200 Hour Teacher Training

Best 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Institution in Varkala Trivandrum Kerala with Classical Hatha Yoga & Vinyasa Kriya Flow Yoga incorporates ancient techniques of classical hatha yoga, combined with vinyasa flow in an unique and authentic way, developed over years by Shiva. Vinyasa Kriya Yoga means gentle flow of asanas, breathing (Pranayama) and traditional mantra`s (Bija Mantra) in combination. Vinyasa Kriya Yoga balances physical, astral & causal body. With education in techniques, teaching methodology, anatomy, yoga philosophy and practical teaching experience, you will ultimately feel safe and adequately prepared to instruct a general adult population. Certified by Yoga Alliance USA, a successful completion of this yoga teacher training qualifies you to teach yoga worldwide.

At Shiva Rishi, we follow a system that advocates for Svadyaya (self-study) so that at the end of the training the student has Adhikara (qualification of the learning) to carry on the yoga journey as a teacher and continued self-practitioner. Yoga is the process of self-discovery, and through this we encourage the student to emply the tools of the various paths of Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, and Raja yoga.

Taking roots in ancient knowledge and making a bridge to modern life, this yoga teacher training will guide you through the practical, philosophical and mythological aspects of yoga. By practicing classical hatha yoga with devotion, you will be able to follow any style of your choice in the future and reap physical, mental and spiritual fulfilment from this life-supporting practice.

In a serene & ambient rooftop studio surrounded by a tropical garden you will deepen your self-practice and experience the true principles of yoga. Years of practice and experience have worked their way into the shaping of the Shiva Rishi yoga program. We take care in addressing your needs through a beautiful serene atmosphere for your stay as well as practice; open-hearted and knowledgeable teachers; and a thoughtful, sattvic yogi diet to ideally assist your practices. We also invite you to join us for spiritual trips into the gorgeous landscapes of Kerala in that we attune to nature by walks, mantras, music and bhajan singing.

Ultimately, yoga is more than physical exercise or stress release. These benefits all come as side effects of regular practice, yet the ultimate aim of yoga is to transcend the limited and egoistic self and connect with the unlimited eternal. Beyond education, we will provide a proper spiritual environment for your journey.

• International Yoga Teacher Certificate by Yoga Alliance USA
• Private Twin bed Room with Bathroom, and Balcony
• 27 Days Program with 6 Days Class and one Free Day per Week
• Full Vegetarian Sattvic Yogi Diet (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) 6 Days a Week
• Daily Yoga Asanas & Meditation Practices
• Daily Teachings (Yoga Philosophy, Anatomy Classes, Pranayama Classes)
• Bakti Yoga, Bhajans
• Puja Ceremonies meditation
• Free Wifi
• Free Airport Pickup (Airport Trivandrum)
• Few Sightseeings around Varkala (i.e. boat tour and meditation on Golden Island)

• In order to be a good teacher, it is also important to establish / deepen your self-practice. To do so we will practice morning and evening together in a group setting, supervised and instructed by lead trainers.
• In the morning we will practice Vinyasa Kriya Flow Yoga. It entails the practice of varying flow sequences uniting asanas with breath and mantras followed by relaxation, pranayama and kriyas.
• In the beginning of the TTC we will start these classes with basic flow exercises that are gradually improved over time, preparing to eventually flow through various asanas in a meditative way, fully aware of movement and respiration.
• You can experience their physical and energetic effects, as also observe how different categories of asanas (bends, twists, inversions… that are investigated in theory classes) harmonize in a set.
• Towards the evening, when the sun sinks tranquilly behind palm trees in the sea and climate cools down a little
• we will practice Classical Hatha Yoga. In an atmosphere charged with peace and devotion, we will practice recreational shanti asanas in the tradition of Swami Sivananda and his disciple Swami Satyananda Saraswati, who framed ancient yogi teachings in a modern language, that incorporates both traditional and scientific understandings. By harmonizing all levels of human life and experience through practical means of asanas, pranayama, kriyas, bandhas and mudras we start balancing sun and moon energies (ha-tha), purify nadis and chakras and ultimately practice to gain mastery of prana in order to control the mind.
• Learn to teach and to practice a broad range of yoga asanas.
• Experience how to draw on the physical, emotional, energetic and spiritual benefits of yoga
• Learn the appropriate and correct alignments for each posture
• Explore the modifications and variations of the most common asanas.
• Learn and practice the art of hands-on-adjustment.
• Understand the basic concepts of functional yoga anatomy.
• Experience and practice different types of pranayama and meditation techniques.

