Modules
Yogic Studies 1
The first module provides you with the foundational bodies of knowledge and practices upon which this tradition is based. The major branches of yoga are introduced: hatha yoga, karma yoga, raja yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga. The technical practices of asana, pranayama, yoga nidra, bandha, mudra and meditation are learnt.
Yogic Studies 2
In the second module, technical practices progress, and concepts from yogic physiology and yogic psychology are introduced. Topics in Yogic Physiology include nadis, prana, koshas and chakras, while in Yogic Psychology, Eastern and Western understandings of consciousness, mind and awareness are considered.
Yogic Studies 3
The third module introduces practices considered intermediate, along with the primary yoga texts of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and Kundalini Tantra.
Yogic Studies 4
This final module focuses on the learning how to teach. Satyananda Yoga is taught in quite a different way from most yoga styles as instruction is by speaking rather than demonstration. It is also distinguished by the fact that although asana is a significant part of a class, pranayama and meditation are given equal weighting and the focus is on inner experience rather than outer performance.
To gain the skills necessary to be a Satyananda Yoga teacher you don’t need to be a physically accomplished performer of asana. Instead you must learn the subtleties of teaching in this unique style through supervised practice and informed feedback on your progress, hence the three week residential component of intense hands-on training.
