200 Hour YTT Online

Practice Teaching & Daily Practices

While doing the course, outside of the work (e.g readings, assignments, etc), you should:

1. Find one yoga student  (e.g friend, family member, etc) to teach - a yoga “guinea pig”.  This student will serve as your practice student through the course. You should also commit to teaching 2 hours a week to the student based on what you are learning in the course (via the readings, etc).
2. You should personally practice yoga (at least 20 mins) and meditate while doing pranayama (see pranayama, under topics below to pick a pranayama - from the 5 there - to do) at least 5 mins daily.
3. You should keep a daily yoga journal to reflect back on to see how you are changing through the course.

Books Used

The  underlined links below are the books you will use in the self study  program, they are included for free and are in pdf  form (click each to open each up to read). Note each book is numbered so you know which one to read from, per the readings for each topic below.

1. Teaching Yoga: Techniques & Foundation by Mark Stephens
2. Karma Yoga Teacher Training Manual
3. The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga by Amy Ippoliti & Taro Smith
4. Yoga Teaching Handbook: A Practical Guide for Yoga Teachers and Trainees by Sian O'Neill

Readings

The topics should be done in the order they are presented below (starting with demonstrating and ending with the business of yoga). The topics are in this order so you acquire teaching skills first; so you can start working on your sequence and practice class earlier, as opposed towards the end of the course.

Once you have done all the readings (so all the topics), you can take the practice quiz  of all the topics to see that you understand the topics in preparation for the final written exam (emails us when your ready to write it and we will send you the link (use this link to see how to prepare for the quiz and also note you do not have to do the quiz, if you do not want). We advise you to underline and make notes from the readings and videos in preparation for the practice quiz and final written exam.

Poses

Below (the underlined) are the 23 yoga poses we regard as the basic beginners poses you should know to be able to teach a beginners yoga class. You should find a way to learn all of these poses below knowing the:

1. Basic step-by-step instructions
2. Contraindications and cautions
3. Modifications and props
4. Physical and mental benefits
5. Variations and challenges

Click here for an example of how to reduce the poses with the 5 points above.

You should know each of these pose fairly well especially the 5 aspects in preparation for the final written exam.  As any and all these poses may be on the final written exam. Please note there is no practice poses quiz prior to  the final written exam, so we  suggest rewriting the poses on cue cards or online -  like the click here sample above - and review them until you know them inside and out.(

• Boat
• Bridge
• Bound Angle
• Camel
• Chair

• Child
• Cobra
• Corpse
• Cat/Cow

• Downward Facing Dog
• Eagle
• Happy Baby
• Fish
• Forward Fold
• Mountain Pose
• Plank Pose
• Seated Forward Bend
• Sphinx Pose
• Tree Pose
• Triangle Pose
• Warrior I
• Warrior II
• Warrior III

Assignments

Please Read First and Understand:

1. All assignments should be emailed to assignments.karmayoga@gmail.com.
2. All assignments should be sent in a pdf format
3. The assignments should be done in the order they are presented below (in descending order).

Not Evaluated

(These assignments must be completed before you can do the evaluated assignments below i.e the written exam or certification class)

#1. A 250 Word Paper On ‘Why Do Want To Be  A Yoga Teacher/Why Are You Taking This Program & What Is Your Yoga Concentration” (feedback, but not evaluated)

This assignment is to help you clarify what are your motives, passions and reasons for wanting to be a yoga teacher or in taking this program. This will help you to know what you are going to do after the program is done and to set goals, while the program is on. Also in this assignment, you will state what area of yoga you want to focus on while in program (e.g. yin yoga, etc). With this concentration you will do your sequence on the same type of yoga and you may elect to write your 2000 word paper on the same  type of yoga.

#2. A 500 word paper on “What Is Yoga?” (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Write 500 words on what yoga means to you right now. The link below is for a video called ‘Yoga Is’ which you should watch first as it might give you ideas. *Note the assignment does not have to be on the video, the video is to simply give overview on what yoga is according to many people in yoga industry.

Yoga Is

#3. A 500 word paper on “What Is Enlightenment?” (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Write 500 words on what enlightenment means to you right now. The link below is for a video called ‘Enlighten Up’ which you should watch first as it might give you ideas. *Note the assignment does not have to be on the video, the video is to simply give overview on the process of enlightenment is according to many people in the yoga industry.

