:
Direct contact with your teacher
This is the big one for me as nothing quite compares to being in the same room as your teacher and learning directly from them in real time. There’s no need to submit your questions in advance or wait until after a long session to ask a question, by which time you might feel that the moment has passed or you’ve simply forgotten what you wanted to ask! With an in-person training you can just pipe up and ask away! It’s also easier to understand the nuances of the training and enjoy the learning experience in a more discursive way.
You get to be part of a real in-person community
Community is at the heart of yoga. With an in-person training, you get to soak up the energy and enthusiasm of the rest of the group; you can pick each other up when energy starts to flag, hold each other to account and celebrate each other’s successes. You also get the opportunity to learn from your peers and share your ideas, which can be trickier with online trainings. These different perspectives can be an invaluable part of the learning process.
It’s more personal
You get to put faces to the names of the other people you’re learning with (not just looking at little black squares on a screen!)
Less screen time, more real time
Let’s be honest, who really wants or needs to spend more time on their devices? With an in-person training, you get to put your screen away and engage with real people in real time. No more screen fatigue! Plus, you don’t have to worry about your computer having a meltdown at the wrong time, your Wi-Fi suddenly giving up on you or whether you’ve been talking on mute for the past few minutes.
Fewer distractions
If you’ve taken any yoga classes at home during lockdown, it’s bound to have crossed your mind mid-practice just how much your floor needs cleaning or that your bins need putting out. Your partner/child/parent/pet/ has probably walked in at the ‘wrong’ time and interrupted your flow. Your phone’s rung or there someone’s knocked on your door and you’ve had to leave your mat. When you sign up to an in-person training, you commit to dedicating time to your learning. As you step into the studio, you step away from all those at home distractions that can steal your attention. This frees you up to focus on your training and allows you to completely immerse yourself in the learning experience.
Overall, I believe an in-person training can allow you to feel more confident with your new skills and ultimately enable you to deliver more effective classes to your students.
If you’re ready to upskill, carve out a new niche or just fancy learning something new to complement your existing teaching skills, come and join us for our 50 hour in-person yin training, starting February 2023.
