Yoga Teacher Training: Am I Too Old to Become a Yoga Teacher?

All too frequently, I am asked by middle-aged or senior students, who aspire to become a Yoga teacher, When is the best time to become a Yoga teacher? Has the window of time passed for this opportunity, and is a younger Yoga instructor better suited to teach Yoga to the public?

Some of these veteran Yoga students have decades of experience, but feel intimidated by the young hard bodies. This is a deep subject, so let s take a closer look at what holds some of us back from becoming a Yoga teacher.

The following three issues are worth mentioning at this point:

1. Is Hatha Yoga strictly a physical practice?

2. If Hatha Yoga were an exercise class, the value of a coach is worthy of note.

3. There are so many Yoga students over 40 years of age, who desire a knowledgeable, mature, and careful Yoga teacher.

Is Hatha Yoga strictly a physical practice? No – Hatha Yoga covers mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects, as well as the physical aspects of life. The public has been duped by pretzel asanas (postures) on the covers of magazines.

If you never studied Yoga, you might not know better, but I am surprised when a student, with ten or more years of practice, still sees asana as the Holy Grail of Hatha Yoga. Asana is very valuable, but does not govern Hatha Yoga.

Pranayama (cultivation of life force through breath) is the ruler of body, mind, spirit, and emotions. Pranayama keeps you healthy in all aspects of existence, and Pranayama governs many asana techniques. If you cannot breathe correctly, asana performance can be very frustrating – when folding, balancing, or twisting. Pranayama makes mudra (gestures), and bandha (locks), purification of the nadis (energy channels), and meditation, much more powerful.

However, Pranayama is not the only aspect of Hatha Yoga. It is just one of the many aspects mentioned within the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Maharishi Patanjali mentions eight limbs within the Yoga Sutras. Asana is just one of the eight limbs of Yoga, but asana can be seen, and can be performed, to impress the public.

Would the public be impressed by Samadhi (the settled mind)? You already know the answer The general public is impressed by the superficial aspects of Yoga, but Yoga is much more than one aspect.

If Hatha Yoga were simply an exercise class, the value of a coach is still worthy of note. The definition of a “teacher” in most languages is, “One who has been there before.”

When you can teach a Yoga student how to perform an asana technique correctly, but you cannot perform the same asana perfectly, that is a part of being a teacher. The fact is – you understand the mechanics as good as anyone.

Yoga Can Harness the Power of Attraction

Many people spend their lives trying to be attractive to others. This is primal behavior that you can observe in nature. It is frustrating for many because the power of attraction can be seen as self-worth, and if we do not feel worthy, we feel inferior to others.

The practice of Yoga allows you to be in harmony with the universe and tap into the power of attraction. Humans attract others by a number of methods, and all are enhanced with the practice of Yoga. Very often, you will attract like-minded people, so observe yourself carefully. This may require honest self-reflection, but it is worth the exercise.

Your walk, talk, and frame of mind, do attract a specific type of person, but not everyone will be attracted by you. This cannot be helped. When we observe history, we can see enlightened souls who had enemies. We can also see cruel dictators, who had friends.

Just like all the forms of energy in the universe, the energy and vibrations, you send out, will attract similar energy. Some forms of positive energy can be taken advantage of by negative energy, so open your intuitive skills in order to avoid those who would seek to take advantage of your goodness because they perceive it as weakness.

This does not mean that you should withhold goodness for the sake of looking strong. You should still show loving kindness to everyone. To withhold positive energy, creates stagnation, but the universe is always changing, in motion, and evolving. So we fight the laws of nature by trying to stand still and by trying to control others. At the atomic level, everything is moving. At the same time, we can see many things moving any time we look up at the sky.

When you concentrate on sending out good vibrations with mindfulness and loving kindness, you will see the Law of Karma in progress. Positive actions almost always result in positive reactions, so it is in your best interest to send out positive energy.

The positive energy, within one person, can create a foundation, trust, or charity, which feeds the hungry or heals the masses. Yoga teaches us to tap into universal positive energy, which we share with others. To keep Yoga a secret, does not benefit mankind.

One mind is powerful, but many minds gathering to practice Yoga for the common good, is extremely powerful. World peace, feeding the hungry, saving natural resources, and making proper medical care available for everyone, are noble causes. Yoga can assist each one of these noble causes, without disrupting governments, cultures, customs, and religions.

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