Hot yoga teacher training buyers guide by Absolute Venture PTE LTD

#1 Choose a Course that Teaches You How to Teach Your first and most important consideration when joining a yoga teacher training course is to make sure the course is designed specifically to train you to teach. This sounds obvious, and it seems like every teacher training would train you to teach; but oddly, most training courses are not trainings at all. Instead, they are long yoga holidays where you practice, relax and do personal growth exercises. To spend a month doing yoga and growing personally is amazing, for sure, but if your goal is to teach yoga, you want to make sure you’re in the right course, so choose one that is focused on the practical, technical skills you need to teach a real class. So How Do You Know if the Course is Professionally-Focused? That’s easy, just contact the course manager and ask them about the success rate of their graduates. Ask for a graduates list, ask how many graduates have opened studios, and see what they say. A good course will have a long list of graduates, teachers all over the world, and a growing network of teachers with their own studios. These graduate-run studios, by the way, are great places where you could potentially work after graduation.

#2 Choose a Great Teaching Team (not just a single great teacher) Your next big decision is finding a course that is conducted by a strong teaching team. The “one man” or “one woman” show teacher trainings are very out-dated and terrible for learning—but they are still the most common type of course available. Imagine for a moment if you were accepted into a university only to learn you would have one and only one teacher during your studies. That would be crazy. In yoga, it’s also crazy. You need a large and varied teaching team, people with different backgrounds and expertise. On a personal note, you can’t imagine how bored you’ll get if you have just one teacher to listen to day-in-day-out for a month. It’ll drive you crazy. Great courses, like great schools, have diverse and large teaching teams while amateur startups schools are often led by just one instructor who is making it up and he goes along. You also want to make sure your trainers have extensive experience meaning they’ve taught at least 1,000-3,000 public classes themselves. This is important because believe it or not, some trainers are not real teachers; they just do trainings as a business and don’t understand the day-to-day dynamics that you need to be a working professional. So how do you find this information out? Just ask! A good course director will be happy to answer any and all questions you might have, even questions about the training teams’ qualifications. It’s a big decision, and you have the right to ask.

#3 Make Sure You Get Personal Attention During Your Course Yoga was traditionally taught in small groups, but somehow the Western influence has made classes bigger, and bigger, and bigger until now there are training courses with 300 students and sometimes just 2-3 teachers. This is crazy. You might as well stay home and watch a DVD. A good course will always maintain a student to teacher ratio of 10-to-1 or less, that means 10 students maximum for every 1 teacher. If you’re considering a course with 20 or 30 or 50 of more students for every teacher, forget it. The teacher won’t even remember your name. Why is this important? Your personal relationship with your teachers is extremely important, not just during the course for your learning, but also after the course when you go out and teach. Many students keep in touch with their first teachers for many years, sometimes for their entire career. If your teacher doesn’t know you (because the course is too big), that’s not going to happen and you’ll truly miss out.

#4 Make Sure You Do Your Course at a Real Training Facility You already learned one of the drawbacks of huge courses with hundreds of people is that you don’t get any personal attention or help, but the next problem is just as bad, and it’s that the yoga practice space is often terrible. Many training courses will rent inflatable tents or giant warehouses, and students spend weeks practicing inside a blow-up dome or what should be a storage facility. As crazy as this sounds, it really happens so you need to be aware and make sure you know what you’re getting into. More common still, a training program will rent out a conference hotel and hold their entire teacher training course in a conference room. Ugly carpets, no windows, recycled air… you know what those rooms are like. It’s not a good place to do yoga. So just remember to ask about the studio practice room itself. Lastly, and most importantly, you need to make sure the facility has professional heating. You’re training to become a Hot Yoga teacher after all, so it should go without saying that you need to train in a studio with proper heating. And yet almost all Hot Yoga trainings are held in makeshift studios, conference rooms, or even outdoors without proper heat, and as you know, Hot Yoga without the heat loses all the magic. And as a teacher, you’re really not learning to teach the right way without the right heaters, so choose a facility with an indoor studio, with windows, nice floors, and a modern, professional heating system.