“Feeling sad? Sit in Lotus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend, forward bend, or headstand. While it’s not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice. The process of performing yoga practice is claimed to lead to a certain purification of the blood, which frees up the life force to flow along the spine. “Yoga is a simple, psycho-physiological method by which the human blood is decarbonized and recharged with oxygen. The atoms of this extra oxygen are transmuted into life current to rejuvenate the brain and spinal centers, by stopping things like stress and emotional pain — usually caused by bad memories, old programming, emotions, and/or overthinking.” Improving your Anahata chakra, for instance, controls the love energy in the body. On a physical level, the heart chakra responds to the heart, lungs, immune system, and muscles of the upper body. On a spiritual level, opening the heart chakra fills you with love, forgiveness, and compassion. If yoga can do one thing, it should make you happier and thus by default, healthier.

Feeling sad? Sit in Lotus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend, forward bend, or headstand. While it’s not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice. The process of performing yoga practice is claimed to lead to a certain purification of the blood, which frees up the life force to flow along the spine. “Yoga is a simple, psycho-physiological method by which the human blood is decarbonized and recharged with oxygen. The atoms of this extra oxygen are transmuted into life current to rejuvenate the brain and spinal centers, by stopping things like stress and emotional pain — usually caused by bad memories, old programming, emotions, and/or overthinking.” Improving your Anahata chakra, for instance, controls the love energy in the body. On a physical level, the heart chakra responds to the heart, lungs, immune system, and muscles of the upper body. On a spiritual level, opening the heart chakra fills you with love, forgiveness, and compassion. If yoga can do one thing, it should make you happier and thus by default, healthier.

• Learn the importance of living, not just in the physical world but also in the spiritual world. And how you can function in duality to transform every aspect of your life.
• Work through your complexes
• Unlock your creativity
• Powerful tools for stress management
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Sleep better than you have in years
• Experience true happiness, peace, and contentment
• Gain greater clarity, focus, and presence
• Have more energy throughout the day
• Dissolve negative beliefs and thought patterns
• Understand (and overcome) addictive patterning

If you are aware of how to learn and how to teach, you will be capable of handling anything if given the right amount of time, motivation, and support. The basics of every subject matter is extremely important, for your foundations as well as what you pass onto students.

I: Techniques

Herein you will receive training of asanas, pranayama, kriyas, mantras & meditation in a practical and analytical way. Following a scientific approach, we will discuss physical and energetical health benefits. Subsequently, you will learn to recognize practice mistakes to focus on alignment. Find some syllabus examples for this block outlined in the following:

Standing Postures

i. Standing Asanas

Asanas stretch and strengthens back, shoulders and leg muscles. This is especially important to relieve stiffness and back pain difficulties, which increasingly arise in modern times through long hours of sitting. In this section you will learn common standing postures, how to explain their benefits, and experience their balancing effects on the root chakra. We will further discuss how to provide effective verbal cues to direct practitioners coming in and out of the poses, how to verbally adjust, and how to breathe properly.

ii. Bending Postures:

Bending asanas loosen the back by separating vertebras and improve blood circulation around the spine. This brings vitalizing and overall health improving effects on all organs and the brain. You will receive analytical training by demonstration, conversation and the use of the TTC guidebook in how to teach, practice and adjust bending postures. The learning objects herein are to explain bending postures and their benefits; verbalize and demonstrate alignments; be aware of common misalignments and risk factors; learn how to direct practitioners coming in and out; and how to breath in these positions.

By following along with our instructor in this course you can expect:

• Better range of motion
• Strong feet/balance and grounding (in life)
• More endurance in standing
• Improvement in the arches
• More agility (in both mind and body)
• Improved sense of well being

iii. Pranayama:

Pranayama is considered to be the foundation of yoga. It is perhaps the most essential aspect of yoga and life. Pranayama is the best precursor for calming and centering the mind for meditation. Pranayama regulates prana flow in the nadis of the pranamaya kosha. Through practice, observation, and discussion you will learn most common breathing techniques, how to explain benefits, and how to direct practitioners through these exercises.

We will also practice pranayama on occasional spiritual trips and breath the fresh air in the mountains or on the rocks by the sea shore. Learning objectives are to get an overview and practice experience of multiple pranayama techniques and learn to use powerful breath workout and pranayama techniques to: detoxify your body, balance hormones, boost immunity and energy, calm the mind, awaken your full potential to discover the true nature of the self, and brings you deeper into the yoga practice.

