What is yoga teacher certification?

There are no uniform standards in the U.S. for yoga teacher certification although various organizations such as The  Yoga Alliance^® (www.yogaalliance.org) are seeking to create more uniformity in yoga teacher training standards. Yoga Alliance^® registers both individual yoga teachers and yoga teacher training programs (schools) who have complied with minimum educational standards established by the organization.  The Yoga Alliance does not "certify" yoga teachers or "approve" or "accredit" yoga teacher training programs. It simply provides a registry of schools that have established programs that meet their hourly standards. The Yoga Alliance website contains helpful information including some guidelines for selecting a teacher training that is right for you.  Yoga East is registered with Yoga Alliance^® at both the 200 and 500 hour levels, and we have been training teachers since 1974 by Maja Trigg, and 1994 by Laura Spaulding and the teacher training faculty. 

Some yoga teachers are in favor of uniform standards, and other teachers are skeptical about the standards being proposed.  The Washington Post suggested that students ask their teacher how long he or she has been teaching, ask how the teacher was trained, and make sure the yoga teacher actually has a personal yoga practice.

Currently, certifications are given by teachers or schools according to their own standards.  Some programs claiming to provide yoga certification are as short as one weekend. Reputable yoga studios, including us, will not hire teachers with inadequate training.  Yoga East teachers have a minimum of 200 hours of training, years of personal experience with yoga, and many have studied yoga in India.

The Level I Course is for yoga students at all levels of experience who want to learn more about the yoga tradition or new or experienced yoga teachers who want to sharpen their teaching skills. Students who are interested in learning how to teach yoga will find these classes indispensable. The classes are taught by our lead instructors who will show correct alignment and practice points for yoga postures, how to modify postures for different practice levels and injuries using props, dialogue, verbal corrections, manual adjustments and appropriate demonstrations. We will show you how to practice (or teach) yoga safely, effectively, creatively and enthusiastically. You will make lifetime connections with a well-established community of dedicated yoga practitioners, and have access to our courses, classes, workshops and continued study, use of our library, resources and facilities.

Course Components (Please note that some Seminar dates and times have recently changed):

Seminar A with Anne Kosko
Techniques of yoga and teaching methodology: how to practice and instruct yoga. Focuses on how to instruct fundamental asanas with precise verbal cues, correct demonstrations and safe manual adjustments.
Meets Saturdays at Kentucky Street
1:00-3:00 pm 9/4, 10/9, 11/13, 12/4, 1/8, 2/12, 3/12, 3/26

Seminar B with Kim Esteran
Teaching Methodology, Anatomy of Yoga and Theory, Philosophy & Ethics for personal development as a skilled teacher and practitioner of yoga. Techniques of yoga and teaching methodology: how to practice and instruct yoga.
Meets Saturdays at Kentucky Street
3:15-5:15 pm 9/4, 10/9, 11/6, 12/4, 1/26, 2/12, 3/12, 3/26

Seminar C with Laura Spaulding, Lauren Eirk, Linda Naulty & Kim Eisner
Philosophy, Theory and Ethics of Yoga - includes historical perspective, traditional teachings and modern developments; and Yoga Anatomy and Physiology. Study of anatomy as it relates to the practice of asanas including therapeutic aspects of postures, benefits of yoga, dangers of incorrect practice, how to safeguard students and yourself from injury, bio-mechanics of muscle action.
Meets Saturdays at Holiday Manor,
1:00-5:15 pm 9/25, 10/23, 11/20, 12/11, 1/15, 2/26, 3/19, 4/23

Seminar D with Laura Spaulding
Class includes journaling, contemplation, discussion and critical analysis, of Yoga asana, pranayama, mudra, kriya, bandha and meditation.
Meets Tuesdays at Kentucky Street,
6:00-7:30 pm Tuesday beginning September 2, 20101-April 26, 2011.

If you have questions about the training: phone Laura Spaulding for an appointment. 502-585-9642, please phone during business hours: Monday-Thursday 1:00-4:00 pm.  Please do not phone at night or on weekends.

This affordable 16 week program is for individuals who want to learn how to share yoga with others.  The course is geared to fitness instructors, massage therapists, nurses and other medical practitioners who have experience in exercise and fitness or medical fields but who lack substantial yoga experience.  The course will allow you to get started teaching enjoyable, authentic and safe yoga classes for all levels and ages of students.  You can also accumulate hours toward Yoga Alliance registration as a Registered Yoga Teacher as you begin to live the life of your deepest dreams and highest aspirations. Explore the paths of yoga with an expert, inspired instructor and uplifting, transformative classes.
 

