Teacher Training FAQ

Click the Apply button above and complete the application. We will contact you within five business days to communicate your acceptance. You will receive an email with instructions on how to make your deposit. Once your deposit is received, we will send you detailed information on how to prepare for training. You will have the opportunity to set up a payment plan between your acceptance and the start of training. Training must be paid in full by the first of the month in which training begins (i.e. if training begins June 21, payment in full must be made by June 1). If you are not accepted into this training, we will provide you with a strategy and a plan to work toward acceptance into the future trainings.

You will be on the podium on DAY ONE! Our learning process starts out with you already knowing the basic outline of the yoga and we will have you teaching that immediately! We also feel strongly that having you face those practicing yoga will help you to get your head wrapped around the thought processes of “being on the other side.” The objective is to get you comfortable right away with your left and their right, having 30 people looking at you, seeing the bodies, and disarming any public speaking apprehension.

Each application will be reviewed on an individual basis.
In general, we are looking for trainees who are:

• At least 21 years of age
• Have practiced hot yoga for a minimum of six months
• Have practiced hot yoga sequence for a minimum of six months
• Have a strong knowledge of and passion for the practice
• Have a positive attitude and a desire to learn
• Have an understanding of the abilities and limits of their own body
• Possess maturity and professionalism
• Have a sense of humor
• Are willing to work with others

Other areas that will be helpful include:

• Public speaking experience
• Some training in anatomy and physiology
• Customer service experience
• Some college
• Previous job related experience

Once you have been accepted into the training program, you will be required to complete the following preparatory work:

• CPR & First Aid training and certification
• Anatomy study and testing
• Required and optional reading on the subjects of yoga, customer service, public speaking and more
• Creating a preliminary outline for each posture and building core elements of instruction

In addition, you will be required to have a physician’s approval confirming your ability to participate in a rigorous 4-week yoga training program.

It will be hot and humid in Cancun – perfect for hot yoga! There will be some rain, and there will be some days of constant rain, but other days will include sparkling sun.

You will definitely need a passport to travel to Mexico. Unless expedited (which can be costly), U.S. passports usually take between six to eight weeks to obtain. You will not need a visa if you are traveling as a tourist and plan to stay in Mexico for less than 180 days. You may be required to pay a fee to enter the country of Mexico. Often if you are traveling by air, the fee is included in the cost of the flight; if you are traveling by bus or other ground transportation, you may be required to pay approximately $25 to cross into Mexico.

For any international travel, you should be up to date on all vaccines. Although there are no mandatory vaccines for Mexico, you should check with your physician to determine what, if any, precautions you will need before traveling.

The country of Mexico is very large and like any big foreign or domestic place, there are areas in Cancun to avoid. Every aspect of your safety has been considered, and although absolute safety can never be guaranteed, the area around Casa Om is quite welcoming and secure.

At Sterling, we believe strongly in treating you with respect, care and as an adult. Although it will be rigorous and challenging on a variety of levels, this training is not a boot camp and it is not a sorority hazing. We cannot stress enough that we will treat you the same way we want to be treated – with patience, with respect and with dignity.

You will need to talk to your carrier to determine the costs associated with international calling.

Ground transportation from the airport to Casa Om – and on your return from Casa Om to the airport – is included in the cost of your training.

Not a lot. We will usually have guest speakers on Saturdays, but on Sundays we will plan some optional adventures and outings for the group. If you want to do some in depth exploration, you might consider doing that either before or after training.

In order to maximize the available space at Casa Om, we currently plan to have everyone share rooms. If you have special needs or requests, please let us know and we will try to accommodate you. Extra charges will apply if we are able to provide single accommodations.

Everyone staying at Casa Om will share a room. Additional trainees and visitors will stay at a resort right next door that has comparable accommodations and amenities.

The inclusive food package at Casa Om will be exclusively vegetarian, and the owners have requested that no meat brought on to the premises. We expect everyone to abide by this request. There are restaurants within a 10-minute walk that you can visit during afternoon siesta and evening break time for a variety of food choices. In addition, you will be on your own for most meals during the weekends, so you will have multiple food choices at that time!

