I did it. Two months, two hundred hours, a mix of online and in-person sessions, lectures, practices, exercises, more lectures, more practices, and finally three exams—two practical and one theoretical. That’s what the Yoga Teacher Training course at Agama looks like.
After a year of personal practice and gradually advancing through the levels at Agama, I decided to enroll in the TTC. Honestly, I didn’t have a clear idea of why I was doing it. I was guided more by intuition—just try it out, see your practice from a different perspective, experience being a leader instead of a follower, and maybe, just maybe, be ready in case you decide to teach one day.
So, I gave it a shot. Let me share my feelings, observations, and results from the TTC experience.
First of all, I found the schedule pretty comfortable—two months, meeting twice a week, with the flexibility of attending live classes or watching recordings. I did feel a bit sorry for my classmates from Canada; the timing for them was quite late for live sessions. Sure, missing a class meant they could catch the recording later, but being there live, engaging in discussions, and having Q&A sessions really adds value.
Second, I want to share my thoughts on the practical sessions. It reminded me of that long-forgotten feeling I had learning to drive twenty years ago. I remember asking my driving instructor, “Can a person really drive a car, keep an eye on the road, watch other cars, and also pay attention to pedestrians?” That same feeling hit me during my first practice—I had to give clear instructions to my students while simultaneously monitoring them, correcting their performance, performing asanas myself, citing the mnemonics, and reminding them to focus.
Third, the most challenging yet beneficial module for me was on corrections, adjustments and assistance. Let me tell you, it’s a whole science—how to approach a student, from which angle, how to signal that you’re nearby without startling them. What do you do with those who are afraid of adjustments? Those who get left and right mixed up? Those who physically can’t execute a pose correctly? When do you pause the practice and start instructing again, and when do you let a student make mistakes?
As you can see, the range of questions swirling in a teacher’s mind is vast, and you have to make decisions in seconds. I also had many flashbacks from my own yoga student experience—like that time a teacher suddenly appeared in front of me and startled me with their instructions, or when another teacher corrected my triangle pose and stepped back, leaving me off-balance and falling onto my mat.
Another unexpected challenge for me was how difficult it was to invade someone’s physical space. I would stop a good two meters away from a “student,” beginning my corrections from a distance with a soft voice. When my TTC colleagues asked me to get closer, I felt a bit lost for a moment. I literally had to push myself to learn how to approach closely and touch—whether on the head, hair, or skin. And then there were all the details—touches had to be gentle yet firm and guiding.
Another crucial aspect I learned to manage was time. In a regular practice, I’d just glance at the clock, but as a teacher, I had to constantly keep track—when did we enter the pose, how long to hold it, when to exit. If the pose is polar, I needed to ensure that both sides were given equal time. At first, during practice, I’d remember to check the clock only after getting into a pose and would try to “feel” how long we’d been there—half a minute? A minute? Now, I automatically glance at the timer, mentally note the time, and move on.
One more revelation for me was giving lectures to students. I thought, “How hard can it be? I’ll listen to the info and summarize it.” But my first lecture was a complete disaster. Watching the recording, I was shocked by how many filler words I used—so many “uuums,” “hhhmms,” and other strange sounds. I also found myself sighing and awkwardly touching my face. I had to consciously eliminate these bad habits and rehearse my lecture several times.
Other aspects of learning to “speak” about yoga included structuring my speech, choosing examples, and applying storytelling techniques. The conclusion I reached after preparing a few of my lectures and listening to my peers is this: no matter how well you know your subject, prepare and practice your lecture multiple times before presenting it to your students. They will definitely appreciate it.
What else would I like to share about the TTC? Honestly, there were several times I wanted to quit the training without finishing. There were moments when it all felt overwhelming—I couldn’t think about corrections/adjustments, couldn’t keep track of time in poses, couldn’t memorize all the mnemonics. I felt like too much was being asked of me, like my memory had completely abandoned me, or that I was too old to learn, and that I really wasn’t cut out for teaching at all… I mention this not to dissuade anyone from the training but to highlight the emotional rollercoaster a TTC student goes through on their teaching journey. Because with every fall, every doubt, and every moment of despair comes an even greater confidence in oneself, a deeper trust in one’s teachers and chosen path, and a stronger belief in yoga and the correctness of one’s choices.
Today, dressed in white, I passed on what I’ve learned to my students. Although the consecration calmed me and brought a sense of detachment, I still felt a bit nervous—would they enjoy the class? Would they understand the instructions I translated? Would the concept of polarity make sense to them? Could they do Uddiyana Bandha? Would they manage an hour and a half of dynamic practice?
With the help of Shiva and all my teachers, I kept track of time, gave instructions, demonstrated asanas, repeated mnemonics, corrected, guided focus, shared energy, corrected again, counted down, led everyone out of the pose, and facilitated reflection, explaining, guiding, sharing, and so on…
And I received incredible feedback.
“This is the most interesting class I’ve ever attended!”
“Wow, I felt the energy flowing through me, and I could control it!”
“I want to learn more about the minus and plus!”
“I did Uddiyana Bandha!”
It was all worth it, I thought as I read their comments. Thank you, Shiva. Thank you, Universe. Thank you, Guru, and all my teachers for the experience and knowledge you’ve shared with me.
Ainur Karim, 01/11/2024