#5 Don’t Give Up Your Freedom… Get an International Certification Yoga Alliance is the largest, independent accreditation board for yoga teachers in the world, and your teacher training school should be accredited at the 200-hour level. Unfortunately, many Hot Yoga schools are not accredited because they don’t want to follow the required curriculum structure, so that means you are always tied to your school and lose your freedom. In many cases, this means that you cannot work wherever you want, and some schools even require you to come back every year or two to pay them more money to “update” your certificate. Remember why you wanted to be a yoga teacher in the first place. Keep you freedom and get certified independently. If you want to open a studio, teach in a gym, or even create your own style of yoga, that’s up to you. Your yoga training school cannot and should not be able to control your career after graduation—but many schools do try. If that’s the policy of the school you’re considering, it’s probably not a good choice for you. Choose a Yoga Alliance School so you’re in charge of your future.

#6 Earn Back Your Tuition Yoga training courses range widely in price, but after you factor in food and accommodation, you’ll be surprised to learn that the prices for most courses are actually very similar. Of course, there are always “budget” course options available, but in almost all cases, they cut corners on teachers and facilities, and you get what you pay for—and poor quality training. For most students, a yoga teacher training is a pretty big investment, but the good news is you can earn back that investment very quickly. Some students earn back their tuition in as little as 1-2 months, but the average is more like 3-5 months which is still very fast all things considered. Your ability to earn money as a teacher is determined largely by (a) your ability to teach, (b) your actual teaching skills, and (c) the type of teaching certificate you have. If you only have a certificate from ACME Yoga, as an example, then you can only teach in ACME Yoga studios. As you can imagine, that’s going to make your life very difficult with such limited options. On the other hand, if you have a Yoga Alliance certificate, you can teach in gyms, health centers, yoga studios, fitness center, schools, and even privately. One of the biggest current problems in the yoga community is that there are not enough qualified teachers to meet the demand. Yoga has been booming since 1998 and shows no sign of slowing down. As an internationally certified teacher, you’ll have many options to quickly recoup your training investment and then build a very comfortable living for yourself working just part time.

#7 Choose the Course You’re Most Excited About… it’s That Simple! Hopefully you’ve got some good ideas about what to look for and what to avoid in a Hot Yoga Teacher Training course, but I also want to emphasize how important it is to choose a course you’re excited about. Passion for yoga is the most important quality in a good teacher, so make sure you honor and nurture that in yourself. In case you’re wondering who I am, my name is Lucas Rockwood, and I’m the largest yoga training event producer in the world. That means I hire teachers, organize courses, and create certification programs just like the ones we’ve been talking about. I’m also a teacher and a teacher trainer myself, and all of this started just a few short years ago when I was making the decision to take my first yoga training course just like you are doing now. Choosing your first course is a big decision, and it’s an important one, so I do hope this report has been helpful. If you’d like to learn more about the courses I run, manage, and co-teach, please take a look at the links below. As you’ve probably already guessed, I think my courses are the best in the world, but I’m biased since they are very near and dear to my heart. Our Absolute Yoga Academy teaching team is constantly growing and improving our curriculum to archive our mission to create exceptional teachers who are prepared to lead tomorrow’s yoga students toward mind-body fitness. Before I go, I just want to leave you with one thing that must be said which is that your teaching has to start with your practice. So as you’re looking for the right course, thinking about your future and your life; no matter what you do, keep practicing, practicing, and practice some more. Your practice will always be your greatest teacher.

ABSOLUTE YOGA ACADEMY Professional Teacher Certification Courses Absolute Yoga Academy’s (AYA) teacher certification programs create professional teachers who serve their local communities all over the world. As a testament to the quality of their courses, more than 80% of the current Absolute Yoga Academy instructors are Absolute Yoga Academy training graduates. To date, there are Absolute-trained teachers inspiring students in over 40 countries. If your goal is to teach, to deepen your practice and learn real-world skills— Absolute Yoga Academy offers an exceptional curriculum. Below you’ll find course information for training certification programs. The 200hr certification is the standard for most teachers, and the 500hr certificate is for students serious about a life-long yoga path. Training with Absolute Yoga Academy will challenge and transform you, and the rewards and the benefits you’ll experience make your hard work and dedication all worthwhile. Teach yoga, inspire students, change lives…

Why Become a Certified Yoga Teacher? 

Inspire Students & Change Lives – There are very few jobs that provide you with the opportunity to impact the lives of so many people on a daily basis. Every time you get up in front of a class of yoga students, you’ll have the opportunity to truly inspire people. What an amazing gift, and what a great job!

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Deepen Your Practice – You’ll be amazed how much you learn from teaching yoga. Students come to class looking for guidance, but they also give back an incredible amount of energy and insight.

