What counts as an elective?
- Any workshop or training hosted at Prairie Yoga, including most special topic class series such as restorative, pranayama, meditation, and healing yoga. Regular studio classes do not qualify.
- Any yoga presenter at Yoga Journal Conferences or the Himalayan Institute.
- Select “Master” Yoga Teachers at other venues. Must be regionally or nationally recognized as a yoga expert and have at least 20 years of experience teaching yoga. Trainees must seek approval from their teacher to see if a teacher qualifies.
What is a “master” yoga teacher?
Master yoga teachers are teachers who have taught yoga for 20+ years and are regionally or nationally recognized as leaders in yoga. They often have written books or published articles nationally. They present at the national yoga conferences and are featured presenters at yoga studios. If you attend a workshop that is not hosted by Prairie Yoga, you must receive prior approval from your teacher in order to verify if the presenter is master level or not. Examples of master teachers are: Gabriel Halpern, Tias Little, Rod Stryker, Richard Rosen, Nicolai Bachman, Judith Hanson Lasater, Gary Kraftsow, David Swenson, Richard Freeman, Ana Forrest and Aadil Palkhivala.
How do I prepare a book report?
Read one of the books from the list provided below. Create a 2-page summary of the key ideas from the book that most resonated and least resonated with you. Do not tell us what the book is about. We want to know your thoughts. Submit the book report via email to your teacher and mentor.
Choose 4 out of the 6 books listed below:
Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
Bringing Yoga to Life by Donna Farhi
The Tree of Yoga by BKS Iyengar
Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater
Fire of Love: For Students of Life and Teachers of Yoga by Aadil Palkhivala.
Health, Healing and Beyond by T.K.V. Desikachar
How do I observe and assist a senior teacher?
Senior teachers are yoga teachers who have at least 5 years of experience and have a minimum of 500 hour certification or the equivalent in extensive teaching experience. Please observe and assist one primary teacher for an extended period. Limit assisting to 2 teachers maximum.
Be a student for at least 3 classes before you ask to observe and assist. Make sure this is a teacher you want to learn from and someone you respect. You may occasionally assist another teacher for a special event for additional observing/assisting hours. See your TT manual for guidelines on “How to Assist Another Teacher.”
What qualifies as karma yoga?
Your karma yoga requirement can be satisfied by donating your time to teach to an underprivileged or under-served group for free. Fulfilling this requirement is more than just donating your time, it’s about bringing yoga to people that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience yoga. Examples are teaching yoga to: care givers of those who are sick or disabled; wellness centers; schools; low income populations; shelters; adult care facilities; prisons, etc.
How do I fulfill the private lesson requirement?
Teach a 1 hour private lesson on two different occasions with two different students. The student must be an adult for this requirement. You may teach someone you don’t know well or to a fellow trainee, family member or friend. Whether you charge for the private lesson is up to you.
After you have completed teaching your private lesson, email your teacher and mentor a 1-2 page overview that includes :
- Your name, date and name of student
- Describe the student’s main issue you focused on.
- The yoga sequence you taught.
- Describe their response to the teaching.
- Describe what worked well and consider what you would do different for next time.
What is the video review?
About ¾ of the way through the training, you will co-teach a class to your fellow trainees within our training session and be video taped. You will work with a few other trainees to determine the overall sequence and class plan. Immediately after, the videotape will be reviewed with the whole class and group feedback will be provided. We will make recommendations, highlight your strengths and suggest what can be improved. While we know this makes many trainees nervous, afterwards, many trainees say it is one of the most valuable experiences of the whole training.
How do I make-up missed classes?
Remember you are only allowed to miss 2 classes and you will still need to make up those hours. If you miss 3 classes you will be placed on probation until you have made up the classes you missed. If you miss 4 or more classes you will become ineligible for certification, unless you have a medical emergency or have received prior permission for the absence from Lori or Tricia.
Make-up: Trainees must complete a make-up (as described below) for ALL absences to become eligible for certification.
Make-ups for Missed Classwork
Contact Hours
All hours must be made up as they all count toward your certification.
You have several options for making up contact hours:
- Attend another one of our 200 hour yoga teacher training programs. Attend a training class that covers the topics you missed. There is no charge to attend one of our other trainings for make-ups.
- Attend a workshop that covers the topic you missed. In certain instances and with pre-approval of your teacher, you may arrange to attend a workshop or special event instead of another training. You will need to pay the fee for the workshop or special event.
- Private lesson with one of our teacher trainers: If you prefer, you may meet with one of the teacher trainers for a private or semi-private session at an hourly fee of $80.
Non-contact hours
If the teacher deems it appropriate, you may be able to complete a home study assignment. Ask the teacher for more details. A written assignment or project will be given. With evidence of your home study work, non-contact hours only will be credited.
How do I submit my self-study project?
Document your self-study project in a professional manner for our teachers resource center. Your documentation should clearly show the depth of your 20+ hours of study. Provide an overview of your research, what you learned and how you applied this knowledge. You may want to include photographs. Include a bibliography or note where you received your information from.
We reserve the right to determine whether your self-study project work is complete. We may ask you to do further study or provide more thorough documentation, if needed.
Your project should be presented in a hard copy form that can be shared with others. We want current and future trainees to learn and build upon your work. Please present it in a way that won’t fall apart easily, yet don’t make it bulky. Protect it in a folder. Please label the front cover of your thesis with your name, date and the location/year of the training you attended.
What do I do when I am finished with all my requirements?
Fill out the certification checklist using MS Word or scan the hard copy and email it to us. Please use a color other than black for your notes. Email the file to prairieyoga@comcast.net. Write “Completed checklist of certification requirements” in the subject line of the email. This makes it easier to keep track of your information. We store your records electronically.
How long do I have to complete all my certification requirements?
You have one year after your last training class to complete and submit 100% of your certification requirements. If you need an extension, you must submit a request in writing prior to the due date and pay $250 for each 3 month extension. Maximum two 3 month extensions. Sorry no pro-rated extensions are available.
When will I get my certificate?
We begin the process of creating certificates on March 15, June 15, Sept 15, and Dec 15 of each year. It may take up to a month after the deadline to evaluate your materials and to print the certificate. Please confirm how you would like your name spelled on your certificate and where you want it mailed. If you need a certificate at another calendar date, you must make a special request.
How do I become a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance?
If you would like to be a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance, make a copy of your certificate and mail it in with your Yoga Alliance registration form which you can download at www.yogaalliance.org. Click on the link for Graduate of a Registered School.