21 Day 200-Hour Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in Varkala, Kerala

Certification
Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).

What makes this program one of a kind
Even if you are entirely new to yoga and an Ayurveda specialist searching to expand your practice, this teacher training course will give you immense confidence and inspiration to become a joyful and knowledgeable yoga teacher and individual. The course covers Hatha Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga.

Opening fire ceremony
This one-month-long yoga journey starts with a fire ceremony according to the traditional yogic culture.

Direct teachings from sincere, experienced teachers
Nidra yoga School of Yoga focuses on providing you with small, intimate class settings for individualized and personalized attention from beloved teachers. The teachers are not only rich in knowledge, but they are also teaching from their own experience in yoga, meditation, and often strong sadhana. Your classes are located in the same building as your accommodations, so teachers are easily accessible to you throughout the day.

A deeper understanding of asanas
Besides teaching yoga asanas you will also learn the effect of some asanas on mind patterns. This will enable you to change habits and certain mind patterns and help other people in your teachings.

An inspiring and welcoming community
Every teacher and staff member of Nidra yoga School in Varkala Yoga is passionate and committed to providing the best possible experience for you. Nidra yoga School of Yoga is a spiritual hub for knowledge seekers to grow and nourish their souls. It is a community built on love, enthusiasm and a profound belief in the transformative powers of yoga.

Eligibility
This training is for anyone from anywhere, with any background, nationality, or religion. Be ready, it may open up the gate of possibilities, can bring wonders, especially for those stuck with the ideas of limitations, and can be magical, if you are already interested in the exploration of this ancient Indian art and science of yoga.

The medium of communication in this course is English, so it requires a certain amount of proficiency in the language to be able to handle and respond to the instructions and lectures. There are no educational requirements to join it. As long as you are able to express yourself and be who you are, you are welcome. The age of the candidate should not be less than 18 or more than 60 at the time of admission.

Course outline

Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga is considered to be the foundation of all yogic asana practices which sprout from its fundamental nature for creating a balance between the mind and body by accessing the inner roots of our being. This form of yoga plays a huge importance in breathing techniques. The regular Hatha yoga teacher training in India comprises the relatively paced practice of various hatha yoga postures, breathing awareness and techniques, and meditation practices.

All classes begin and conclude with mantra chanting. The practice of traditional Hatha yoga is aimed at balancing your body and stilling your mind, so it can be trained to stay healthy and keep away from external distractions that may hamper your practice. A Hatha yoga TTC in India practitioner ultimately cultivates a subtle consciousness within the body that assists in nurturing a meditative form.

Ashtanga yoga
This training follows the ancient tradition of Ashtanga yoga as popularized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Traditionally, yoga helps you completely know yourself and calm yourself. However, this real meaning can get a bit lost amidst the practices of exercise-centric yoga that seem to be very popular nowadays. Ashtanga yoga courses in India, on the other hand, bring modern-day yogis back to the ancient roots of yogic practice. Pattabhi’s Ashtanga yoga comprises a fixed series of postures linked together with breath.

Unlike modern-day yoga practices, the Ashtanga sequence of postures remains the same, and the practice is traditionally performed without music, mood lighting, or other factors of the Western yoga class. By taking away these external factors, students are able to streamline their attention inward, focusing on the internal aspects of yoga rather than the physical. During the Ashtanga yoga teacher training in India, the school will teach the whole primary series including rules of sequencing, pranayama, mantra chanting as well as drishti and bandha.

Vinyasa yoga
Often confused with ‘power yoga’, Vinyasa yoga is a modern, fast-paced practice inspired by the Ashtanga Vinyasa system and the highly-revered Guru T. Krishnamacharya himself. This style of yoga is characterized by easing postures together so that you move from one to another, seamlessly, using the synchronization of breath and drishti. The primary difference between Ashtanga and Vinyasa is that while the former follows a fixed sequence, the latter observes the flowing of each pose organically and has no specific sequence.

The dynamic nature of Vinyasa yoga helps to acquire a more balanced body as well as prevent recurring motion injuries. During the practice, you will focus primarily on training yourself in sharp sequencing that not only strengthens your body but also allows the energy to smoothly flow through. The training is taught keeping in mind the principles of alignment, meaning that even though you will move between postures swiftly, you would be taught safe practices so as to avoid any injuries.

Yin yoga
Completely opposite to the vigorous, fast-paced Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga styles, Yin yoga focuses on the deep connective tissues of your body – the ligaments, bones, joints, and deep fascia networks. It is gentler and more contemplative, allowing you space to turn inward and tune into your mind as well as the physical sensations of your body. In Yin yoga, you hold your postures for a longer period than in other traditional forms which means that you would stretch and lengthen those barely-used tissues as well as learn how to control your breathing through any discomfort.

On an energetic level, Yin yoga enhances energy flow and improves the flow of ‘chi’ in the organs but the practice also offers huge mental and emotional benefits too. Usually, the Yin yoga class includes a series of passive floor asanas held for a longer duration, that primarily focus on the lower part of the body, namely the hips, pelvis, inner thighs, and lower spine. These areas are specifically rich in connective tissues.

Mysore-style yoga
Mysore-style yoga is the conventional way of practicing Ashtanga yoga and offers an extremely personalized approach with all of the group energy of a conventional class. This style is different from any other method of teaching yoga in the way that during practice, the class is not instructed as a whole but it is more one-on-one training within the group.

You learn Mysore-style yoga every Saturday where you practice your own part of the Ashtanga sequence of asanas at your own pace while the teacher assists each one of you individually by giving verbal as well as physical instructions on how to adjust and align your movements to get the best out of them.

