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| I am considering taking a two day course to get certified to teach Yoga in fitness clubs. My Yoga teacher at the community center where I go went there. I was wondering if anyone here had an opinion on YogaFit or not. Thanks, Rachael |
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Moderator
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Location: San Antonio, Republic of Texas USA | Woo hoo Rachael--I can't wait to see how our esteemed guru on this forum, YogaDancer, responds--She's not a Yoga Fit fan.I've been practicing Bikram and Power Yoga for just about a year now and wouldn't think about teaching it--I'm learning every day in class and from other yoga practitioners. I had a new Bikram teacher the other week who, after 2 MONTHS of teacher training, twisted my neck during an asana when I wasn't ready and my neck is still tender. That would be my concern in taking some quickie teacher training then holding court in a public forum--do you think you'd be prepared to deal with prople you don't know rolling into the health club to take class? What are their physical restricitions? Would you be prepare to deal with a student's physical emergencies? WOuld you be wisened enough not to have prople getting hurt, i.e., a 25 year old woman's body is quite a bit different from a 50 year old man's.
I can see where you be excited to do this and I'd like to take the course myself BUT, I wouldn't be wanting to teach on my own and risk somebody getting hurt and me sued into next week. |
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| Rachel I totally agree with Bruce I wouldn't feel comfortable teaching a classes after only two days of training. If I new my instuctor did a two day training I wouldn't hang around. I have been practicing for years and I still learn new things. |
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| Rachael, why do the watered down version of a cheap copy of yoga if I can have the original?
Also I don't think that this is a certificate to teach yoga but only Yoga Fit, which is exactly what I wrote in the first line.
And as an aspiring teacher you should ask yourself of how much value is a certificate that you can get in 2 (in words: two!) days (not years, days!!!) anyways??????????
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| Hi Rachael,
Sorry that you are getting so much negative feedback, but then you did ask for opinions. It's difficult to offer advice, knowing so little about you, but, in my opinion, if you seriously aspire to teach yoga and can manage it from a financial and time perspective, try to see what other alternatives are available as far as teacher training goes. I think there are quite a few. As others have said, how could you possibly learn enough in a 2-day course to teach much of anything? On the other hand, if you have been practicing yoga for years and done some other type of teaching, MAYBE that would be enough to supplement the mini course.
Good luck! |
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| Sorry if I sounded a little harsh. But I really don't think much about yoga fit and stuff like that. This is a form of wannabee-yoga you mostly find in gyms and "lifestyle-fitness-wellness-clubs" where the management is too cheap to hire a real yoga teacher and were the members are not interested in the real thing.
On the other hand, if you are already experienced it's a nice way to earn some bucks from rich & stupid beautiful people 
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Location: San Antonio, Republic of Texas USA | Ya know, if I were beautiful and rich, being stupid would not be much of a handicap--sounds like a pretty good life to me  |
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| Yeesh! There's a generalization! I'm not rich or stupid but I get my yoga fix from the gym! It's financially more practical for me as I like to do weights and it's great for cardio in the rain or when the pollen asphyxiates you the second you get outside...Plus, it can be a good way to introduce people to yoga. I know that as a newbie I would have never had the guts to walk into a studio in town - but figured that at the gym there would be some clueless folk like myself. It seems to be slowly changing, but there is a preconception of yogis as a bunch of hairy levitating hippies hanging out in a circle holding hands and chanting. I lucked out with teachers at the gym - 2 of the four that I've had also teach at studios in town and I've learned a lot from them. Teaching at the gym is a great way for them to bring yoga to people who might not find it otherwise and helps to supplement their income.
