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Why India is the birthplace of yoga & the best destination
India isn’t just a place for tourists to experience its eye-catching natural beauty. It is also globally recognised as the birthplace of yoga, with its roots tracing back over 5,000 years. Over these years, on the sacred land of India, yoga was born as a pathway to inner peace, freedom, and self-realisation. Gurus and rishis discovered that our true happiness and good health come from balancing the mind and the soul.
The teachings of gurus were well-preserved in the texts of the Vedas, Upanishads, and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras to guide people in the modern world. To study yoga, when people come to India, they not only learn postures but also have the opportunity to connect with the ancient tradition of yoga, which no other country can replicate.
Unlike the modern fitness approach, yoga has always been regarded as a discipline that combines physical postures, breath control, and meditation.
Understanding Yoga Teaching- The Complete Journey from PRACTIONER TO TEACHER
The Journey of a Practitioner
Those who have the curiosity to learn yoga and transform their body, mind, and soul start their journey by stepping onto the mat as a practitioner who explores yoga to improve flexibility and strengthen the body, calm the mind, and increase Awareness. However, these steps of choosing as a practitioner are not a quick path, but a process that brings new growth, challenges, and insights at every stage. At this stage,
- Yoga is observed as a physical exercise.
- The yoga posture feels unknown, and the breathing exercise becomes a little challenging.
- The primary focus of a practitioner is on learning, building flexibility and increasing Awareness.
Building Consistency and Discipline
The yoga mat is ultimately a place for self-reflection, rather than a place for exercise. At this stage-
- Now, practitioners learn discipline and routine.
- Practising asanas is no longer a challenging part; instead, it feels more natural and connected to breath.
- The practitioner’s mind shifts from outside distraction to deep inner Awareness.
Expanding Awareness, Beyond the Physical
As time passes, regular practice of yoga becomes consistent and deep, and the practitioner goes beyond learning postures. The knowledge of Yoga philosophy, meditation, and pranayama becomes important for mental clarity, spiritual growth, and inner balance. At this stage –
- Some of the breathing techniques like pranayama, anulom vilom, bring inner peace and calmness, which leads to better concentration in the surroundings.
- Yoga encourages lifestyle changes like healthier eating and mindfulness
- The practitioner also understands that yoga is the direction for connecting the mind, body and soul.
Transition toward teaching
Every yoga practitioner achieves a point where their yoga practice becomes more than personal, and it develops into a passion to share the knowledge gained over the years with others.
- However, this transition towards teaching is a journey of growth, service, and overall transformation to become a yoga teacher.
- From the moment you join the first training course to leading your own class, every step you take builds your connection with yoga and allows you the opportunity to share your knowledge with others.
- The student search for a deeper understanding of yoga by registering for a 200-hour yoga teacher training course (YTTC).
We will provide a detailed clarification about the 200-hour yoga teacher training course later in this text.
Why choose India for yoga? – Authenticity, tradition, ashram life, Rishikesh
India is known as the birthplace of yoga, as it includes the true essence and soul of the practice. Deciding your yoga journey in India means you have the opportunity to explore self-discovery, spiritual rebirth, and overall wellness. Here’s why India always stands out as the ultimate destination for every yoga admirer.
- Practising yoga in India offers you the rare opportunity to connect with the unbroken chain of gurus, where the tradition has been preserved to maintain its authenticity in the modern world. India is a place where all the practices, philosophy, and yoga lifestyle help to create a more transformative yoga journey for all aspiring yoga students.
- In India, yoga is deeply rooted in its cultural and spiritual heritage—classical texts such as the Bhagavat Gita and the Yoga Sutras. Through mindful eating and selfless service, one can experience yoga as a complete way of life.
- Living in an ashram is one of the most unique ways to experience and learn yoga. An ashram is one of the places that offers more than just a place to stay, as it has a community that revolves around discipline, mindfulness, and spiritual growth. Here in the ashram, life becomes peaceful, removed from the outside world and free from technological distractions, allowing us to focus on our inner discovery.
- Not just a travel destination, Rishikesh is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, attracting yoga aspirants and teachers from across the globe. Through this city flows the Ganga River, which is a symbol of purity and powerful energy. It is the town of ashrams, spiritual temples and spots where famous philosophers have left their pure energy. Additionally, what makes Rishikesh special is the sound of the bells, mantra chanting, and yogis meditating, which create a peaceful environment that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.
