Hatha Yoga classes have been increasingly available for some time now in the St. Louis area, resulting in more people finding themselves committed to regular, consistent practice. This has led them to consider the next step. Students fall in love with yoga and how it makes them feel, and they know they want to share it with others. Even with somewhat limited exposure to yoga, some folks are drawn to the prospect of advanced study and teaching for a variety of personal reasons.

Here in the St. Louis area teaching yoga and deepening one’s study is becoming a viable event on the horizon of one’s yoga practice. As with all important decisions, it is helpful to have clarity about intentions, directions, needs, and realistic concerns. The costs and benefits of teacher trainings and advanced studies vary. Choice of a program will depend on individual circumstances and preferences. However, remember that the study of yoga, whether as a teacher or as a student, is a continuing, lifetime process. All programs should have homework, self-study, and class attendance and observation requirements. It is strongly recommended that the prospective teacher weigh her options carefully. Take classes with at least one of the faculty members of the program, do background checks on the faculty, and talk to graduates of previous programs.

For the student who prefers to study with a single teacher with whom he is very familiar the benefit is that there are few, if any, discrepancies in teaching methodology. There can be a deep commitment to a particular way of practicing. The liability is that it can limit one’s toolbox of skills and perspectives. The prospective teacher is in danger of becoming a parrot of his teacher, without developing an eye for looking clearly at students.

Studying with a group of teachers can expand one’s practice and one’s skill set as a teacher. The difficulty is that the prospective teacher may be faced with a barrage of opinions and ideas about how to perform or teach postures, breathing, etc., but this is typical of Hatha Yoga, which advocates many paths to one Truth and supports the individual finding her own path. A program with multiple teachers expands the knowledge base, since one faculty member is particularly suited to teaching postures, methodology, and sequencing, while another is an expert on anatomy and physiology of yoga, and still another has in-depth knowledge of philosophy and ethics. It is recommended that one ask about background and training of the faculty to assess their level of expertise.

If the priority for choice of program is its cost and time commitment, then consider an in-depth, intensive program, such as the one offered by Marbles Yoga Studio. In this program participants immerse themselves for ten days in a yogic lifestyle, which supports students in community and allows them to remain focused and undistracted from their goals and studies. The program also has a group of expert faculty sharing the burden of teaching. A student who takes ten or twelve days out of his ordinary life and commits to an intensive program will find it a life-changing experience. Combined with the Marbles mentoring option, this can be the most rewarding and enriching type of program.