Back to the training issue, though, I know that I would be incredibly wary of a teacher with a weekend certificate. I've been practicing for 7 months and I'm still learning little things about basic postures and how the body works. There are so many itty-bitty adjustments that make big differences that it would be impossible to learn them in 16-20 hours. I would think a certificate like that would only qualify someone to teach a level 1 class - the level that needs even more individual instruction and attention! Rachel, if you can work it out at all - even if you have to wait for a time - consider taking a longer class with more in depth instruction. It's an investment in yourself and your future students. |
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| Thank all of you for your opinion. And please do not worry about my feelings, I asked... AS it turns out I am not going to have the money for the certification this month. You are right it is only a Level 1 certification. There are other certifications through out the year to add to your training. I have been practicing Yoga as an art for about 5 years, I have been unknowingly doing Yoga since I was about 7 in my classical ballet training. The ballet ruined my body and made other forms of excercise painful and harmful to my body. Thats why I started Yoga, only to find out it was the perfection of the stretches I had been doing on my own and in ballet for years. stretching is like breathing for me and I can not imagine living without it. I learned about Yoga Fit from my intructor at the local community center. I have been taking with her for a year and she is great. I took a class at UoM from Dr. Bob ( I like to call him PychoBob) and while there twice a week I realized I could do this better than he could and would actual love to put Yoga Intructor behind my name. I have check out one other place in town called Midtown Yoga. They are prolly the best place for training, but I cant afford the classes.
If anyone has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them. Either here or in email. Thank you all so much.
Rachael Vint |
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Location: San Antonio, Republic of Texas USA | Rach, I was telling my teacher that I really wanted to be a Bikram instructor BUT, wondered how I'd get two months off from work, pay the tuition and support myself and my family. She said I just don't want to do it bad enough. Many others in worse financial shape have done it--get a loan she said. |
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| Rachael,
I'm going to make some pretty blunt statements here, but it's all I can do. Yoga Fit is unfortunately gaining some momentum and is the standard bearer of american capitalization on ignorance and trends with regard to yoga. I have no doubt that there are some well intentioned people in their organization, but their implementation is dangerous and harmful. In my 10 month long teacher training, there were several people there who had participated in the Yoga Fit weekend certification program. They had no good things to say whatsoever. They had barely learned the sequence of postures taught, let alone real adjustments and options, anatomy, and dealing with injured or elderly people. They were taught nothing of yoga philosophy. This is akin to learning how to do a reverse punch and a front kick in a weekend seminar and calling yourself a karate teacher. Such a person might be able to model the action perfectly, but if it came down to a real fight, they would be worthless. It is a complete dilution of the teachings of yoga and destroys the value of this practice.
Once again, I know this is blunt, but wanting to put yoga instructor behind your name is not good enough. This is not stretching and it is not lifting weights nor is it a way to get an ego boost. Teachers of yoga encounter different challanges with their students. It is not just physical exercise. There is a reason it totally rehabilitated your body. A yoga teacher MUST have something more then a weekend certificate. It takes dedication and personal practice and experience. Otherwise, you will be able to model a pose nicely, but when it really comes down to a specific challange with a real human being, that certificate will be worthless and may result in injury and suffering. Such a teacher might as well teach calesthenics because that's all yoga is when there is physical movement but no understanding and transmission of the heart of the practice. The famous and popular teachers of this practice didn't get that way because they were lucky.
My recommendation would be to find a yoga studio that offers teacher training with an experienced instructor. A decent standard emerging is the RYT 200 certification defined by Yoga Alliance, which, while not necessarily guaranteeing the quality of training you'll receive, at least sets some minimum standards for the material you will cover. It will cost more and require a substantial time investment compared to Yoga Fit, but the results will be apparent in your own life, in your confidence teaching, and in the results your students experience. When certified, they also work with liability insurance companies to help you protect yourself, and they are also the leading force in yoga making headway with getting health insurance companies to recognize yoga as a valid form of reimbursable therapy. Find them at www.yogaaliance.org.
Good luck with your path,
James
PS - Since I bashed YogaFit earlier in this message, I should mention that I've heard they are working on getting an RYT 200 teacher training course organized, or may have done so. This at least is better then nothing, but does nothing to address the damage already done.
Edited by TaoOfYoga 2004-07-14 12:33 AM
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| << I lucked out with teachers at the gym - 2 of the four that I've had also teach at studios in town and I've learned a lot from them. >>
Lora, I wasn't bashing yoga at gym but only this so-called yogafit and the very questionable training system for their teachers. In my eyes that's nothing but a conspiracy of the big health clubs so that they are able to jump on the train and offer yoga classes without much trouble.
