Whether you are planning to be a teacher or just wish to take your yoga practice a notch further, a teacher training program is a big commitment. Apart from money, you will be investing a lot of time (around a month), so it is always good to have a basic idea of what you can expect during your training. It will not only help you to prepare yourself mentally, but also equip you well to face the upcoming challenges with a big heart.

Here’s a list of the few things you can expect once you start your yoga teacher training.

• You will get ‘me’ time: During your one month-long stay you will get a certain day off in week to spend time the way you want. You can read, do your chores and spend moments on self-retrospection. Usually in most of the schools' classes are held six days a week from 6 am in the morning to 7 pm. When you do teacher training with an experienced school, you'll get enough time to reflect.
• You will grow into a stronger human being:  Yoga teacher training programs no doubt focus on the different aspects of yoga but asana practice remains a constant. Not only will you learn new asanas, but also learn the correct way of doing asanas. There will be longer holds, difficult poses and you need to practice all to make this endeavor a success. Gradually you’ll get stronger, both physically and mentally.
• You’ll be surrounded by like-minded people: During your yoga journey, you’ll get a chance to meet likeminded people, who have traveled from different parts of the world with great stories which becomes a repository of knowledge for you. This opportunity can be a chance for you to build your own yoga network in the world.
• You’ll come out from your comfort zone: When you start teaching yoga after your certification, you’ll feel you’re coming out from your comfort zone.  During the lecture when you’ll sit in Sukhasana in the class, you’ll find it more challenging because you have to fill the worksheet, and you’ll feel overloaded with a massive amount of information. You might feel emotional during your training because there is a lot of self-reflection and inquiry happening during this journey of learning. You learn about different theories, philosophies, you are pushed mentally and physically and thrust in a different and new environment. You will also feel a lot more grounded, aware and conscious.
• Your communication skills will be improved: You’ll unconsciously develop effective communication skills during your class because you need to describe and modify poses. It might seem easy but it’s not. Gradually, you’ll start to become more direct, positive and clear with your instructions. And once you see someone acting as per your instructions, it gives you an empowering and satisfactory feeling. The enhanced communications skills will also help you in different aspects of your life.
• Yoga is not only about asanas: Yoga is not only about stretching, but it also involves layers of history, philosophy, and anatomy, which creates depth - what we commonly know as yoga. Try to be a sponge and absorb as much information as you can because at some point, you might feel your brain will explode from all this information, but it is necessary. You no need to memorize all the things you can take help from the books. You’ll also feel some theories close to your heart which you can relate to.
• You might not feel completely ready: If you have completed a 200-hour YTT program you might not feel ready to teach a class right after it, which is completely ok, there is no rule saying you have to teach 30 students right after the class, take your time to reflect tools that are necessary to teach a class. You may start by teaching smaller groups, friends, and family at the start. If your heart says, you want to teach a class, you may look for an apprenticeship/ mentorship program, or you may request your favorite yoga teacher to kind enough to allow you to assist them or observe their class.
• You’ll get what you want: Yoga teacher training can be a life-transforming experience for you whether you want to teach or not. You get a chance to learn more about yoga and continue your personal practice and become a part of a like-minded community. You might miss things as you grow with you’ll suggest you keep a blog, journal and take photos to make beautiful memories.