Essential teachings on Yin Yoga, Mindfulness and how to sequence yang poses with Yin sequences
A 10-day non-residential 70-hour Yoga Alliance registered intensive. For Yin/Yang Yoga Teachers and Dedicated Practitioners.
Location: 33 Foster St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Dates: 01 - 10 Feb 2019
Time: 11.30am to 5.30pm each day
Course Description
This course is intended to deepen one’s understanding of the experiential, philosophical and practical application of yoga and meditation. It is intended for those with at least two years of practice or more. It is recommended that you have attended a prior teacher training course if you intend to teach this material. It will benefit most people to have taken a 200-500 hour yoga training program before coming to Sarah’s 10 day Primary Level. This is not essential for those interested in simply cultivating their own practice.
This intensive will deepen one’s ability to teach/practice both a receptive Yin style and an active flow or Yang style of yoga with an interest in promoting a conducive inner environment for meditation.
Please come with a basic understanding of the practices (having read Sarah’s book Insight Yoga), and a strong interest in committing to the further exploration of both yoga and meditation.
This is a 70-hour Yoga Alliance training and attendance in the entire program is required. Those who are unable to attend all of the classes will be awarded the certificate based only on the hours attended. Please plan your time and travel accordingly in order to not miss any of the sessions. Each day will include two hours on Yin Yoga, two hours on Yang Yoga, and two hours on Mindfulness Meditation.
In this training we will explore:
- Yin Yoga — how, why and when to practice this style safely and effectively
- Organ health and Yoga practice (sequences for the kidneys, liver, etc.)
- Balancing the Yin style with a Yang practice to support structural strength and stability
- Proper physical alignment in active postures
- The primary focus of ujjayi breath in asana: length, depth and direction
- Mindfulness in asana
- Sequencing of postures for various levels, from the beginner to the intermediate
- How to assist those with injuries
- The use of touch and hands-on adjustments
- Skillful verbal communication
- The teacher/student relationship
Asana
The physical discipline of hatha yoga centers on the harmonious embodiment of postures. How we practice these postures is as important as which asana we choose and how we orchestrate them. Increasing our repertoire of different ways to practice allows us to vary our sequences at different times in our life, continually keeping the practice appropriate as well as fresh and alive.
Philosophy
- Subtle body anatomy according to Yogic and Chinese philosophy
- Meridian theory and Chinese Medicine
- Buddhist Psychology and emotional maturity
Pranayama
Pranayama is the expansion of the life force through breath regulation. It is the profound practice of circulating and redistributing prana in both the physical and subtle body through various breathing and visualization practices.
Overview of Pranayama practices:
- Kumbhaka (breath retention)
- Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing)
- Kapalabhati (breath of fire)
Meditation
The essence of a committed yoga practice is meditative focus and awareness. Developing and sustaining a formal meditation practice can be a continual source of insight, rejuvenation and compassion. It is a practice that can reveal and disempower our negative, fragmented aspects while potentially revealing our essential nature. Meditation can also deepen one’s awareness and acceptance of oneself and of the world, deepening one’s openness and wakefulness. We will discuss and practice Buddhist mindfulness meditation (Sati Patthana–The Four Foundations of Mindfulness), with an emphasis on how to share these practices with others.
Study and Reading/Viewing:
Everyone will also be required to bring Sarah’s book Insight Yoga to class, and to have viewed, at minimum, her DVD, Insight Yoga.
Required reading and viewing:
Suggested listening and viewing:
Acquiring an intellectual understanding of the rich diversity of Yoga and Buddhism inspires one’s dedication to the path of awakening; it also fosters a clear level of communication and discussion with others.
Students are required to read the books and view the DVD assigned for this training before they arrive. Readings from these books and viewing of the DVD are an integral part of the training so please order the materials upon registration of the course so you have ample time to read/view them before the training begins.
Outside reading prior to and during the course will be required to enrich one’s overall understanding.
A teacher-training manual will be handed out on the first day of class.
To be eligible to receive the certificate, you will also be asked to write a 2-3 page paper on the purpose and methods of Yin yoga upon completion of the course for assessment.