Enlightened Up

#4. A 500 word paper on “What Is The Soul?” (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Write 500 words on what the soul means to you right now.  The link below is for a video called ‘The Soul” which you should watch first as it might give you ideas. *Note the assignment does not have to be on the video, the video is to simply give you an overview of what the soul is.

What Is The Soul

#5. A 500 Word Paper On A Real or Mock “Business Plan’ (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Using what you have learned from the readings on business, write a 500 word short business plan for a real or pretend yoga business you’d like pursue after the program.  Focusing on the business name, equipment you will need, where you will run the business, legal considerations, the sort of time you want to spend on the business, how to market it, major goals, who is the target customer, etc.

Perhaps use (although not necessary) the following Business Plan subheadings to structure it:

While business plans vary in structure; here's is a synopsis of the seven basic sections in most:

1. Executive Summary - An outline of overall business in less than a page (really the other 6 section summarized together)
2. Company and Description - Facts of business, is it incorporated or sole proprietorship,  where will you be running the business (e.g. neighbourhood, city, etc), etc
3. Products or Services - What are you going to sell (e.g yoga classes, yoga mats, etc), details of the products and services, etc
4. Market Analysis - Know your niche (e.g ideal customer) you want to target, your competitors in the area you will run the business, etc
5. Strategy and Implementation -  How you will achieve your overall goals (e.g flyers, website, instagram account, etc), etc
6. Organization and Management Team - Who is going to do what role in the business, do have full time or part time employees, contractors, etc
7. Financial Plan and Projections - The financial goals you want to achieve (e.g to want make $20,000 a year from the business, products or services, etc), how will you track these goals (e.g. monthly sales records, spreadsheets, etc)

#6. A 200 Word Paper On Ethical Issues As Yoga Teacher (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Please pick 2 questions from the 4 ethical questions below and write a 100 word reply for each:

Question 1: A male or female student you have gotten to know for the last few weeks in a yoga  class you teach, comes to your class dressed - in what you feel - is inappropriate (e.g. in clothing which is revealing, tight, etc) for the class. If you decide not to say anything, provide a rationale of why; if you do decide to say something, point by point explain how you will go about doing it and the rationale and what you will say to that student?

Question 2: As it happens in yoga classes at times, students have emotional releases (e.g.cry, get very upset, etc). If a student started crying in middle of a yoga class you were teaching; how would you go about handling it - if at all-  as a yoga teacher?

Question 3: You are talking with a few students at the end of a yoga class you have just taught and one of the students waits until you are both alone and asks you if you would like to join them for lunch the following day, how do you handle it?

Question 4: You are single and you are attracted to one of your students in a class you teach; how do you go about handling that situation?

#7. Full Class Sequence (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Overall prepare a 1 hour class sequence based on the knowledge you acquired from readings, videos and feedback. Please assure your sequence has a 5 to 10 min guided meditation in it, that you use one type of pranayama (e.g. Ujjayi Breath)(see videos in the pranayama reading section above) and its of your own design. Please use the 23 poses under the poses subheading above (if you want to use another pose not included in the 23 above, please email for approval first). You can use the following template (link below) to design it. You will receive feedback on how to improve it before your practice class.

Sequence Template and Sample

#8. Practice Class (complete or incomplete with feedback)

This is to prepare you for your certification sequence (to give you a chance to practice your certification class prior to being evaluated on it - grade wise). Once your sequence  is approved, you will need to video you it to at least one student (i.e guinea pig student) teaching 30 minutes of your sequence (the beginning up to 30 minutes). You will be provided with feedback on how to improve it before you teach  your certification class (which again is evaluated). The link below is how to video your class, a sample video of how it should look and how to upload it.

How To Video & Upload The Video To YouTube

#9. A 2000 word paper (complete or incomplete with feedback)

Please cite any sources you use (e.g. a quote from a book, etc) at the end of the source, like the following: “Life is for the dreamers” (The Book of Dreams, Kim Kline, 1989) and then cite the full reference at the end of paper (i.e. endnotes); e.g.The Book of Dreams, Kim Kline, 1989, Random House, 3rd edition.