See, in my town there are 2 big clubs. When I shopped around for what they have on offer "Virgin Active" told me they only offer YogaFit while "Planet Fitness" has real yoga with real yoga teachers on the menu. Guess which club I joined. |
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| Thank you all so much for your information. because of your words of caution I have re-thought my options. I am going to take this semester in school and get caught up on my bills with the school loan money and then next semester, I am going to take that same loan and go to Midtown Yoga here in memphis for the teacher training. it is a 200 hour program and it on the yoga alliance approved list. the women who teaches it is from New York and her recommendations are credible. Thank all of you for your input. This really is important enough to me to do right. In the mean time though if any of you have any ideas how i can add to the money to pay for the training, I would love to hear them.
Again thank you,
Rachael |
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| Is this a studio you've been studying with frequently? I know some offer scholarships for training programs to dedicated students. Also, is the teacher coming in from New York or is she someone who works with the studio? Either way, you may be able to work out a work/study program to alleviate some of the costs. Good luck, and let us know how it goes! |
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Elite Veteran
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| I thought all of the posts here were very interesting.... when I look for a teacher, I look for someone who has been practicing for quite sometime, and generally teaching for a few years... I want to know that the person I am working with has done yoga while sick and/ or injured and will be helpful and understanding towards me in the even that I am sick/ injured. Just some info on what prospective students might be looking for.
As to Yoga Alliance, I know that this, in general, is like a quality assurance group. But WHO are they and how do these people have the knowledge/ authority to make themselves suddenly so powerful w/in the yoga industry?
I think there are always going to be quacks teaching yoga and that YA is simply trying to franchise yoga. |
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| Hi There,
Well, there is certainly much judegement out there in the yoga community isn't there. YogaFit level 1 - is just what the name implys ( an introduction to yoga basics) what everyone failed to inform you is that there is a level 2, level 3 and a repeat level 1, 2 and 3 and level 4 - which is a 4 day training. Additionally there is a yogafit for pre/post pregnancy, for the senior citizen and for the child. If yogafit visits your area regularly you can get in a total of of hours that will qualify you for yoga alliance. I do not think anyone is ready to teach with only level 1, I think if you take the first 3 levels you would be prepared to teach the basics. Generaly this program is geared toward certified fitness instructor, personal trainers, etc. people who already have training in exercise science. Usually in todays world you cannot teach in most reputable studios without a 4 year degree in a related field, Certified by American Council on Exercise (which involves passing a tough national test) which by the way, no yoga teacher has to pass any national exam to the best of my knowledge) or cerified by another nationally recognized organization, which teacher are able to recieve liability insurance, etc.. So that being said, perhaps before those who are ill informed rip apart an organization, they should look deeper at their own qualifications. I have been to teachers with so called traditional yoga training, who are unsafe, uninspiring, etc.. It's a matter of the individuals sense of responsibility combined with passion. I have a diverified background - I'm a recreation therapist, cerified fitness instructor, Kripalu dance instructor, trained in vinyasa flow under Shiva Rea, and yes, have taken yogafit level 1,2, 3 because it came to my area and didn't involve me becomig bankrupt to take the training. Lets face it, yoga teachers are lucky to make $25.00-$50.00 a class, so making a living off of it is tough but possible. Good luck and just start taking training, you don't have to take just yoga fit, you can take the independent study track through yoga alliance, using a variety of sources to become registered. Registered will have more meaning in the future then certied. Good luck. Namaste. |
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| Tyoga,
It appears that there is only one person on this board making actual judgements about anyone or anything. The original poster asked for opinions. That implies ideas formed on the respondents personal experiences and sentiments, comparisons based on what has been read/talked about with teachers and fellow practicioners. If your own experience has differed from opinions expressed on the boards there seems to be no reason that that couldn't be posted without referring to others as "ill-informed". I've been on these boards for several months and can attest to the fact that the majority of us are more than open to other opinions and experiences when expressed with good will and a genuine desire to share. |
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Location: San Antonio, Republic of Texas USA | Lora, what a beautiful; response--good on ya! |
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| Lora, the place I am looking into going is called MidtownYoga. there website has all the information on it and I have talked to them several times. I have decided to change my major in school to Business so that I can open my own studio in a few years out here in the burbs. I am still planning on getting my training starting next semester. The cost I believe is around two thousand dollars, possibly more. This is important to me and I cant figure out how I am going to get 5 days of training a week without going through the training. Thank you again, I would be interested in any scholarship information you have.