Adjustment and alignment
The importance of adjustment and alignment in yoga cannot be focused on enough. An extremely critical topic, your adjustment and alignment lessons focus on teaching you how to adjust in each asana without causing any injuries to your body. It is done not only to prevent your body from any new stress or injury but also to avoid inflicting harm on any existing injuries. In the Adjustment and Alignment class, you would learn to position your body exactly where it should be.

At the same time, if you are pursuing the course to be a yoga teacher, you must learn how to work with your students and instruct them through various poses. By gaining a deeper understanding of anatomy, kinesiology, and correct adjustment and alignment techniques, you can ensure that your students safely reap the benefits of yoga for years to come.

Pranayama
Pranayama is an ancient yogic breathing technique that is used as preparation for meditation and is a vital aspect of practicing yoga. It improves the respiratory system and purifies the body and mind.

Pranayama topics include an introduction, aspects of pranayama, different types of prana, types of breathing, yogic breathing, Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), Ujjayi (the psychic or victorious breath), Sheetali (cooling breath), Shitkari (hissing breath), Kapalabhati (frontal brain cleansing breath), Bhramari (humming bee breath), Bhastrika (bellows breath), Suryabheda (vitality stimulating breath) including advance variations.

Shatkarma
Yogic cleansing exercises are important to learn how to incorporate your breath and meditate properly during the physical aspects of yoga. It also removes the blockages in the energy channels. This will include:

Jala Neti
Sutra Neti
Vamana Dhauti
Kapalabhati
Uddiyana Bandha

Recitation of sacred sound (mantra chanting)
The purpose of mantra chanting in yoga is to generate vibrations and connect with the universe. Each mantra has its unique vibration.

Guru Vandana (prayer to guru)
Pratah Smarana (morning prayer)
Ratri Smarana (evening prayer)
Anna purna stotra (mealtime prayer)
Swadhyaya Prarthana (study prayer)
Some other prayers: maha – mrtyunjaya mantra and Gayatri mantra

Yoga postures (asana)
Students will gain extensive knowledge of yoga postures and will increase their physical strength, inner strength, and naturally their flexibility. Some asanas are connected to certain mind patterns and throughout the training, this body/mind connection will get more clear in many ways. There will be assistance with the asanas and enough space for alignment. The focus is on hatha yoga and there will be some Ashtanga yoga classes as well.

Mudra (gestures)
The practice of mudra is an ancient facet of yoga. Performing gestures affects the energy flow of the body and can change a person’s spiritual and mental characteristics. This will cover Jnana mudra, Chin mudra, Yoni mudra, Bhairava mudra, Shambhavi mudra, Nasikagra, Khechari mudra

Meditation (dhyana)
Meditation is a systematic practice that promotes physical, mental, and emotional tranquillity. It increases the vital energy in the body and gives you more aliveness, good blood circulation, and a relaxed nervous system. This will cover breathing awareness meditation, AUM (Om) or mantra meditation, trataka, kirtan, tips for developing concentration, and silence practice.

Yoga Nidra (psychic sleep)
When a yoga practitioner moves through the various internal states of yoga Nidra, a profound experience of relaxation occurs. This is called “turiya,” a sensation of pure bliss. This will cover basic relaxation, tension relaxation, and full-body relaxation.

Yoga cleansing (Shatkarma)
Yogic cleansing exercises are important to learn how to incorporate your breath and meditate properly during the physical aspects of yoga. It also removes the blockages in the energy channels. This will include rubber-neti (cleansing nostrils with a rubber cathedral), rubber-neti complete with jalaneti and kapalbhati, trataka (concentration practice), and kapalbhati or cleansing the lungs.

Students will learn the theory of this and practice with each other. You will learn how to see in the body if and where there is imbalance and what kind of imbalance, for example in the feet and in the shoulders, and what can be done with certain techniques like pressure points and breathing to bring balance to the body again. Students will also learn about the relationship between emotional accumulation in the body and thought patterns.

Anatomy and physiology (sharir vijnan)
A proper understanding of the physical body will help to prevent injury before, during, and after practice. This will comprise a brief overview of the digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, endocrine system organs, bodily systems, nadis, chakras, guidelines in studying asana anatomy, muscular system, skeletal system, muscle functions according to joint movements, and anatomy of breathing inversions and savasana.

Yoga philosophy (yoga darshana)
Yoga philosophy is the foundation of yoga practice and is the key to earning yogic strength. Through the path of yogic philosophy, you will establish a solid, well-rounded yoga practice.

Teaching practice (adhyapanam)
Students will take turns practicing their teaching skills by performing in front of their peers and teachers. There will be demonstration, alignment, and instructions.

Teaching methodology
A yoga teacher should efficiently perform the practical applications of class planning and preparation. At Triguna Yoga, students will learn how to create a positive and peaceful class environment for an enjoyable and transformative experience. You will learn:

• How to structure a yoga asana class
• How to use the breath while teaching
• Yoga asana compared to physical exercises
• Verbal cues
• Functional modifications and safety
• Guidelines for each asana (as per manual)
• Assisting inversions
• Assessments are based on:
• Written test
• Oral test
• Attendance
• Performance
• Behavior

Typical day

In the teacher training course, you will be provided with yoga conceptual knowledge in such a manner that you can adapt and practice it in your day-to-day life without disturbing your regular schedule. The mornings start with yogic cleansing techniques, followed by yoga asanas and pranayama and perhaps some sessions or lectures in philosophy or anatomy. Chanting and naturopathy are also part of the program. Throughout the yoga teacher training course, you are offered three yogic meals, filtered water, and tea. The last day of the training will be the yoga certification ceremony.