The District of Columbia has a great number of yoga studios all over town where you can go and retreat from the stress of the city and relax. For those who really enjoy the practice of yoga and who want to pursue yoga teacher training, there are several studios that offer training programs that prepare their students to deepen their own personal practice, teach yoga to others, and how to manage their yoga business.
Good yoga instructors can find work in yoga studios, resorts, spas, health clubs, gyms, and private practice. You can be hired by the gym or the resort to become a member of the staff, or you will be retained as an independent contractor.
Becoming a yoga instructor is a great way to earn a living by sharing a way for people to find greater health, wellness and peace of mind in their lives.
When you are ready to pursue your yoga teacher training you should begin by taking classes at several different studios so that you can get a feel for the different styles of yoga and you can see first hand how experienced teachers teach yoga.
When you have found the yoga teaching training program that you think you would like to take, make an effort to meet the instructors. If they have an open house, or an information session about their teacher training program, be sure to attend it so that you can meet the other teachers and some prospective students as well. You will be devoting a lot of your time, energy and attention to your study of yoga, so you want to make sure that you are choosing a course and an instructor that you get along with and whose philosophy, approach and style you can relate to and agree with.
Here are a few of the studios in D.C. that offer yoga teacher training programs:
Tranquil Space
Located in hip DuPont Circle, Tranquil Space Yoga Studio is owned by Kimberly Wilson, author of "Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life on and Off the Yoga Mat. Tranquil Space offers three levels of teacher training, and pre and post natal yoga teacher training. The 200 hour program is certified by the Yoga Alliance. The program covers 11 weekends, includes anatomy and physiology and other workshops, and there is a required reading list.
Flow Yoga Center Teacher Training
Flow Yoga Center is located close to DuPont Circle in Northwest D.C… Flow Yoga Center offers a 13 week, 200 hour yoga teacher training program that includes self study and group projects, there is required reading and classes meet on Saturdays and some Friday evenings as well. Some of the training intensives include Ayurveda pre and post natal yoga and Sanskrit immersion.
DC Yoga offers The Bodhisattva School of Yoga teacher training program. This is a 200 hour program which is not limited to any particular yoga style; rather each student learns to develop their own personal practice. DC yoga allows students the opportunity to work with yoga instructors from a wide variety of yogic lineages and traditions who have many years of experience to share with their students. The teacher training program is divided into three parts, and there is a 'self-less service' requirement of six hours per month.
Georgetown Yoga teacher training program has been in operation since 1988. The program is offered on long weekends during the year from January to June and there is a month long intensive program held in August. Students at Georgetown Yoga will receive a firm foundation in anatomy and physiology, Ayurveda, the Chakra system, pranayama, and meditation. Students will have practice teaching opportunities and there is a required reading list.
These are just a few of the yoga teacher training programs available in the District of Columbia. Teaching yoga can be a wonderful way to deepen your practice and a way for you to share your love and devotion for yoga with the world.