yoga teacher training at CorePower: my experience
If you read my Passion Planner for the past couple of years, you’ll see that it’s been my goal to be a yoga instructor since 2014.
What stopped me?
A couple of factors: price, timing, insecurity.
Price — being afraid to spend thousands of dollars on a certification.
Timing — thinking that the timing wasn’t right, that I didn’t have time for it.
Insecurity — not being confident enough in my own practice, which led to believing that I could not teach others
But after becoming a boxing instructor and absolutely falling in love with teaching, I gained enough confidence to re-think teacher training. That, combined with the opening of a new studio closer to me, finding a community where I felt like home, and in general starting to be a little more spontaneous, led me to start my Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training at CorePower Yoga in March 2018.
It was simultaneously the hardest, yet most fulfilling training I’d ever done.
I had finally gotten comfortable with teaching and felt confident about my abilities, only to be thrown into a completely different atmosphere with a completely new set of “rules” and style.
It was humbling, it was out of my comfort zone, it was difficult, but it was so worth it.
I decided shortly after completing my internship phase (more about that later) that I wanted to do my 200-hour power yoga training – it was at the same studio where I had done my sculpt training and it was great timing.
Without thinking too much about it, I signed up. And it was another wonderful, emotional ride.
I met a group of people that I never would’ve imagined meeting, and have become so close to so many of them. They’re a group of truly beautiful souls.
Now, after having taught over 100 classes in less than a year, I can say there are few things that are more fulfilling than teaching a room full of yogis. Sometimes you need that class more than they need you. Healing and good energy go both ways.
The result of my trainings (~300 hours worth)?
I deepened my practice, became a more patient and more understanding person, learned to overcome fears and insecurities a little more, and found a great group of people. I fell in love with yoga again and with teaching even more.
Now, let’s get into the details…
What It Looked Like
If you’re looking to do a teacher training and have already decided on CorePower, know that Yoga Sculpt is a shorter training, but is not Yoga Alliance recognized, which means you don’t have a “RYT” in front of your certification.
Why? Because Sculpt is a CorePower thing, yet many yoga studios also offer sculpt classes and CorePower is so well known that they hold this certification in high regard.
With both trainings, there is the option for extensions, a 3-5 week program that hones in on helping you teach classes to a group of students and helps make you a better teacher — they go over things like music and lighting and have you teach community classes to actual people (the most helpful part).
At the end, you do have to audition, but know that CorePower prioritizes students trained by their program when hiring and that they really want you to succeed. So if it doesn’t work out the first time, they will support you in helping you refine your abilities and audition again. Some of the best teachers I know didn’t make it the first time, so have faith!
After passing auditions, your first 30 classes are your “internship phase,” which means you’re essentially an actual teacher, but studio managers will take your classes 2x during this period to give feedback and either pass you to an instructor or work on your abilities some more.
Then, you are ready to go!
Other Benefits
Community
You and this group of strangers from all walks of life will be in the same room for 5-8 weeks, and over the course of those weeks, you’ll find yourself connecting with people you’d never otherwise meet.
You’ll make connections for life — and never before have I met a community of wonderful, supportive, and interesting people.
Deepened Personal Practice
Photo by Bizzy Coffee Team
Part of the program requirements is to take a certain amount of classes and journal about them. Not only does that make you more aware as a student, but it makes yoga into a habit. After going to class almost daily for weeks, my body now misses yoga when I don’t do it for too long.
Public Speaking Skills
This one may seem obvious, but you do learn to get up in front of a crowd of strangers. You learn how to be more aware of what you’re saying, more aware of how your tone of voice and the way you deliver your words can make a big impact.
Quick Overview
Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training
Photo by Bizzy Coffee Team
The Program Outline: 5 weeks, meets 2x a week for 3.5 hours each (usually 1x on the weekdays in the late evening, 1x on the weekend but differs by studio)
Total time: 50 hours (combination between classes and trainings)
Requirements: Journal on classes (6 yoga sculpt classes, 6 C1s, 3 observations), complete homework (Ohm-work!)
Cost: Discounted for Black Tag Members (CorePower’s unlimited membership), CorePower teachers who’ve taught for 3+ months (contact studio for specific pricing)
What Yoga Sculpt Is: Heated Vinyasa yoga with weights and some bootcamp elements. You’ll learn safety, adjusts, anatomy, and of course, yoga.
200-Hour Power Yoga Teacher Training
The Program Outline: 8 weeks, meets 3x a week for 3 hours each (usually 2x on the weekdays in the late evening, 1x on the weekend but differs by studio)
Time: 200 hours
Requirements: Journal on classes (60 required — combination of C2/C1, outside classes, and observations), complete homework (Ohm-work!)
Cost: Discounted for Black Tag Members (CorePower’s unlimited membership), CorePower teachers who’ve taught for 3+ months (contact studio for specific pricing)
What This Teaches You: You’ll learn how to teach a basic Vinyasa flow (C1) and get the tools for sequencing your future flows. You’ll also learn about the philosophy of yoga, anatomy, and chakras.
I’ll leave you with this quote:
“Yoga is the practice of finding within ourselves freedom.”
— Michael Stone