Commentary on the John Friend Link

I just listened to an excerpt from a Wonder Lust Fest. interview with John Friend (founder of Ansura Yoga). It discussed the economics of being a yoga teacher. 

I think primarily outside of Newfoundland (and the St. John’s Area) this problem exists much more commonly than within. I get it. It makes sense to me. 

I have an interest in doing yoga teacher training, should this discourage me? I think not! John goes on to talk about places where there are more yoga teachers than students. That is not economical. You don’t need to be a teacher to deepen your practice necessarily. You must being doing teacher training, not only to further your yoga experiences, but to help those in demand of practicing yoga. 

John speaks about practicing for 7 years before he began substituting for his teacher. I understand that not everyone should be a yoga teacher. Not all of us want to teach because it’s a cool thing to do or that they aren’t happy in their job. 

It’s like I was reading about today. The yoga sutra discusses a principle where we act humbly and submit to the divine. That’s not to say one has to be religious but we should act in a way that it is about the quality of the act and not the fruit that is bared. A yoga teacher (like other teachers) hopes to plant a seed into the students. That the quality of their actions may then be passed on. Not to see people progress because you are the best at teaching. 

So that’s where I am with this interview. There’s good points. I agree with many things but I am also at war with the underlying message that is not intended but sounds a little “there are too many teachers I don’t get it, go away”. In a space that requires a teacher then training is beneficial. 

My personal intentions with YTT is to further my knowledge to a point where, when I no longer live in St. John’s, and I’m in an area where there is a demand I am prepared to teach to my peers the thing that I have loved for so long. I am aware that there is very little money in teaching (generally and in yoga) and that is not the purpose. It is not yogic. It’s spreading, that’s good.