Yoga Teacher Training 2010-2011
  • Welcome to the Yoga Loft'sYoga Teacher Training webpage.
  • Here you'll find details of our 2010 program.
  • Please contact us if you have questions or would like to find out about registration.
  • 902-429-3330 or info@theyogaloft.ca

On this page you'll find the following information:

  • Overview of the program
  • Faculty
  • Topics of Study
  • Who can apply
  • Fees
  • Assessment
  • How to Apply
  • Is this program for you?
  • Program dates 2010/11

Overview of the program

  • The program offers a comprehensive methodology and instruction for practicing and teaching yoga, one that will allow you to begin your career as a teacher with confidence and professionalism.
  • It consists of an in depth exploration of the following areas: anatomy and biomechanics as they apply to yoga asanas and teaching; yoga philosophy and western psychology; Hinduism and other spiritual traditions; Sanskrit; yoga and women's health; yoga and healing; asana techniques; teaching methods; lifestyle and personal practice; and the role of the yoga teacher.
  • The limited class size of 16 students allows for extensive one-on-one training; the consistent feedback helps participants make constant progress and fully develop their practice and teaching skills.

Faculty

Robert Webber, Ph.D.

  • Robert is the Director of the Yoga Loft's Yoga Teacher Training program.
  • He holds a Ph.D, in Political Philosophy from Dalhousie University.
  • Robert has been teaching yoga for over 10 years, has been voted the Best Yoga Teacher in Halifax four times, and founded the Yoga Loft in 2005.

Jessica Lodu, B.Sc., PT.

  • Jessica is a practicing physiotherapist and yoga teacher.
  • She co-teaches the Yoga Anatomy and it's Application to Teaching sections of the program.

Emeritus Professor Ravi Ravindra

  • Ravi is the former Chair of the Department of Comparative religion at Dalhousie University; a position he held for nearly 30 years.
  • He is one of the world's leading experts on The Yoga Sutras of Patanajali, the world's religious traditions, and is an accomplished Sanskrit scholar.
  • Ravi has published numerous books on Yoga, including The Spiritual Roots of Yoga and The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

Denise Landry, B.Sc.

  • Denise is an experienced Kripalu Yoga teacher, who specialises in trauma sensitive yoga.

Hillary Nette

  • Hillary is an experienced prenatal yoga teacher who also teaches about yoga and women's health.

Topics of Study

The program is divided in 6 topic areas:
  • Yoga Anatomy and its Application to Teaching
  • Yoga Philosophy and Western Psychology
  • Yoga and Health
  • Teaching Yoga Asanas
  • Yoga in Context: Hinduism and Sanskrit
  • Being a Yoga Teacher

Part 1: Yoga Anatomy and its Application to Teaching

A: Anatomy and biomechanics of yoga asanas

Faculty: Jessica and Robert
  • The musculoskeletal system: types of joints, the structure the spine, how muscles work, and other keys topics.
  • Planes of movement in the body.
  • The concept of leverage.
  • Symmetrical and asymmetrical asanas.
  • Practice teaching.

B: Application of Yoga Anatomy to Teaching

Faculty: Jessica and Robert
  • Patterns of musculoskeletal alignment and misalignment as they relate to yoga asanas.
  • How to observe musculoskeletal imbalances in students.
  • How to correct musculoskeletal imbalances using asana practice.
  • How to teach self-observation skills to students.
  • Practice teaching.

Part 2: Yoga Philosophy and Western Psychology

A: Complete analysis of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Faculty: Ravi
  • The structure and layout of the Yoga Sutras.
  • Their concern and intended purpose.
  • The nature of the mind, the meaning of practice, qualities of the aspiring student, obstacles to practice, stages of consciousness.

B: Yoga Philosophy and Western Psychology

Faculty: Robert
  • Comparative psychology in the East and West.
  • Contemporary self-help psychology and Yoga psychology.
  • Yoga in the Western Mind.
  • Krishnamurti and Yoga psychology.

