The choice to become a yoga teacher is one made with a deep passion and commitment to a life-long practice. Your 200-hr foundational yoga instructor training is just one of the first chapters in your journey, and many new teaching students find that a retreat format lays an incredibly meaningful foundation for their yoga education.
However, with so many offerings around the world, how do you know if a studio’s program is right for you? Beyond the basic considerations – such as Yoga Alliance certifications, style of yoga taught, and cost and length of the retreat – we believe that there are a few key elements that define a resonating retreat experience.
While these values are how we built our 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training in Mexico, they will still ring true as you consider all your instructor training retreat options.
A Genuine, Diverse, Passionate Yoga Community
A vital part of the yoga journey is connecting with teachers, mentors, and other students along the way. Look for a studio that prioritizes deep relationship experiences by planning one-on-one mentorship and brings many global perspectives into their training curriculum.
Yoga is estimated to be over 5000 years old and is practiced in many forms worldwide, so a great studio will teach through a lens the considers its diverse history and cultural contexts. In addition to on-site instructors, our studio often incorporates a hybrid teaching model that includes virtual lectures taught by experts around the world, offering personal connection to important views that are not often elevated in Western culture.
If you are looking to find a sense of community that continues after certification, it’s often helpful to look for a yoga instructor program that has a unique approach to the philosophy. A studio with a clear focus will attract students from many walks of life together because they share similar passions, which enriches your spiritual experience with diverse perspectives and sincere conversations.
Intentional Practices for Holistic Transformation
Another aspect to consider is how a studio will create a successful learning environment for your teacher training experience.
Often a concentrated timeline at a retreat – away from the pulls of your every day world – can help you focus and absorb the lessons of yoga. The purposeful changes to your social community, diet, morning routine, and sleep patterns will also greatly impact this chapter of your journey.
At Awakened Spirit, we shape our experience with daily meditation and yoga practice, fresh meals from local sources, and a balanced schedule of community-oriented activities and personal rejuvenation time. It’s our hope that the life patterns practiced during your time with us will guide the next chapters of your journey.
As Earth gives us the gift of a beautiful natural world to nourish our body, mind, and soul, it would not be teaching true holistic health if taking care of the planet in return was not recognized as a spiritual responsibility. Many yoga studios offer teacher training retreats in countries with lavish hostels nestled in lush tropical nature, but few studios do their part to ensure that those environments are cherished and protected for the future.
As you consider a yoga teacher retreat, please only consider options with ample information about how the studio supports the surrounding communities and environment. We are all important in humanity’s journey towards harmony and sustainability, and your voice as a yoga teacher truly has the power to make a difference.
Connection to a Deeper Meaning of Yoga
Yoga is a complex practice that is unique to each student, but it is fundamentally a philosophy that is practiced both on and off your mat. A path to internal healing for the spirit, and external healing for the world. Many teacher training courses often focus on the asanas or physical shapes to meet Western culture’s ego-centric expectations of yoga, which is only one branch out of many. If you are looking for a strong connection to your purpose and an ignited passion through your practice, seek a studio that’s genuinely aligned with yoga as a holistic channel for positive change.
For example, Awakened Spirit’s approach combines the ancient knowledge of yoga with the eternal intelligence of nature, and we practice this off the mat through seva – the principle of community service. We are connected to the Earth and the living things that share our beautiful home, and so in reciprocation, we provide funding for forest conservation and Indigenous-led restoration projects. Studios can give back to their communities in many different ways, so always be empowered to ask questions as you interview program managers. If you have any questions about our work, we’d love to hear from you.
How do you choose the right yoga teacher training retreat?
The path of yoga is different for each of us, and fortunately there are many incredible instructor training programs out there that could align with your unique journey. With potentially hundreds of retreats to consider, it can feel overwhelming to choose the “right” program. With these three values in mind, our most genuine advice is simply to connect to your inner voice and to take action when you hear the answer.
If you resonate with our approach to yoga, please spend a few moments learning about our upcoming 200-hr yoga teacher training retreat in Mexico or get to know our school.