Rachael |
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| Another opinion...of course!
I have throughly enjoyed my teacher training through YogaFit Training Systems International. I've been practicing yoga since the birth of my first child (over 18 years ago), and was very lucky to be one of the first students at our local college to take a class in Yoga, as a PE credit. The text book, by Human Kinetics, was Beth Shaw's YogaFit book. Part of our coursework, was to prepare sequences and demonstrate yoga poses to the fellow students. Afterwards, my instructor like the way I put sequences together and asked if she could use my sequences in her classes. She then went onto encourage me to get teacher trained. As it turned out, there was a training in my hometown only about two months away.
Being as I am not a fitness professional, I thougth that I would be at a severe disavantage. But my prior experience in the classroom environment, and my personal practice, helped me tremendously. In order to complete your level 1 training, you have to give back to the community 8 hours of yoga.
YogaFit trained me how to teach, how to modify poses for those with body issues, how to sequence poses in a fitness format (warm up, the work, and cool down/relaxation), but also provided me with feedback in becoming an effective teacher.
Since that time I've gone on to train Levels 2, 3 & 4, Integration Levels 1, 2 & 3, Workshops in poses for Golfers, YogaAbs/Back sequences, Seniors (the best of them all!), and kids yoga, and YogaButt. My favorite was Seniors YogaFit, and this was where we learned even more modifications for the poses, and how to conduct classes in a chair, for those of us who cannot or wish not to get down on the floor. I have gone on to complete over 240 hours and now am a Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance. It is my understanding that Yoga Alliance was impressed with the modifications of the poses. Beth Shaw has taken the contraindications of most of the traditional poses and has modified them to fit under today's ACE and AFAA standards.
In my town, we have many traditional Hatha yoga instructors, and a variety of YogaFit trained fitness professionals, and myself, a YogaFit trained instructor.
It is my opinion, that it is the "Teacher", not necessarily the method or school that you were taught in that allows students to come to your classes and enjoy a safe class.
Just to let you all know that in Levels 2, 3 & 4, we do cover Yoga philosophy - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Living Gita, noise vibration - chanting, anatomy (The anatomy of Hatha Yoga), Chakras, Pranayama, Yamas & Niyamas. The beauty of it is for me, I can choose whether or not to introduce what healthclub members may or may not consider *woo woo* aspects of yoga. Both Beth Shaw and Bryon Baptist and others, are introducing yoga to those who wouldn't even consider yoga. And those who wish to delve deeper, I can direct them to those who delve deeper into the Yoga philosophy. Those that come into the healthclub environment typically want a safe workout, and a stress reduced relaxation. It is my job to provide to them a safe yoga practice.
I have really enjoyed going through the Anatomy of Hatha Yoga book, with our homework that we have in YogaFit, in order to receive our certificate of completion of our teacher training. I also enjoyed all the homework around the yamas, niyamas and the Living Gita....especially enjoyed the various meditation techniques, breathing and mudras.
Hopefully, I've been able to shed a bit of light with respect to YogaFit ways of doing things. I priced compared my training to other 200 hour RYT's, and YogaFit turned out to be right in the ballpark of everyone elses prices, actually a bit lower than the norm. I also was able to take my training when it fit my budget and schedule. It did take me less than two years to complete. I just have finished teaching my 650th class.