Teacher Training Courses for Every Aspiring Teacher in Rishikesh
Whether you are looking to understand the principles of yoga as a beginner or a practitioner seeking to become a teacher Rishikesh provides a variety of courses to meet your goals. Here, each course is designed carefully to give detailed guidelines to help you master your yoga journey and become a certified yoga teacher, and the best part about this course is that applicants are taught in basic English, enabling students to practice and learn yoga without any language obstacles.
100-hour yoga teacher training course
The 100-hour yoga teacher training course is for yoga aspirants who are beginners. This training course serves as a base and provides a basic understanding, where aspirants learn yoga philosophy, meditation, yoga postures, asanas, and pranayama. Additionally, this course will help you move on to the next step of becoming a yoga teacher.
200-hour yoga teacher training course
The 200 hour yoga teacher training course is for intermediate aspirants. This course provides a balance between practical and theoretical knowledge, which offers students the opportunity to explore yoga in an original form. At each yoga session, guided by experts, students learn the correct postures and breathing techniques.
300-hour yoga teacher training course
The 300-hour yoga teacher training is an advanced course that helps yoga aspirants improve their skills and acquire a deeper understanding of yoga through advanced asanas, pranayama, meditation, anatomy, and teaching methodology.
500-hour yoga teacher training course– The 500-hour yoga teacher training is the ultimate course designed for dedicated professional teachers. These training courses, the practices are intense, and learn advanced asanas, breathing techniques, meditation, and philosophy, ensuring that after completion, aspirants can lead their own class with confidence and train students with the correct posture and knowledge.
What You Learn in a Teacher Training Course
The teacher training course stands out as a complete journey for self-discovery, personal transformation, and professional development. Whether your goal is to strengthen your own yoga practice or become a certified yoga teacher, the training course offers you the proper skills, knowledge and all the lifestyle habits to live as well as to teach yoga.
Learning Breathwork and energy balance
In a yoga training course, yoga aspirants learn breathing techniques to reduce stress, calm their minds, and improve concentration. Some of the breathing variations are pranayama, anulom vilom, and kapal bhati, with the proper guidance by yoga experts, helping students at every step.
Meditation and mindfulness practices
In a yoga training course, experts guide you through calming visualisation and mantra meditation to increase your focus and spiritual Awareness, as your mind is important to help you stay calm, focused, and fully present.
Yoga philosophy and spiritual wisdom
Learning the principles of yoga and meditation practices, as outlined in classical texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is important for aspirants on their yoga journey, in a yoga teacher training course. This knowledge inspires beyond physical postures, mindfulness and conscious living.
Teaching methodology
For all students who wish to develop their teaching skills, yoga teacher training provides an excellent opportunity, offering the ideal platform for enhancing their communication skills, building confidence, and fostering a supportive learning environment.
Personal growth and transformation
By joining the teacher training, you will recognize your true self, which helps in healing your mind and body. Yoga aspirants notice their thoughts, emotions, and patterns, becoming more aware of their genuine strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Importance of Yoga Alliance certification and international recognition
As yoga gained popularity in the United States, teacher training programs appeared in various forms, but there was no established guideline for what it meant to be a certified teacher.
- Yoga Alliance was established in 1999 and became the world’s largest nonprofit organisation to ensure that every yoga teacher teaches students in the most original form, with safety and trustworthiness.
- Receiving a Yoga Alliance certification is one of the achievements for anyone pursuing a yoga teacher training course [YTT].
- As the certificate provides better career opportunities in yoga education, global recognition, authenticity, and credibility, it is highly valued in the yoga community.
- If a student is registered as a Yoga Alliance teacher, then it opens the door to wider professional opportunities. So if a student wants to open their own yoga studios or wellness programs, they need to register themselves as an RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher).
- Being a registered yoga alliance teacher[RYT] builds trust among the students, knowing their teacher follows recognised guidelines.
- As yoga is rooted in an ancient philosophy, the Yoga Alliance creates a balance between preserving the essence of yoga, which includes philosophy, meditation, and pranayama, while also meeting modern standards, such as teaching methods and professional skills, needed to become a teacher.
