Finding Your Yoga Style
Finding the most suitable 200-hour yoga teacher training for you can be difficult as there are so many to choose from. At first glance, they can all appear very similar, and each promise that their yoga training course will change your life. Which is true for the most part. But if you’re struggling to find the best yoga teacher training in Bali for you, then a great place to start is by deciding which style of yoga resonates with you the most as you’re going to be doing a lot of it!
Embarking on a 200 hour yoga teacher training journey is an exciting and transformative experience. However, with numerous yoga teacher training styles available, choosing the one that aligns with your goals, interests, and teaching aspirations can be overwhelming! Today let’s delve into the various yoga teacher training styles you’ll see offered in a lot of YTTs in Bali, helping you to navigate the options and find your perfect fit.
- Hatha Yoga Teacher Training: Hatha yoga is the foundation of many modern yoga styles and will probably come up when you search for ‘YTT Bali’. It can be used as an overall term for a lot of yoga styles that are taught in the West. A Hatha yoga alliance certification teacher training program focuses on classic postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), mudras, and meditation, although most YTT courses will offer these as well. You will see a lot of the same poses that you would in a Vinyasa yoga course but poses are usually held for several breaths with gaps in between. You don’t get the same flow that you do in a vinyasa practice.
- Ashtanga Yoga: Originating from the teachings of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga yoga is a structured and physically demanding practice. An Ashtanga yoga teacher training immerses students in the traditional Ashtanga series, focusing on correct alignment, breath control, and meditation. This style appeals to those seeking discipline, stamina, and a traditional approach to yoga and is not best suited for those wanting to offer variety in their classes. Traditionally there are no formal Ashtanga training courses. Instead, you would advance and be certified by the Ashtanga Yoga Institute after years and years of practice. Ashtanga is rigid in its approach and traditionally if you can’t do a pose you can’t move past it to the next pose in the set series. Often yoga students find it very difficult to go beyond the Primary Series. Ashtanga doesn’t allow for variations in a pose either so if you are stuck, you are stuck.
- Restorative Yoga Teacher Training: Restorative yoga is a nurturing and healing practicethat encourages deep relaxation and restoration. Restorative yoga teacher training programs teach students to create a safe and supportive environment for students torelease tension and find deep rest. If you have a compassionate and nurturing approachto yoga, exploring a Restorative yoga teacher training can be a transformative choice. Restorative trainings are usually offered as shorter courses, such as 100-hour training but some 200 hour yoga teacher training courses incorporate some restorative yoga into their courses but probably won’t certify you to teach it.
- Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training: Kundalini yoga combines dynamic movements,breathwork, chanting, and meditation to awaken the dormant energy within. Kundalini isquite a new style of yoga teacher training that focuses on the subtle energy system,chakra activation, and spiritual awakening. If you are interested in the spiritual andtransformative aspects of yoga, Kundalini yoga teacher training might resonate with you.
Let’s get to our personal favourites, Vinyasa and Yin yoga.
- Vinyasa yoga is a dynamic and flowing style that synchronizes movement with breath, generally following a pattern of one movement one breath. The breath becomes the primary focus in a Vinyasa practice and acts as your anchor as you move from one pose to the next in continuity. You might have heard some yoga teachers say “take a Vinyasa.” It generally means going through plank, chaturanga, and upward dog and finishing in downward dog. It is often used to link poses. What you do outside of a “Vinyasa” is up to the creativity and choices of the teacher. A Vinyasa yoga teacher training program will emphasizecreative sequencing and teach students how to design fluid, creative, and energizing classes. If you enjoycreativity, variety and a fluid practice, exploring a Vinyasa yoga teacher training might be the rightpath for you.
- Yin yoga is a slow and introspective practice that targets the deep connectivetissues of the body such as the joints, ligaments, and tendons. It emphasizes long-held poses, mainly floor based, that promote relaxation, flexibility, and mindfulness. Yin yoga can be a gateway into a meditation practice as you stay for time in a pose which can sometimes be challenging for people not used to being still. It is similar to Restorative yoga in that you are activating the parasympathetic nervous system (known as rest and digest) but in a Yin yoga practice, you are looking to place an active healthy stress on a target area of the body. Props are used to help you go deeper into a pose or stay there for time, whereas props in Restorative yoga are used for deep relaxation and surrender. If you are drawn to a slower-paced and meditativepractice, a 100-hour Yin yoga teacher training might be the perfect fit for you.
When you combine Vinyasa yoga with its opposing and complimentary sister Yin yoga, it undoubtedly makes forthe perfect yoga teacher training! By incorporating both Yin and Vinyasa practices,we strike a beautiful balance between effort and ease, strength and surrender, and movementand stillness. This harmonious blend not only nurtures our physical body but also cultivatesmental clarity, emotional stability, and a profound sense of overall well-being. It is through thesynergy of these complementary practices that we discover a true sense of equilibrium,enhancing our yoga journey both on and off the mat! One of the first schools to offer this unique 200-hour yoga teacher training in Bali is Inner Yoga Training. Disclaimer; spots run outquickly.
