Yoga Teacher Training Study Tips

Study strategies for people who don’t feel like studying

This week in yoga coaching we dive into study strategies and techniques for your yoga teacher training and beyond.

While these tips are shared to help you in completing your yoga training coursework, my hope is that this will also help you to build habits and strategies that will help you beyond training as you build and manage your own yoga business.

In this discussion we talk about:

• Structured study strategies for folks who like to get organized
• Unstructured study strategies for folks who have trouble with motivation, procrastination, or study avoidance.
• Learn about some of my favorite strategies like study snacks, body doubling, and the sidle-up-to-it strategy.

Watch the video, or scroll down for transcript notes and all the strategies!

Yoga Teacher Training Study Tips

Yoga Study Tips for Teacher Training and Beyond

In yoga teacher training you’re not just learning about yoga, you’re also learning about yourself. The process invites you to observe and understand how you engage with work, respond to challenges, celebrate accomplishments, take necessary rest, and maintain flow and energy in what you do.

Once you are in this process of learning, you can then learn about what strategies and techniques work best for you to be successful in your studies.

In this session we talk about formal and informal study strategies, and we’ll really dig into approaches for those who struggle with motivation, organization, procrastination, and study avoidance.

This is important because, again, how you approach, organize, and coordinate your studies is preparation for how you’ll run your teaching practice or business.

As a yoga entrepreneur, whether you teach one day a week or build your own studio, you’ll need to self-motivate and self-discipline, as there’s often no one setting deadlines for you. Thankfully, yoga itself offers tools to support these skills!

Yoga Ethics and Yoga Study

Let’s begin by looking at how the foundational ethics from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali—the Yamas and Niyamas—can guide you in your studies:

Brahmacharya (Energy and Time Management):

Learning to manage your energy and time wisely. This is important not only for your studies but also for creating balance in your future teaching practice and business and managing work/life/yoga balance.

Tapas (Discipline and Routine):

Establishing routines and strategies to stay consistent in your studies helps build the discipline you’ll need to maintain a steady teaching and business practice.

Swadhyaya (Self-Study):

Understanding your own approach, needs, and motivations empowers you to harness your skills and talents effectively. This self-awareness will support you in all areas of your work and life.

Structured Study Tips

I’m going to be brief in this section, because we’ve all heard all the structured study tips: set study times, have a formal study space, create a study plan.

These are great strategies that can be really useful for people with a more formal study style, or for people who thrive with structure, schedules, and deadlines.

If these techniques work for you, work these techniques!

Set yourself up for success by creating a quiet and comfortable study space, outlining your study tasks and goals, scheduling study sessions, and creating deadlines not just for big tasks, but the small tasks that lead up to it.

Reflecting on the many ways people approach studying, I’ve realized that my own method is quite structured—out of necessity. As a solopreneur for nearly 30 years, I don’t have anyone pushing me to get things done. If it’s going to happen, it’s entirely up to me.

I don’t always start the day with tons of motivation or discipline, but I find that if I can gain momentum, I am more likely to be successful in what I’m doing.
I spent some time last week thinking about how I get momentum in my workday or my studies, and I realized that I do have a technique – Follow what you love.

Find the joy and follow what you love

I’ve come to realize that our inner drives and simple joys can serve as powerful sources of motivation.

For example, I love to put things away. I get pleasure out of getting things off my desk, out of my inbox, and creating order. This means that when I have some invoices or receipts on my desk, I get those done so I can file them away. It’s so satisfying, and it gives me a little boost of energy to move on to the next task.

My sister is a bit the same, she makes a binder for a new project or studies. She’s a teacher so she loves the office supplies, choosing a colour for the binder, organizing the tabs, making a cover page, and this gives her some momentum for doing the tasks she finds less enjoyable.

Start with what feels most appealing or doable in the moment. Let that small task naturally flow into others once you’re in motion.

Micro goals

Lots of folks are motivated by checks/ticks. If it gives you a little feeling of pleasure to tick something off a list, harness that motivation.

Break tasks into tiny, non-intimidating steps. Instead of “study the chapter,” focus on “read one paragraph” or “highlight key terms.” Often, starting small creates momentum for bigger efforts.

Make a list, find some opportunities to do small tasks that you can tick off, and this can get you rolling in completing more tasks.

These examples all orient around organization, so if organization and creating structure are your jam, follow what you love!

The bigger conversation I want to have today is for those who don’t respond well to formal study strategies.

Unstructured Study Tips

Structured study can be really effective for some people, and the world is full of great tips for structured study, however sometimes these strategies just don’t work.

Particularly for folks with a less formal study style, for neurodivergent or low energy folks, or for those with limitations in time or space, more flexible or creative techniques might be much more useful.

If the idea of scheduling time and place for study gives you the ick, I have tons of ideas below for unstructured study strategies, beginning with my three favorite techniques:

• study snacks
• body doubling
• sidle-up-to-it

Study Snacks

Instead of waiting for a long chunk of time to study (that often never arises) take smaller bites of your studies. This is the same guidance we might give our students who are looking to build a home yoga practice – don’t wait for a perfect time or perfectly clean house or perfect quiet to do yoga. Start with a few spinal warmups or Sun Salutations and see where that leads. Maybe that leads to a longer session, or maybe you end with 10 minutes. But, 10 minutes beats no minutes every time!

