BULGARIAN ASHTANGA YOGA ACADEMY TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME

Transcription

1 BULGARIAN ASHTANGA YOGA ACADEMY TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME 1.MISSION AND GOALS The Bulgarian Ashtanga Yoga Academy s mission is to offer students the means to develop their knowledge, abilities and qualities necessary to become competent Instructors, Trainers and Yoga Teachers and to provide them with the essential basis which will allow them in the long term to deepen the study of yoga philosophy, science and art, principles and techniques. Such teachers should be able to pass on the Yoga methods to their students, in a way to help them to understand the true essence of Yoga, to improve their physical and mental well-being and to provide them with the necessary elements to their spiritual development. They should teach Yoga in being faithful to the ancient wise men's teachings, while being conscious of the wide development of yoga today. This implies studying and analyzing various traditional paths of yoga, in order to promote the invaluable qualities of suppleness and tolerance which have always been the prerogative of the yogic thought while being loyal to the tradition in which they have been taught. Today, our human faculties are subject to be scattered faster than ever. What essentially yoga can bring to our global society is precisely the reverse process of going inward, centering and re-balancing these faculties. We believe that yoga is a process of bringing oneself to oneself by slowly and methodically transforming the patterns of thought and behavior and as such it can be studied and understood only in practice. We believe yoga is a practical discipline that involves practices on and off the mat such as the control of the body, control of the breath, the senses and the mental for the harmony of spirit and control of feelings. In this perspective, the Bulgarian Ashtanga Yoga Academy offers programmes in basic yoga knowledge (Yoga Fundamentals) and Ashtanga yoga instructors in the tradition of the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. In any of them we encourage a personal evolution towards the essential while offering the spiritual, theoretical and practical means necessary to the teaching of yoga, as science, art and philosophy of life in the spirit or parampara and vinyasa krama.

2 2. CURRICULUM 1) Yoga s religious and philosophical traditions, history and culture : Texts: the Scriptures, Mystical texts, The Yoga Makaranda of Sri T. Krishnamacharya and Yoga Mala by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois for Ashtanga instructors 2) Modern sciences, studying man: anatomy, physiology, psychology, holistic health. 3) Practice The teacher should know the fundamental importance of Ashtanga Yoga, to be able to apply the sutras in his/her own life and to emphasize their importance in his/her teaching of Yoga. The teacher should be able to teach the main themes of Bhagavad Gîtâ and the Yoga Sutras. She/ he should practice svadhyaya through the study of the Indian texts and the Sciptures of his/her own tradition. 3. ADMISSION Admission to the training courses the candidate should : * have already practiced for a minimum of 2 years (with meditation) * present proof of it * show enthusiasm for her/his practice and be sufficiently motivated to become a teacher 4. DURATION OF TRAINING Yoga teachers: 500 hours minimum of teaching courses with BAYA or other provider approved by BAYA within 2 years. Yoga instructors: 200 hours minimum of teaching courses with BAYA or other approved provider within 1 year. The basic program encourages the candidate to develop her/his capacity to transmit Yoga to her/his students in a way to improve the quality of their life. The candidate should show a real desire to share and pursue the experience of Yoga, as well as understanding of the techniques taught as to ensure the safety and integrity of his/her teaching. 5. CONTROL Assessments take place during the training to ensure the quality of the acquired knowledge. To sit the final examination, the candidate will have shown regular attendance and a responsible attitude all along her/his training.