There are 3 options for this 2000 word assignment:

• Pick a book/movie that you feel is yoga in nature and explain why you feel it it is yoga in nature or how it teaches the lessons of yoga within it. Or
• You can write a 2000 words paper on the type of yoga you are interested in pursuing as a yoga teacher (expanding on the first assignment). Or
• Pick a section or quote from the Sutra, The Upanishads or Gita (the 3 most important texts in yoga)  and write about your interpretation of it. See below a copy of each.

1. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali  - The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are a collection of 196 Indian sutras on the theory and practice of yoga. The Yoga Sutras were compiled prior to 400 CE by Sage Patanjali who synthesized and organized knowledge about yoga.
2. The Upanishads - Are a collection of texts of religious and philosophical nature, written in India probably between c. 800 BCE and c. 500 BCE, during a time when Indian society started to question the traditional Vedic religious order.
3. The Bhagavad Gita  - The Gita serves as both an ancient story of Krishna leading Arjuna into battle and a spiritual text on the inner struggle for self-mastery and the attainment of happiness through yoga.

#10. A 100 Word Paper On ‘What Of Your 7 Chakras Are Open & Blocked (which you will determine doing the chakra test below) and Why” (feedback, but not evaluated)

This assignment should be done as follows: 1. Do the test below first  2. Mediate at least 20 mins in a quiet space and at a time when you are most at peace and reflect on your results of the test 3. Write 100 words on why your certain chakras are blocked currently and what you can do to help them to become unblocked (e.g. your throat chakras is blocked and you feel this is because you are not being totally honest to certain important people in your life currently, etc).

https://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/chakratest

#11. A 150 Word Paper On ‘What You Have Learned From The Program and Why You Are Ready Teach (if that's what you intend to do)” (feedback, but not evaluated)

This assignment is to be done after all the other assignments are done and marked and just prior to doing the final written exam and certification class. It is to help you clarify that you feel confident and ready to teach and to reflect on what  you have learned from the program.

Evaluation

To successfully complete the self study program you need an overall combined average of 70{131173ed06903c8be65f6a81efeb8c2748771fe1459b6ab57276defad424c2c3} on the following:

• Written Exam 50{131173ed06903c8be65f6a81efeb8c2748771fe1459b6ab57276defad424c2c3} of the final grade and;

• Certification Class also 50{131173ed06903c8be65f6a81efeb8c2748771fe1459b6ab57276defad424c2c3} of the final grade

Written Exam (evaluated out of 70) Worth 50{131173ed06903c8be65f6a81efeb8c2748771fe1459b6ab57276defad424c2c3}

Closed book 1 hour exam on the Poses (based on the 21 above) and skills and philosophies (obtained from readings, videos and feedback).   The only type of question on the written exam will be short answer. For example, question: what is yoga? A passing answer could be: it is an ancient practice that unites the mind, body and spirit. This is just one correct answer, there are others also. Use the link below to see how to prepare for the final written exam. You will be allowed to rewrite this exam if you fail it  after a one month waiting period from the date it is evaluated.

Self Study 200 Hour Quiz & Written Exam Guidelines

Certification Class (evaluated out of 70) Worth 50{131173ed06903c8be65f6a81efeb8c2748771fe1459b6ab57276defad424c2c3}

You will need to video you teaching to at least one student 30 minutes of your sequence again (the beginning up to 30 minutes).Your yoga class (which will include a 5 to 10 min guided meditation) of your own design, incorporating what you have learned from the reading, videos and feedback. You will be evaluated on this class and will be provided with detailed feedback.  Use the link below to see how the class will be evaluated. Also see the second link below on how to video your class, a sample video of how it should look and how to upload it. You will be allowed to redo the certification class if you fail it  after a one month waiting period from the date it is evaluated.

Class Feedback Form

How To Video & Upload The Video To YouTube

Post Certificate

30 Yoga Classes  (evaluated as a complete or incomplete only)

When the program is complete, you will need to teach 30 Karma classes. You have a year to complete these classes.  This is to give you more practical experience (especially that the program is all online) and to spread yoga to people who don't normally get a chance to experience yoga. The 30 karma classes need to done as follows and in the following order:

1. 10 classes should be done at a not for profit organization (e.g Salvation Army, etc)
2. The remaining 20 classes can be done at the same or another not for profit or you can do them with friends and family.

A photo of each karma class is required as proof with you and at least one student in the photo (click here for a sample of how the pictures should look), send them to assignments.karmayoga@gmail.com. Please send all 30 photos as one email, as opposed to sending them each separately.