A few ways you can use study snacks include:

• weave space for study snack sessions into your day
•  don’t wait for a perfect time or place to study – grab 10 minutes while you wait for
• pair study snacks with other tasks, for example put in a load of washing and dig into your studies until it’s ready to hang on the line.
• take study snacks on the road – listen to lectures, podcasts or audiobooks on your commute, on the bike or treadmill, etc.
• Keep a notebook or voice notes and keep recording your thoughts as they arise. Read a page, record a few bullet points or voice notes. Do a practice, jot down a few thoughts or reflections. Get ideas down while they are fresh instead of trying to return to it after the fact.

Body Doubling

Similar to having a study buddy, body doubling is where you study with someone else in the room – not helping or guiding or coaching, just ‘being’ there. They might be studying or just reading or doing their own quiet tasks.

This technique is common in the ADHD community and has been successful for folks who get easily distracted or who find the calm presence of someone else an aid to their studies.

Ambient Study Buddy

Even if no one is actively studying with you, play videos in the background or join virtual study rooms where others are working quietly. Platforms like YouTube have tons of videos that simulate the presence of focused peers.

Sidle-Up-To-It Strategy

The “sidle-up-to-it” strategy is a low-pressure approach to tackling tasks, perfect for when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or resistant to starting. Instead of forcing yourself into productivity, you ease your way into the work indirectly. Here’s how it works:

1. Start with a related activity

Engage in something tangentially connected to the task. For example:

• If you need to write an essay, organize your notes or reread the prompt.
• If you’re preparing for a quiz, browse through your textbook or highlight key terms without committing to full study mode.

2. Create a warm-up routine

Approach the task in small, manageable steps that require minimal effort:

• Open your materials and glance at them.
• Write one sentence or jot a few bullet points.
• Set up your workspace without worrying about diving into work immediately.

3. Focus on the environment

Set up an inviting space that makes the task more approachable. Light a candle, play some calming music, or sit somewhere you enjoy. This helps you ease into the mood rather than confronting the task directly.

4. Use curiosity as a hook

Start by exploring something interesting or less intimidating within the task:

• If you’re studying theory, skim for a fascinating fact or idea.
• If you’re working on a spreadsheet, format it nicely before entering information.
• Let curiosity lead you into deeper engagement.

5. Remove the pressure of starting

Instead of committing to “studying for 2 hours,” tell yourself you’ll just spend 5 minutes looking things over. Often, beginning this way creates natural momentum.

6. Pair the task with something enjoyable

Do the task while sipping your favorite drink, sitting in a sunny spot, or listening to a podcast or music. Associating the work with something pleasant lowers resistance.

7. Lean into distractions (a little)

Let your mind wander around the edges of the task—daydream or brainstorm loosely. For example:

• Think about how you might teach this material in your classes.
• Visualize what your assignment will look like finished, or how good you’ll feel when it’s done.

8. End early and build confidence

Stop before you feel burnt out, leaving yourself wanting more. This trains your brain to associate the work with positive feelings rather than dread.

Why It Works:

The “sidle-up-to-it” strategy removes the pressure of perfection or performance, making it easier to begin. By gently engaging with the task, you trick your brain into starting without triggering overwhelm. Often, just beginning leads to unexpected momentum.

Bonus Study Tips

A few other ways to support your studies include:

Change Your Environment

Shift to a new space to break up monotony—move to a library or park or café, or even a different room in your home. New surroundings can reset your focus and re-energize your mind. Find places that have the vibes you need for study.

Study Playlist

Create or listen to playlists designed for focus or inspiration. Music without lyrics (classical, lo-fi, or nature sounds) can help create a flow state.

Gamify Your Studies

Turn your tasks into a game—track completed items with points, give yourself rewards, or check out apps or programs that help to make studying feel fun and interactive.

Teach It to Someone Else

Pretend you’re explaining the topic to a friend, pet, or even a stuffed animal. Talking through concepts can solidify understanding and reveal gaps.

Use Creative Mediums

Study through art, mind maps, or storytelling. For example, draw diagrams, sketch out concepts, or narrate a topic as if it’s a story.

Movement Breaks

Incorporate movement between study sessions—take a yoga break, go for a walk, or dance for a few minutes. Physical activity can break up mental fatigue and help you refocus.

In Closing – Yoga Teacher Training Study Tips

I know I’ve shared far too much here, like usual, but I hope that amongst all these ideas you’ve found some ideas that might be worth experimenting with.

A few thoughts to keep top of mind include:

• You might not study like others, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t a good student. It just means you’ve not found your study style yet.
• Your studies are an opportunity to also study yourself. Learn what strategies work best for you and lean into them.
• How you approach study can inform how you will approach work. Think about developing habits and strategies for the long-term.
• Think momentum rather than motivation. What helps you to get some momentum? What helps you get into the flow?

Want to learn more?

Check out this post on organization and goal setting for your yoga teacher training here

Want some one-to-one help with your yoga studies or business?  Check out Yoga Coaching here

Watch more free yoga coaching podcasts on YouTube here