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ATTAIN INSIGHT
The 200 Hour Training Program is not only for students who wish to teach yoga but for dedicated students who wish to deepen their practice and further their understanding of yoga. Our approach to the practice is classical, yet multidimensional. We invite students to discover new associations and inspire them to practice and teach from a place of creativity, adaptability and metaphorical imagination. Students are empowered to tap into their greatest potential in order to teach yoga from a place of their own inner strength . . . “attain insight” or “prajna.” Rather than a prescription for how to teach a given system of yoga, this in-depth study is an invitation to cultivate a language of yoga that articulates the body in asana and pranayama, and explores the poetry, sutra study, myths and chanting.
Thank you Tias and Surya! I feel incredibly blessed to be able to study with both of you. Your program reflects the wisdom, humor, and compassion we all are attempting to uncover in ourselves and in our students.
— Mari
Hours & Accreditation
Candidates seeking a the 200 Hour Teacher Certificate are required to have two years minimum of a consistent yoga practice. The 200 hours are obtained by taking three foundational courses: Session I: From the Ground Up, Session II: The Fluid Body, Session III: The Subtle Body.
These foundational courses are offered in 6-day training blocks. It is required that you take the Sessions in order. However, with permission you may be able to take Session II prior to Session I.
Completion of the three required sessions will give the student 135 hours. The remaining hours needed to complete the 200 hour requirement can be accomplished:
- With the completion of a self-study project (Svadhyaya) – 20 Hours
- Attending any of the various Prajna Yoga courses, teacher trainings, and weekend intensives offered throughout the year and in many locations in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Course Requirements
SESSION I: FROM THE GROUND UP
Session I explores the foundational teachings of the yoga practice. In the body, we use both “mobilization” and “stabilization” techniques to open the body. We review the key anatomical structures that relate to the arches of the feet and detail how the feet are “the foundation to the temple of the body”. We study the inner, outer and core myo-fascial meridians in the legs. We study the importance of aligning the knees and femurs in order to achieve optimum balance in the pelvis. To this end, we study the musculature of the leg and the primary arteries and nerve channels that flow into the legs through the pelvis. We emphasize the importance of the sacrum relative to the lower two chakras, muladhara and svadhisthana chakras. We study mula and uddiyana bandha while undertaking an in-depth study of the ilio-psoas and its preeminent position in the body.
This course introduces the poetic power of the Rg Veda and the foundational teachings on death and impermanence. We read the Katha Upanishad and explore the Buddha’s teachings on impermanence, conditionality, and no-self. We study some of the foundational sutras from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and review the Ashtanga Yoga system. For the meditation study, we implement the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught by the Buddha. We introduce the power of chanting and discuss the ways that this may accompany the practice. Included in Session I is an introductory class entitled Nutrition for a Yoga Practice. This class provides an overview of food combining, seasonal cooking, cooking methods, cooking with the seasons, and an overview of macrobiotics.
SESSION II: THE FLUID BODY
Session II begins at the third chakra and the kidney/adrenal region. Along with the kidneys and adrenals, we introduce our theme of “fire and fluidity”. We investigate the importance of hydration and fluidity within the body. This course is an in-depth study of the upper trunk including the sternum, shoulders, arms, diaphragm, brachial plexus, heart/lung and carpal tunnel. We include mobilization techniques to free the ribs, spine and shoulders. Asana sequences include poses that open the chest and back, back bends, inversions and arm balances. Much time is devoted to the shoulder girdle and practicing poses that serve to align the shoulders and reduce strain in the rotator cuff area. In addition, we study the myo-fascial meridians that spiral around the trunk.
This week we introduce the foundation of pranayama practice, while introducing ways to sensitize the diaphragm, ribs and lung tissue. The primary theme for the week is water and the fluid systems of the body. We look at the fluid pulse (spanda) that animates the cosmic cycles of creation/destruction, particularly through the powerful metaphors of ocean and river. As we explore the cosmic themes of water and life, we detail the circulation of blood, lymph and cerebral-spinal fluid through the body.We also investigate the power of myth (from The Mythology of Vishnu) and in particular the teachings on maya, or the Illusory nature of the visible world. We read chapters from Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha while investigating the teachings on karma, inter-dependency and nonjudgmental awareness.
The continuation of Nutrition for a Yoga Practice includes the study of the Five Elements theory in relation to body type, metabolic function and digestive fire. The yoga nutrition study deepens your understanding of food for your individual constitution.
SESSION III: THE SUBTLE BODY
The Subtle Body course is an in-depth study of the neck and cranium along with the throat chakra and the chakras inside the skull. We review the bones of the cranium, cranial sutures, jaw and sensory organs. We detail the practice of jalandhara bandha and its effects on the throat chakra, and the thyroid gland. We study pratyahara (the softening of sensory awareness), particularly in relation to the eyes, ears, mouth, and throat. We emphasize the importance of the organ of the tongue and introduce khechari mudra to release the upper palate and throat. We practice mobilization techniques to release strain in the neck and shoulder region. The asana practices emphasize the study of inversions including headstand, shoulder stand and plough.
One of the primary themes of The Subtle Body is the emotional body. Stemming from our anatomical study of the throat, skull, and brain, we study the central nervous system with its sympathetic and parasympathetic branches and the flight or fight response. We investigate the impact that trauma has on both mind and body, and we look at how anxiety and stress become embedded in the body’s soft tissues. In light of the effects that stress and trauma have on the body, we study the kleshas or afflictions from both the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the Buddhist teaching. We compare the kleshas as enumerated in the ancient yoga texts to current theories of stress and emotional holding given in Western psychology and somatic practices.
According to the subtle body, Nutrition for Yoga Practice addresses a pharmacy of supplements remedies, herbs, aromatherapy and food to balance your overall well-being.
Teacher training application forms >
Tias’ recommended reading (PDF) – A list of books about anatomy, philosophy, poetry, and yoga.
Self Study “Svadhyaya”
Directly translated as “self-study,” Svadhyaya is the non-contact portion of the Prajna Yoga Teacher Training. In working toward the 200 hours of credits needed, 20 hours may be completed in this format.
Each student may choose to either write a research paper on yoga and a specific subject or document through first-hand experience an aspect of one’s personal yoga practice. Subjects may have a spiritual, therapeutic, historical, artistic, or anatomical focus. For example, a student may elect to write their paper on the topic of yoga and anorexia, the effects of yoga on hypertension, yoga and osteoporosis, etc. Alternately, one might choose to document a specific process or event in their personal yoga practice such as a week-long meditation retreat.
All projects will require a subsequent presentation of the material to the teacher training group or submitted in writing to the Prajna office for evaluation by Tias and staff.