200 Hour YTT Review

One Yoga. Koh Phangan, Thailand

I've just finished my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Koh Phangan, Thailand at One Yoga. I've got insider tips for you, a review of the overall program and some things to ask yourself before you launch into your own 200 YTT.

(For my thoughts on One Yoga Thailand's 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training after the first week, click here.)

Before coming to teacher training, I spoke with some of my own yoga teachers in New York City. Often, they would say that the experience changed their lives, but also that it was really only the first step. Both ideas were appealing to me. It seemed humble to say that a month of training that certifies you to teach is only a first step and it also seemed inspired to say the experience was transformational.

Now, that I've completed the training, I can say it was transformational AND I feel I've only completed a small step in my yogic journey.

Transformational?

Transformational as a word seems sort of dramatic to me. It implies a degree of change that is uncommon for me. But, I have changed. I came into this training with a lot of experience with physical asanas, a little experience with meditation and breathing (pranayama). Most yoga classes I attended focused almost exclusively on the physical asanas/postures. Even in those classes, I could feel a difference after the practice. The channel was changed.

I leave this program with a much richer understanding of the history of yoga as a striving towards Samadhi, a state of stilling the mind that allows us to feel a universal thread that connects everything. The asanas are something that prepares us for this state. Meditation, breathing, the way we live... of it is preparation for Samadhi. In Western yoga classes that is often forgotten/ unmentioned/ shied away from. This program brought that back into focus for me.

Only the First Step?

One Yoga's program is really designed to meet people wherever they are at. People attended this program with almost no experience with yoga. Many people attended having only practiced for a few months. I came into the program with yoga as an experience that I've practiced for stints of time (from 1 year to 5 years) over the last 20+ years. All of us took something significant from the program. All of us were able to lead a class at the end of the program and speak to yoga's main philosophical concepts as well as discuss the anatomy of yoga. Some classes were more advanced than others, largely based on how much experience the students had in yoga classes as a participant or how much experience they had as teachers, in general.

Likewise, all of us, left with new areas we wanted to explore. I would like to do more training in understanding Yin yoga, fascia in anatomy and the Yoga Sutras. Others had plans to explore more classes in their home studio or wanted to take trainings in Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. But most importantly we left with an overall map of different directions we could explore.

The Teachers

The teachers of the course were amazing! Nurturing and knowledgable. They each brought their own personality to the course. At times, it was hard to concentrate through longer lectures, especially after meals. All classes occurred with us seated on the floor with cushions which caused a few problems for many of us over time. The manual was straightforward and helpful. There was a lot to learn--especially the Sanskrit words for various concepts. It was helpful to review often and to have the manual to help!

Room & Board

The food was delicious. Two meals a day: Breakfast and Lunch. At breakfast there was always fruit and then it alternated between oats, eggs, Thai porridge, pancakes. At lunch there was often Thai food made with various soy products and rice. There was more than enough variety to keep it interesting.

The housing was great. There were beach bungalows with little porches, and a common house with hostel style beds and a shared bath. The hot water, the electricity and the a.c. were always at the ready. The practice largely happens in the Ocean Shala which is not air conditioned, but has walls made of screens and lots of fans. The view is epic: Ocean! The wifi was fine, but probably not strong enough for work-zoom speeds that you'd need to work remotely.

Laundry was taken care of for a small fee and the rooms were perfectly cleaned daily.

Truly, for one month, you had to only worry about learning. Everything else was taken care of.

Thank you One Yoga Thailand!