One Day per week Level 1 Part Time Teacher Training Byron Bay

Description

What differentiates this training above all else is its focus on learning how to MODIFY the classical practice of yoga to suit the needs of the individual. Flo Fenton has long been known for her ability to adapt the practice of yoga using props and variations of the classical postures, as well as using supplementary yoga practices and pranic work towards a specific outcome. In this way those with physical limitations, injuries or deeper health issues are able to safely and beneficially use yoga as a tool towards optimal health and well-being. This ability to adapt the practice to suit individual needs was at the heart of the teachings of Sri T Krishnamacharya, the teacher of BKS Iyengar, Sri K Pattbhi Jois,  and TVK Desikachar. It is the basis of what is now called Yoga Therapy .

The aim of this training will be to lay the foundations of understanding both the subject and ourselves, so that we may then offer guidance to others.

This training is for you if

.You seek a training that is run using the precepts of respect, fairness and integrity towards all invloved

.You and are seeking excellence and depth in your understanding of yoga, and wish to see yoga teachers respected as experts in their field.

The training will have a strong focus on injury prevention , and yoga for special needs.  It leads into the level two 300 hour training which has a strong focus on Yoga Therapy, beginning march 2012 (see menu.)

There will be a pre-requisite level of self awareness required, supported by at least two years of dedicated consistent yoga practice to be accepted as an applicant for this training.

Course Content

The content of the one day per week course will be the same as the one month intensive; only the timing and schedule will be different.

Practical Techniques  will consist of three hour practice each meeting date (meditation, pranayama and general practice). We will cultivate the witness within, and work at all times with an attitude of honesty and genuine self inquiry. The practice will be a fusion of hatha, vinysa and kriya yoga, that brings awareness to both the dynamic and the subtle sides of our being. ('Therapeutic Vinyasa yoga'). The asana practice will be strong and dynamic, but with a focus on finding our own safe and beneficial level within the practice. Mantra, mudra and bandha will be practised, as well as the hatha yogic cleansing practices (shatkarmas).  There will be an additional two hours on some days practicing sequences for special needs. There will be a major assignment involving developing our own personal practice.

Teaching Methodology  will be mainly alignment, props and modifications classes. During these two hour sessions we will go through each posture, and one student will have to ‘teach’ the correct alignment of the pose to the others. Then we will go through all of the ways each posture can be broken down to find its foundation, understand what it is that limits the ability of certain students to complete the classical pose, and how the pose can be modified, perhaps using props, so that we make the pose steady and comfortable, and therefore truly beneficial, to each student at their present stage.

Anatomy and Physiology  will be taught as an  integral part of the training, in a way that applies our understanding of the body in the yoga asanas to an exploration of the bio-mechanics of each pose. Russel Young will teach an in-depth understanding of the musculo-skeletal system, and Flo will teach the anatomy and physiology of the digestive, respiratory and cardio-vascular systems as well as the physiology of specific muscles as they come up during asana practice and exploration. Injury Prevention will be taught as a key part of this module, developing and understanding of the do's and dont's of yoga asana practice and the long term effects, particulalry on joint stability, of certain practices and adjustments.

Philosophy  We will be studying the history of yoga, comparing the major darshanas of Samkhya, Vedanta and Tantra, and look at the branches of yoga and understand their key points of difference and their application. We will study the classical text of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, picking out key sutras and applying them to our personal unnderstanding as we develop our journey through yoga. We will touch on the Vedas and Puranas, looking at key principals of understanding that underpin yogic thought and lifestyle. We will also look at the connection between Yoga and Ayurveda.

Practicum  As well as ongoing practice in teaching postures in the Teaching Methodology classes, students will have the opportunity to assist each other during technique practice throughout the course. Towards the half way mark, we will look at the techniques of teaching a class, including communication skills, verbal instruction, demonstration, constructing a sequence etc. We will also look at teaching small groups, and also one on one. There will be a major assignment of creating a practice for a fellow student, and a self practice. There will be several sessions near the end of the course given over to each student teaching the whole group, and receiving feed back.

Voice Production and Modulation When we teach a Yoga class we set the tone and hold the 'resonance' with the use of our voice. The language we use, together with the sound of our voice directly impact on our students kinisthetic experience.
We can learn how to posture the vocal apparatus to resonate optimally to communicate with clarity & reflect the intention in our hearts when teaching yoga.
In the training you will receive
• An understanding of the anatomical and energetic underpinnings of your voice.
• A brief assessment of your voice production in conversational, teaching and chanting voice.
• An opportunity to identify your own vocal goals and receive individually tailored guidance in achieving these.
• Reproducible techniques to find more warmth, clarity, presence, projection, flexibility, power, and endurance in your voice
• An understanding of the effects of vocal characteristics on your teaching
• A simple & highly effective vocal warm up, that you can reproduce and continue to practice to develop your voice.
• An experiential understanding of the connections between the chakras and the voice
• An introduction to the effects of particular yoga asanas, pranayama, mudras on the voice

Standards and Accreditation

This training is approved by Yoga Alliance as meeting International standards for a Level One (minimum 200 Hours) teacher training. With extra home practice sessions and assignments, the training actually constitutes over 300 Hours of study.

Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Standards
As a graduate of this accredited training, you will be eligible to become a registered yoga teacher and be elligable to teach and be insured as a yoga teacher. This means that you will be listed with Yoga Alliance International as meeting the required International standards of a level 1 Yoga Teacher.

To become a Level 2 Yoga Teacher, another 300 hours of training are required, and 100 hours of teaching experience after that in order to become a registered Level 2 Yoga Teacher. However, you will be able to teach and get public liability insurance for your own classes with the 200 hour level 1 training certificate.

For information about Yoga Alliance and its standards, go to www.yogaalliance.org.