What are the roots of Yoga? Who was Patanjali? What are the paths of Yoga? Who wrote the Hatha Yoga Pradipika?

Only a few of the questions we are going to address in our Yoga philosophy and history sessions. We will introduce you to the Sanskrit language, the language of Yoga. Take you to back to the origins of Yoga, make our way through its history and discover how it found its way to the west. We will clear up misconceptions about Yoga and cover important Yoga scriptures to help you understand the ancient teachings and their relevance today

• Vedas
• Upanishads
• Purana’s (Ramayana and Mahabharata)
• The Bhagvad Gita
• Shamkya Yoga
• Patanjali Yoga Sutras
• Tantra
• Ashtanga Yoga and its relevance today

In this 200 hour Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh will practice different styles of Yoga twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Apart from traditional Hatha Yoga we teach Ashtanga Vinyasa and more modern styles like Hatha Flow and Vinyasa Flow. The main focus in these classes is your own practice. We encourage you to use this training to also deepen your own Yoga practice. To cultivate a regular self-practice will be the foundation of all your teaching.

In our asana alignment classes we will then dive deeper into the art of teaching asana. You will learn

• How to perform different Yoga postures
• How to integrate conscious breath awareness
• The benefits and precautions of each asana
• How to use props like blocks and belts correctly
• How to cue your students to get into the postures
• How to use hands on adjustment under consideration of your students unique body types

To ensure the quality and safety of your future Yoga classes.

• Sequencing and designing a balanced Yoga class are two things you learn in this module.
• How to prepare yourself for the class
• How to open a class
• How to demonstration the postures
• How to adjust
• Which precautions do you have to keep in mind while teaching
• Tone of voice
• How to finish/close the class
• How to connect with your students state of being and individual requirements
• Counter poses for each asana
• How to design balanced classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced students
• How to design classes with a special focus
• How to address different levels of students in the same class

What is the difference to breathing practice and pranayama?

In this module of our Yoga teacher training we will teach you different breathing techniques and introduce you to the art of pranayama – breath expansion.

Breathing

• Natural breathing
• Abdominal breathing
• Thoracic breathing
• Clavicular breathin
• Yogic breathing

Pranayama

• Nadi Sodhana
• Bhramari
• Ujjayi
• Kapalbhati
• Bhastrika

The meditation module consists of theory and practice classes. You will learn the 12 steps of meditation, what food helps to better focus and what the ideal time and place is to practice. Apart from that we teach you

• Basic techniques of meditation
• Benefits
• Mindfulness
• Mindfulness practices
• Mindfulness in Buddhism
• Four foundations of mindfulness in Buddhism

Thousands of years ago monks and sages in India had an understanding of how the human body works and what it needs to function properly. They realized the importance of equilibrium and the healing powers of Yoga. In yogic anatomy we introduce you to

• Panch Mahabhut Tattva (Five Elements)
• Nadis (Astral Tubes)
• Prana & Pancha Prana
• Pancha Kosha
• Chakras
• Bandhas

For you as a future Yoga teacher it is important to know how asanas, pranayama and meditation affect the physical body. In the anatomy and physiology classes of this Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh India we give you an introduction into how the human body is build and how it functions.

If you are not already doing it you get the chance to practice Jala Neti, Sutra Neti and Nauli every morning. These are three of the six Shatkarmas used to purify the body and prepare it for a successful Yoga practice.

You will learn the benefits and precautions of all the Shatkarmas and how to perform them in a safe way to clean and purify your body.

Mudras as powerful gestures that change the flow of prana in our bodies. During the practice we can use them to balance the energy. They can either increase or decrease the energy and vitality in certain areas of our body, helping us to come back to a state of equilibrium. We will introduce you to the five classes of mudras and teach you several hand mudras and their effects.

Every day of our 200 hours Yoga teacher training we are going to chant different mantras together. You might have already experienced the power of certain mantras and how they resonate with you. We will teach you different mantras and their power. We will give you time to practice and repeat the mantras together regularly so that they can settle and unfold their potential.

Ayurveda is the knowledge of life, over 5000 years old and one of the oldest medical systems on earth. We would like to give you an insight in this fascinating philosophy; explaining you how the five elements are used in healing, how to find out your dosha and how you can integrate ayurvedic teachings in your daily routine.

Nutrition plays a major role in the yogic lifestyle. The food we consume has a tremendous effect on our health and the quality of our yoga practice. Ancient yogis were already aware of that and designed the “Yogic diet”. You will study the different qualities of food and the effects they have on your body; the components of the yogic diet and how to incorporate it in your life.