I remember when interviewing for a teaching position earlier this year and the studio owner asked: 'Are you certified'?
Right then I went on to what I thought would be a very long explanation only to catch myself noticing that probably all she wanted to hear was about the Yoga Alliance, which by the way, is not a certification but just a register, and only guarantees that a student took a one-month course -200 hours. 'Yes of course', I said, I am in the Yoga Alliance registry.
Say what you want about the alliance, I know there is a lot of controversy around it but the truth is studios know about it and want it. [If you cannot see the pictures go to ClaudiaYoga.com]
Nevertheless, then I proceeded to tell the story of how people get certified in Ashtanga, how it takes years, possibly 12 to 15 and the ability to do all of third series (which is out of reach for many).
Come to think of it, even the authorization at level I or II takes years an years, and years, of work and demands a complete change in life style (as in travelling to Mysore many, many times)
The Certifiation to teach Ashtanga yoga, as given in the traditional way, is a rare occurrence. But the point here is not to discuss so much the process but mainly to ponder if you have ever seen a certificate.
I saw the first one at Paul Dallaghan's Yoga Thailand (where funny enough I became eligible for the Yoga Alliance registry (i.e.: did my teacher training there)) and now he has made it available online as part of his bio, so I thought I would share since it is a neat thing to see.
Notice the part where it says "the son of" (s/o)
Paul also has a rare certification from the Kaivalya Institue in India for pranayama. He studied for many years with Tiwariji who is a pranayama expert, here is that other one:
Right then I went on to what I thought would be a very long explanation only to catch myself noticing that probably all she wanted to hear was about the Yoga Alliance, which by the way, is not a certification but just a register, and only guarantees that a student took a one-month course -200 hours. 'Yes of course', I said, I am in the Yoga Alliance registry.
Say what you want about the alliance, I know there is a lot of controversy around it but the truth is studios know about it and want it. [If you cannot see the pictures go to ClaudiaYoga.com]
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| What Most Yoga Studios Look for as a basic credibility badge |
Come to think of it, even the authorization at level I or II takes years an years, and years, of work and demands a complete change in life style (as in travelling to Mysore many, many times)
The Certifiation to teach Ashtanga yoga, as given in the traditional way, is a rare occurrence. But the point here is not to discuss so much the process but mainly to ponder if you have ever seen a certificate.
I saw the first one at Paul Dallaghan's Yoga Thailand (where funny enough I became eligible for the Yoga Alliance registry (i.e.: did my teacher training there)) and now he has made it available online as part of his bio, so I thought I would share since it is a neat thing to see.
Notice the part where it says "the son of" (s/o)
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| Certified to teach 1st, 2nd and 3rd series A huge accomplishment |
I love the simple language of it: "he has been my student since 12 years and more"...
And there you have it!
One of my goals is to practice every morning. Maybe one day I will have the courage to take a teacher training. Thank you for your wonderful posts.
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne, that is my goal too! :-) and thanks for the compliment
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