NETA Yoga Specialty Certification

NETA Yoga Specialty Certification Workshop Experience

This past weekend I attended the National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA) Yoga Specialty Certification Workshop. I am mostly known for bodybuilding (hypertrophy) and power lifting. Therefore, many people asked me how yoga teacher training related to the other types of physical exercise I enjoy and teach. 

The best way to explain this is to think of a metal rod that constantly has pressure applied to it.  If the materials in the rod are not flexible then there is a good chance the rod will snap once enough pressure has been applied to it.  However, building the rod with more flexible materials increases the amount of pressure it can handle and likewise reduces the chances of it snapping.  The same applies to flexibility training to accommodate strength training.  The more flexible we are the less likely we are to injure ourselves when lifting heavy loads or performing certain movements.  The mind-body connection is also improved through the different breathing techniques, which improves proprioception and the ability to learn how to correctly perform movement patterns.  Not only does this reduce chances of injury, but also leads better strength and confidence in the individual involved with the practice.

As far as the actual teacher training, the studying process was quite interesting.  Honestly, I was confused by some of the material. I noticed myself over-thinking everything. Half way through the first day of the workshop, when I finally started to relax, the point of the stories and text started to make sense. The more I read and understood, the more I realized how much more there is to know about yoga. I discovered that this was just a starting point and there is a wealth of knowledge and rich history as it pertains to yoga.

As for the physical component of the workshop, I found it to be very challenging, which I wasn’t expecting for some reason. I’ve been practicing Hot Vinyasa regularly for a year now and just realized during training that it never becomes “easier” because you can always go deeper into a posture and find more space to expand and deepen the breath. After spending most of Saturday going in and out of poses (asanas) I can tell you that when I got home at 6PM, I was physically tired.  However, on the second day we did more gentle yoga poses and I felt energized for the activities that were planned for us. Students created, demonstrated, and critiqued short 5-10 minute mini yoga class sessions.  Practice teaching made it a lot easier to take the exam at 1PM with a clear head.  I passed the exam and went home with a sense of accomplishment for at least starting the yoga instructor process.  Our instructor mentioned that even after we move on to more advanced yoga teacher trainings that we will never be truly finished learning everything there is about yoga or how to teach yoga.

Overall it was a great experience and I recommend it for any fitness professional looking for a continuing education program or looking to expand their fitness/yoga knowledge.

Namaste,

Will