Part 3: Yoga and Health

B: Yoga and Women’s Health

Faculty: Hillary
  • The female anatomy.
  • Yoga asanas and how they relate to the female anatomy.
  • Yoga for pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and middle life.
  • Common female health conditions and yoga.
  • A female yoga practice.
  • Practice teaching.

C: Yoga and Healing

Faculty: Denise
  • Creating a sensitive, supportive atmosphere in your classes and dealing with emotional releases and difficulties that might occur with your students.
  • Supporting your own emotional health with your yoga and meditation practice.
  • Understanding the Chakra System as a model for psychological development.
  • Designing a class or session using the Chakra System as a framework, along with asana and pranayama.
  • Exploring the Koshas and weaving them into your yoga practice and teaching.
  • Practice teaching.

Part 4: Teaching Yoga Asanas

A: Teaching Asanas

Faculty: Robert
  • Techniques of asana practice: 30 asanas studied in depth.
  • Modifications of asanas for health conditions.
  • How to work with injuries and teach safely.
  • Practice teaching.

B. Sequencing Asanas.

Faculty: Robert
  • How to take a challenging asana and create a sequence of preparation asanas for it.
  • How to create a practice sequence around a particular part of the body.
  • How to create a series of postures that address patterns of musculoskeletal imbalances.
  • How to build preparation postures into the flow of a class.
  • Practice teaching.

C: Teaching Methods

Faculty: Robert
  • How to use language effectively.
  • Teaching with and without demonstrating.
  • Teaching with a theme.
  • How to relate yoga psychology to asana.
  • How to offer adjustments.
  • Teaching with props.
  • How to teach a yoga class with chairs.
  • Teaching groups and teaching one-on-one.
  • Practice teaching

Part 5: Yoga in Context

A. Yoga and Hinduism

Faculty: Ravi
  • The Hindu view of the universe.
  • Yoga lessons from the epic stories of Hindu mythology.
  • The importance of the Bhagavad Gita
  • Hinduism and other religious traditions: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.
  • The relationship between Yoga and Hinduism.

B. Yoga and Sanskrit

Faculty: Ravi
  • How to pronounce the key yogic concepts and terms including the names of asanas.
  • The importance of spoken Sanskrit.
  • Spoken Sanskrit as a yoga practice.

Part 6: Being a Yoga Teacher

A: Yoga as Personal Practice

Faculty: Robert
  • Types of yoga practice: karma, bhakti, jana, hatha.
  • Types of people: vata, pitta, kapha; rajas, tamas, sattva; introvert and extrovert.
  • Stages of life and yoga practice.
  • What is personal practice?
  • The relationship between personal practice and teaching.

B: Teaching as a Vocation

Faculty: Robert and Ravi
  • Types of yoga students you’ll encounter.
  • Types of yoga teacher you might become.
  • Money and the business of yoga.
  • Lifestyle considerations.
  • The teacher-student relationship.
  • Teaching as a yoga practice.

Who can apply for the program?

The program is open to:

  • Yoga students aspiring to be yoga teachers who have been practicing regularly with a qualified teacher for one or two years.
  • Yoga students looking for a unique way to deepen their own practice.
  • Yoga teachers of all styles of yoga who would like to expand their skills.

  • You do not need to have an advanced yoga practice to join the program. Also, the ability to perform complicated asanas is not necessary. It is more important that you can demonstrate a serious interest in the practice and teaching of yoga.
  • Our parameters for applying are flexible depending on your background, profession, and personal experience.

Fees

  • $2,950 plus tax ($3,333.50).
  • Fees can be paid with Visa, Mastercard, cheque or Debit.
  • A $100 non-refundable deposit is required when you submit your application to join the program.
  • This deposit will be refunded in full in the event that we feel the program is not suitable for you at the present time.
  • The tax included balance of $3,233.50 is due 14 days prior to the start of the program.
  • Course fees include unlimited yoga classes with Robert Webber at the Yoga Loft for the duration of the course.
  • There is a $250 reduction for participants who register and pay before June 1, 2010.
  • A payment plan is available for anyone accepted to the program that requires this. There is a $40.00 charge to set up the payment plan.
  • In addition to the course fees, students will be required to purchase the textbooks that constitute the required reading for the course.
  • The program runs with a maximum number of 16 students. Our purpose is to provide the highest quality training, so numbers are kept low to ensure ample one-on-one teaching time.
  • Students whose applications meet our admissions criteria are admitted to the program on a first come, first served basis.
  • The tuition fees are non-transferable and non-refundable in the event that you withdraw from the program.

