With Eppley Recreation Center open, students may be looking to get certified to teach group fitness classes in the fall. Yoga is an especially popular practice at Eppley, with classes ranging from beginner to expert. However, for students looking to teach yoga instead of learn it, where does the process to become certified start? Katie Rees, a sophomore theatre and government and politics double major, has been a yoga instructor at Eppley since the start of the spring semester. Although Rees has only one semester of teaching yoga under her belt, she has been a yogi since middle school. When Rees arrived at UMD, the abundance of classes available at Eppley got her even more into her yoga practice. “When I got to college, the availability of group fitness classes to students was incredible that RecWell offered,” Rees said. It wasn’t until quarantine hit that Rees seriously considered becoming a yoga instructor. “Last semester, I thought it’d be nice to do some yoga and also get paid for it. I wasn’t super keen on it until quarantine, and then I thought, why not get yoga certified? It was kind of a quarantine activity for me,” Rees said. To get her certification to teach yoga at Eppley, Rees enrolled in a program with Yoga Alliance for her YogaFit Level One Certification. Yoga Alliance is the largest nonprofit association representing and training members of the yoga community to become teachers. In the YogaFit Level One Certification program, Rees completed 18 hours of training and 8 additional hours of community service yoga. It was required that she teach yoga but not receive payment. For this part of the requirement, Rees hosted yoga sessions over Zoom for anyone who wanted to join in and learn. According to Sarah Grace, the coordinator for fitness programs at Eppley, Yoga Alliance also offers more advanced courses through YogaFit for yogis looking to gain certification at a higher level. “YogaFit is a company that provides course by course a certification that one can keep to just the level one, or build into a 200, 300 or even 500 hour course. Some studios provide those 200+ hour trainings, as well,” Grace said. Although Rees chose the Level One Certification program, which is acceptable at Eppley, most yoga teachers opt for a 200+ hour course, Grace said. Rees was interviewed for a position at Eppley after receiving her certification from Yoga Alliance, and she sent in a 20-minute video of herself teaching a class. After this process, she was hired for the spring 2021 semester. Rees currently teaches four yoga classes at Eppley, each lasting about one hour per week. Though Rees felt overwhelmed at times by her teaching schedule, she has managed to stay positive on the workload. “Sometimes it’s felt like a lot, but also sometimes it’s been really good to get me to the gym and keep me active, because it’s literally your job. It keeps me active. It keeps me getting out of my room, especially during quarantine,” Rees said. Rees also acknowledged the pressures of teaching a group fitness class instead of being a participant. “When you’re teaching, it’s kind of like a performance in a way. You’re leading people through this. You want to make sure that you do the poses correctly, and you’re responsible for making sure they have a good experience,” Rees said. To make it as a yoga teacher at Eppley, a teacher needs dedication and passion, Grace said. Those who are interested in teaching at Eppley should research what starting step is best for them financially, mentally and physically, she said. “I would say to do your research, and pick the option best for you. My line is also open to chat about options and teaching yoga here for RecWell,” Grace said, “And always remember it will be a journey!”