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Enjoy a Flexible Schedule – many yoga teachers are former office rats who are looking for something different, a new lifestyle. Most yoga teachers I know only work for 3 or 4 hours per day, and the rest of the time is yours to do as you please. You’ll then have time to explore your other interests that you love but haven’t had time to pursue because you’ve been working at a fulltime job that doesn’t fulfill you.

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Live & Breathe Yoga – Living a healthy lifestyle is not easy. When you start down the path of yoga, friends and family are often unable to relate to what you’re doing. One great things about teaching is that your new co-workers are on the same path as you, so you have a new social support system to keep you on focused on living and breathing yoga.

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Earn a Good Salary – Years ago, most yoga teachers hardly earned enough to get by; but today, Yoga Alliance certified yoga teachers are high-specialized and highly-valued employees who are paid very well for their work.

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Live/Work Anywhere – The world is a big place, but the yoga community is very small. As a yoga teacher, you’ll meet people from all over the world, and you’ll discover that there are opportunities to teach yoga everywhere.

Is Absolute Yoga Academy Right for You? If you’re a passionate yoga student that’s serious about pursuing a career as a teacher, then welcome to Absolute Yoga Academy. Founded in 2002, the Absolute Yoga Academy Group has grown into an international movement. Along with 10 studio locations, Absolute Yoga Academy now has one of the largest professional yoga training centers in the world welcoming students from over 40 countries. Here’s Why You’ll Love Training with Absolute Yoga Academy: 

Quality – All our courses are Yoga Alliance accredited, and our teaching team includes Ph.D.’s, international experts, and some of the most sought-after yoga trainers in the world.

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Professionalism – In the yoga world, Absolute Yoga Academy stands out as a true center for learning and professional training. While some fly-by-night yoga centers offer nothing more than glorified holidays, Absolute Yoga Academy is truly a place to learn, grow, and change your life.

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Community – If we had to choose one reason why Absolute Yoga Academy has been so successful, it would undoubtedly be our people: the students, teachers, and operations staff. Absolute graduates are teaching yoga all over the world. They teach in studios, gyms, on yachts, and in resorts. Many have opened their own studios, and many more are opening each year. While most big studios are impersonal and cookie cutter, Absolute Yoga Academy maintains those special student and teacher relationships in all its classes, and every studio has its own close-knit student body.

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Network – Absolute graduates are now opening studios all over the world as part of the Absolute Yoga Academy Network. This non-franchise, unique program allows business-minded teachers to get up and running with their own yoga business extremely quickly.

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200hr Yoga Alliance Certification | Koh Samui, Thailand WANT TO BECOME A February - June - October CERTIFIED HOT YOGA TEACHER

Now Accepting Applications! Start Your Journey Today Teach Hot Yoga, Inspire Students, Change Lives... If you love yoga and are ready to take the next step and become a Yoga Alliance certified teacher, I'd like to invite you to apply for Absolute Yoga Academy's 200hr professional training program. Our world-renown course is structured specifically to turn yoga students into yoga teachers. It's hands-on, extremely practical, and results based. Over 1,000 of our Academy graduates are currently teaching professionally in over 48 countries, and we're dedicated to continually raising the standards for yoga teachers worldwide. During the course, you'll train in the Absolute Hot Yoga series: a high-energy, fixed-sequence of classic yoga poses that promotes balance, strength, flexibility, and overall wellness. Absolute Hot Yoga (or Hot A as it's often called) is the fastest-growing style of Hot Yoga in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and for good reason! It's a powerful series, appropriate for all levels, and it includes hip openers, core strengthening poses, and upper body postures that make it a very well-rounded practice for overall fitness. The heat allows you to stretch deeply, cleanse the body, and calm the mind.

