Structure of our Viniyoga Teacher Training

The Viniyoga tradition has high standards and expectations of its teachers. This very expansive tradition considers asana or postural practice to be an important part, but not the sum total, of a complete yoga practice.

The Viniyoga tradition starts with the principle that a teacher needs to know much more than a sequence of postures to adequately serve the students. Teachers need to understand how to create and adapt sequences to suit the student and to develop practices that are age and stage appropriate to the student’s circumstances.

This “whole person” approach to yoga means that teachers need to have a comprehensive grounding in

• Yoga philosophy and methodology
• Basic principles of postures, breath exercises and meditation
• The art of individual adaptation to safely construct, guide and evaluate appropriate sessions
• The integration of yoga knowledge into the student-teacher’s own personal life and practice to achieve greater balance, meaning and enjoyment of one’s ever changing life.

In short, there is nothing ‘fast’ about the training of a Viniyoga teacher. Training proceeds at a “stately pace” of weekends and weeklong workshops, followed up by a great deal of home study and reading. It is understood that the making of a teacher is a process that is marked in terms of years and not days of training. It takes time to absorb it all.

Just recently, senior teachers in the tradition have undertaken the project of aligning Viniyoga teacher training programs with North American standards of 200 hour and 500 hour certifications.

The 200-hour certification assures the public that the teacher has demonstrated an in-depth understanding of some key elements of yoga theory and philosophy, including the art of adapting postures, breath work and meditation practices to fit the needs of the individual student.

The 500-hour certification builds on the foundation of the 200 hour program. Students explore the concepts introduced in the 200-hour program to a much greater depth. Within a few years, it is anticipated that 500 hour certification will be considered the industry standard for yoga teacher education.

The 700-hour certification (Yoga Therapist): A yoga therapist is a teacher with a great deal of experience with working with many different kinds of students. It is used by individuals seeking personalized, individual attention to their specific and immediate concerns. These can range from dealing with immediate health challenges to seeking better ways to deal with stress by finding balance, meaning and enjoyment in life. Students wishing to pursue this option start by studying individual consultations methods with their own teacher after having completed their initial certifications.