Yoga is commonly known in the US as a form of exercise that includes some relaxing side effects. There are yoga studios everywhere with different hooks for pulling in students – hot yoga, goat yoga, even rage yoga (yes that’s a thing now).
Some yoga classes might be very physical (like ashtanga yoga) or physically form specific (like Iyengar yoga). Other classes may focus on physical restoration or work with a specific group, like prenatal yoga.
While the physical exercises of yoga (or asana) are a part of the yoga tradition, there is much more to the practice. Traditional yoga is based on changing the mind more than the body. In this way, reducing suffering and increasing one’s capacity for joy is the fundamental goal of yoga practice.
Traditional Yoga
Traditional yoga philosophy from Patajali’s Yoga Sutra describes yoga as the process of eliminating the mind’s habit patterns (samskara) and connecting to one’s true self. In the Yoga Sutra, a method of personal evolution includes movement, breath (pranayama), and meditation. Deep yoga practice includes awareness of all these elements – the body, breath and mind. One of my teachers is fond of saying that you do not have a hamstring without a liver and an attitude. So, the practice of yoga is to acknowledge and incorporate body, breath and mind for the goal of reducing suffering and increasing capacity for joy.One of my teachers is fond of saying that you do not have a hamstring without a liver and an attitude.So when I say yoga, I mean the full spectrum of movement, breath, mind, sound, and ritual that best serves you. No matter the entry that you make into yoga, the goal is to increase your ability to pay attention and reduce distractions.
2019 Yoga Teacher Training
If this perspective of yoga sounds interesting to you, check out the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program I will be leading starting in August 2019. The 200-hour training is a foundations program. This training is built upon the Viniyoga tradition of appropriate application of yoga tools to meet the needs of the practitioner. We will build a foundation of understanding from the therapeutic perspective, where practice of movement (asana), breathing (pranayama), meditation, sound (chanting), and conscious habit patterns are all customized to meet the skills and intention of the practitioner. With this foundation, you will be able to teach yoga to diverse groups (i.e.: gentle yoga, yoga for athletes, for specific age groups, etc.). Upon completion of this program you will be able to:- Know the “why” behind the components of yoga practice
- Design and teach integrated yoga sequences
- Understand the roots of yoga philosophy through Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra.
- August 10-11, 2019: Intro to Viniyoga
- September 14-15, 2019: Physical & Energetic Anatomy
- October 12-13, 2019: Asana, Principles of Movement
- November 9-10, 2019: Pranayama & Physiology
- December 14-15, 2019: Meditation & Psychology
- January 11-12, 2020: Principles of Sequencing
- February 8-9, 2020: Art of Observation
- March 14-15, 2020: Ethics & Business of Yoga
- April 11-12, 2020: Creating Personal Practice
- $2800 for full payment before 5/31/19
- $3000 for full payment between 5/31/19-7/31/19
- $1050 for segmented payment (Due on 7/31/19, 8/31/19 & 9/30/19)
- $50 application fee due by 7/4/19.
Kim Allen’s certifications include the 500hour yoga teacher training and 500-hour yoga therapist through the American Viniyoga Institute. She also has a doctorate in health education, is a certified health/wellness coach, ACSM personal trainer, and licensed massage therapist.