Join us for this life-changing course in Thailand... Info & Applications at: www.TeachHotYoga.com or Call +1.310.878.4829 3 Courses / Year | Koh Samui, Thailand

Academy

ABSOLUTEYOGA Teach Yoga, Inspire Students & Change Lives

Vinyasa "Flow" Yoga Teacher Training with Michel Besnard & Absolute Yoga Academy March | Koh Samui, Thailand

Step Into the Exciting World of Vinyasa "Flow" Yoga, & Become a Certified, Professional Instructor! The world needs more people who love what they do, and teaching yoga is one of those unique jobs where you can see and feel the difference you make in your students' lives each and every day. If you're a passionate yoga student ready to take the next step and become a teacher, you'll be pleased to learn about Absolute Yoga Academy's 200-Hour Vinyasa "Flow" Teacher Training course in beautiful Koh Samui, Thailand. During this month-long intensive, you'll become a Yoga Alliance-certified yoga instructor with master trainer, Michel Besnard, one the most sought-after teacher trainers in the world. Dubbed â&#x20AC;&#x153;the teacher of teachersâ&#x20AC;?, Besnard has over 30 years of experience under his belt and has successfully trained hundreds of yoga instructors throughout ten countries. Michel is joined by a fulltime teaching assistant and his expert team of guest teachers in functional yoga anatomy and applied philosophy. The course itself is based on the classic Ashtanga-Vinyasa system, the yoga series that serves as the foundation for the majority of modern yoga classes offered today including: power yoga, vinyasa and flow yoga styles. In the course, you'll learn how to structure your classes based on student's abilities, how to create dynamic and effective posture sequences, and you'll also immerse yourself in the study and practice for you own benefit as well. The course is practical in nature, so you'll acquire the anatomy and physiology skills that top yoga teachers use every day. Let your passion guide you to the next level. Are you ready to teach?

Applications & More Information at: www.TeachFlowYoga.com

Academy

ABSOLUTEYOGA Teach Yoga, Inspire Students & Change Lives

Briohny & Dice Yoga Teacher Training July | Koh Samui, Thailand

Deepen Your Practice, Immerse Yourself in the Wonderful World of Yoga & Become a Certified Yoga Teacher! Would you like to become a certified yoga teacher? Join world-renowned yoga instructors, Briohny Smyth and Dice Iida-Klein, on beautiful Koh Samui Island in Thailand for a 1-month adventure that will change your life. Known for their fun and playful classes, as well as for their ability to teach inversions to all levels, Briohny and Dice invite you to apply for their annual 200-hour certificate course registered with Yoga Alliance and offered exclusively through Absolute Yoga Academy.

The BRYCE YOGA Experience: • • • • • •

Learn how to sequence & structure powerful classes to meet the needs of your students Gain the expertise needed to teach all modern class types including: 60, 75, or 90 minute classes Learn safety & alignment principles to give you authority in class Gain mastery over 45, 60 & 90-minute vinyasa flow sequences, including BRYCE YOGA’s signature "floats", core work, and inversions Learn the fun & popular Fit Flow series Develop an in-depth understanding of applied yoga anatomy, physiology & yoga philosophy

Applications & More Information at:

www.TeachBryceYoga.com July | Koh Samui, Thailand

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ABSOLUTEYOGA Teach Yoga, Inspire Students & Change Lives

LEVEL II: 500hr Yoga Teacher Training Take Your Teaching Career to the Next Level

If you're a yoga teacher looking to deepen your practice, expand your teaching skills, and lay the foundation for a rich and rewarding career, then you'll be pleased to discover Absolute Yoga Academy's 500-Hour Teacher Training program, designed specifically for existing teachers. To grow as a yoga instructor, you need to expand your horizons; and through hands-on, practical training, your world of yoga can expand exponentially. Come spend a month on the beautiful, tropical island of Koh Samui with our world-renown teaching team. You'll expand and evolve in your practice while undergoing advanced training in anatomy, physical adjustments, leadership, public speaking, class sequencing, and yoga business skills. You'll learn to embrace the broader world of yoga, dig deep into the philosophical and historical study of the practice, and explore meditation and the body’s energy systems. This is an opportunity for you to take your knowledge to a higher level, refine your teaching skills, and continue your path as a career teacher.

Michel Besnard is the course director and one of the most sought-after teacher trainers in the world. Dubbed “the teacher of teachers”, Besnard has over 30 years of experience under his belt and has successfully trained thousands of instructors in over 10 countries. Michel is joined by a fulltime teaching assistant, and half a dozen experts in their fields of study who come in to work directly with this exclusive group. Each week of this Yoga Alliance registered course is like an entirely new course in and of itself. Expect to be challenged, keep an open mind, and come ready to practice.

Take Your Career to the Next Level... It's Time to Study, Learn & Grow So You Can Share Your Knowledge with the World!

Now Accepting Applications

www.500HourYogaTraining.com August | Koh Samui, Thailand

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ABSOLUTEYOGA Teach Yoga, Inspire Students & Change Lives