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5 Fears I Had Before Starting Yoga Teacher Training

I am currently three sessions in to the 200 hour yoga teacher training course at YogaHub. I’m thoroughly enjoying the experience so far and I’m delighted that I decided to sign up to do the course. Before I enrolled on the course I was quite apprehensive about embarking upon my yoga teacher training journey. I suppose I was scared and fearful for a variety of reasons. The main fears that almost held me back included the following:

Fear of standing up in front of people

Being Irish I find it quite difficult being the centre of attention. I wouldn’t call myself overly shy but when it comes to public speaking or introducing myself to a new group of people, I get awfully nervous and my whole mind and body system becomes scared shitless. This fear has been faced at each teacher training session and the discomfort is slowly dissipating. The more I get to know the teachers and my fellow students, the easier it gets and I am beginning to believe in my ability to stand up in front of a room full of people.

Fear of not being good enough

I didn’t believe my yoga knowledge or practice was advanced enough to begin my training. I didn’t know my vipasanna from my savasana and I was extremely worried that the rest of the class would be far more advanced than me. From the beginning of the course the teachers made us very comfortable and highlighted the fact that everybody’s practice was at a different level and was relative to each individual. Your yoga practice is always progressing but it is not a race and this course has put me at ease in that sense.

Fear of failure

I thought that I would look like an idiot if there were certain postures I couldn’t do. For me, I initially thought that in order to train as a yoga teacher that I would have to be able to wrap my legs around my head and be able to do the splits at the drop of a hat. I was incredibly worried that I would be found out when we approached difficult postures. The fear was that if I was seen to be unable to perform a posture then I was a failure as a student. From talking to fellow students and teachers, it was evident that we all have difficulty with certain postures as we are all human. We are not expected to perform every posture as students. The teachers are hugely supportive and comforting on this topic and there is no such thing as failure. So if you are unable to drop down and get your “pigeon” on, it is not the end of the world. The teachers constantly affirm that they weren’t born in “reverse wheel” pose, they had their own struggles and they share these along the journey which provides us all with extra confidence and inspiration along the way.

Fear of change and the unknown

Change is difficult and I’m always slightly apprehensive about trying new things as a shock to a routine is always challenging. I also had no idea what to expect as I had never done a full weekend of yoga before. Initially, one weekend a month of yoga seemed quite daunting for ten whole months. The anticipation of giving up my weekend was quite worrying but the funny thing is that I now really look forward to my yoga teacher training weekends. The whole structure of each weekend makes for a very enjoyable weekend where not only do I get well needed yoga therapy but I am also absorbing vital knowledge and learning valuable skills to take with me as a future yoga instructor.

Fear of following my dreams

Yoga and meditation are extremely beneficial for me as they help me every single day to help me overcome pain, stress and anxieties in my life. My absolute dream is to be a yoga teacher and to help other people overcome the things that I do every day. I was frightened of taking on this course as I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to take on so much as I also have a full time job and I am undertaking other studies at the moment. Though I had a dream and an overall purpose I wanted to work towards, I was worried that I may have bitten off more than I can chew but that has definitely not been the case.
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On reflection, I am so happy that I enrolled on the course and that I am following my dreams. This course has actually taught me to make time for those things I am passionate about, as they are the most rewarding activities I will ever do.
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“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”
-Judy Blume
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Thank you so much for reading.
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Namaste classy folks!
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Matt

Author Matt

I started YogaHub out of a room at the back of someone else's house back in 2012 with nothing more than an idea. I'd been teaching Yoga since 2008 and had no intention of opening a Yoga Studio. I think, like everything I've done, I just decided one day I was going to give it a try. And try I did and if you're reading this I guess I'm still trying.

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Join the discussion 2 Comments

  • Kerry Fleming says:
    July 16, 2018 at 8:12 am

    Thanks so much for writing down your fears. They mirror exactly how I’m currently feeling! I’m going to start my 10 month course in November and though it feels a long time away I’m aware that it’s creeping ever closer. I don’t know how to prepare, except doing regular yoga. I feel that I should be doing more but not sure what? I probably should just breathe and enjoy life now, rather than worry about the future .
    Good luck with your yoga teaching future!
    Kerry

  • Gemma says:
    June 30, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    I have never left a comment on a blog before but I must of read thousands. Today I needed to see this. Next week I’m about to embark on my journey of YTT and I’m a mixed bag of emotions – fear being one. Literally every fear you mentioned has raced through my mind the last few days. Thank you so much for putting my mind at ease. Not only do I now not feel alone in how I feel, I also know that really, there’s nothing to fear but fear itself.

    Namaste

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