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Yoga Teacher Training Program Syllabus
Description: Raja Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) is a 200 hour program which provides a solid foundation to begin teaching Yoga with confidence and skill. This program has well-known and respected guest instructors teaching specialty segments, as well as covering the basics of yoga practice and teaching. YTT students will receive many hours of training in the essentials for teaching yoga: warm-ups, postures (asanas), physiological benefits and precautions for postures, basic anatomy and physiology as applied to yoga, some Ayurveda basics (the medicinal branch of yoga), yoga as psychotherapy and as a spiritual practice, pranayama, relaxation, meditation, and yogic philosophy (the yamas and niyamas, principles, and lifestyle of yoga). We will cover material in how to assist students in their practice, how to care for yourself as a teacher, how to sequence your class. YTT students engage in many hours of supervised practice teaching, to develop confidence and experience teaching, and will receive feedback from experienced instructors as well as their support groups. Included in the training are a wealth of detailed yoga materials and several books, containing detailed instructions. We will cover the methodology of teaching yoga, and provide suggested lesson plans for several basic classes. We will discuss the business of yoga and how to market and earn income from your classes, for a wealth of ideas about how to establish a Yoga professional practice. During the training participants learn how to: • Help students develop body awareness and respect for their bodies • Guide students into asanas clearly • Guide students towards body/mind integration • Assist students in using yoga to open the body, remove blocks, and increase prana • Analyze alignment to safely assist students towards better posture and a healthier body • Teach a Yoga class in its entirety safely and competently • Take care of yourself as a teacher, set boundaries, and maintain a personal practice Completion of 200 hour YTT is a prerequisite for further advanced training as a Yoga Teacher. Certification Hours: Yoga/Pranayama/Meditation 100 Hours Teaching Methodology 30 Anatomy & Physiology 25 Philosophy/Ethics/Lifestyle 20 Practicum 25 Yoga Teacher Basic Certification Criteria and Certification Agreement You will be asked to sign a copy of the agreement during the first day of the program. Please take the time to read through this agreement prior to signing it during the program. Course Objectives: Provide each student with an in depth experience of Yoga and the personal consciousness it fosters. To create a group environment conductive to the sustained practice of Yoga Have students learn the basic asanas and other Yogic practices through direct experience and personal practice Allow students to learn and understand yoga teaching methodology and develop confidence as yoga teachers Provide students with an opportunity to develop the ability to competently and safely teach a beginner Yoga class. Make students aware of the basic skills needed to start a professional Yoga practice. Certification Criteria: This YTT course is intended to result in your certification as a yoga teacher. Certified Yoga Teachers must possess the skills and abilities necessary to safely and competently teach Yoga. The great majority of YTT students who apply themselves to the course complete the program and are certified. We reserve the right, however to withhold certification from those students who fail to develop the skills necessary to safely and competently teach Yoga. Every attempt will be made to give you input throughout the YTT course on teaching deficits that might lead you to not being certified. The following criteria will be used by the program director and teaching staff to establish the students’ eligibility for certification: 1. Practice Teaching Full participation and all practice-teach sessions are mandatory for certification. During these sessions you must demonstrate an ability to teach Yoga using methodology presented in this training. I understand that my certification is dependent on my ability to competently and safely teach yoga as determined by the subjective evaluation of the course program director. If I am denied certification by my program director, I will be given another opportunity to repeat this program without additional charge, to attempt certification. 2. Attendance: We encourage 100% attendance at all sessions. We must ensure 160 contact hours for training to ensure compliance with the National Yoga Alliance standards. Because we recognize that situations do sometimes occur that make it difficult to attend every session we allow the following: • Three missed early sessions per course or a total of 3 • Three missed afternoon sessions per course or a total of 3 (Please note that these allowances represent the
maximum acceptable allowances in order to receive Certification) • We ask that you attend all of the lectures, all A&P (anatomy and Physiology) sessions, and all specialty sessions. If you need to miss any of these sessions, please check in with the YTT director for an exception. We request that you get approval before missing the session. We suggest that you take not more than two exceptions for the whole course. You will be expected to learn the material that you miss through reading, taped lectures, shared study notes with your Support Group, and additional workshops or classes you may be asked to attend. • All practice teach, exam, and posture assessment sessions are mandatory for certification. If you miss any of these sessions, you will not be certified. You will be notified of the dates of these sessions, to ensure ample time for scheduling adjustments. • We request that you attend our opening session and stay for our graduation and closing sessions at the end of the program. You are responsible for checking you name each day on the attendance sheet provided in the program room. To be considered present you must stay for the duration of the session. If you need to leave for any reason, check in with the staff before you go. If you are absent, you must submit an absentee form (which we will provide) so that we know what is going on with you. You are responsible for the course material missed in your absence. 