Course Description and Scope:
The Asana I course follows the morning mediation and pranayama session. After a short break and some herbal tea, in this course students will carry out their own daily yoga practice. This course is professionally lead by a trained yoga instructor and expects students to participate in a regular yoga asana class.
*If a student has any previous injuries or is prone to injury please notify the program organizers and the course instructor immediately, before commencing this course.
The aim of this course is to:
- Allow students to consciously feel the various asanas to be able to relate to what their students may experience when they start teaching
- Observe how the professional instructor of this course is cuing and guiding the class through the sequence
- Provide an opportunity to also experience various yoga styles, other than Hatha, if time permits and instructors are available
- Maintain a daily individual yoga practice during the program
This course will cover all the major yoga asana groups: standing asanas, seated asanas, forward bends, backward bends, arm balances, inversions and twists.
Prerequisites:
Students are not expected to have prior knowledge of yoga for this course. However students embarking on a new yoga practice may find (as in any new exercise regimen) it a little challenging in the beginning, so it is highly recommended if possible to start a practice prior to starting the course. Attending yoga classes at local studios or recreation centers before commencing this YTT may be helpful in breaking into the intense daily Yoga Asana classes that will be a part of this training.
Assignments:
TBA
Expected Outcomes:
As a result of this regular session, students will maintain their own daily yoga practice. From the onset of the program students will be encouraged to observe the teaching style, ask questions where required, and make notes that may be useful in their own practice. A great deal of observation will be a part of this course, along with keeping up one’s own physical wellness. Greater flexibility, decreased bodily stress, and overall sense of well-being are general natural outcomes of a regular yoga asana practice.
Students will learn to focus on their own individual practice, and be encouraged to work at the capacity of their own body, and not feel competitive with other students or feel pressure of any expectations. This class is about individual development, individual capability and individual progress, irrespective of the level other students are performing at physically. Tuning inward and learning to tune out the external environment, only to focus on the instructions by the instructor, are key aspects of this class, which students will be encouraged to take with them once the course concludes, into their own teaching practices. Yoga is not a competition but a subtle healthy development, which focuses on the unique individual.
Class Materials:
Notebooks and writing materials will be provided to all students at the commence of the program, and students are highly encouraged to bring notebooks to classes to take their own notes.
A yoga mat is required for this class and will be provided to all students each session. In addition should students choose to bring their own personal mat that is also welcome, but not mandatory.
Attendance Policy:
The certification of the YTT depends on students fulfilling 200 hours of learning. The program is run on a tight schedule and there is little room for students to make up any hours, should classes be missed, to qualify for a 200 Hour certificate. Thus students are highly expected to attend all classes. Should a student fall seriously ill, he/she is expected to contact the course instructor immediately. Otherwise students are expected in each class, on a daily basis; none of the classes are optional, they are all required elements of fulfilling the requirements for a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training.
Readings:
This is not a mandatory reading assignment, however it is highly recommended.
- Living your Yoga: Lasater