Today, hatha yoga undoubtedly is the most popular form of yoga. And due to its popularity and inclusion of its poses in several other forms of yoga, hatha yoga is often referred as simply ‘yoga’. Basically, it comprises several physical postures to be practiced at slow to moderate pace while taking deep and gentle breaths.
The word ‘hatha’ means force in Sanskrit, however, some people believe that the term came by combining two Sanskrit words, ‘ha’, which means sun and ‘tha’, which means moon. Therefore, hatha yoga is considered to be as uniting force of a pair of opposites.
Hatha yoga benefits our body and mind in countless ways and is comparatively easy to learn and perform, which is why it has been so popular with yoga practitioners.
Below given are 5 simple steps that can help you in becoming a successful hatha yoga teacher.
Decide Your Discipline
“If you will run after two hares, you will catch neither.” As mentioned above, hatha yoga has many derivatives such Bikram yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Power yoga, etc., so first you need to decide which discipline you want to teach. Each discipline has a distinct set of yoga poses and a distinct style of performing them.
Decide How Much Time You Can Spare
Usually it takes 4 week time if you are joining a 200 hours training. But there are other options available too, if you can’t spare that much time from your schedule. Whether you decide to take a hatha yoga teacher training in Rishikesh in a residential retreat or learn it locally, important thing is to schedule your training in advance, as it allows you to take the right decision in accordance to the amount of time you can spare.
Find a Retreat/Studio
As mentioned, there are various sources from where you can get hatha yoga teacher training, so what you have to do is find a reliable yoga retreat or studio that offers training that satisfies your needs and meets your schedule. To ensure that you are going in the right direction, try to contact some past students of the organization you are planning to join in and read people’s review about it.
Get Firmly Settled at your Yoga School
Before starting your training it is essential that you get firmly settled at your yoga school. Most people decide to learn yoga in India and other yoga hubs, since most of the retreats there are located in the lap of nature, which makes it easier for them to feel at home. That is why residential retreats are recommended when you want to take your yoga knowledge to new heights.
Become a Part of the Yoga Community
As a yoga teacher, you virtually represent the yoga community. Besides learning poses, practice a yogic life and try to adopt the discipline that your teachers have in their lives. Develop a thorough understanding of each pose and process, so that you can deliver the same message to your students. When you start teaching yoga, you realize that following a yogic life is more important than the knowledge of poses.