Choosing a yoga teacher training program requires careful thought and planning. Whether your goal is to deepen your practice or become a certified teacher, several key factors should guide your decision. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed choice about Yoga Folks Teacher Training.

Personal Intentions: Teaching vs. Self-Development

Many people wonder if they can join a yoga teacher training program even if they don’t intend to teach. The answer is yes. In fact, many participants start their training without the intention to teach. Approximately 70% of our trainees begin the program for personal development or out of curiosity. Interestingly, by the end of the training, 90-100% of participants express a desire to teach or share their newfound knowledge. This transformative journey often shifts perspectives and opens new paths.

Physical Prerequisites

While there are no strict physical prerequisites for our yoga teacher training program, it’s essential to communicate any physical or mental health concerns to us. This ensures that we can provide the necessary support or recommend deferring your training until you are fully ready. Recovering from a major surgery, for example, might be a reason to wait until the next training session.

Time and Energy Commitment

All we ask of you is to show up, the rest is always solvable. We highly recommend that you prepare yourself for the modules in terms of getting enough rest before and during (not planning any nights out or social gatherings on the module evenings) and that you make sure you are stacked up on snacks and energy. We always prepare our therapy room during the lunch breaks, making it a rest nest where you can go and have a nap or some silent time during the breaks. Here’s what you can expect:

• Attendance: Your primary requirement is to show up and participate. Preparing by getting ample rest and maintaining your energy levels is crucial.
• Weekly Commitment: Allocate 1-2 hours per week for practice, reflection, and preparation. This increases between the last two modules when you’ll need to plan a class with another student.
• Full-Time Work: Many of our trainees manage to work full-time while attending the training and we try to create the schedule around full time workers as much as we can by putting most of the trainings on weekends. If you have a Monday to Friday-type of work you need to be off 9 days in total. Best thing is to also involve your boss/coworkers into the fact that you are taking this training, so that they can be an added layer of support for you.

Support for Beginners

Our yoga teacher training program starts from the basics, making it accessible to those with limited experience. Typically, we recommend a minimum of three months of yoga practice to ensure that you have a genuine interest in the subject. If you feel very unsure about the set up and if taking a course like this would suit you – take our 2nd Base-training. It’s a weekend training where you get to dip the toes into training mode, while learning a lot of foundational knowledge around philosophy, anatomy and poses.

Certification and Accreditation

Our trainings are not certified through Yoga Alliance, and that is a conscious choice from our side. Yoga Alliance is a great organization in America that put out frameworks for teacher trainings when it was new in the West. We follow their protocols and are above all their requirements, but as a studio in Sweden – we do not see the point of paying a lot of money towards an organization that has very little insight in what we do. As a school it is a big investment, and for the teachers who then want to register with them, it’s a continuous payment required. 

As yoga studio owners who’s been in the business for a long time, we do not check our teachers credentials at Yoga Alliance, we rather look at the content of their training, who their teacher is and how the training was set up.

Unique Features of Yoga Folks

Here are some bangin’ reasons to choose Yoga Folks:

1. Community and Continuity: As a home-based studio, we offer ongoing community support even after graduation, allowing you to continue practicing and teaching within a familiar environment.
2. Teaching Opportunities: Graduates have the chance to teach classes at our studio, gaining valuable experience in a supportive setting.
3. Up-to-Date Knowledge: Our training integrates tradition, research, and science, ensuring you receive current and relevant knowledge.
4. Integration Time: Spanning over six months, our program allows ample time for reflection and deep understanding, avoiding the rush of shorter intensive courses.
5. Comprehensive Support: Multiple layers of support are provided, including teachers, assistants, and peer buddies, ensuring you feel guided and encouraged throughout your journey.

Financial Investment

We offer a generous payment plan where you pay 5000 SEK on registration, and then you can divide your payment throughout the whole course. And make sure to take advantage of our Early bird-discount! There’s always room for discussion for scholarships. If you’re in difficulty, send us an email about your situation and we’ll take it from there.

The only additional cost is the payment for food and accommodation at Möllan, the residential we visit during our 5th module. This covers a shared room and all the food for the whole module. You pay for your travel to Möllan as well, usually the students share cars and drive down together, which is a fun and cheap option!

Work-Life Balance

Balancing training with work and personal life is crucial. You might need to take several days off work, especially if modules are scheduled during weekdays. Engaging your employer and highlighting the professional benefits of the training can be beneficial. Many employers are supportive and may even contribute to the training cost.

Post-Graduation Opportunities

After completing our training, you will be qualified to teach various types of yoga classes, including restorative yoga, and guide breathing and meditation sessions. While it might be tempting to travel to exotic locations like Bali or India for an intensive yoga teacher course, we believe you gain more value by taking your training over a longer period in your hometown. This approach provides several advantages:

• Community and Network: Training locally allows you to build a strong community and network with fellow students and instructors. These relationships can offer ongoing support and opportunities long after the training ends.
• Teaching Opportunities: You have the chance to start teaching at the studio where you trained, gaining practical experience in a familiar environment. This is one of the biggest advantages of taking the training in your hometown over a longer period of time.
• Integration: Spreading the training over several months allows time for reflection and deeper understanding, ensuring you truly absorb and integrate the teachings. We often see new yoga teachers applying for jobs after a three-week intensive training abroad, but as studio owners, we would never hire someone with such limited experience. Becoming a yoga teacher takes time, practice, and a deep level of integration.

Choosing a Yoga Teacher Training program can be a life-changing decision, and we would be so freakin’ happy to be part of your journey here at Yoga Folks. If you still have questions or uncertainties, please feel free to reach out. We’d love to invite you for a fika, where we can chat and answer any questions you might have. Email us at hello@yogafolks.se