Choosing the Right School for Becoming a Certified Yoga Teacher
Deciding on which school is best to become a certified yoga teacher is important, as it is more than a certification. The school you choose will help you reshape your practice more effectively, guided by experts, and it will also help you learn how to teach your students correctly and fully embody the yogic lifestyle. Below are some points that you must remember while choosing the right school –
Choosing the right location
Choosing a peaceful location during your yoga journey marks the entire yoga experience, as it allows you to disconnect from the outside world and focus inward. Most of the students choose India because of its spiritual energy and rich cultural tradition. The environment, which offers serene riverbanks, forests, or calming beaches, helps to improve your practice, supporting meditation and self-reflection naturally.
Getting honest reviews that will guide your choice-
When choosing the right yoga teacher training school, reviews are one of the reliable ways to understand what the school is like. While websites may show the best highlights of the school, aspirants’ reviews are also important as they reveal real experiences of the quality of teaching methods, depth of the schedule and overall support from the experts. To gain better clarity, try to find out if a student during their training mentions skilled teachers, a nurturing environment, and a balance of practice and theory. This is an indication that the school has earned the trust of many students and helped them transform their yoga journey.
True authenticity- why genuine yoga training matters
Choosing the right school that has authenticity is important, as it preserves ancient knowledge, principles of yoga, and philosophy, while combining modern techniques in teaching methods for students. Try avoiding the school that only focuses on a modern fitness approach or offers any shortcuts for teaching, because a genuine training course guides you to grow as a teacher and a person, preparing you for both professional and personal practice.
Life in Rishikesh as a student
In Rishikesh, studying yoga offers students the opportunity to transform their lifestyle completely. It aims to meet every aspect of daily life, from the food to staying in a community of people that supports your journey and opens new doors for self-discovery, helping you build a deeper connection with yoga.
Nourishing foods for mind and body
Students enjoy wholesome, satvic meals that are delicious in taste and fresh, prepared with Ayurvedic principles in mind. Students are offered seasonal vegetables and fruits, which help keep them light during every yoga session, as well as energised, enhance digestion, and help them feel refreshed throughout the day.
A supportive global community
Attracting students from around the world, having a wide range of supportive people creates a sense of community, where selfless service is practised through activities such as yoga sessions together, sharing meals, and participating in group activities. These activities help every student in the training school to build better connections and increase personal growth.
A mindful lifestyle
Apart from yoga sessions, yoga aspirants discover a yogic lifestyle and discipline, such as waking up early and meditating by the river. By adopting this lifestyle daily, one can cultivate self-awareness, inner calm, and a lasting connection with yoga.
Step-by-Step Path to Becoming a Teacher
Whether the goal is to improve your own yoga practice or to teach globally, understanding the complete pathway ensures a smooth journey transition from practitioner to teacher.
- The right training course is an important decision you can make, as it can help you take every step towards becoming a certified yoga teacher. The key elements to cover are Yoga Alliance certification, location, schedule, experience, and student reviews.
- Once you have thoroughly examined and selected the school, visit its official website, fill out the form with all the necessary details, and provide honest answers. Include details such as your health and yoga experience.
- With experienced instructors, you can join their yoga training course, which covers yoga postures, meditation, and pranayama.
Complete your training course so that you can register yourself as a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher [RYT], so that you can teach students around the world.
Conclusion
Whether you want to understand yoga philosophy or pursue a career in yoga and become a yoga teacher, this guide will help you understand the basics from start to finish. With India’s fascinating environment, aspiring teachers learn not only the correct postures but also develop a deeper connection to the philosophy of yoga, develop mindfulness, which will reshape the journey to become a certified yoga teacher.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How many days does it take to become a yoga teacher in India?
To become a certified yoga teacher, it may take time, depending on the course you select during your yoga journey.
Q2. Do I need prior yoga experience?
No you don’t need yoga experience. The yoga training course is also well-designed for beginners, ensuring you are prepared with all the necessary knowledge to become a certified yoga teacher.
Q3. Is Yoga Alliance certification recognised worldwide?
Yes the Yoga Alliance certification is accepted worldwide opening the door to instructors internationally or around the world.
