Do You Need to Be Advanced to Do Yoga Teacher Training?
It’s the question I get asked more than any other about our teacher training, usually quietly, after class, by someone who has clearly been thinking about it for a while.
“Do I need to be really advanced to do it?”
The short answer is no. The longer answer is worth reading, because the thing holding most people back isn’t their handstand. It’s a misunderstanding about what teacher training actually is.
What teacher training is really for
A 250 hour Yoga Teacher Training isn’t a test of how flexible or strong you already are. It’s an education. You learn how the practice works: anatomy, alignment, sequencing, breath, philosophy, and how to hold a room and guide people safely through a class.
None of that requires you to arrive with a perfect practice. In fact, some of the best teachers I’ve trained were the ones who found the poses hardest. They remember what it feels like to be stiff, nervous and new, and that makes them brilliant at teaching beginners.
But here’s the part no curriculum can capture. Teacher training is one of the most life changing things you’ll ever do. Over 16 weeks you’ll share early mornings, hard moments, breakthroughs and plenty of laughs with a group of people who very often become friends for life. You’ll be challenged, taken well outside your comfort zone, and supported every step of the way.
The poses, the philosophy and the history are only part of it. I’ve watched it happen every single year: people arrive unsure of themselves and leave more confident, more present and more connected, to themselves and to the people around them. It’s a personal development journey in the shape of a yoga course, and it stays with you for the rest of your life.
What you do need
You don’t need to be advanced, but there are a few things that make the training a much better experience:
- A willingness to learn and grow. That’s the only real requirement. You don’t need to have done yoga for a long time, and you don’t need to be good at yoga. You just need a genuine want to learn and grow as a person.
- Curiosity. The people who get the most out of training are the ones who want to understand why, not just how.
- Commitment. 250 hours is a real investment of time and energy. You’ll get out what you put in.
Notice what’s not on that list: splits, arm balances, a perfect headstand or any particular body type.
“But I don’t want to teach”
That’s completely fine, and more common than you’d think. Plenty of people do teacher training purely to deepen their own practice. They want to understand what they’re doing on the mat, move better, breathe better and take the practice further than a 60 minute class allows.
Some of them finish the course and decide they want to teach after all. Some don’t. Both are great outcomes.
What happens to your practice
Here’s something nobody tells you: your own practice changes more during teacher training than at any other time. When you study a pose closely enough to teach it, you start doing it differently yourself. You understand where to engage, where to soften and how to breathe through it.
I saw the same thing in 18 years of professional basketball. The players who understood the game deeply, not just the ones with the most natural talent, were the ones who kept improving. Yoga is no different. Understanding builds the practice.
What our training covers
The Raw Power Yoga 250 hour Teacher Training is Yoga Alliance accredited and runs from our studio at 97 Sandgate Road, Albion. Over 9 weekends you’ll study 14 core areas of yoga and teaching:
- Practical teaching experience. Teach real classes and get supportive feedback from experienced trainers.
- Safe and functional asana alignment. Learn anatomy based alignment so you can practise and teach yoga safely and effectively.
- Yoga anatomy. Understand how the body moves, breathes and functions to support a strong practice.
- Breathwork and bandhas. Explore powerful breathing techniques, including the Oxygen Advantage® method I use with elite sporting teams and the Australian Defence Force.
- Meditation and mindfulness. Develop tools to calm the mind and guide others through meditation.
- Yoga philosophy. Discover the 8 Limbs of Yoga and how to apply them in modern life.
- History of yoga. Understand where yoga comes from, its traditions and lineages, and how it evolved into the practice we teach today.
- Intelligent sequencing. Learn how to structure classes that flow, challenge and inspire.
- Teaching skills and confidence. Find your authentic voice and learn to lead a room.
- Voice and expression. Learn to use your voice with clarity, tone and presence, so your cues are easy to follow and your classes feel calm and confident.
- Hands on adjusting and assisting. Learn how to safely adjust and assist students, using touch and verbal cues to improve their practice.
- Energy systems. Explore the Chakra and Kosha systems to support deeper personal growth.
- The business of yoga. Learn how to build a teaching career, including marketing and social media.
- Transformational leadership. Develop the presence and confidence to inspire and lead others.
By the end of the training you’ll be able to confidently plan and teach a full 90 minute yoga class.
Who teaches you
The training is led by me, Simon Kerle, alongside a team of specialist trainers including Ramon (trauma informed yoga and embodied leadership), Melissa Billington, Saliesh and Marina, and Jai. You’ll have mentoring and support from the team the whole way through the course, and free lifetime mentoring after you graduate.
What’s included
- Your 250 hour Raw Power Yoga Teacher Training manual
- Anatomy manual
- Access to our online live and recorded teacher training program
- Raw Power TV: over 1,500 on demand classes and 30 live streamed classes each week
- The Oxygen Advantage breathing book by Patrick McKeown
- Raw Power Yoga tank top
- Free lifetime mentoring after you graduate
That’s over $2,500 of bonuses included in the price, with no hidden fees.
Dates, format and investment
- Dates: 17 April to 8 August 2027
- Format: 9 weekends, held fortnightly, Saturday and Sunday from 7.00am to 5.30pm
- Location: Raw Power Yoga, 97 Sandgate Road, Albion, Brisbane
- Investment: $4,399, or early bird $3,799 if paid in full by 15 January 2027
- Deposit: $600 secures your place, and payment plans are available
Our teacher training has sold out 8 years in a row, and 65% of our graduates now teach. Places are limited, so if you’re thinking about it, don’t leave it too late. See the full program and 2027 dates.
The honest test
If you’re still unsure, ask yourself this: when you leave class, do you ever find yourself wondering how the sequence was put together, why a cue worked, or how you could go deeper? If the answer is yes, you’re ready. Your practice will catch up during training. That’s what the training is for.
Find out more
Download the 2027 Info Pack for the full program, schedule and pricing, or come and talk to me after class. I’m always happy to have a chat.
Explore the 2027 Yoga Teacher Training →
Simon Kerle
Founder, Raw Power Yoga