28 Day 300 - Hour Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in Chiang Mai, Thailand

This teacher training is a multi-style course for intermediate and advanced-level students, with more than just basic knowledge of yoga. After the completion of the course, the students will be given a yoga alliance certification for the 300-hour yoga training course, from Yoga Vidya Mandiram School. This 300-hour yoga teacher training will be held by experienced reputed meditation guides and the team of accomplished yoga teachers.

The teachers and guides include an Ayurvedic doctor who feels privileged to share his/her knowledge and practice of ancient traditions with modern elements of medical sciences (yoga anatomy and physiology).

The teachers have been brought up and spent their lives in traditional ashrams and gurukulams with yoga and meditation as their sole purpose in life. In this special occasion, they are traveling to Thailand with a pure intention of transmitting authentic knowledge of yoga and meditation from the ancient Vedic scriptures. The mission is to spread peace, health, and joy, which can be achieved through yoga. All walks of life are welcome to learn how yoga leads an individual to a healthy body and lifestyle!

This training course aims to provide a solid foundation in different aspects of yogic disciplines that prepare them to adopt yoga as their life profession. In addition, this 300-hour yoga training course includes mantra recitation (mantra - Japa), daily joints and glands practices (granthi - vimochana - kriya), yoga postures (yoga asanas), meditative steps of doing asanas, six cleansing exercises (shat karma), science of breath (pranayama), yoga energy locks (Bandha) and yoga gestures (Mudra), meditation (Dhyana), yogic sleep (yoga Nidra), history and philosophy of yoga (yoga Darshana), yogic anatomy and physiology of human body, basic principles of Ayurveda, asana alignment practicum classes, yoga teaching practice, and teaching methodology.

Yoga psychology enhances the students' learning at various levels; mentally and emotionally by which they learn to adopt the yogic disciplines in daily life. This intensive course helps the students to establish a harmonious lifestyle.

• Course curriculum
• Mantra chanting
• Intro to mantra science

Basic mantras: aum, gayatri, trayambakam, guru, shanti, etc.

• Morning prayers and evening prayers
• Meal prayers
• Study prayers
• Health prayers
• Surya-namaskara 12 mantras along with bija mantras
• 1-20 Sanskrit counting
• Names of the asanas
• Selected yoga-sutras recitation
• Hatha yoga and Ashtanga yoga

Meditative steps of performing the hatha yoga; centering, entering, refining, holding, coming out, and reflection

Astanga vinyasa flow - series 1 and 2

Surya namaskar (sun salutations) - dynamic surya namaskar, surya namaskar with breath awareness, surya namaskar with bija-mantra chanting

Modifications of yoga asanas

Types of yoga asanas - standing, sitting, backward bending, forward bending, spinal twisting, fire series, inversion, shavasana, etc.

• Alignment and art of adjustment
• Preventing common injuries
• Counter pose

Contraindications

• Yoga asanas benefits
• Pranayama (the science of breath)
• Introduction to science of breath
• Physiology of pranayama
• Postures for pranayama
• Establishment of diaphragmatic breathing
• 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 breathing practices

Different practices of pranayama: nadi shodhana, ujjayee, kapalabhati, bhastrika, shitali, shitkari, brahmari, and anuloma viloma, suryabhedi, and various types of kumbhaka pranayama and others

• Benefits or pranayama practices
• Guidelines for regular pranayama
• Bandhas (lock)
• Jalandhara-bandha (chin lock)
• Uddiyana-bandha (abdominal lock)
• Moola-bandha (root lock)
• Maha-bandha (great lock)
• Mudra Vijnana (science of graceful gestures)
• Intro to mudras and their importance in yoga practices
• Mudra and its psychology

The elements residing in the fingers and five mudras: akasha-mudra, jnana-mudra, agni-mudra, varuna-mudra, and prithvi-mudra

Other important mudras: dhyan-mudra, prana-mudra, apana-mudra, linga-mudra, shunya-mudra, vishnu-mudra, bhairava-mudra, and hridaya-mudra

Satkarma or cleansing exercises

Jala-neti

Sutra-neti

Kunjala

Trataka

Agnisara

Nauli

• Practice relaxation and yoga Nidra
• Introduction to the concept and practices of relaxation
• Relaxation in daily life
• Sequence of relaxation
• Tension and relaxation exercises
• Systematic relaxation exercises
• 31 points relaxation exercise
• 61 points relaxation exercise
• Preparation for yoga-Nidra
• 61 blue star relaxation

