Yoga teacher training, returning to practice, not performance

There are many yoga teacher trainings out there, and it can feel overwhelming trying to find something that truly sits with you.

As someone who has been running trainings since 2011, I have also felt that tension. The sense of trying to articulate, and at times “sell”, something that doesn’t neatly fit into those terms.

Traditionally, yoga training was not structured in this way. It was often held in ashram settings or through one-to-one guidance. It was a spiritual undertaking, where the physical practice was inseparable from the mind, from balance, and from getting to know yourself more deeply. At its core, it is an internal practice.

So the question becomes how we stay connected to that within a highly visible, fast-moving, and often western-dominated yoga industry.

For me, it comes back to practice. Not performance, not perfection, but a steady returning. A way of building awareness, depth, and a relationship with yourself that can hold you through different stages of life. A way of being present, including in the spaces between what is conscious and what is less known.

This is how I continue to navigate both practice and teaching.

There is also an honesty needed about the wider context. The growth of large-scale trainings, branded programmes, and commercial models has changed the landscape of yoga. Much of it is shaped by outcomes, presentation, and visibility. What is seen is often prioritised over what is felt.

I found this difficult for a time. It made me question whether I wanted to continue running trainings at all.

But alongside that, I kept returning to the value of the practice itself, and what it has offered me over many years. That has stayed constant.

So this training is shaped from that place.

There is no push to oversell. No urgency-based campaigns. Instead, the intention is to offer a space that is steady, human, and responsive. A space where people can practise, question, unlearn, and begin to understand what it means to teach in a way that is grounded.

This includes engaging with trauma-informed practice and decolonising perspectives, not as separate topics, but as part of how we understand the body, practice, and each other.

It also means working at a pace that allows for integration. Slowing down where needed. Paying attention to rest. Not treating the body as something to push through in order to achieve.

This may not be for everyone. But for those who are looking for something more considered, there is space here.

You can find full details of the upcoming training, including dates and how to apply, here.