500- and 700-Hour Teacher Certification Training
in Traditional Yoga
2004-2005

"A professional training of the highest standards."—John Friend

This training will begin in January 2004 and we expect it to fill quickly.

Join our YREC family of students and teachers!
Click here to see what our students have said about the program.

500-Hour Basic Training
Yoga Research and Education Center's Teacher Training Program in Traditional Yoga comprises 500 hours, with the option of an additional 200-Hour Supplemental Program (both described below). The 500-hour (360 hours face to face) training includes three 15-day residential sessions (see below) held over a period of 18 months at beautiful Mt. Madonna Center near Santa Cruz in Northern California, plus 140 hours of homework.

This comprehensive course, taught by expert instructors, is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level and is ideally suited for dedicated practitioners seeking to become teachers. It also will appeal to Yoga teachers wishing to broaden and deepen their understanding and practice of Yoga. (Our 2002-2003 training has over thirty students who already are teachers and over twenty who have never taught.) We cover a wide range of topics (see below), and the course is challenging but very rewarding.

Dates of 500-Hour Training
Residential session 1: January 16-30, 2004 (15 days)
Residential session 2: October 15-29, 2004 (15 days)
Residential session 3: February 11-25, 2005 (15 days)

700-Hour Training
Students who have successfully completed the 500-hour training and who wish to qualify at the 700-hour level may still do so in a single 15-day supplemental training at YREC's Yoga Forest University in Northern California, plus 90 hours of homework. Participation is limited to 20 students at a time. This supplemental training seeks to deepen the spiritual process through intense practice of meditation, yoga-nidrâ, mantra-vidyâ, mantra-japa, ritual, and the study of Yoga philosophy and the ideas behind the diverse practices. Includes âsana and prânâyâma practice and service.

Date of 200-Hour Supplemental Segment for 700-Hour Training
Residential session at Yoga Forest University: September 16-30, 2005

John Friend and
Georg Feuerstein dialoguing on contemporary Yoga

Richard Rosen instructing in prânâyâma
at YREC's first teaching training in 2002.

If you are a long-term practitioner and/or teacher, we will be mindful of your experience. If you are relatively new to Yoga, we will provide a friendly, noncompetitive learning environment in which you can benefit from the wisdom and expertise of many others. This creates a unique practice environment for you. But please be aware that our training is intended to further the spiritual process in everyone, which will be challenging.

Training with YREC has proven a life-changing experience for our teacher training participants. We expect a great deal from you and from ourselves! Click here for some of their comments.

Teachers for the 2004-2005 Training
Thia Ashonoah (Viniyoga) • Ashley Farrand (ritual) • Georg Feuerstein (history/philosophy/meditation) • John Friend (Anusara Yoga) • Gabriele Gatdula (YREC approach) • Janice Gates (mixed asana style) • Steven Katz (anatomy) • Richard Rosen (pranayama) • Patricia Walden (Iyengar Yoga) • surprise guest

Program Director
YREC's teacher training program is organized by Liisa O'Maley.

Contents
The course has been designed to introduce participants to the deeper aspects of the Yoga tradition. It includes: ethical foundations • an Iyengar-based âsana practice • breath work • seals (mudrâ) • locks (bandha) • cleansing techniques • diet • meditation and higher states of consciousness • ritual • mantra in theory and practice • history • philosophy • literature • anatomy/physiology • esoteric anatomy (cakras, etc.) • Sanskrit basics • teaching methodology • business aspects • and more.

Course Materials Provided
• hefty training manual
• handouts from guest teachers
• The Bhagavad-Gîtâ (translation by Georg Feuerstein)

Required Reading
• The Yoga Tradition (2d edition) by Georg Feuerstein
• The Deeper Dimension of Yoga by Georg Feuerstein
• Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by David Coulter

All three books are available from YREC or any bookstore.

Our Approach
Our training focuses on spiritual growth through the various practices of Yoga. Since most Western teachers use the yogic postures as their principal tool, each day includes two âsana sessions. This course, however, is not for those who are exclusively looking to learn or refine posture practice. Applicants must be interested in studying Yoga more deeply and also must be emotionally mature and strongly motivated to engage Yoga as a spiritual (i.e., self-transcending) process. YREC offers various postural styles to foster tolerance and broad learning in our students, but emphasizes Iyengar Yoga (Patricia Walden) and Anusara Yoga (John Friend).

