Yoga enthusiasts from all over the world travel to India in search for the ultimate yoga training that can bring their love for yoga and zeal to excel as a yoga trainer to a whole new level altogether. While most of them come here seeking a 200 hour teacher training course, only a handful of them take it to the next level of seriousness – the 500 hour yoga teacher training!
A 500 hour teacher training course in any form of yoga and meditation involves two parts – first, the 200 hour level 1 teacher training which introduces the basics of yoga forms and asanas along with yogic studies, and second, the level two 300 hour teacher training course which takes into account the foundation and basics of a 200 hour teacher training and further elaborates it by providing an in-depth study and practice of asanas and theoretical study.
Normally, you could do this anywhere in the world at any yoga center which is registered by Yoga Alliance to provide certified 500 hour teacher training course, but just like Flamenco is bets learnt in Spain, Yoga is best practiced in India. And both for obvious reasons! Flamenco originated in Spain (Andalusia) and Yoga originated in India about a few thousand years ago. All the well-renowned and revered teachers of yoga must have, at some point or the other, traveled to India to expand their horizons of yogic learning.
Cities such as Rishikesh (also called the yoga capital of the world), Kerala (also called the birthplace of Ayurveda), Mysore (famous for Ashtanga Institute), and Pune (famous for Iyengar yoga practice) are some of the most important hubs of yoga and meditation studies and practice in India. Most of these schools are yoga alliance certified and offer both 200 and 300 hour teacher training courses upon completion of which you are certified a combined 50 0hour teacher training certificate known as RYT500.
Apart from India being the birthplace of yoga and the many opportunities it offers, India also has a lot of travel opportunities for yoga enthusiasts. The country hosts an International Yoga Festival every year which takes place in the mystical land of Rishikesh, India. Yogis and other travelers from around the world come visit the country during this weeklong festival. The daily events mostly start with a few hours of yoga, meditation, and pranayama practice, and are followed by lecture sessions from revered yogis around the world, yoga nidra sessions, yoga asanas related to specific ailments such as back and neck pain, diabetes, hypertension, and some sightseeing.
Additionally, the yoga teacher-student relationship approach is quite different in India than in the west because the country maintains the seriousness and impact of the guru-shishya (teacher-student) relationship. In India, gurus or teachers are treated with utmost faith and respect. Because of this formal and impactful exchange, students tend to take trainings and their respective teachers more seriously as compared to an informal setup.
Practicing yoga and earning a 500 hour teacher training certificate in India brings you more opportunities for you to truly understand the simplistic and aware lifestyle of yogi which is all about the enlightenment and purity than treating yoga as just a mere lifestyle choice and a scope for showing off your trendy yoga clothes.
Sophia Smith is a freelancer.