SWIHA Blog

1. When choosing a Yoga Teacher Training program, it’s important you choose a program recognized by reputable licensing or a credential is involved is so that when you present yourself for employment your training will be recognized.

Yoga Alliance (YA) is the largest independent organized credentials body available in the world. Their standards for a Yoga Teacher Training facility include:

• Has a definite, pre-defined curriculum with competencies and sub-competencies that meet Yoga Alliance’s standards;
• Offers a training program that is taught by experienced yoga teachers who are qualified to train others to become yoga teachers; and
• Offers a consistent approach that supports authenticity of lineage, style, or methodology, rather than a survey of different approaches.

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Lauren Doyle walks through the door in a bright, royal blue dress, as cool and fresh as she is. I had the opportunity and honor to sit and talk about her experience of finding SWIHA after ten years of being immersed in the corporate world, which she says wasn’t a bad place, but she had the feeling she could do more with her life. I can also verify that Lauren is very funny— we laughed the entire interview— however, humor was another element that was missing from her life in this line of work. Down the road, doctors later diagnosed her with early onset arthritis and told her she wasn’t to do any strenuous exercise. After months of little standing, no cooking, and stuck in a bed, she realized she needed three things to be ‘full’.

“I need to be creative; I need mental nourishment, and physical activity.”

Lauren loved healing and working with tinctures and aromatherapy oils/options and she found herself asking one day,

“I love these earthly things. Why am I not doing that?”

 “I felt like my soul was dying.” [She laughs.] With her infectious smile and bright eyes, she continues, “Yes, I love being dramatic. But it was true: I called it ‘Soul-scouting' for the Soul that’s dying. [We both laugh] I was surrounded by people working the corporate ladder, and I just watched them live in fear and stress. That’s when I knew I could better serve my community. I was inspired to help people in this field, and the thing was, I knew I could help them.”

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The monthly event, Gifts and Graces, is initially what brought Tara Walker-Munroe to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA). That evening led her to enroll in the 800-hour Yoga Teacher Training program at Spirit of Yoga (SOY), SWIHA’s extended yoga school and studio. Now that she has graduated, Tara reflected that the first 200 hours of her Yoga Teacher Training were actually her favorite part of the entire program.

“There is such a sense of community that is built. So much love and compassion shared all while learning how to help others find themselves, find stillness, and cultivate peace. It's a beautiful experience. Even if someone is not interested in teaching, the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program is great for self discovery, self growth, self knowledge.”

During her yoga training, Tara found that her favorite teachers were Laura McKinzie, Duane Armitage, Aradhana Kaur, and India Bee. She shared that they all taught with compassion and grace. During her training, she learned the tools needed to succeed and were instilled with the confidence needed to face self-doubt. “I also have to say my fellow classmates inspired me. When you embark on such a journey, the opportunity for learning is all around you.” Tara wanted to add that she also loved her Polarity teachers- Gilad, Tracy, and Dina. In all honesty, she knows there are people she is leaving out so she shared that it's safe to say that she loved all her teachers at SWIHA/SOY.    

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