Course Components:

All classes in the 200 Hour course up through December, 2010 except Ramanand Patel Workshop.
Classes at Yoga East (unlimited attendance to regular classes but not Hot Yoga).
Home practice assignments

If you have questions about the training: phone Laura Spaulding for an appointment. 502-585-9642, please phone during business hours: Monday-Thursday 1:00-4:00 pm. Please do not phone at night or on weekends.
 

This course is a 300 hour course for yoga teachers who are already registered at the 200 hour level, and who are seeking more advanced training to enhance their practice and teaching. This course provides 300 hours which complete Yoga Alliance® 500 Hour registration.  Applicants to this course must already have an active 200 Hr Yoga Alliance registration.

If you have questions about the training: phone Laura Spaulding for an appointment. 502-585-9642, please phone during business hours: Monday-Thursday 1:00-4:00 pm. Please do not phone at night or on weekends.

Requirements: Interested students should have a minimum of three years of yoga class experience at Yoga East and enough free time to teach one class a week for one year after completion of your training.  This training opportunity is only for students who have shown a substantial commitment to Yoga East's non-profit mission and our yoga tradition.  Students must have maintained a regular class attendance at Yoga East for the past three years, have volunteered for other projects or supported our mission by financial contributions. This program is underway. The next program begins January, 2011, and a downloadable application form will be posted on September 1, 2010.

Teacher Training Financial Aid
Financial aid is based on financial need and takes the form of work-study opportunities - teaching yoga in supervised settings or assisting an experienced teacher.  These opportunities are only available to students who have maintained a regular practice in classes at Yoga East for a minimum of one year prior to taking teacher training-level classes.  Please contact us if you're interested in these opportunities.

Rhonda Lawson Memorial Scholarship Fund
Named in honor of our teacher training student Rhonda Lawson.  The day before she was to have begun our teacher training program in 2004, Rhonda was seriously injured in an automobile accident and passed away a few days later.  This scholarship honors the memory of Rhonda, a dedicated student who wanted to bring the benefits of yoga to as many people as possible. The scholarship pays the total tuition for a student to complete our 200 Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training. Please note that there are prerequisites, the most important of which is that you have maintained regular class attendance for a significant period of time, a minimum of one year. If you do not currently attend classes at Yoga East, you need to establish a record of regular attendance before we will consider your application. One scholarship will be awarded each year to the most deserving student with financial need. 

To apply for Scholarships and Financial Aid, contact:
Laura Spaulding, Director of Teacher Training.
Yoga East, Inc.
1232 E. Broadway
Louisville, KY 40204
502-585-9642
email

Applications for the next scholarship will be posted August 31, 2010. The deadline to apply is January 1, 2011, and the scholarship will be awarded August 1, 2011 for the teacher training program beginning September 2011.  Interested students should phone Laura Spaulding at 502-585-9642 to get more information.

Employment Prospects for Yoga Teachers
U.S. Department of Labor Occupation Outlook Handbook for Yoga Instructors (fitness workers). Individuals interested in teaching yoga should read the Department of Labor's information.

The best way to become a yoga teacher is to be a serious student.
Yoga exists today because it has been passed from teacher to student, as one candle lights another, in an unbroken chain for thousands of years. In the not-so-distant past, a yoga student carefully chose a teacher and practiced with that teacher for a long time. The teacher determined when and if a student was ready to teach.  Students are drawn to accomplished teachers who can skillfully guide students through the postures. Teachers should set high standards for themselves in both their practice and personal life.  Students look up to the teacher for inspiration and guidance.

About Our Yoga Explorations Courses.
Our Level I 200 hour course is based on instruction given by our founder, Maja Trigg. The course is intended to give yoga students an opportunity to study the tradition of yoga and learn about yoga in more depth than is usually taught in general classes. Our 500 hour Level II course is for yoga practitioners who already have a 200 hour registration. It provides additional instruction in the yoga tradition as well as how to confidently teach the elderly, pregnant women, and students with injuries and physical challenges.

Note: Our Yoga Explorations Courses are not Ashtanga, Iyengar or Anusara teacher training. These yoga systems have specific teacher training requirements.  If you are seeking training in these styles please consult the information below.

Ashtanga Yoga Training
In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, no teacher training courses or programs are recognized. To become an Ashtanga Teacher one is required to go to India and practice in the presence of the teacher for a long period of time.  As stated on the website of KPJAYI: In order to become a teacher of ashtanga yoga the aspirant should demonstrate an appropriate attitude, devotion towards the practice, and a respect for the tradition of parampara, the succession of teacher and disciple. Click here for more information about Ashtanga Yoga teacher qualifications.

Anusara Yoga Training
Go to the Anusara website.

Iyengar Yoga Training
Go to the Iyengar Yoga National Association US website.

Requirements for Yoga Teacher Trainers
Merely graduating from a teacher training course does not authorize you to train yoga teachers or teach yoga teacher training courses.  At a minimum you should meet Yoga Alliance ERYT-500 requirements before training yoga teachers.

