How I Chose CorePower Yoga Teacher Training Program
Choosing a yoga teacher training can be overwhelming because there are so many programs available. Many vary by the type of yoga taught, location of the training, various schedules and price points. When I was choosing a teacher training program, there were several factors that influenced my decision. I wanted a program that was registered by Yoga Alliance, convenient, affordable, flexible with my schedule and realistically attainable. You may have different factors that influence your decision or hold more weight, but here are the factors most important to me.
Yoga Alliance
Yoga Alliance registers yoga teacher training programs based on their standards established for 200-hour and 500-hour programs. Since this is my first yoga teacher training, I focused my attention on a 200-hour program that would allow me to register as a RYT 200 (Registered Yoga Teacher-200 hours).
You may be wondering why it's important to find a program that is recognized as a Registered Yoga School (RYS) by Yoga Alliance. In order to register as a RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance, you must complete a 200-hour training program at an RYS 200 school. This is important because an RYT 200 certification is internationally recognized and certifies that you have met the minimum standards of yoga training and are a safe, competent yoga teacher.
More benefits of registering as an RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance include marketing opportunities, access to online workshops, invitations to community events and, my favorite, discounts on products and services from Yoga Alliance partners! If you are going to invest in yoga teacher training, it makes sense to choose a yoga school registered with Yoga Alliance.
Convenience
Convenience is very important when deciding on a yoga teacher training program. Initially, I was very interested in destination programs. You can find teacher training programs all over the world including the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, Canada and India! The time span for these programs can range from weeks to months. I found a few programs that were 2 weeks in length which was the most time off work I could possibly manage. What would be better than learning yoga in a beautiful vacation destination! However, once I started researching these programs, you are in teacher training pretty much every waking hour and any exploration of your destination is limited. I decided I didn’t want to give up two weeks of vacation time unless I was actually on a vacation!
My search then turned to local area programs. I found some programs that were a couple weeks long, but the hours were during the work week. One program was only on the weekends and you could go at your own pace to complete all the modules within 2 years. However, the module offerings were limited and you are giving up many weekends. My weekends are very important! I quickly learned that I needed to find an 8-12 week program that offered classes at night and on weekends. I’m very familiar with CorePower since that is where I primarily practice yoga. I practice yoga at CorePower because I love the Power Yoga classes and I like that I don’t have to sign up for a class, just show up and participate. I found that the teacher training offerings were just as convenient and since I really enjoy Power Yoga, CorePower quickly became the frontrunner. I also have about 8 studios within a 3 mile radius of my apartment, which is very convenient.
Cost/Curriculum
When I decided that CorePower might be my best option, I completed a form online to request more information about teacher training. I received an email to schedule a 30 minute discovery phone call with a representative. The representative asked me about my intentions for training and my experience practicing yoga. My primary goal for yoga teacher training is to deepen my practice and embark on a spiritual journey. I was hesitant to communicate this because I assumed they would be pressing the teaching aspect, but to my surprise, the representative said this is very common and teacher training is more than just becoming a yoga teacher. Great, already off to a positive start!
The representative described the program for Power Yoga and the offerings in the Chicago area for Fall 2017. Most teacher training programs I researched were anywhere from $2500-$5000. Some destination programs were on the lower end of the cost range, but that didn’t include travel costs and most accommodations were shared rooms with limited dietary options. CorePower was the least expensive program I found in the Chicago area that offered nights and weekend classes. The curriculum was certified by Yoga Alliance and the representative informed me of extension programs available if I decided I wanted to teach at CorePower and also reassured me that outside teaching options were available with the RYT 200 certification.
Flexibility
At this point I knew the CorePower teaching training program was certified, convenient and affordable. However, like most people, I have a full-time job and other activities planned for the months of training. The CorePower Teacher Training is 8 weeks long, 3 classes per week, 3 hours per class. In addition, you must complete 60 yoga classes before you can graduate. You also have outside class homework and are only allowed to miss up to 3 classes. This is a huge time commitment!
The representative provided the class schedules for the studios I was interested in and unfortunately, my home studio was not offering Power Yoga. However, my previous studio in Old Town was and it’s only two miles from my apartment. I expressed my concerns to the representative that I had other plans I would need to consider and what if I had to miss more than three classes or couldn’t complete the 60 yoga class requirement? CorePower allows you to make up classes at other studios in the area, if possible, and if not, you can make up classes in the next session. I found this very flexible and accommodating.
Since I already knew my schedule, I put pen to paper and figured out there were two weeks I would miss one class completely. Another three classes I would be able to make up at other studios. CorePower also allows you one year to complete the 60 yoga class requirement, which seemed very generous! You can also take 15 classes towards the 60 after submitting your deposit. At this point I had made my decision and was ready to get started.
I start my yoga teacher training on October 17 and I’m very excited to get started. It will be very demanding both physically and mentally, but I’m prepared for the challenge. Follow along as I write about my experience!