Start with the end in mind: What do you really want? Then figure out how to get it
Written by Hilary Brown, November 2022
Many people in my life in The Netherlands don’t realize that I studied Public Health and worked in planning and behavioural research - in my previous life in California. One of the tenets of working in planning or research is to try to determine: what are the real and tangible outcomes of your intervention. In-other-words: what (do you hope) will the results be?
This question can be applied to any field, any new thing that you endeavour. And is particularly relevant now with all the new resolutions or projects you might have for 2023. What do you envision the outcome to be?
Measuring results can be full of potholes
Especially when the results depend on other people’s interventions.
Here is a small example: If I give you a good massage and you love it, does it mean all the masseuses at Yoga Moves give a good massage? Of course not. But if the group of masseuses at Yoga Moves consistently get return clients, 5 stars, and lots of good feedback, you have a much higher chance that our "massage program" has some consistency across the board.
Makes sense, right?
Similarly, when I worked in public health, unique intervention programs often had a sacred cow in them - the "special sauce" kind of person or activity that is responsible for making the impact. While that might be great for that program, it makes it very hard to replicate - it is more of a personal intervention than a scalable one.
The same could be true with Yoga Teacher Trainings.
So if embarking on a Yoga Teacher Training is on your wish list in 2023, ask yourself this:
What do I want the outcome to be?
What are the results experienced by previous students?
Are those results consistent over time?
And you will be one step closer to your wish.
What kinds of changes do people experience as a result of taking Yoga Moves Teacher Training?
We recently went back to several people who had gone through our training to find out what are the results and changes that people choose to report by themselves after they went through our teacher training program. We found their words and personal comments super interesting because they know best how and if the experience was "life changing" (or not) in their life.
The training journey brings more soul
Soulfulness seems to be at the heart of transformation. Some of the sweetest changes reflect the journey they experienced because they are going for something they love and something that challenges them. Plus, it brings joy, rest, insight and more open heartedness to their experience of life.
“There is a before and after Yoga Teacher Training in my life.
I am much more in love with yoga than before.”“It was a transformative experience alright. I had to hang tight before making peace with the whole process, and now I am just grateful. I got what I came looking for, and then some more. Whatever the outcome, it's been an awesome journey, and just the beginning of a new one.
Thank you for the ride.”“I have learnt more to take life as it comes and be creative...
I had lost this somehow and now I'm finding it back.”“I am proud that I am getting comfortable in front of a group… And that for the first time I am more calm under pressure. Well actually, it feels like less pressure and I am more kind to myself.”
Real results: Preparing people to start teaching
We pay close attention to how the program prepares people to actually teach, which is one of the real results we hope for each time.
“It was one of the most intense things I did in my life! (…) How blessed I feel picking Yoga Moves. Although I hated it sometimes, the course really pushed me into teaching (...) I have an amazing career now as a full-time teacher. “
“(…) It is no walk at the park but worth every minute of sweat. If you complete this training, you have a great basis to start teaching yoga.”
“I never thought the teaching was so much fun, being able to teach people (about) yoga or let them experience what yoga is”.
“Be scared and do it anyway”
The above testimonial line is one of my favorites, it addresses one of the most common sources of concern people have before signing up: they are scared.
The list of things they are nervous about is a long one:
I am not good enough, strong enough, ready, I can't do all the asanas, I don't know enough, etc.
It might be good to remember to be afraid and continue anyway to build courage: it’s not called courage if you are not scared! If it's not challenging, it's often also not really stretching us... and as yogis, the idea is to stretch physically but also mentally and spiritually.
“I learned to be confident and trust my body and my experience by now, to feel pleased in teaching and sharing.”
“I didn't feel confident teaching yoga, now I feel I got so many tools to start building from. And still it feels like 'just the start of it'.”
“So much was new. Most of the philosophy courses and a good part of anatomy too. And a lot of the how-to teach, like using command language, dual cues, etc. A lot of my personal truths came up during the roller coaster of it.”
“I learned to be more confident in teaching vinyasa and loved how it was a holistic approach. You get so much from the journey, and I will always remember this time!”
“Thank you so much Yoga Moves for giving so much, and expecting a lot too. There was a lot of support, input, challenges, trust, guidance and exploration.”
Reminiscing about my past life
Sometimes you can hear me reminisce about my old professional life and what I miss about it. Yet, when I think about all the people I have taught, all the people the other teachers at Yoga Moves have taught, all the people who have become a teacher at Yoga Moves have taught... I get goosebumps of pride, the math is impressive.
Just 2 nights ago a student came to me, who joined Yoga Moves 2 months ago: "It saved my life", she said, and she meant this literally.
Perhaps, in my own way, this is my and our contribution to the health of the public. When we can share yoga with others, we give a gift that is priceless in countless ways.
If you are curious to make a change - big or small and think teaching yoga might be on your path (or even just learning more about it to deepen your own practice), we would love to support you.
As one student offered this good advice:
“Great training for a new teacher. You'll learn a lot in a short time and in a blink of an eye this golden time is over – make sure to cherish this time for you!”
Learn more about our training programs here.
We start a new cycle on January 20th in Utrecht & March 17th in Den Haag!
Hilary Brown has been training teachers for over 20+ years.
She joined her first yoga teacher training to meet new friends in The Netherlands when she was 39 years old. She had no idea she would turn her hobby into her business and life purpose. She is the founding director of Yoga Moves Training Department. You can study with her in the Yoga Moves teacher training offered in Utrecht and now also in Den Haag.