A teacher training course will not turn you into a yoga teacher. Long years of practice, dedication to yoga, respect for the tradition of yoga, humility about your own abilities, and the blessings of your own teacher will make you a teacher.

Employment Opportunities at Yoga East
We have our own teacher training program and usually fill openings with teachers from our own program.  We will consider hiring qualified teachers from other programs if we have openings. Yoga East teaches a curriculum of traditional yoga asanas and yoga shastras (texts) using Sanskrit names and terms. Teachers are expected to have a dedicated daily yoga practice and to be actively studying in the style of yoga you expect to teach.

Ashtanga teachers can only be trained by long periods of study at the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India.  No other Ashtanga teacher training programs are recognized in the Ashtanga Yoga system or by Yoga East.  The requirements for Ashtanga teachers are shown on the KPJAYI website. Click this link for more information.  Ashtanga teachers at Yoga East are required to have maintained a regular, daily practice of Ashtanga Yoga for a minimum of four years and have studied in Mysore, India at KPJAYI for at least one month.  Teachers must also serve as assistants in Mysore-style classes with Laura Spaulding before they are allowed to teach at Yoga East. 

Iyengar teachers must be studying within the requirements of the Iyengar teacher training system.

Anusara teachers must be recognized as Anusara-inspired, affiliated or certified.  

Hatha or vinyasa yoga teachers should have a minimum 200 hour certification from Yoga East or a school we recognize.  

Kettlebell instructors must be RKC or AKC certified.  

All teachers are required to have liability insurance coverage and current CPR and First Aid training.  

Teaching in Exchange for Classes: due to accounting and tax complications, we do not hire teachers on a barter or teach in exchange for classes basis.

Volunteers are welcome to assist at classes and workshops by greeting and helping to register students, cleaning the studio, bringing flowers or refreshments for events. 

Yoga East is an equal opportunity employer and hires teachers and staff without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin. 

2010 Exam Date

August 21, 2010 at Holiday Manor

To register for Exams:

Phone Laura Spaulding at 502-585-9642. Please do not phone after 4 pm or on weekends.

Asana Exam 1
1:00-2:15 pm, studio opens at 12:30 pm for set-up.  Be on your mat with all props you need at 1:00 pm. Latecomers will not be allowed to participate.

This exam may also be taken by any Yoga East continuing level student who would like to test her or his ability and proficiency with asanas from Yoga East's Syllabus of Level G, 1 and 2 postures. 

The name of the posture will be called in Sanskrit only.
All postures are to be performed at your level using whatever props you need for your practice level.
Unless otherwise indicated, perform the right side first. The instructor will tell you when to change sides or to come out of the pose.
You can enter postures by any appropriate method, stepping, jumping or vinyasa.

Grading system is:

4.5 - 5 = EXCELLENT - Diligent practice is shown by a strong, spirited performance with correct use of props, correct breathing, proper alignment and form and bandhas engaged, displays ease in the pose, steady & focused, appropriate drishti, good movement in and out of the pose, clearly comfortable and familiar with the posture.

3.5 - 4 = GOOD - good, strong posture with correct use of props, correct alignment & form, bandhas, using breath, reasonably comfortable, steady and focused.

2.5 - 3 = FAIR - lack of practice shows with faults in alignment and form, uncertainty or lack of commitment, glitches in movement in and out of pose, uncertain use of props.

1 - 2 = POOR - wrong pose, performed incorrectly, incorrect use of props, timid performance, performed below student’s known practice level, performed recklessly or dangerously.

Asana Exam 2
Open only to students who have completed a Yoga East teacher training and need to take exams.
2:30-3:45 pm

A selection of postures are to be demonstrated as if demonstrating for beginners, using appropriate props and modifications.

Teaching Methodology Exam
Open only to students who have completed a Yoga East teacher training and need to take exams.
4:00-5:15 pm

This exam tests the student's ability to instruct, demonstrate, make verbal corrections and give manual adjustments.

Written Exam
Open only to students who have satisfactorily passed the Asana and Teaching Methodology exams.

The exam is a take-home exam.  After you receive the exam you have 1 week to complete it and turn it in.  Do not wait until the last minute to work on it. It takes a solid week to finish it.

To study and prepare for exams:

• Attend all required classes.
• Complete all home study and practice assignments
• Study the teacher training materials and your notes
• Study and practice the asanas and directions in Yoga the Iyengar Way
• Review the anatomy assignments
• Read and re-read the Yoga Sutras
• Study the Yoga East Syllabus
• Study the Yoga East Postures Chart

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students

Yoga East, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization and admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational/admissions policies, scholarships, and other school-administered programs.