Resources & Blog
Why Online Yoga Teacher Training Is A Bad Idea You May Regret
If you’re thinking of becoming a certified yoga teacher, then you might have seen online courses being offered. Unlike live training workshops and in-person retreats, online courses allow you to learn yoga teaching from your own home. Or that’s their claim…
But the truth is, it’s impossible to become a good yoga teacher by following an online course. That might sound controversial (and disappointing) to some people, but in this article, we’ll explain exactly why that’s the case.
Online Training Limits Yogic Growth
There is a tremendous difference between a yoga instructor leading a class and a yoga instructor teaching a class. One facilitates movements and the other facilitates growth.
An online video may guide you through a practice in a similar way to how a yoga instructor leads a class. But it’s just movements. You won’t evolve in any way…
Yoga is so much more than exercise.
Learning to teach yoga online limits your growth and can prevent you from experiencing your true potential. Without an in-person guide, you won’t create the possibility of slowly moving into other dimensions. That’s a terrible waste.
It’s one of the reasons that renowned yoga guru, Sadhguru, states that you should ‘never take instruction from a book or a video’. Doing it this way means you can miss the other dimensions of life. And if somebody misses the possibility of knowing their life in a much deeper way, that’s a huge shame.
Online Yoga Training Can Lead To Injury
Online training doesn’t just limit growth, it can reverse it too. Without a knowledgeable in-person guide, you might suddenly or progressively increase distortion within the system, instead of realignment and balance.
Proper yoga practice will favour a realignment of the physiological system, which also creates balance in the mental, emotional, and energetic aspects. A good teacher will correct any errors in your practice, preventing you from inadvertently developing bad habits.
Improper yoga practice, however, can potentially lead to three kinds of injuries. Physical injuries, mental/emotional injuries, or spiritual injuries are only for the most potent and improper yoga practice. But if you learn incorrectly, then you will pass on errors to your students when teaching, which may cause injuries for them too.
An in-person teacher will ensure through their teaching a progression and an evolution that could not happen through a screen. For example, in asana practice, none of the students can or knows how to maintain anatomical alignment. That’s why they are still students and come to learn! It’s crucial for trainee teachers to bring their physiological body into a biomechanically aligned state, which progressively creates (or returns the body back to) holistic alignment.
When a teacher adjusts you into one posture, it will take you from misalignment to anatomical alignment. Once you are anatomically aligned, then it will, through their adjustment again, encourage an expansion within yourself that you won’t ever be able to attain on your own and even less behind a screen.
If a yoga teacher does not adjust you in class, they aren’t teaching. I personally progress more with a teacher who adjusts me every day for a month than doing my own practice alone for 6 months. That is my personal experience.
The Transformative Process Requires In-Person Support
The learning of yogic culture and science requires a certain discipline in order to go through a transformative process full of triggers and playfulness. This process involves a lot of energy and requires the totality of your presence, discipline, and devotion. It’s incredibly difficult for students to maintain this through a screen and on their own.
All of this transformative work of deep physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual yoga practice can also bring up some serious reactions… There’ll be emotional release, frustration, and elation. You might be confronted by memories you hadn’t accessed for years or emotional trauma from the past, or be triggered in many other ways. This is why it’s essential to have the support of an experienced in-person guide. It’s not something anyone should attempt alone.
Yoga training retreats create a space where self-transformation and expansion can happen. Online courses might show you the asanas but they won’t enable profound growth. This kind of transformative process requires the support and guidance of a yoga teacher by your side.
In-Person Yoga Training Creates the Necessary Conditions
Let’s start with the most basic and obvious aspect: having your eyes closed. Internalization happens best when your eyes are closed. You can’t do this if you’re watching a video or an online class.
But it’s bigger than this…
Authentic yoga needs to be taught in a very committed atmosphere. Otherwise, you shouldn’t attempt it. You can bring more harm than well-being.
Classical yoga is a profound practice based on ancient wisdom and clear science. To create a powerful experience, you need an incredible amount of energy. Part of this comes from having a group of committed yogis practicing together in one space. You need the right ambience and it just can’t be achieved through online platforms.
In comparison to in-person training, online yoga feels empty. Soulless even. It’s the perfect example of how real yoga has become distorted and industrialised.
Make sure you choose a program that can deliver a truly life-changing experience. You owe it to yourself to fulfill your potential.
Learn more about our 200-hour program and what makes our training more authentic than other schools.
