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Yoga News & Articles ~
2.28.08
Brooklyn Heights Yoga Studio Redefines Classic Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga People announced today a new session of their innovative 200hr
RYA Teacher Training Program, “Journey Into The Divine.”
Designed to offer students a safe and intimate arena for developing
the skills they’ll need as a yoga instructor, Yoga People’s
program is customized to fit the needs of student teachers. Unlike other
schools, which are responding to yoga’s growing popularity in
America by increasing enrollment without adequately increasing or preparing
their teaching staff, Yoga People is dedicated to nurturing yoga professionals
to pass on the practice in its purest form.
“Small classes offer the best teaching model for building better
instructors,” says studio owner and program director. Wendy Chanelis.
“Being a yoga teacher is more than reciting poses; its developing
intimate relationships with your classes that deliver the deep spirituality
yoga has to offer. With smaller classes, each student gets lot of individual
attention that will help them develop their own unique voice. It really
is the best way to learn.”
This focus on individuality further extends to the “Journey Into
The Divine” curriculum. Chanelis and her team have developed a
non-dogmatic approach in their program that embraces a variety of diverse
yoga styles. Yoga People is able to incorporate many traditions because
the teacher training instructors themselves represent a number of different
schools, such as Laughing Lotus Yoga Center, Jivamukti Yoga School,
Atamanda Yoga Center, Dharma Mittra’s Dharma Yoga Center, Om Yoga
Center and Phoenix Rising School of Yoga and Movement Therapy.
“The bottom line is that we want to give you the tools you need
to teach skillfully and safely, while still cultivating your own passion
for the practice,” observes instructor Rachael Stark.
The heart of the Yoga People program is an intense study of the asanas
and vinyasa sequencing. Through personal practice, observation, assisting,
and teaching practice, trainees gain valuable insight into the mechanics
of the body, the ideal alignment of the asanas (or poses), and how best
to combine them to create a dynamic sequence. Studying anatomy and physiology,
pranayama, meditation, chanting, ayurveda and yogic philosophy further
extends students’ personal and professional journeys.
“Our program emphasizes deep personal practice as the strongest
teaching tool and a teacher’s greatest inspiration,” Chanelis
comments. “ And so we’ve crafted an experiential training
designed to guide you inward so that you may journey outward to compassionately
teach.”
“The Yoga People training has helped me further embrace my passion
for yoga—the mix of teachers challenged me to look at my practice
(and my life!) from, many different angles,” says 2006 participant
Michelle Glick. “There’s a nice blend of guidance, along
with encouragement to be proactive in my studies and to listen to my
inner voice and to trust that.”
Since Yoga People’s “Journey Into The Divine” is an
intense study of the physical, mental, and spiritual realms, it is not
designed for beginning yoga students. To ensure that applicants are
prepared for the depth of practice and study the course demands, Yoga
People requires applicants to have at least one year of yoga practice
before applying and to be evaluated by a participating Yoga People instructor.
The $3400 13-week program extends over 4 months from May 1s to July
12, 2008, allowing students to seamlessly integrate their Yoga Teacher
training into existing work or school obligations. Classes meet Thursday
evenings, Friday evenings, and Sundays, so even those who work fulltime
can participate. The application deadline is April 1st. For more information
or to obtain an application, visit www.yoga-people.com.
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