I’m a little more than halfway through my training now, so I feel like I’m qualified to give a few tips to those of you who are thinking about enrolling in your first yoga teacher training program. (We had the weekend off from training for Memorial Day, so I was able to refresh and refocus!)

Here is a list of lessons learned so far:

1. If you think it will be a piece of cake, think again! If you’re in a good program, you will be doing a lot more than showing up to class and taking notes. There are lots of books. There are written assignments. You have to find a mentor teacher and assist in his/her classes. There is a final examination to measure your knowledge.

2. Don’t expect it to be like your weekly asana class. Asana might not be the focus, even when the subject is teaching asanas. It is important that teachers understand doing a posture in their own bodies, but likely you won’t have a lot of time to explore that during your training. There’s way too much material to cover. Instead expect a lot of discussion about injuries, anatomical structure, and teaching techniques in each and every class.

3. Don’t expect desks and chairs. And, for crying out loud, don’t be afraid to use lots of blankets, bolsters, and blocks to make yourself as comfortable as possible! No one will fault you.

4. Choose a program that will allow you to get acquainted with different styles of yoga. Even though you may think you know all there is to know about how styles other than your own vary—there is always something new to learn. Some of the folks in my class who went into the training expecting to teach a certain style or demographic are leaning in another direction now. (I’m one of them! I thought I’d want to focus on vinyasa flow classes, but am now realizing the importance of slower, more alignment-focused styles.) There’s always time for more training later. Remember, it’s experience that really helps mold a teacher’s style—not teacher training.

5. Don’t dismiss teachers just because you might not feel drawn to his or her personality. My training is set up so that we get instruction with several different teachers, and I have to admit, I wasn’t immediately thrilled with the way some of them approached their classes. When I let go of my first impressions, though, I realized I could learn a lot—even if I wasn’t in love with the teacher.

6. Make friends with your classmates! Bounce ideas off of each other. Ask questions. Give advice. Sometimes just talking about yoga with someone who understands what you’re doing will make you feel so much better about the whole process.

7. It seems like there is a lot of misconception around what a yoga teacher training program means. With yoga, your training will never be complete. It’s a life-long study, and just because you have a teaching certificate doesn’t mean you should stop being a student. For me, I think it will be the true beginning of my study.