Some materials are included in the price of the training. You will, however, need to purchase the required and optional books before training starts. The acceptance letter will outline all the details of what you will need to purchase.

A football coach does not need to be able to kick the ball through the goal posts in order to be an outstanding coach – does he? While you will need to have the physical stamina to do yoga every day while you are at the training, you do not need to be a super bendy and perfect yogi! What we really want from you starting on day one is to take on the role of teacher-in-training. You will need to practice with the mindset of learning in order to teach. No matter what you learn, you should consider it an opportunity to add a tool to your toolbox of teaching. From the moment you are accepted, start thinking like a teacher!

We expect to have between 20-30 individuals in our training. We will cap the training at 30 people. Students must be at least 21 years of age, and can be as young as 70!

A thorough knowledge of the English language is necessary to participate in the training. Your application will be assessed like any other.

To obtain a diploma and a letter of completion, you must attend 100% of the training. If, for any reason, you miss one or two days of the training, you may still complete the program with your class provided that you schedule, pay for and complete a private make-up session with a staff teacher during the four weeks of the program. Each missed day will require a two hour make-up session with a staff teacher during the four weeks of the program. Each missed day will require a two hour make-up session and will cost $100 per hour. If you miss three or four days of the training, you will not be able to complete the program with your class, and you will need to make up the classes in a subsequent training. You may choose to make up the first two days you miss with a private session during your training, but the additional days you will need to take in a subsequent training. If you miss five or more days of the training, you will need to retake the program, at a discounted price, subject to space availability.

If for any reason you decide to leave the training within the first seven days of training, you will forfeit $3,000 of the training costs, but you will receive a refund for the balance of your payment. Should you decide to leave the training on day eight or any time thereafter, there will be no refund. If you are required to leave for emergency reasons, every attempt will be made to reschedule you in a future training at a discounted rate.

Keep in mind this will be a very intensive and time-consuming training program. You will not have much time to spend with people who are not participating in the training. If you want someone to visit for part of the time, you will have more time on weekends, but you will be involved in yoga training activities most days. If you plan to have company, please let us know. We will work with you to have accommodations at a convenient and nearby location.

We prefer that you stay with us – it will be more convenient, efficient and safer for you to do that.

We are looking into this opportunity. We will provide information as soon as we have details.

There is a medical clinic in the neighborhood and a hospital in Cancun. Check with your health insurance policy, you may want to consider international health insurance.

Once you receive your acceptance notice, you will receive a packet of information to prepare for your training. That packet will include a list of things to bring. Some of those items include yoga clothes, bathing suit, prescription medicines, sunscreen, sun hat, a laptop computer, water bottle, notebook, paper and pens. You are welcome to bring your own yoga mat, but mats will be provided by Casa Om. Also, Cancun is a modern city. You should be able to purchase whatever you need there.

YES! Our goal is to have each and every Sterling Teacher not only podium ready, but fully trained in customer service, on the benefits of yoga and ready to help a studio owner grow his or her business. We will feature you on our Sterling website and provide information about your skills and competencies. The hot yoga industry is in flux, and we are convinced that the need for qualified, skilled and professional hot yoga teachers will increase. Our objective is to have Sterling teachers recognized as the best in the industry.

YES! We would love to work with you. We have lead over 20 Yoga alliance RYT-200 7-weekend trainings since 2014 in 26/2 Bikram and Vinyasa. We offer one week accelerated, yoga alliance CE credits, comprehensive trainings in Yin, Yoga Sculpt and Hot HIIT.  This is a great opportunity to create teamwork, leadership and amazing teachers within your studio and culture. Profit sharing is available. Must have or rent space to comfortably seat (table and chairs) minimum of 10 persons, 650 Sq Ft, projector and 4 dry erase whiteboards. Attendance is required from participants in order to earn an RYT-200. Email to find out more and set a schedule today jodi@Sterlinghotyogaworks.com or call 859.402.2211 today.