When the mind is focused on the breath, the nervous system gets calmed down, and there is less stress on the body and it experiences better digestion and elimination. Regular practice of pranayama trains the lungs and improves the capacity of the respiratory system immensely (especially important during these covid times).

iv. Mudras Relevant To Pranayama

These are some of the most common hand mudras in pranayama practice

1. Nasikagra mudras (nose tip position)
2. Jnana mudra (psychic gesture of knowledge)
3. Chin mudras (psychic gesture of consciousness)
4. Chinmaya mudra (gesture of manifest consciousness)
5. Aadi mudra (primal or first attitude)

v. Mantra Yoga Sadhana:

According to Samkhya, one the schools of Hindu philosophy, the very first element that manifested itself in this plane was sound and that the element of sound itself originated from Lord Shiva’s Drum. Sanskrit mantras are energy-based sounds that have the power to vibrate and resonate throughout the entire body. Sound travels five times more efficiently through water than through air, and as the human body is comprised of more than 70% water, it is therefore an excellent conductor for both sound and vibration. The regular practice of mantras especially balance the agitations of manomaya kosha. Once a week we hold a Yajna yoga in the evening time with a puja with meditation, mantras, breathing techniques and offerings.

vi. Meditation

• What meditation is, and why it’s practiced
• Variety of meditation techniques and tools
• Quieting the mind to develop deeper levels of awareness
• Connecting with nature and the world you live in
• Connecting with the true Self

II: Teaching Methodology:

In this section, classes will address how to use verbal and physical hands-on adjustments, how to give clear and coherent instructions, how to sequence classes, how poses interact and how to integrate breathing exercises.

The Art of Teaching curriculum includes:

• Teaching clinics
• How to address a group of students
• How to use your own body as a teaching tool
• How to use your voice, volume, tempo, and pacing
• How to correct postures
• Choosing the right words
• Energy, passion, confidence, humor

Using your own presence and Self-awareness as a transformative teaching tool

• The Business of Yoga
• Teacher guidelines & etiquette
• Appropriate conduct inside and outside the yoga room
• How to apply for a teaching position
• Teacher expectations
• Student interaction
• Role playing
• Feedback

III: Anatomy & Physiology

Herein you will broaden your understanding about the physical anatomy of the human body and combine important aspects of postures and anatomy with contemplative and internal facets of yoga. Next to physical anatomy, we will go deeper into the realms of energy anatomy of Chakras, Kunadlini, Gunas, Tattwas, Koshas, Nadis & the Vayus.

Yoga Posture & Alignment

• • 1) How your bones determine the range of motion in all the yoga postures.
  • 2) How and why everyone does yoga postures differently and what they can do about it.
  • 3) How joint compression and muscle tension or resistance plays role in all the yoga asana.
  • 4) Learn muscular and skeleton restrictions for proper alignment.
  • 5) How to improve yoga posture for individuals

Yoga Posture & Alignment (details)

1) Introduction and concept

• Applied yoga anatomy
• Connective tissue and muscle role in movements
• Bones and joints function in movements
• Kinetic chain movements and their role in movements

2) Joint stability and mobility drills

• Wrist and elbows testing and assessments
• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for wrist and elbows in arm balancing and loading postures
• Palm stability and its importance in balance postures
• Wrist joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Elbow joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to crow pose, [peacock pose, pendant pose, high plank, reverse plank, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, and much more

3) Shoulder and scapula testing and assessments

• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for shoulders and scapula in arm balancing and loading postures
• Shoulder joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Scapula blades anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to Chaturanga, wheel pose, king pigeon, intense side stretch pose, cow facing pose, eagle pose, puppy pose, and much more

4) Cervical spine testing and assessments

• Cervical spine anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for neck joint in inversions and neck flexion or extension postures
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to plow pose, shoulder stand, ear pressure pose, fish pose, bridge pose, headstand, and much more

5) Thoracic and lumbar testing and assessments

• Thoracic spine anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Lumbar spine anatomy, health, function, and purpose in backbends
• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for the thoracic and lumbar spine in backbends or extensions postures
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to locust pose, cobra pose, crocodile pose, bow pose, bridge pose, wheel pose, camel pose, upward-facing dog, low lunge backward bend, pigeon pose, backbend standing, and much more

6) Sacroiliac joint, lumbar, and Pelvis testing and assessments

• S. I. joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Lumbar anatomy, health, function, and purpose in flexion or forward bends
• Pelvic anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for S.I. joint, lumbar, and Pelvic in forwarding bends
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to Marichi asana, twisting postures, revolved side angle, revolved triangle, revolved half-moon, supine spinal twists, standing twists, Paschimottanasana, Janusirsasana, Pawanmuktasana, Hanuman asana, wide-angle forwards fold, Uttanasana, and much more