Meditation

• What is meditation and what is not?
• Meditation in daily life
• Yoga asanas for meditation 2-5 minutes meditations
• Steps into basic meditation
• So-ham mediation
• Mantra and meditation
• Spinal breath Sushumna breathe through chakras
• Yoga anatomy and physiology
• Introduction to yoga anatomy and physiology

Systems: Digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, muscular system, nervous system, endocrine system, skeletal system, excretory system, lymphatic system, homeostasis

• Stress: Introduction
• Humoral theory (in ancient Indian medicine, Greek medicine, and modern medical science)
• The brain and its subcortical centers
• Stress and neuro-endocrinal changes
• Therapy principles for stress disorders

Stress management through yoga: Asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing practices), dhyan (meditation)

• Effect of yoga posture on muscles and systems
• Nadis (energy channels)
• Chakras (energy plexus)
• Pancha tattva (five great elements)
• Panchakosha (five sheaths)
• Pancha pranas (five vital energy)
• Yoga philosophy, lifestyle and yoga ethics
• General introduction: six schools of Indian philosophy
• Philosophy in daily life
• Elementary intro to Samkhya and yoga philosophies
• The Yoga-sutras of Patanjali
• History of yogic science
• Astanga-yoga: yama, niyam, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi
• Introduction to Vedanta (Yoga of the Upanishads)
• The yoga of the Bhagavad-gita
• The tantric yoga
• Yoga ethics: Yamas and Niyamas, More on the ethics of a teacher
• Daily life style of a sadhaka
• Yoga and Ayurveda (science of life)
• Intro to Ayurveda
• Philosophy of Ayurveda
• The concept of tri-dosha
• The concept of tri-gunas
• Ayurveda and the balanced diet
• Balance of the mind and body through proper diet as prescribed in Ayurveda
• Teaching methodology
• Learning to instruct and guide

Main points: Teaching to what you observe, timing a class, greeting / centering, sequence in teaching

• Theme-ing a specific posture
• Classroom organization

Demonstration

Health concerns

Language

• Modification in posture
• The role of a teacher
• The practice and service of teaching yoga
• Yoga practicum
• Class sequences
• Develop intention for classes

Self-evaluation

Assignments

Practice teaching

Feedback

• Group discussion
• Questions and answers

Homework

• Typical daily schedule
• 05:00 Wake up!

21:00 Go sleep!

Schedule is subjected to shifts and changes without prior notice. It is advised that you arrive at the yoga school one day before the course starts.

School disciplines / rules

Yoga Vidya Mandiram mentioned some rules that are most commonly violated. Students are expected to follow rules and disciplines during the course. Complete school rules are mentioned on their official website.

1. No alcohol, drugs or any addictive substance are allowed during the course. This applies no matter inside or outside of school premises, including during any extra nights before or after the course if students are staying at their accommodation. Any alcohol/drug consumption will lead to being asked to leave without certification.

2. No smoking of any kind, including e-cigarettes are allowed on premise. Yoga Vidya Mandiram promotes physical and emotional purification during the training. If you have a strong habit of smoking, please try to keep it to a minimal and smoke only outside of accommodation/resort premises. Please dispose of your cigarette buds in safe and appropriate disposal.

3. No consumption of non-vegetarian (i.e. meat, poultry, eggs, etc.), including eggs, within accommodation or school/resort premise. Yoga Vidya Mandiram realizes that not everyone interested in the course is pure vegetarian. However, by signing up and booking for this course, you have agreed to the disciplines and diet requirements. Students are responsible for bringing dietary supplements that they required during the duration of the course. If you really need non-vegetarian from time to time, you may discreetly plan for your meals outside the school. Please do not request the staff to prepare non-vegetarian meals, including eggs.

4. No verbal or behavioral aggression, including passive aggression, towards classmates, school management team, teachers and resort staff at any time.

5. Students are required to attend 90% of the training hours. Participating only half the class will not be counted as a full class and one should not sign the daily attendance sheet as if for full class participation.

6. No mobile phones used for external communication or social media in class during an ongoing class. This is considered disrespectful to teachers and classmates who may require a positive and focused class environment.

You should remember that school holds the right to ask a student to leave the training without certification if he or she does not follow or violates the school discipline.