3. Punctuality: Because we value our time together, it is important that we begin sessions on time. To that end we ask that you be on time at the beginning of sessions and after breaks. Tardiness will be indicated on the roster. Four tardies count as one absence. 4. Written Test Throughout the YTT course, you will occasionally be asked to take written tests or quizzes on the material provided. The number of tests may vary based on the director’s sense of what is required for students to learn the material presented. All tests must be taken and receive a passing grade of 70% or higher. Students who fail a test will be required and allowed to retake the test until a passing grade is earned. There will be a final exam, and we recommend you study for this in advance (to review anatomy and physiology, basic philosophy, yamas and niyamas, and the names of basic yoga asanas). We also will have a final practice teaching session, evaluated by area yoga instructors, to ensure that you are able to teach a yoga class safely and competently. 5. Take Home Exams Occasionally student who’s certification is in question or incomplete may be given a take home assignment for the completion and qualification for certification. The student must complete and submit all assignments and materials as indicated by written instruction to receive certification. 6. Course Fee Program fees must be paid in full prior to receiving certification and having YTT Certification activated. This is both a benefit and support to yoga teachers. 7. Professional Behavior and Ethical Conduct During the program: As a yoga teacher training participant and or a certified yoga teacher it is important that you be balanced and conscious in your behavior. We require all students in the YTT program to adhere to the yoga teachers’ code of ethics and to the supports listed on the page entitled “ Supports for Participants of the Yoga Teacher Training Program” throughout the duration of the program. These supports will assist you in creating safety with others as well as maintaining a professional attitude and atmosphere throughout the program. You will receive a copy of both the code of ethics and supports. Please read these pages carefully as a failure to adhere could result in a decision to not grant certification. I understand that certification as a yoga teacher requires a certain level of emotional and mental stability as determined by the subjective evaluation of the course program director’s. If I am denied certification by the course program director, I will have opportunity to discuss this with the program director, and address any issues that may arise. After certification: Certified yoga teachers are expected to conduct their professional practice in full compliance with the Yoga Teacher’s Code of Ethics. In the event that someone makes a complaint about a yoga teacher’s unethical behavior, a thorough investigation will be conducted. Certified yoga teachers who are found to have violated the Yoga Teacher’s Code of Ethics may have their certification revoked or have other conditions placed upon their certification. (See Yoga Teacher’s Code of Ethics, attached) By signing this criteria and certification agreement you are agreeing to adhere to the Yoga Teacher’s Code of Ethics. 8.
Continuing Education Successful yoga teaching requires continual learning and renewal. As a certified yoga teacher at the 200-hour level of certification, you are required to complete a minimum of 12 clock hours of yoga specific training per year after certification. This requirement is to be recorded and tracked by the certified yoga teacher on the “honor system” with the understanding that continued use of the certification is contingent upon meeting this requirement. We retain the right to request verifying documentation as proof of meeting currency requirements from you at anytime. Should you desire to continue your training beyond the 200-hour level and seek advanced certification levels of yoga teacher training this continuing education requirement will no longer be on the honor system. You will be required to submit documentation verifying completion of the continuing education hours every three years after said advanced certification. We retain the right to change or adapt these requirements to ensure and advance a high quality of yoga instruction. In signing this contract you are agreeing to these requirements. 9. Massachusetts Yoga Network. As part of my certification, I will seriously consider enrolling as a 2 year member in the Massachusetts Yoga Network (MYN), a strong support structure of certified yoga instructors in the state of Massachusetts. This network is not part of this Yoga Teacher Training Program, which strongly encourages membership, particularly for new yoga instructors. MYN offers continuing education workshops and programs for yoga teachers, a web site, contact and connection with a larger yoga community, listings of area yoga instructors who can be a resource for sub lists, classes, employment at studios and health clubs, and a membership newsletter. We encourage you to do at least 4 hours of SEVA (selfless service) for the MYN per year (attend one or two meetings), to support this non-profit organization of yoga teachers, as part of your continued dedication to yoga, and to connect with the greater yoga community. Agreement I have read and understand the above criteria for certification as a yoga teacher. If certified I will teach in a manner expressively approved in the above document and will meet all ethical and continuing education requirements in this agreement as a condition of continued certification. Name:
___________________________________________________________ Signed: ______________________________ Date: ____________________ |
