ryt 500 advanced studies

The 2010-2011 Boundless Yoga Registered Yoga Teachers 500-hour Advanced Studies Program will begin in the Fall of 2010. We are planning for 10-15 students to create an intimate learning environment for those wishing to deepen their understanding of Raja Yoga, as elucidated in Patanjali’s Sutras, as well as the teachings of the original Vedas and their poetic successors, The Upanishads. We also will study the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and touch on its sister texts, The Gerhand Samhita and Shiva Samhita.

Kim Weeks, Boundless Founder, will lead this program that will comply with Yoga Alliance’s 500-hour Advanced Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) requirements. We will spend 300 hours with program participants in the following areas:

  • Advanced Asana
  • Deeper studies of The Yoga Sutras
  • Pranayama and Pratyahara
  • Kriyas and Bandhas
  • Ayurveda
  • The Energy Body
  • Tantra
  • Therapeutic Yoga
  • Yoga for Special Populations
  • Bhakti, Karma, and Jnana Yoga

class meeting times and hours

Different from our 200-hour Program, which meets monthly for an entire weekend, this program will meet weekly on Thursday and Friday nights, 8-10 pm and 6-9 pm, respectively.  Trainees must also:

  • Attend, observe, and/or assist one of Kim’s class per week
  • Be prepared on request to take sequencing and instruction notes from Kim’s classes
  • Attend additional one-hour meditations and lectures by Kim on energy

We will use the first month of the program for one-on-one diagnostic work with each trainee, establishing areas of individual work and specific interests within the program.  The Thursday/Friday schedule will start on the second month.

During the program, the entire group will take a five-day retreat to the West Virginia mountains for an intensive retreat.  Details on the time and location of this retreat will be determined by the group as a whole.

subject matters and reading list

asana

In today’s yoga environment, more complicated and physically demanding poses are taught even in “beginning” level or “open” level classes.  The Boundless perspective is that these asanas must be taught with both steadiness and ease in mind.  All “advanced” poses emerge from the shapes and energies of their “simpler” counterparts: forward folds, backbends, twists, and standing positions.

Dona Holleman, Dancing The Body of Light**
BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga
Erich Schiffmann, The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness

pranayama

Pranayama is the art and science of breathing. With practice, pranayama yields a greater sense of connection to the inner and outer world. The Boundless approach is that pranayama practice is a vital component of any advanced yoga program.

BKS Iyengar, Light on Pranayama

history/philosophy

dsc_7017_lowrezYoga is a living art, science, and pursuit of spiritual meaning. At Boundless, we are interested in the spontaneous moment of modern dialog and understanding born of lineage-based entry points (offered in the books below). We are looking for a way to apply this knowledge on a daily basis, using it to become more self-realized.

Elizabeth De Michelis, A History of Modern Yoga*
J.A.B. van Buitenen or Richard Buck, The Mahabharata*
Georg Feuerstein, Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy and The Deeper Dimension of Yoga, Theory, and Practice
Eknath Easwaran, The Upanishads
Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras

ayurveda

Ayurveda, a sister science of Yoga, is whole system of well-being and health.  It encompasses not only asana and prayanama, but also lifestyle choices, diet, and herbal remedies based on one’s constitution.  Boundless considers Ayurveda essential in this program as we seek to educate trainees on developing a multifaceted healing practice for their lives.

Vasant Lad and Usha Lad, Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing
David Frawley, Yoga and Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide

energy

energy4lowrezA key component of any deepening spiritual practice is the understanding of the body, mind, and spirit as energy.  The faster we detach from the need to be defined by our body in three-dimensional time and space, the deeper our consciousness grows.  Advanced Training at Boundless will involve intensive experiential inquiry into the nature of energy and its constant movement.

Readings to be assigned from articles

*Book does not need to be purchased; photocopies will be provided on sections of these texts.

**This book is very expensive. We are looking for cheaper ways to procure this book.

program costs and prerequisites

This program is one year and costs $4990. We offer two payment options for the price of the program. 1) If paid in full, the cost of the program is $4740. 2) Payment plan: $1500 deposit + first month’s pro-rated cost, $290. Each month thereafter, on the 3rd day of each month, pro-rated payments of $290.

Interested applicants must have completed a 200-hour RYT Program from a Boundless-acknowledged program or studio, and we prefer that applicants have also done some asana teaching.

Contact us for more information.