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Banyan leads three to six teacher trainings per year at the 200 and 300 hour level. While the syllabus may appear the same at a glance, every training is different, as the attendees form the community and determine its needs.  The expression "Teacher Training” may be misleading, as it implies that only teachers-to-be need apply. While many yogis use these Trainings to gain the skills and credentials necessary to lead yoga classes in their communities, other yogis attend in order to strengthen their own practice or spend a period of time in sadhana, or dedicated study. Lastly, many experienced teachers attend these trainings to further hone their skills.

A Yoga Teacher Training, is, in a word, intense. Most attendees are surprised by the sheer quantity of the workload, or the emotions that are stirred up once we start to take our practice from the physical to the deeper realms of yoga. If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation with a little bit of yoga, look elsewhere, or plan some down time before or after the training. Once the clock starts you’ll be in class nearly the whole day, with only a spare few hours here and there for rest. 

Program Goals

This training will prepare and certify students to:

• Teach an inspiring group vinyasa (breath-connected) yoga class in the yoga studio, gym, or corporate environment, with intelligent sequencing, precise adjustments, and clear focus.
• Teach yoga privately and professionally, prescribing appropriate exercises to each individual.
• Field the most common questions and issues from beginner students, including (but not limited to) back or knee injuries, blood pressure, pregnancy, and stress. Understand how to safely work with these conditions in a nurturing, therapeutic manner.
• Have a firm grasp of, and an excitement to go deeper into, the use of anatomy and physiology in yoga.
• Study the breath in all its beauty, fluctuations, and variations and prescribe different breathing techniques for different effects.
• Understand the art and value of contemplation (meditation) and be able to lead others in the same from direct experience.
•  Grasp the foundations and supporting energies of yoga, with emphasis on Tantra, the Yoga Sutras, Ayurveda, ethics, and the business of yoga.

Yoga Teacher Training Program Curriculum

The process of learning to teach also encompasses diving deep into your own practice and your own hopes and fears, perhaps deeper than you’ve ever gone before. For this ritual to work, it is important that you use your time and energy wisely. During the breaks and days off, you will be encouraged to study, practice teach, and spend time in silence to help you digest the work we do as a group. We have a lot of material to cover in just a few weeks, so coming rested, prepared, and committed will be essential to completing the course. You’ll be asked to keep a journal privately during the course and will need to complete assignments and miss no more than one day of the whole training. Get started on your reading and journal today in preparation!  Reading and practice assignments, as well as a teaching demo (reviewed) and final evaluation will round out the program. In addition, karma (service) hours will be required for completion during or after the training.

Remember, yoga is a journey of self-discovery and building our sensitivity to the world around us. We will be discovering and releasing attachments to that which is familiar and constricting in order to build our light to shine brighter than ever. In order not to disrupt each other’s process, we will, as a group, abstain from drinking alcohol, smoking, or using drugs for the duration of the course. This training is not a time to vacation and party; think of it more as an intensive or cleanse dedicated to honest self-reflection, purification, and clarity. On the evenings and days off, you are welcome to do what you wish as long as it does not disrupt the group’s energy. After the last day of class, we will have a celebration party (with maybe a special performance!) and prepare for reintegration into the “real” world.

By the end of this training, you will probably be in the best shape of your life. Expect to leave more relaxed, physically stronger, invigorated, and with more mental clarity on how to live life to the fullest.

Prerequisites

• One year of yoga experience
• Minimum 40 hours of yoga classes under a certified teacher***
• A desire for challenge, change and growth
• An open mind

What You DON’T Need

• A flexible, injury-free body. Injuries, tight muscles or weaknesses are not obstacles to success in this program. In fact, we encourage yogis with all body types and physical challenges to consider this training. Each “limitation” is an opportunity for you to grow, to gently and methodically heal yourself, and perhaps to help others be better prepared to work with injuries or special conditions.
•  A sponsorship from Lululemon and a social media following in the thousands. Yoga is an internal practice, and while this training will develop the skills to share your passion effectively, the biggest change you’ll experience during a YTT is personal. Many of our students come specifically for this reason, for a period of uninterrupted self-observation and personal growth.
   

Sample Schedule

Depending on the needs of the group, this schedule may change.

6:30 – 9:30am: Meditation and morning practice (with a short break for fruit)
9:30 – 11:00am: Breakfast break
11:00 -1:00pm: Practice Teaching, Adjustments, and Anatomy
1:00 – 4:00pm: Lunch break
4:00 – 7:00pm: Yoga philosophy, breath-work, mantra, and cooling practice

Required Books

Prepare for the course now by reading the following books. Please bring Ray Long’s anatomy book to the training.

• Scientific Keys Volume Two: Key Poses of Yoga, Ray Long, MD (bring to training)
• The Heart of Yoga by T. K. V. Desikachar
•  Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra
•  The Art of Skillful Teaching Manual: by Banyan Gallagher and Friends (actual cost will vary depending on local printing cost, bring $50)

Recommended Books

To read before, during, or after training:

• The Gift by Hafiz, renderings by Daniel Ladinski
•  Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
•  Light on Yoga by B. K. S. Iyengar
•  Autobiography of a Yogi by Parahamsa Yogananda
•  Tantric Quest by Daniel Odier

Banyan’s training style is all about making sure each participant receives the individual attention needed to maximize his or her results. Also, optimal group dynamics and energy require a limited group size. For these reasons, space is limited and sessions often fill up quickly.