Level 2: 500-hour Yoga Therapy Advanced Teacher Training

This advanced training includes the 200-hour program and an additional 300 hours of module-based study, allowing students to deepen their understanding and gain confidence in their teaching.

Through intensive study of the therapeutic applications of Yoga, students who complete this program will have the ability to assess their clients’ state of health and prescribe a personal practice that will move them towards wellness of the body, mind and spirit.

Graduates of this course will be able to look at where their clients’ physical and energetic systems are out of balance, compromised by stress, poor nutrition and hydration, and negative or destructive thought patterns, and will have the tools to guide them back to wholeness.

Many years ago, the instruction of yoga was originally passed from teacher to individual student, through a complete personal program that encompassed every aspect of the student’s life.  These days, with the popularity of yoga resulting in large group classes, much of this one-to-one contact between teacher and student has been lost.  Through this training, you will learn to bring a personalized approach to your yoga teaching, whether you teach private or group classes.

Prerequisite

Living Yoga

This is the foundational subject for the both the 200- and 300-hour teacher training course, and forms the basis of BodyMindLife Yoga’s teaching methodology. This module needs to be completed as a pre-requisite to those entering the course with 200-hour qualifications from another Teacher Training program. It will be held over a 4-day weekend intensive and introduces BodyMindLife’s 5 Pillars of Health and Wellbeing, the underling philosophy behind our Teacher Training.

NB: It is not necessary for those who have completed BodyMindLife’s 200-hour teacher training to take this module again.

If unable to complete this at the very beginning of the 300-hour training, it is highly recommended that students take this course concurrent with the training where possible.

Module 5

FIRST WEEK: Functional Assessment + Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha

SECOND WEEK : Chakras - Ancient Wisdom-Modern Science

Functional Assessment 1 allows students to identify different postural types, functional movement patterns of the body and how to correctly apply them to yoga postures. We look at applying the relevant building blocks of practice, and how to create a healthy balance of flexibility, strength and stability.

Students will also learn the subtle, yet powerful, application of pranayama (breath control), bandha (internal locks) and mudra (hand gestures).

Through our unique approach to the Chakras, students will learn about the subtle energy system through the anatomy and physiology of the body, blending traditional Eastern philosophy with modern Western science, as a road-map for greater understanding of the human condition.

Module 6

FIRST WEEK: Overcoming Gravity: Movement Development + Somatic Counselling

Knowledge gained in through Ancient Wisdom-Modern Science is enhanced through Overcoming Gravity, a deeper study of the movement patterns of the human body, and how they evolve from the infant to adult stage of physical development.

In Somatic Counselling, we look at character structure, which allows us to understand different personality types and how to approach each one with the goal of healing emotional pain.

SECOND WEEK: Ayurveda, the Science of Life + Meditation: Yoga of the Mind

To be effective Yoga Therapists, we blend our modern Western approach with the ancient wisdom of India through Ayurveda, known as the “Science of Life”, to offer students a holistic toolkit of practices.

Through Meditation, we delve into the 7th limb of Yoga – Dhyana – as one of the main objectives of Yoga is stilling the mind through meditation.

Module 7

FIRST WEEK: Lifestyle Design – Putting it all together

SECOND WEEK: Yoga for Special Needs + The Business of Yoga

Lifestyle Design takes the principles learnt in Functional Assessment and throughout the entire course and applies them in a practical way, through prescribing specific corrective practices to balance all body systems.

In Yoga for Special Needs, we look at some of the common injuries and health conditions encountered by yoga teachers, and how to deal with them. We also look at the particular needs of women through rites of passage such as pregnancy and menopause.

Finally, we look at Yoga as a Business – how to take yoga out into the world, be of service to the community and at the same time be financially rewarded. Participants will learn how to market and promote themselves, explore potential working opportunities and even set up a studio or private practice.

NB: It is advised that modules must be taken in sequence to ensure consistency in learning.
Due to the intensive and hands-on nature of this course, there will be a relatively large amount of assignment work to be done in between modules, to ensure knowledge offered through the program is integrated.

For a detailed description of 500-hour subjects, please click here.

Qualified Yoga Teachers

If you are already a qualified yoga teacher with a 200-hour certificate from a Yoga Alliance registered school (or equivalent), you may undertake the 300-hours of Yoga Therapy study in order to achieve your 500-hour qualification. You must provide a copy of your 200-hour certificate or equivalent qualifications. If you are already teaching, but have not received Yoga Alliance-registered certification, you may be asked to complete a short application questionnaire. This will be assessed on an individual basis to ensure a seamless entry into the course.