Becoming a Yoga Instructor

On September 1st, I signed up for an unlimited yoga package at the studio down the street from me, and in that first month alone I attended 26 classes, which is pretty impressive considering some weekends I was out of town, and some days I just couldn’t go. I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to yoga, but I’m really enjoying it, and therefore I wanted to pick up the Masters at Work book Becoming a Yoga Instructor by Elizabeth Greenwood. I read her book about faking your own death last year and really enjoyed this brief glimpse into the history of teaching yoga and what some people about about the practice.

This book isn’t going to teach you HOW to do yoga, but if you already practice, it’s eye-opening. It made me super grateful for the teachers I’ve had who are respectful, ask for consent, engage with you mentally as well as physically, and encourage you without pushing you too far. No one wants to get hurt, and so much of yoga is about teachers understanding the human body, the human condition, and why we are doing what we are doing. I already really respected the 2000 hour teacher training process, but for many, that’s just the beginning. Being a librarian, I respect that kind of lifelong learning.

I also loved reading about Abbie Galvin, a modern Katonah yoga teacher who everyone adores and who gives really great body corrections. I’m definitely going to try and take a class with her next time I am in NYC!