Respectfully, Gail
Namaste' |
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Location: San Antonio, Republic of Texas USA | Many thanks for the information Gail--I think your students are very lucky--welcome to the forums--look forward to hearing more from you. |
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| Rachael - 2004-06-07 3:41 PM
I am considering taking a two day course to get certified to teach Yoga in fitness clubs. My Yoga teacher at the community center where I go went there. I was wondering if anyone here had an opinion on YogaFit or not. Thanks, Rachael
Hi Rachael:
One of the better yoga fitness programs out there is offered by the National Endurance &
Sports Trainer's Association (NESTA). It's a 4-6 week distance learning program put together Dr. John Spencer Ellis. He is certified to teach yoga by Erich Shiffmann and is an approved continuing education provider by the American Council of Education (ACE).
Although I was already certified to teach yoga, I went ahead enrolled in NESTA''s "Sport Yoga" program, so I could rack up CECs. It's approved by Yoga Alliance.
It's a detailed program and you will learn a lot about lines of energy, proper alignment, postural analysis, anatomy and physiology. The course includes an instructor's manual, three extensive
demonstration videos (with plenty of information from the instructor's perspective). You will have to complete a number of essays, research questions, a final exam, and a demostration video of you performing a number of asanas while explaining them. Frankly, I think every yoga instructor
course should require a video demonstration, since camera's don't lie.
If you have the discipline to learn through distance learning, you will walk away with a great deal of knowledge. I was surprised by the high quality of the program and recommend it, over a two day course, which is simply not enough to teach any style of yoga, even basic fitness.
All in all, it was better than many teacher workshop's I've attended.
Namaste.
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| Gail - I enjoyed reading your post. Any type of study should be encouraged and shows initiative on the part of the person having to study. Too many people have no training and I think what you did is terrific. |
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| Hey you, here comes the ignorant,
First, I don't understand why always the traditional things have to be westernized?? 
Why has yoga to come without the "woowoo", to make it easier, to make it more accessable?? I dont know, maybe somebody has the answer. But in any case it sure is a shortcut, that we westerners like so much, get to the point, but missing the beauty on the way there.
Second, I come from a fitness angle, being a physiotherapist, sportsphysiotherapist, manual therapist..... fitness instructor.... and actually I find exactly the "woowoo" the interesting side. I made complete new connections between my work as a craniosacral therapist (working the tissue from the outside in) and getting similar results in yoga (working from the inside out). And if you take away the philosophy, although I'm a newbie, it is just exercise, but the intention of opening to something bigger, brighter, ....goes down the drain.
Third I do not know anything about this yogafit, so I can't say anything about it. But the thing is, that really the teacher is the key to your experience in any thing you try to learn. AND in most things (but I believe Yoga is here an exception) you don't have to be a superior performer to be a good teacher.
Last, I think all the various inputs provided Rachel with lots of things to think about, that is just great, that you all care so much.
And by the way, I learnt a lot in reading it 
enjoy your weekend
Babs |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8440
 
| Here's the deal for me: I wouldn't take a KNITTING class from someone who had a weekend cert. even if she was a home ec teacher, professional seamstress and high level fashion designer! I don't care how fast she might pick of the form and pattern of knitting, she won't possibly know what someone who has been knitting for years - not taking knitting classes for years but practicing knitting - will know. And I don't want to take knitting classes form someone who takes macrame classes to rack up the certs (no offense to the person who posted that - I understand having to rack up the certs from other disciplines - pain in the *ss...) And yoga isn't knitting!
I want to study with someone who has practiced and studied for a good long time under a teacher who has observed their practice and teaching. I want to study yoga with someone who understands my struggles and can lead me knowledgeably from where I am today to where I might be tomorrow. Someone with depth and a connection to a lineage of teachers who understand and honour the roots and wings of yoga. Now, not everyone wants this and that is ok. We all start somewhere and wanting a better butt is not the worst reason to start yoga. But again, if I want to knit a scarf, I'm still going to get better instruction from a knitting teacher than a weekend cert person. No doubt in my mind. End of rant. Wait until yogadancer checks in:-)
Oh, and Iyengar teachers DO have national certification exams (RIGOROUS!) and adhere to standards that come directly from BKS (Light on Yoga,the Yoga "bible") Iyengar himself. And we don't enter teacher taining until we have been practicing for a good long time and have to have a senior teacher's ok to do so. The program where I live takes a minimum of 3 years. |
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Yoga Fit
