Frequently asked questions regarding our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program:
Can I still enroll if I have to miss part of the program?
Yes. Although, being here in person will be much more engaging so we encourage you to do your best to make it to every class. If you absolutely have to miss a class, we will video tape the session for you. It is your responsibility to watch the videos, complete the homework, discuss any questions with Mandy or the other lead instructors and do whatever is required for you to meet the contact hour requirements. If you know that you will miss more than 2 full weekends, we suggest that you wait and apply at a later date.
Can you tell me more about the payment plans?
Our payment plans are relatively flexible. We have two rules: 1) You must start making payments before the training program begins. 2) Your tuition balance must be paid in full before you receive your completion certificate. Payment plans are set up through PayPal, so that your card will be charged at regular intervals. Mandy will work with each applicant to find a payment plan that works for them, so long as the two above rules are met.
*Please note that in order to receive early bird pricing, your tuition needs to be paid in full before the early bird pricing deadline.*
I am (insert your concern). Is this program open to me or do I need to be an advanced student?
We hear from people of all ages and all abilities…
“I’m 67 years old, but have practiced yoga for over a decade. Will I be able to keep up?”
“I’ve been practicing yoga for two years, but am still at a beginner/basic level. Is the program open to someone like me?”
“I have a dancing background, and am quite strong and flexible but I’ve just started practicing yoga a few months ago. Will I have enough experience?”
“I’m pregnant. Can I still participate?”
We are happy to answer your specific question, but most likely the answer will be “yes, this program is open to you.” This is a basic 200-hour program (there will be advanced trainings available in the future). We offer a variety of instructions to meet each trainee where they are- one of the many reasons why it is great to have instructors with such varying backgrounds. If you do have significant mobility concerns (are in a wheelchair, are unable to get up and down from the floor, etc), then we invite you to have an in depth conversation with Mandy to see if this program will meet what you are looking for.
What does a typical weekend look like?
An example weekend might look something like this:
Saturday
8:30-9:00 intention setting and morning check-in
9:00-10:30 guided yoga practice (This would feel much like a regular yoga class, but would relate to what we are learning that weekend in some way)
10:30- 12:00 relaxation design – progressive muscle relaxation (learning what it is, how to lead it, experiencing it, and then discussion/Q&A)
12-1 lunch
1:00-2:30 discussion and experience of meditation
2:30 – 5:00 posture alignment clinic (These involve watching posture demonstrations as well doing the postures yourself while experimenting with various props and alignment techniques.)
Sunday
8:30-9:00 guided yoga practice
9:00-12:00 filling in notes from the posture clinic of the day before + practice teaching to a fellow student in class
12:00-1:00 lunch
1:00-2:30 Anatomy review
2:30-4:00 Dirgha breath (learning what it is, how to lead it, experiencing it, and then discussion/Q&A)
4:00-5:00 philosophy review – aparigraha
Each weekend is a little bit different. But, we always try to alternate between physical movement and seated discussion/lecture. Too much movement at once wears everyone out, and too much seated discussion/lecture puts people to sleep. We always do something seated when we come back from lunch, so that we all have time to digest.
Bigger picture: Over the course of the program we slowly make our way through 10 anatomy lessons, reviewing 1 each weekend. The anatomy lessons we’re using are called Anatomy Fundamentals. It is a video series presented by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews, co-authors of the best-selling book Yoga Anatomy. Students review the videos on their own for homework and then we spend an hour to an hour and a half discussing it as a group when we meet.
We also slowly work our way through the Yamas & Niyamas book, reviewing one principle each weekend (“philosophy review” in our outline above). This is a simple book that gives down to earth concepts on how to relate to each yogic principle. At the end of each chapter there are questions for reflection. Again, students are asked to read one chapter at a time on their own, consider how each principle relates to their life and then we discuss it as a group (sharing of personal stuff is always optional).
We go through six posture alignment clinics each with a different focus (standing poses, backbends, inversions, etc) and learn roughly four relaxation techniques and four breathing techniques.
Do you require practice teaching?
We do. About half of our participants have no intention of teaching yoga. They just want a deeper level of learning than they can receive in a typical group yoga class. Regardless of anyone’s future teaching plans, we do ask all trainees to practice teach. In order to teach a technique to someone else, you have to truly know it in your own body. The act of practice teaching helps trainees understand and know the techniques on a deeper level.
We start small, just teaching one posture to one other student and build from there. By the end of the program, trainees are asked to teach a full class. Each person can choose if they want to teach to our teacher training group only, or open their teaching to the public.
Practice teaching happens within our normal Yoga Teacher Training weekends. No additional time is required. Though, if trainees wish to gain more teaching experience before graduation, we do our best to open our space for their use.
Do you offer free classes for YTT participants during the course of the training?
We do not, for several reasons:
1) We actually want you to visit other studios and take classes elsewhere. We’re not interested in creating cookie cutter teachers who are only capable of teaching a single flow class. One of our goals is to expose you to a vast variety of teachers and teaching styles.
2) Many of our training participants come from out of the State College area, and therefore wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the classes anyway.
3) From beginning to end, our training program spans a year. Offering free unlimited classes to all training participants for a year would be a significant cost investment on our end. We value our teachers, their time, and their skill sets, and would pay them accordingly.
Still have questions?
Mandy will be happy to answer them. You can email her at wellnessinmotionstudio@gmail.com or call 814-237-4005.
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