TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
The Yoga North Teacher Training program will not be offered for the year 2012 & 2013
Please contact us if you have any inquiries regarding the program.
For more information about the IYAC, you can access their official website, www.iyengaryogacanada.ca.
For more information about B.K.S. Iyengar and the Iyengar Method, you can access the official website at www.bksiyengar.com.
PRE-REQUISITES FOR ENTERING AN IYENGAR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
Students should be currently attending a Level 3 or 4 class at Yoga North or another Iyengar yoga studio recognized under IYAC/ACYI and have a dedicated home practice in the Iyengar method prior to starting teacher training.
COMPONENTS
Yoga Study Series
Topics covered include:
- An in depth study of the Iyengar Method of yoga and its philosophical roots;
- A detailed examination and analysis of all postures or asanas taught;
- Developing, maintaining and deepening one's personal practice;
- A study of selected yoga philosophy texts such as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita;
- Human anatomy and physiology as it relates to yoga and how to deal with common student problems;
- An introduction to teaching skills.
Teaching Skills Workshops
- constructing effective verbal instructions;
- giving proper demonstrations of postures;
- observing and correcting students;
- general classroom management.
The skills are practiced and refined through small group work and peer teaching.
Observation of Classes
Trainees are required to observe qualified teachers teaching classes. Observers may take a beginners class series to re-experience this level of practice; they may take notes on various aspects of teaching and discuss this with the teacher; and, later on they may assist in the class and be given some postures to teach. Written assignments may be given.
Weekly Level III or IV Class
Anyone entering the teacher training program must be practicing at Level III or IV, and they must continue to take this class.
Weekend Workshops with Senior Iyengar Teachers
Yoga North hosts a workshops with a senior teachers from some other city in Canada or elsewhere in the world. These teachers are chosen for their expertise in asana and teaching. All trainees are expected to attend.
Supervised Teaching
In the second or third year of the program, the trainee will undertake teaching assignments somewhere in the community or by assisting and conducting supervised teaching in a Yoga North class. Their teaching will be supervised and observed by the teacher trainer.
CERTIFICATION IN THE IYENGAR METHOD
To become a IYAC certified teacher in Canada, the applicant must provide proof of having completed a recognized teacher training program by completing an application form that is accompanied by a recommendation from the training teacher. Then the applicant must sit an assessment conducted by three IYAC teacher assessors. The applicant's personal practice is assessed, their teaching skills are assessed in a simulated classroom situation with real students, and they must have completed a written exam. All three aspects are marked and the marks determine whether the applicant has passed or failed the assessment.
Certification in the Iyengar Method indicates professional training and a high level of expertise in the safe and effective teaching of yoga. Very few, if any, other yoga methods have training programs of the Iyengar scope and depth and none can boast such a rigorous assessment process.
IYAC Certified teachers at Yoga North include Val Paape, Lisa Towson, Drew Perry, Karin Rensfelt, Andrea Erb, Carole O'Brien, Regan Tataryn, and Darcy Harpe-Lesperance.
For more information, call 204.779.6895, or e-mail info@yoganorthwinnipeg.ca.