Advanced and Professional Level

These training intensives are for teachers or students who have completed a teacher training course
or have at least 1 year experience and some knowledge of correct alignment and anatomy.

:: Teaching from the Roots
Just like a tree must send its roots firmly into the ground for its branches to spread wide and withstand the powerful winds of time so should our yoga poses have roots. Even the most earnest students may forget this and become unrooted in their practice. A professional yoga teacher's job is to help their students remain rooted throughout the practice. This rootedness will help students prevent injuries and requires a more balanced use of the body. This workshop brings the "teaching from the roots" to the forefront of teacher's minds, and teaches them techniques for teaching from the roots.

:: Down Dog/Up Dog Intensive
Adho mukha svasana and urdhva mukha svasana are one of the most common and most misunderstood poses. This workshop intensive will clear some of this confusion by fully explaining different schools techniques so teachers will be able to choose the best approach for their own students.

:: Nerve Tonics; Refining Deep Backbends using Mula Bandha
The intermediate series of the Ashtanga practice is known as Nadi Shodana, or "nerve cleansing" due to its focus on backbending. Correctly done backbends calm us and bring a sense of tranquility. In this workshop we will practice some deeper poses so students should have practiced urdhva danurasana (upward facing bow pose or wheel pose) and/or ustrasana (camel pose).

:: Hand/Arm Balance Poses
Most students, once they are used to a regular practice, enjoy playing in hand/arm balance poses, like Bakasana (Crane pose) and Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (handstand). Advanced students and teachers may also learn a lot about patience and persistence from these poses. In this workshop we will break down these poses, review variations for beginner/intermediates and have fun practicing them ourselves.

:: Hands on Work; Adjusting Students
Hands on adjustments from an experienced yoga teacher can be a highlight of any student's experience in a yoga class. However there are also many stories of adjustments gone bad – where either the student or the teacher ended up injured. This workshop presents technique for using correct 'body mechanics', borrowed from thai massage, when giving adjustments. We also focus on how to assess and listen to students while giving them adjustments. Students of this workshop will end up with more skills and confidence in giving safe and helpful adjustments.

:: Standing Balance Poses
Many schools of yoga start off beginner students with standing balance poses because the benefits, balanced strength and concentration, form the core of a long term healthy yoga practice. If these poses are not taught with attention to detail the larger muscle groups of the body simply take over and the full benefits are difficult to achieve. This workshop addresses the finer points of standing balance poses.

:: Yoga as Healing Therapy
Many people come to me with specific problems that need healing and therapy in a private, one on one situation. When teaching to a large class this poses a challenge most every yoga teacher will have to face at some time. This workshop will address common injuries and what a yoga teacher can do to assist students with these injuries in a class.

Sample Handout

Beginning and Intermediate Yoga Teacher Trainings