Graduating from my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Shades of Yoga in Bali last June felt like an incredibly transformative moment, something I’d been planting the seeds of for years. This is the story of my Yoga Teacher Training experience with Shades of Yoga (Bali). I hope this review about the yoga teacher training with shades of yoga is going to help you 🙂
What is a Yoga Teacher Training ?
A Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) is a training course to become a yoga teacher. The first level consists of 200 hours of classes. We study the Asanas, the ethics of teaching, the mediation, the breathing, the philosophy, the anatomy and the Ayurvedic nutrition. These topics form the basic information which is addressed to both those who want to broaden their knowledge or to the yogis who want to start teaching. Then there are other course options (50,100 and 300 hrs) that you can do after validating your RYT200. These courses will teach you to advance your knowledge into a more precise yoga style.
How to choose the right Yoga Teacher Training course for you ?
There are hundreds and hundreds of YTT’s. I found mine on Yoga Alliance which is an association that sets the standards of YTT (number of hours of classes, types of classes, etc.). This association will allow you to teach internationally and also offers insurance. It was while searching on the Yoga Alliance website that I found my training : Shades of Yoga in Bali which is an example of some of the more exotically located course options (Bali, India, Costa Rica, Thailand …) structured for 1+ months, in total immersion.
What helped me to make the right choice ?
What helped me to chose this training course specifically was both the program itself and the location. I really liked the fact that its modules offered all the core basics of Yoga which for me is key, as without solid foundations we cannot advance our skillset. Another important point is there are never more than 15 students per session. In this particular course, we were only 7 girls which made the experience even more intense and personalized. If you are looking for a YTT in Bali, I advise you to do check Shades of Yoga. The team is wonderful and always offers assistance. You’ll also be fully supported after graduating thanks to their directory program. Additionally, they teach a course on business / marketing for yoga which is an amazing added bonus.
So if you’re keen to learn the basics, I whole-heartedly advise you to take this opportunity to be in a beautiful place, with caring people and go for it! You can also benefit from a 5% discount on the price of the training. If you want to know more about the training and benefits from this offer, just click here.
Why did I decide to do a Yoga Teacher Training ?
My choice to study this course was because I felt the need to know more and essentially to dive deep into Yoga. I wanted to know the alignment, learn more about philosophy and understand the anatomy. Yoga has always helped me to generate peace of mind, listen to my body and work on myself. But moreover, I did this training in order to be able to teach afterwards. But, it is really only having started this adventure that made me realize that it was truly what I wanted to do. It gave me even more desire to teach, to share and to discover what yoga really is beyond physical practice.
I sincerely believe that it could be beneficial for everyone, for example, not necessarily to feel the need to practice the Asanas every day, but to be interested in the philosophy of Yoga. It is as much a consistent work on oneself as it is to question oneself and to take a step back on life and to refine one’s full consciousness. Yoga will not give you the answers but will direct you to search for them yourself. It is for these reasons that I felt the need to teach it.
What was my overall YTT experience with Shades of Yoga ?
Shades of Yoga is an international yoga teacher training school accredited by Yoga Alliance International. My training lasted 3.5 weeks. The school upholds firm values like building solid foundations, the importance of alignment and also teaching classes in small groups where the incorporation of yoga philosophy in included in everyday life. What I really enjoyed with their program is that from the first week we had to teach yoga twice per week: a pranayama + meditation class, and a vinyasa yoga class.
What is included in the program ?
We studied several topics such as anatomy (skeleton, anatomy of movement, muscle anatomy, fascias, bandhas). All the philosophy of yoga (Yoga sutras, history of yoga, Yamas…), chakras, Sanskrit, ayurveda or meditation and pranayama. We also learned how to sequence a balanced yoga class, prevent injuries and protect joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons from injury. Alignment is also very important and we had many hours of clinic postures where we analyzed the alignment of each pose.
We also had an introduction to prenatal yoga, senior yoga, and children’s yoga as well as how to teach yoga by giving guidelines of alignments and clear instructions. Then we also had a lesson on how to start a business in the Yoga industry. We also had the intervention of a neurosurgeon specialized in psychoneuroimmunology : it was extremely interesting to see the effects of our thoughts on the immune system and the development of certain diseases. If you’re interested in this area, I’ll write an article about it.
What evaluation methods were used ?
Every week we had written assignments that required a lot of personal work at home. We also had to practice yoga, write sessions and report weekly. Then finally each week we had to give two classes (pranayama and meditation, then asanas). All this was of course to be done and analyzed by the teacher who sent us reports every week.
At the end of the month we had three days of exams. The first day was to give an individual course of 1 hour. The second day we had to give a group lesson of 25 minutes. Then on the third day we had a written exam of one hour, a physical test in Sanskrit and then an oral presentation about the chakras.
In the last few days of training we had the graduation as well as a meal in the spa / restaurant in which the training takes place. By the way, the place is called Taksu Spa and it’s simply stunning! The shala is in the middle of the jungle in Ubud and the venue is magical. In addition, every morning we were entitled to an all-you-can-eat buffet!
Exemple of a basic day :
- 7:25 : Arrival in Shala and beginning of noble silence (not allowed to talk to other students until breakfast). It was a very strong moment and it allowed us to really immerse ourselves in our practice.
- 7:30 - 10:00 am : Meditation + Pranayama + Vinyasa flow.
- 10:00 - 11:00 : Breakfast.
- 11h00 - 12h30 : Philosophy, history...
- 12h30 - 14h30 : Lunch break
- 14h30 - 16h00 : Anatomy, teaching techniques, clinical postures...
- 16h00 - 17h30 : Meditation + Pranayama + Vinyasa flow or Yin flow
What did I think overall of the YTT
Beyond all the courses and all the knowledge that I acquired, this training course has brought about huge change within me. It has been a very strong month, both emotionally and physically. There is a lot of self-analysais and soul-searching, where for example, you have to learn to lessen your Ego. Being in a small group, we were able to talk openly and listen to each other’s stories. It was very strong, we cried together, laughed together and I know that we have built very strong bonds.
The training offered by Shades of Yoga is incredibly informative and I feel very confident about teaching. It has given me the necessary knowledge to ensure that I am prepared to teach at the end.
The teacher (Charlotte) was very inspiring and pushed us to question ourselves. She listened to each of us and knew how to transmit her knowledge perfectly. I also loved the respect within the group as there was no judgment – everyone was wonderful and of the same mindset.
To all those hesitating whether or not to sign up to a YTT, do not doubt or be afraid – just do it. This will be the best gift you can give to yourself. I understand the cost is a factor but see it as a personal investment.
If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact me or ask me any questions. Lastly, don’t forget that you are eligible to a 5% discount by clicking here.