7) Hip joint testing and assessments for all movements (flexion, extension, abduction,
adduction, internal and external rotation)

• Hip joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for the hip joint in all yoga postures
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to deer pose, Baddhakonasana, single-leg sitting balance pose, frog pose, Goddess pose, triangle pose, warrior one pose, warrior two pose, warrior three pose, side angle pose, and much more

8) Knees and feet

• Knee joint, ankle, and foot testing and assessments
• Knee joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Ankle joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Foot joint anatomy, health, function, and purpose
• Injury prevention and corrective alignment for the knee joint, ankle, and foot
• All related yoga postures to experience with muscle control including but not limited to Padmasana, Vajrasana, Veerasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana, Utkatasana, Veerbhadrasana one and two, high lunge, Supta Vajrasana, Malasana, tree pose, eagle pose, single-leg toe hold pose, and much more

IV: Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle Ethics & Ayurveda

A yogic lifestyle is a journey to create unity on all levels. This means to live every day consciously, with a focused, calm mind, seeking inner perfection at all times.
This teacher training places an emphasis on studying the vast heritage of yoga philosophy. By introducing the Samkhya system of evolution and discuss traditional texts (such as the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali) we will explore the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga in more detail and take a glimpse beyond the first limbs towards the ultimate goal of yoga. Next to getting inspiration from these sacred texts, it may make us recognize the importance of a firm foundation in these first limbs, as prerequisite to progress on this path of liberation -and how you, as prospective yoga teachers, can assist other beings along this journey. We are looking forward to inspiring conversations about the precept of non-violence (ahimsa), the concepts of dharma and karma, and finally the value of teaching yoga while being of service to others (seva).

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the science of living. Our practice depends on us being in balance. Through an understanding of Ayurveda, we learn about our bodily constitution, and what kinds of diets and lifestyles are most suitable to one’s character. Our Ayurvedic Doctor will teach you about the theoretical basics of Ayurveda, helping you to discover a diet fitting to your type of body and individual needs and intellectually understand the positive effects of the high qualitative sattvic yogi diet you are served throughout the TTC. If you like to relax from the training, you will be delighted to find the yoga studio surrounded by several skilled ayurvedic massage salons.

V: Practicum

In this section, you will be slowly prepared to lead a yoga class yourself. In the beginning you will start to teach sun salutations and simple sequences to each other. With your peers, you have fun together learning and supporting each other in this yogic growth process. In the progress of your training, you will then start to observe and correct and finally practice teaching as the lead instructor and participate with others teaching.

Awaken your practice to this 28-day yoga challenge that will inspire you to step on your mat every day. The benefits of practicing yoga everyday can be felt almost immediately. At the end of the month, you’ll complete the challenge feeling stronger, more connected, and more empowered in your practice. You will gain an understanding of the specific teaching skills needed to make the learning experience for your students as easy as possible.
We also give lots of contact with (Props) to aid in the Skill-Based Mobility (for range of motion), and Restorative (for calm and recovery) practices. Yoga props are extremely useful in helping to create sthira (steadiness) and sukha (comfort) in your yoga practice. By no means limited to beginners, props help to accommodate anatomical differences, tight muscles/joints, and limited ranges of motion. If you’ve ever wondered how to efficiently use props in your home or studio practice, we provide an introduction to the accoutrements that could bring your asana practice, the union of body, mind, soul, and spirit.

Continuing Journey Of Yoga: Reflection On The Process Of Becoming A Yoga Teacher.

• Reflection on the Process of Becoming a Yoga Teacher
• Discussion on what Certification Provides
• Code of Ethics
• Yoga Alliance Registration
• Group conversation about options for teaching and sharing
• Discussion about how to maintain appropriate skill and inspiration

YOU GRADUATED!!! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

• You are proficient in 200 Hour Level Teaching Skills as set forth by Yoga Alliance
• You are eligible to Register with Yoga Alliance as a 200 Hour Level Teacher
• You still have MUCH to LEARN!
• We become great teachers by teaching! So Go TEACH!!
• Practice greatly improves your skills.
• Integrate and share what you’ve learned in your own voice
• Your Practice is your best friend. The best teachers are the best practitioners.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Your graduation qualifies you to: ASSIST / TEACH / PRACTICE through Yoga Teacher Alliance