3 Final Examination: final examination may vary for the individual student but always include a minimum of a theoretical test (science knowledge), practical assessment (personal practice and teaching). Although personal experience, practice and development cannot be judged, we do assess personal practice in regard to safety and integrity. Examples: * Presentation of a final assessment paper; * A written test on 100 questions which cover the training program * To give a yoga practice session * To give Meditation practice session * To sit a written examination on the main subjects * To answer any question coming from his teacher. The most important quality is the candidate's motivation. However, as the assessment is always subjective, it should be carried out by several examiners. The main point is to assess if a candidate is capable of teaching yoga in a responsible manner and transmitting the essential principles of yoga. It should be clear for the candidate as well as the examiner that such an examination is not like an academic degree. The examination should assess the candidate's maturity in her/his practice of yoga rather than her/his knowledge. 6. TEACHING METHODS The art of teaching implies to be able to pass on the spirit and the techniques of the Yoga tradition. The teacher should be able to adapt the teaching to the students in order to guarantee their safety ( cf. contraindications), offer a gradation in the session (warming-up, stretching, tonic, relaxing exercises, etc.), structure the progression of a long period course (vinyasa karma, make the students aware of health issues and the source of well The teacher should be able to adapt her/his teaching to the students' condition, in order to meet their individual needs and to respect their limits. She/he should be able to develop a course within several lessons and to progress step by step according to the planned scheme towards the proposed aim. The teacher is advised to get used to the various methods of teaching, in order to choose the one which suits best her/his students' need. 7. ETHICS Ethics in the relations : - of the teacher with himself or herself - of the teacher with her/his students - of the teachers between themselves - of the teacher with the outside world in the respect of all forms of life

4 It is expected from a yoga teacher to be aware of the relation between her/his practice and her/his daily life and to apply the experience of her/his practice in the various life circumstances. She/he should be aware of the way to apply Yama and Niyama in human relationships. She/he should consider life as a challenge here and now and be capable to concentrate on what s-he does without being attached to the fruits of her/his actions. A teacher should be aware of her/his responsibility towards her/his students, respect the private character of the relationship and should avoid to behave like the only authority on the subject of Yoga.

5 CURRICULUM BY HOURS 200 Hour Standards 1. Techniques 100 Hours Includes asanas, pranayamas, Kriyas, chanting, and meditation. These hours include both training in the techniques and the practice of them. 2. Teaching Methodology 25 Hours Principles of demonstration, observation, assisting/correcting, instruction, teaching styles, qualities of a teacher, and the student's process of learning. 3. Anatomy and Physiology 20 Hours Includes both physical Anatomy and Physiology (bodily systems, organs, etc.) and astral/ energy/subtle Anatomy and Physiology (chakras, nadis, etc.) 4. Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Pshychology, & Lifestyle 30 Hours Study of Yoga Scriptures (Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, etc.), ethics for yoga teachers, 'living the life of the yogi', etc. Includes basic study of Sanskrit and Ayurvedic principles. 5. Practicum 30 Hours Includes student teaching as wall as observing and assisting in classes taught by others. Hours may be a combination of supervised and unsupervised. Classes to be taught include restorative yoga as well as the Primary Series Ashtanga Yoga led classes as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. 5. Electives and Yoga as Spiritual Education 10 Hours Electives are to be drawn from the other five catagories. These hours do not necessarily represent student electives: hours may be used accordingly to a school's own particular emphasis. Contact Hours: at Least 160 Hours Contact hours means that the Teacher Training is physically in the presence of the student. Non-contact or independent study hours may include: assigned reading or other homework, non supervised study groups, observing yoga classes, etc. 500 Hour Standards Note: These hours are NOT in addition to the 200 hours above, but are a complete description for this level. 1. Techniques 150 Hours Includes asanas, pranayamas, Kriyas, chanting, and meditation. These hours include both training in the techniques and the practice of them. 2. Teaching Methodology 30 Hours Principles of demonstration, observation, assisting/correcting, instruction, teaching styles, qualities of a teacher, and the student's process of learning. Includes the principles of vinyasa karma of Sri T. Krishnamacharya.

6 3. Anatomy and Physiology 35 Hours Includes both physical Anatomy and Physiology (bodily systems, organs, etc.) and astral/ energy/subtle Anatomy and Physiology (chakras, nadis, etc.) Includes advanced knowledge of neuromuscular control and release and others. 4. Philosophy, Ethics, & Yoga Psychology 70 Hours Study of Yoga Scriptures (Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, etc.), ethics for yoga teachers, 'living the life of the yogi', etc. Includes advanced study of the Yoga Sutras, chanting of the Sutras, etc. 5. Practicum-40 Hours Includes student teaching as wall as observing and assisting in classes taught by others. Hours may be a combination of supervised and unsupervised. Includes teaching Mysore style classes in the tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. 6. Electives and Yoga as Spiritual Education 175 Hours Electives are to be drawn from the other five catagories. These hours do not necessarily represent student electives: hours may be used accordingly to a school's own particular emphasis. Contact Hours: At Least 350 Hours