Teacher Training 2008-9

yogash citta vritti nirodahah.
yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind.

at boundless yoga, our mission is to foster physical, mental, social, and spiritual transformation. as global consciousness continues to shift, yoga, a 5000-year-old spiritual science, has rooted itself into many lives — 16.5 million people in the United States alone say that they practice yoga, and many more contribute to what has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. in the midst of this boom, there remains a core, comprised of the teaching community responsible for passing on thousands of years of knowledge that has come from the deepest sources of the mind.

the one-year boundless yoga teacher training program, certified by the yoga alliance as a 200-hour basic yoga teacher training, seeks to honor the cultural shifts in modern yoga while maintaining its meditative origins. much like buddhism, to which the origins of yoga are closely tied, practicing yoga opens the mind, settles the body, and yolks individual identity to universal identity.

the boundless yoga program is crafted primarily in the spirit of krishnamachariya, an indian teacher whom many believe to be the father of modern yoga . his teachings suggest that the yoga asana class is the design of the individual, woven simultaneously into the community at large: it is the yoga teacher’s role to relate to each student one-on-one, not matter how small or large a yoga community or class. it is the yogi or yogini who takes the teachings of yoga into the world.

our intention is to prepare advanced practitioners to teach a basic-level yoga class. the boundless methodology relies heavily on the deepening of the trainee’s own practice, and the trust, instinct, and knowledge of human anatomy and physiology that the faculty shares during the course of the program. these two modes of learning, external and internal, are the two essential halves that create a whole environment for becoming a boundless yoga certified teacher.

new teachers graduating from our one-year program (september 2008-august 2009) will also learn how to plan yoga lessons for session-based classes, respond to the different needs in drop-in yoga classes, how to modify basic poses, and how to approach yoga therapeutically.

our 200-hour training program satisfies the yoga alliance requirements for obtaining an ryt, or registered yoga teacher certification. to this end we focus the program on a basically equal combination of the following:

anatomy and alignment: how the musculoskeletal, organ, and energetic bodies work.
the philosophy, history, and spirit of yoga: the anchor of the program, enabling teacher trainees to examine themselves and their yoga practice more deeply, to learn to trust their own internal maps.

how to teach: learning yoga more deeply does not necessarily make a good yoga teacher. we will spend large amounts of time practice teaching, giving each other feedback, and sharing in each others’ innate talents.

the principle of karma yoga: as taught by the bhagavad gita, we will explore the concept of action without attachment to the result.

for more information, or to ask any questions, please contact us.

General Topics Covered in the Program

these topics may shift a bit as the group grows through the program:

principles of the krishnamacharya yoga tradition
physical and energetic anatomy and physiology
meditation
yoga philosophy
level one postures: basics
pranayama
ayurveda, naturopathy, and yoga
sanskrit of poses
assisting and adjusting
level one postures: modifications
sequencing postures
teaching restoratives
teaching special groups and populations
planning for the first day
session-based classes versus drop-in classes

pre-requisites

we prefer that the advanced student be currently practicing in a primarily indian-based school of yoga (iyengar, anusara, kripalu, sivananda, integral, ashtanga, kundalini, etc), though we honor all traditions and are therefore open to all schools and traditions.

applicants must have practiced yoga twice a week for one full year or the equivalent (breaks in a longer practice are of course expected and OK).

meditation, pranayama, and/or other spiritual/meditative endeavors are a plus. for more information, or to ask any questions, please contact us.

Time Commitment and Schedule

we will spend one weekend a month for one year, beginning in september 2008 and meeting first october 17-19. while we have high expectations for the commitment teacher trainees will make to the program, we understand that yoga and family/work commitments can be challenging. if you know you will be away for one of the workshop weekends, we need you to let us know asap so that you can make other arrangements to study one-on-one with kim or the other faculty.

2008-9 dates (times are fri 6-9 p, sat 10a-7 p, and sun 9a-1230 p)

2008: october 17-19, november 14-16, december 12-14
2009: january 9-11, february 20, march 20-22, april 17-19, may 15-17, june 19-21, july 11-13, august 8-10

Cost and Teacher-training discounts

sign up by july 15 and save $246!!

the cost for the program can be paid in full or through monthly installments. the cost is $2999 if paid in full by september 1. if paid in installments, the total cost is $3245 with a deposit of $950 due september 1, and ten (10) monthly installments of $229.50 thereafter.

price does not include books, the $30 non-refundable application fee, and $45/month for unlimited classes at boundless yoga. applications and payment are due by september 1.

Discounts for being a member of the program include: 10% off all workshops (excluding outside/international presenters), retail items, and books. with any questions, please contact us.

Other Requirements During the Program

teacher trainees are expected to fulfill the following other requirements:

maintain a practice of5x/week for the duration of the program. this practice will consist of a combination of studio and home practice.

observe and take studio classes at boundless and one other studio of the teacher trainee’s choice, for one session or the equivalent (approximately three months). the studio must be unity woods, sun and moon yoga studio, willow street yoga, or a studio approved by kim weeks.
apprentice with one teacher, assigned by the faculty, for the duration of the program. the trainee will commence one weekly class with this mentor as soon as the program begins (week of september 23, 2007).
teach one free class to the boundless community, observed by the faculty, and may choose sub at boundless during the last six months of the program.
complete and pass a final written paper (10-12 pages), anatomy exam, and sanskrit quiz. there will also be other written assignments during the program.

program starts september 19. the application is due by august 1, 2008, along with a non-refundable, $30 application fee. full payment or deposit due september 1, 2008 to guarantee your place in this year’s program. we will be limiting this year’s class to 25 trainees, so sign up early. please send or take it to: boundless yoga, 1522 u street nw, washignton, dc 20009. be in peace.