Sport Yoga Certification
I am wanting to get a yoga certification through NESTA for their Sport Yoga Certification. I am wanting to teach a more infused workout combining Yoga and Pilates. More of a Power Yoga. A more fast paced workout, still with a mind body connection, but more strength and pilates incorporated. Would this give me the information I need to make this happen? And would I be hireable with this certification to gyms?
The short answer is it probably depends on the club and the market. Generally yoga studios look for a designation on the Yoga Alliance. For the basic level of the tiers of the yoga registry you need a 200 hour program that is listed with the registry (i.e. that meets certain basic requirements). The NESTA suggests that their program takes 30 to 40 hours of study. However, a lot of health clubs do ‘fusion’ classes of various kinds, and if the class was marketed as that sort of class, and you have nationally recognized certification in group exercise, you might find it would work for you.
“Power” yoga, by the way, is sometimes used to designate a physically demanding yoga or derived class, but specifically it refers to the Ashtanga yoga of Patthabi Jois, and its variants. Actually, the Ashtanga form is about as strong a form as anything that could be added to it.
Have you read the book The Science of Yoga by William Broad. What it has to say about the benefits of yoga, and why, generally aerobic fitness is physiologically difficult to have within the practice of yoga is interesting. In other words, speeding up may take some of the benefits away, without gaining other benefits that may be better gained through other formats, and may increase the possibility of injury. But of course, that is my take, and I am more traditional in my viewpoint.
I think Pilates can be a really good fusion with yoga. There is a great book called Yogalaties by Johnathan Urla you might find really helpful in designing such a class.
To be completely practical you might wish, before spending the money, to determine a list of places you would like to teach, and determine what their requirements are for their teachers within particular disciplines. I know of at least one teacher who teaches at one club who is trained in “yoga fit” and is able to teach with that, though I do not know anyone out of NESTA. That however does not mean much, as markets vary quite a lot.