Why age doesn't matter when you want to do a yoga teacher training course

I'll be 56 next year. Am I too old to do a yoga teacher training course? We are often asked this question by interested participants who are in their early or mid-50s. At this stage in life, many people feel not only external change but also internal change. Men or women are looking for something – something that they have not sufficiently nurtured so far. A yoga teacher training course can offer exactly what you are looking for – if it is the right one for you.

This article explains why age is not an issue for us if you want to start a yoga teacher training course.

Is yoga only for young, flexible women?

Why is the myth that yoga is only for young and flexible people so persistent?

The reality in our Alignment Yoga Teacher Trainings in Zurich

Who takes an Alignment Yoga Teacher Training at The Yoga Place Zurich?

Yoga knows no age – your journey begins here

If you look up yoga on the internet or on social media, it's not surprising that many people think that yoga is only for young, slim and agile women. But that's a mistake! Yoga is for everyone – regardless of age, body type or mobility. To be honest, however, not every yoga style is equally suitable for everyone.

The well-known Vinyasa Yoga Flow, for example, where you often see young, slim and agile women, is not always suitable if you are in your late 40s and already have some physical issues. Even Power Hatha Yoga or acrobatic Ashtanga Yoga will become difficult for most people at some point. Of course there are exceptions, but they are rather rare.

It is motivating to see someone in their 70s fit and lively in a yoga class – that's how you want to be when you're “old”, isn't it? But does that mean you have to be able to do the splits, do a handstand or touch your nose to your shin? Does it really make us wiser or make life easier? When is enough enough? And isn't yoga about more than just the body?

If you look at yoga as a purely physical “thing” – and that's what advertising and social media campaigns around yoga convey – you might really think that you're “out of commission” in your late 30s or 40s and better off going to senior gymnastics.

If you can no longer wear the tight, trendy yoga clothes or stay on your board for five minutes, it seems as if yoga is over for you. This is currently the mindset of so-called “modern” yoga. But that has little to do with actual yoga.

Yoga is much more than just physical practice – it is an inner journey! It is about reconnecting with your innermost core, experiencing more peace and serenity, becoming more aware of your own body, breathing properly, accepting yourself as you are, and still staying motivated to continue working on your own development. In yoga, you can also discover your own spiritual side while remaining grounded.

It's not about how you look, but how you feel.

You can do all of this at 25 – or at 65 or 70! By integrating the yogic philosophy of life into our daily routine, we learn to take better care of our bodies and at the same time to define ourselves less by them – because we are so much more than just our bodies!

Of course, a strong and healthy body is a gift, and when our body is doing well, we feel better mentally too. “In corpore sano, mens sana.” (A healthy body, a healthy mind).

But the body is not all that makes us who we are. Otherwise, all gymnasts, ballet dancers and the like would automatically be yogis or yoginis – but they are not.

Because how well you can do a headstand, a split or a triangle in yoga says nothing about your emotional or mental development. This is often forgotten in “modern” yoga!

Yoga is a way of life. It's about being more centered, more at peace with yourself and the world, and it can be experienced at any age.

Just because there are fewer pictures of older people or people with less flexibility practicing yoga doesn't mean they don't exist. At our yoga studio in Zurich – The Yoga Place – the reality is different.

We have a wide mix of people from all age groups in our yoga teacher training courses. The core is usually in their mid-30s to late 40s, flanked by participants in their 20s and in their late 50s to 60s.

What unites these people in our Alignment Yoga Teacher Trainings is their shared interest in our yoga style and their desire to develop holistically in yoga. Superficialities are unimportant to us – you can be exactly as you are, and even your individual physical “construction sites” have a place in our trainings.

Years of the last Alignment Yoga Teacher Training Courses

Professional groups Participants: Alignment yoga teacher training at The Yoga Place Zurich

Our training programs attract people from a wide range of professional backgrounds. Some of the participants work in offices – from assistants to department heads or as software developers.

Others come from the health sector, while still others work as teachers, architects, cooks, musicians or physiotherapists. There are also participants who are housewives or househusbands or are already retired.

Age really doesn't matter in our Alignment Yoga Teacher Training courses. No matter whether you are young or already a little older, whether you have physical challenges or not – you will find your place with us!

Have we sparked your interest? Then download our free Alignment Yoga Teacher Training brochure (please note, it is in German, as are all our trainings in Zurich). You will find all the information about us and our yoga training there.