2017 Yoga Teacher Training - Now Accepting Applications!

If you're thinking about Yoga Teacher Training for 2017, now's the time to take action! We are so pumped about everything that's going on in our Teacher Training program. The rich discussions in our classes, the level of preparedness of our graduates, the on-going support and collaboration in our Alumni group, the list goes on and on.

2017 will be our 5th round of Teacher Training, and we're finding that as time goes on, our students and our graduates are becoming more engaged and more enthusiastic about making yoga accessible for various populations. Our grads are teaching in community centers, churches, their private healthcare practices, yoga studios, and gyms.

Recent discussions in our Alumni group cover a wide range of topics such as how to make yoga accessible for people with bigger bodies, how to establish pricing for group classes in a nursing home, the ethical considerations of student-teacher romantic relationships. I'm thrilled with the quality of discussion!

If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, we'd love to hear from you! We're currently accepting applications for next's year's YTT class (classes start January 27). Or if you have any questions just reply to this email and we can set up some time to chat.

Have a great day!

Zelinda

2016 Teacher Training: Big Update!

Happy New Year! I hope you’re doing great! I’d like to share some updates with you about our upcoming Teacher Training programs.

Our 2016 200 Hour Teacher Training was scheduled to begin this coming weekend, January 9th, but last month we made the difficult decision to cancel the training for 2016 because, though we had lots of interest, only one person had actually registered.

The woman who had registered was very understanding about the situation, but she was also very motivated to begin Teacher Training. Understandably, she started looking for other TT programs in the Austin area and she found one that worked for her schedule.

She shared some of the details of the training with me, and, having known her for a couple of years and having a good understanding of what she hoped to gain from Teacher Training, I became concerned that the training she was about to sign up for would not suit her goals and end up being a disappointment to her.

Long story short, we decided that even if we don’t technically have enough people to meet our minimum, we’re going to offer our 2016 Training (in a compressed format) anyway.

We’re passionate about sharing and spreading accessible and therapeutic yoga, and since this patient lady is so enthusiastic about our particular style of yoga, we’re finding a way to make it work.

So, registration has re-opened for our 2016 200 Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training!

Classes begin Friday, February 19th. Rather than our usual 11-month schedule, the 2016 training will be compressed into 8 months, so that means that some months will include 2 weekends of training. You can see the schedule details here.

We fully expect this to be a small training, with not more than 6 teacher trainees, so it will come with the added bonus of a really tiny student-teacher ratio.

If you've ever thought about becoming a yoga teacher and you truly believe in the concept of Yoga for Everybody, our Teacher Training program may be just right for you.

You'll learn not only how to teach yoga for healthy, fit people, but also how to make yoga accessible and beneficial for everybody regardless of what kinds of issues they may have in their bodies, including knee replacements, hip replacements, spinal fusions, balance issues, back pain, wrist pain, and pretty much any other kind of issue you can think of.

Please visit our Teacher Training page for more details, and let us know if you have any questions! We'll be happy to meet with you and answer any questions you may have.

All my best,

Zelinda

P.S. This will be our only 200 Hour Teacher Training in 2016. Our next training will begin in January, 2017, and after that we’ll offer it only every other year.

Congratulations Are In Order!

Congratulations are in order! Last weekend these 12 lovely ladies (and a baby!) graduated from our 200 Hour, therapeutics based, Hatha Yoga Teacher Training program.

Top Row: Me, Niki Jones, Vicky Jost, Cinzia Ubiles, Samantha Kaseberg, Kay Fairbanks, Teri Williams, Emily Bottom Row: Jan Michael, Mridula Anand, Jyothi Dodlatati, Hee Ja Henderson, Adria Ray, Karin Sladek

You may not know what goes into becoming a yoga teacher, but it really is a lot of work.

Yoga Alliance requires 180 instructional hours in the classroom, during which Teacher Trainees learn about anatomy, yoga philosophy, yoga poses (alignment, adjustments, and modifications), and teaching methodology.

On top of this, we use our Electives hours to focus on an introduction to therapeutic yoga, which is designing a customized practice to meet a specific goal.

Teacher Trainees are also required to observe and assist nine public yoga classes, then teach seven classes for their friends and family.

Our Teacher Training program meets one weekend per month for 11 months, which might seem like an easy-going schedule, but it actually is pretty demanding. Alongside all the technical learning and the challenges of learning to teach, Teacher Trainees experience a lot of personal growth.

One of the Trainees, Niki Jones, said, “Emily [the Director of Teacher Training] created an environment that felt safe for personal exploration. [After this training] I am much more patient with myself and others. I have tried to put my compassion forward and my judgement behind.”

Another Trainee, Kay Fairbanks, said that completing Teacher Training gave her a “sense of accomplishment and greater confidence.” And added that Emily “is is a very competent, experienced, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, encouraging, beautiful, and inspiring teacher. Learning from her and getting to know her was a joy!”

I think the feeling is mutual. Emily is so enthusiastic about teaching, and I know that she finds joy in guiding the Teacher Trainees on their journey to become confident, professional yoga teachers.

And of course I enjoy my time with the Teacher Trainees as well, both in the classroom and in my yoga classes where they observe and assist. They are a smart group of ladies, and I love to see the wheels turning and light bulbs turn on in their brains, especially when we cover deeper topics like Yoga Philosophy.

We can’t wait to see where our Graduates will go with their new certifications! Some plan to begin teaching in studios, gyms, or community centers, some will teach yoga for their colleagues at work, some plan to include yoga in the care plans of their patients. Wherever they go, we know they will be great.

If you’re interested in becoming a yoga teacher, or maybe just deepening your personal practice, please note that our 2016 Teacher Training begins January 9th. We’re currently accepting applications, and you can find more information on our 200 Hour Teacher Training page.

We second Niki’s words: “It is so much more than just a certification. I would recommend it even if you don't want to teach. It can help you be a better human.”

We agree completely. Yoga practice can help you be a better human. And Yoga Teacher Training amps it up to a whole new level.

XO,

Zelinda