Assessment

Assessment is a combination of coursework, observed teaching practice, and take home exams.

  • There will be a short take home exam after each topic of study consisting of multi-choice questions, definitions of concepts, and short answer questions.
  • Students will be required to set up a small group of people with whom they can practice teaching what they learn in each topic; over the course of the year this will contribute to the practicum for the program.
  • As part of their teaching practicum, students will be asked to make an mp3 recording of one of their yoga classes.
  • At the end of the course there will be a 1 hour teaching practicum and a 2 hour take home exam with multi-choice and short answer questions covering all the topics of study.
  • As part of the teaching methods assessment, students will observe 4 of Robert’s classes and 4 other classes at the Yoga Loft with different teachers, and write a report comparing the different styles of teaching.
  • There will be an elective in which students research and write a report on a particular topic that interests them.
  • A percentage of the course marks will be allocated on the basis of overall participation and contribution during the program.
  • Students will be expected to read the course texts in preparation for each topic of study.
  • In some cases, additional study will be allocated to a student on a specific topic if needed.

How to Apply (Application Form)

  • To apply you will need to complete our application form which includes our medical health questionnaire and submit an accompanying deposit.
  • Applications can be emailed or mailed. Please call 902-429-3330 to request one.
  • It is essential that you are in good physical and mental health before you start the training.
  • We also require that you are 18 years of age or older, are fluent in English, computer literate (can use word processing software and have regular access to email), and have at least a Grade 12 high school diploma or the equivalent life experience.
  • People with equivalent life experience may have taken care of families, owned their own business successfully, spent time in the armed forces, undertaken volunteer work, or been involved in other activities where invaluable life skills have been learned.
  • If you are uncertain whether you are eligible to apply or feel like you nearly match our requirements, please email robert@theyogaloft.ca to discuss your situation.

Is this program for you?

  • If you would like to have life enriching experience - discover a new side of yourself, feel more alive, get a deeper sense of who you really are, and find a way to contribute to the world around you - then this is definitely the program for you.
  • If you want to explore your own yoga practice, learn with others on a regular basis, and share in a journey that is educational and expansive for your body and mind, this is also the program for you.
  • If you ultimately want to access a place of joy within yourself that will be undiminished by the passing of years and the coming and going of people, this is also a the program for you.
  • If you feel like you are drifting in your life and in your yoga practice, then this program will help to ground you and inspire you to find a meaning and purpose.
  • Many people find that inspiration and sense of purpose come to them as they start to study yoga more deeply.
  • As you explore each topic on the teacher training course and begin to learn more, you feel more confident in yourself.
  • Not only that, as you get to know the other students on the program, share a community with them, and feel the support of your teachers, you continue to explore and test your limits and grow personally.

Program Dates: 2010-2011

  • This is a 250 hour program, with 225 hours of contact time with faculty and a minimum of 25 hours of non-contact study time.
  • Programs are held on 14 weekends: Friday 6-8pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am-5pm.
  • September 17-19: Anatomy and Biomechanics as they apply to Yoga Asanas
  • October 15-17: Application of Yoga Anatomy to Teaching
  • November 12-14: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
  • December 3-5: Yoga Philosophy and Western Psychology
  • January 14-16, 2011: Yoga and Womens' Health
  • February 11-13: Yoga and Healing
  • March 11-13: Teaching Asana
  • April 14-17: Sequencing Asana
  • May 13-15: Teaching Methods
  • June 10-12: Yoga and Hinduism
  • July and August: (Teaching practice and Elective study: no weekend sessions in the summer)
  • September 16-18: Yoga and Sanskrit
  • October 21-23: Yoga as Personal Practice
  • November 18-20: Teaching as a Vocation
  • December 9-11: Final Teaching Practicums