Our expectations of students are high, the course is demanding, and there are 140 hours of homework (consisting of an essay, questionnaires, practices, and/or service assignments). During the three residential segments at Mt. Madonna Center, students are expected to honor Mt. Madonna's vegetarian cuisine and the yogic rule of brahmacarya (chastity). Students are required to participate in all classes and events.

We emphasize continuing education. You can build on the basic 500-hour training by participating in the 200-hour supplemental training (to qualify at the 700-hour level) and/or by subsequently participating in any of our intensives, advanced trainings, and retreats.

Patricia Walden instructing a YREC student
at the 2002-2003 teacher training at Mt. Madonna Retreat Center.

Requirements
Prospective participants must have regularly practiced postures for a minimum of two years and be strongly interested in the traditional (spiritual) teachings of Yoga, not just the postures. In addition, since the training is designed not only to convey knowledge but also to promote the spiritual process in participants, students have to be willing to "cut through" and grow in the company of other like-minded practitioners. Participants must also agree to the conditions specified in the Certification Agreement and the Ethical Guidelines for Yoga Teachers.

Minimum Age
Because the spiritual process fostered or triggered in our training program presupposes a certain level of emotional maturity, applicants must be at least 25 years old.

Tuition Fee
The tuition fee for the 500-hour training starting in January 2004 is $4,400 plus membership in YREC at $60/year. We have kept the fee as low as possible, and it includes the usual 10-percent membership discount. We do not offer an installment plan.

The tuition fee for the 200-hour supplemental program for the 700-hour training is $1,900 or, if paid when enrolling in the 500-hour program, $1700. Please note that the tuition fee does not include room and board (see below).

Room, Board, Transportation
Room and board at Mt. Madonna Center near Santa Cruz, California, and at YREC's Yoga Forest University near Redding, California, as well as transportation to/from these venues are additional. Costs vary with the location and type of accommodation selected and range from c. $850 (dorm) to $1,600 (single) at Mt. Madonna Center and from c. $800 to $1,500 at YREC's Yoga Forest University for each 15-day segment. Details will be provided upon acceptance of your application.

Registration and Payment
To ensure a place in the training, registration is recommended as soon as possible (we have a waiting list at present). We require a nonrefundable deposit of $400 to be paid not later than August 31, 2003, but we recommend that you do not wait until the deadline. Our policy is first come, first served.

The remainder of the tuition fee for the 500-hour training and payment for lodging during the first segment are due by November 15, 2003, and also are nonrefundable. Subsequent payments for lodging must be made eight weeks before the commencement of each session. The due date for tbe second segment is August 15, 2004, and for the third segment December 15, 2004. If you are undecided about signing up for the full 700-hour program now, you have until the end of December 2004 to apply and still be eligible for the discounted price of $1,700.

Termination
Individuals who, in the course of the training, demonstrate that they are unwilling or unable to adopt the spiritual principles of Yoga (especially considerateness and kindness) within the context of the training community will be asked to leave the program. In this case, no refund will be made of the tuition fee or the fee paid for room and board at Mt. Madonna Center.

Dropping Out for a Good Reason
If a student has to drop out of the program for medical reasons or some other genuine emergency, he or she can apply to participate in a subsequent program (held within two years of the student's dropping out). Application for participating in a subsequent program must be made in writing within one month of dropping out and be accompanied by valid documentation (such as a physician's statement). If the application is accepted, there will be a surcharge of $300 to cover extra administration costs, price increases, and inflation, which must be paid when recommencing the program. We regret that no refund can be made of the tuition fee or the fee paid for room and board at Mt. Madonna Center.

Graduation
In order to graduate from our teacher training program, students must have participated in all classes and completed all homework assignments satisfactorily, as well as demonstrate an ability to teach others. YREC reserves the right to withhold certification from a student who does not fulfill the course requirements or shows a clear lack of teaching ability. In such a case, we give the student an opportunity to correct the shortcomings.

Scholarships
One full and three partial tuition scholarships (each valued at one third of the total tuition fee for the 500-hour program) will be available for the 2004-2005. Scholarship recipients are fully responsible for room and board at Mt. Madonna Center and transportation to/from the Center. They also must be willing and able to cheerfully assist the teacher training coordinator or other appointed staff when given specific assignments during the training sessions. In other words, scholarship applicants must be service oriented and have the necessary free attention and energy for service despite the demands of the training.

Click here to go to our application form.

AUM TAT SAT • OM AH HUM