WHAT sets THIS TRAINING APART FROM OTHER YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS?

The VajraPani Faculty has over 150 years of combined experience in the fields of Yoga & Meditation. With attention to the potential role that we each play in creating positive change, the VajraPani Yoga Teacher Training balances precision in practice technique with an in-depth process on the ethical precepts of yoga and mind training. As a participant in this integrated training you will come away with a clear insight and deep appreciation for the Eight-Limbs of Yoga as a life practice. Testimonials.

For the 2011 year, this 7-weekend yoga teacher training begins with the weekend theme of "Tapas ~ Igniting the Flame of Personal Practice"and follows with the "Roots & Wings: Pratyahara ~ Embodied Yoga, Self-Inquiry, and Meditation" New Year's Retreat the second to last weekend. 

What "Type" Of Hatha Yoga do we teach?

Informed originally by the teachings of T Krishnamacharya, and specifically by the methods of BKS Iyengar and Vinyasa Yoga of K. Pattabhi Jois*, the 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training program teaches developing practice, technique, and methodology in Yoga Asana (Iyengar and Vinyasa Flow), Pranayama, and Meditation with emphasis on both personal practice and yoga instruction. Graduates potentially come away with a balanced teaching and practice style; attention to alignment, breath in movement and freedom in stillness.

The curriculum also includes the study and application of experiential Anatomy and Ayurveda, the 5,000-year old "science of life" to yoga practice and teaching. Moreover, students cultivate insight into the heart of Yoga studying Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Buddha's teachings on generating mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion. Through the ethical precepts and meditation, students work directly with their own mind and strengthen the inner capacities needed to live more meaningful lives. Towards the end of the Training, participants naturally evolve into the Craft of Teaching. A Certificate of Completion will be given to participants who fulfill the 200-hour training standards and requirements. See teacher bios for more info.

*View short YouTube clips of BKS Iyengar, "Genius in Action" and Pattabhi Jois, "In Memory of Sri K Pattabhi Jois."

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

• Yoga Practice, Technique, & Methodology
• Principles of Alignment
• Use of Props & Injury Prevention
• Posture Benefits & Contraindications  
• Vinyasa Flow: Principles for Practice & Teaching
• Embodiment & Personal Practice
• Anatomy & Applications to Yoga Practice 
• The Wisdom of Sequencing 
• Pranayama, Chanting, & the Chakras
• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Yoga Philosophy as a Basis for Living & Teaching
• The Eight Limbs of Yoga
• Meditation & the Foundations of Buddha's Teachings
• Ayurveda & Applications to Yoga Practice and Life Style
• Restorative Yoga & Yoga for individual needs
• Seeing and Understanding Bodies
• The Craft of Teaching: Observation, Conscious Adjustments, and Practice Teaching
• Business & the Ethics of Teaching
• Independent Assignments & Required Reading

Yoga Teacher Certification

Upon completion of the 200-hour course requirements, students will be presented with a Certificate of Completion. Course requirements include 100% participation in training, mid-term and final tests, reading assignments and documentation on teaching and designing yoga classes. For more details, contact program director.

"The training went deep into yoga philosophy. I loved studying the Yoga Sutra and the Yamas and Niyamas. I feel that there will never be an end to this part of learning - and that makes me happy!"   -2011 Graduate

Download the '11-'12_Reading List     

advanced studies & continuing education for registered yoga teachers (RYt®)

For participants interested in delving in at a deeper level and looking to affirm yoga as a life-long practice, there is no expectation to teach, only to bask in the joy and challenge of the fuller knowledge of yoga. Mid-term and final exams as well as written coursework are optional for those not seeking a 200-hour Certificate of Completion. As a Registered Yoga School (RYS^®), the VajraPani Yoga training meets continuing education contact hour requirements for Yoga Alliance. Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®s) must complete continuing education hours every three years to maintain their registration and continue to grow their yoga knowledge and teaching skills. These hours can be obtained through any of the VajraPani Yoga Training workshops or intensives. For details on individual training workshops or intensives, please contact program Director.

YOGA ALLIANCe registered

The VajraPani Yoga Teacher Training is a registered Yoga Alliance school. To fulfill the requirements for certification with Yoga Alliance, the 200-hour Shasta Yoga Teacher Training includes a total of 180 contact hours, supervised by a VajraPani Yoga Teacher Training faculty member (see Faculty Bios), and 20 non-contact hours (monthly homework assignments). Students who complete this 200-hour training will receive a certificate which may then be submitted to Yoga Alliance for registry. Intended to uphold the integrity of yoga, Yoga Alliance is the first national registry for establishing and maintaining standards for the education of yoga teachers. For more information: Yoga Alliance.

"Teaching is a difficult art, but it is the best service you can do to humanity."
                                                  -B.K.S. Iyengar