For Graduates of 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Programs
When you’re ready to build on your 200-hour yoga teaching certification, the 500-hour program offers a plan for deep growth as a practitioner and teacher. 500-hour Prairie Yoga Teacher Training begins with Part 1: Intermediate Training. For those interested in further study and 500-hour certification, the path continues with Part 2: Advanced Training.
500 HOUR PART 1: INTERMEDIATE TRAINING
Open to teachers who have completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program.
Course Description
The Intermediate Training is the first step toward earning 500-hour certification. The 45 hour course serves as a bridge between your 200 hour yoga teacher training and Part 2: Advanced Training. The training provides an in-depth intermediate-level focus on asana, pranayama, sequencing and teaching skills. We will study the yoga sutras with a big picture view and learn the essence of yoga as a system.
Refine Your Own Practice. Train Your Eye to Help Students.
We refine your understanding of alignment in asana and help you with specific issues that arise for you and your students. Train your eyes to see and your body to feel unhealthy habitual patterns and then learn how to guide yourself and your students into healthy movements. The Intermediate Training will take your practice and your teaching to a deeper level.
Learn How to Sequence to Prepare Students for More Challenging Asana
You learn how to sequence for different categories of asana, to create energetic effects and how to use simple asana to prepare for complex asana.
Clarify Your Teaching Skills
Learn how to demonstrate visually, cue clearly and adjust students manually to support your teaching.
Recommended for All Yoga Teachers!
Part 1 Intermediate Training can be taken without continuing into the Part 2: Advanced Training. The Intermediate Training qualifies for Yoga Alliance Continuing Education credits.
Topics
- Fine-tune alignment of intermediate-level: standing poses, forward bends, twists, back bends, padmasana, saravangasana, sirsasana (and their variations), and restorative
- Sequence for apex poses, different categories of asana and to create energetic effects
- Establish a personal pranayama practice
- Learn how to link key concepts throughout a class
- Clarify your verbal cueing and provide effective visual demonstrations
- Look at the overall yoga sutra system from a wide perspective.
COURSEWORK
The Intermediate Training involves practice, hands-on training and group discussions. Homework is kept to a minimum, typically about 10 hours total over the entire course. Your full commitment and attendance is required, so please adjust your schedule accordingly. We understand the occasional conflicts with family events or the unexpected emergency, but repeated tardiness, absences or early departures are not acceptable.
PDF: Intermediate TT Syllabus 2011
Books
The Prairie Yoga Intermediate Training manual is included in your tuition. No additional books are required.
500 HOUR PART 2: ADVANCED TRAINING
The next step in earning 500-hour certification is the Advanced Training. Part 2 requires a greater level of commitment than the Intermediate Training. There is significantly more weekly homework (5+ hours per week).
Prerequisite
You must complete 500 hour Part 1: Intermediate Training to participate in the advanced course. No exceptions.
Course Description
An advanced study of classical yoga that builds upon the foundation established in your 200-hour teacher training and Intermediate Training. The program is designed to:
- expand your knowledge, deepen your personal practice and refine your teaching of asana, pranayama and meditation;
- experience and learn how to teach deep relaxation, yoga nidra, mindfulness and meditation. This includes the use of props to support the body and facilitate deep relaxation;
- enable you to adapt and modify the practice for a wide variety of students and different health conditions such as low back issues, seniors, cancer, scoliosis, depression, anxiety, pregnancy and more (therapeutics, modifications and teaching to special populations is a major emphasis of the training);
- develop your art of sequencing with intention and intelligence. Create class themes and establish energetic intentions. Refine your ability to link a yogic concept throughout a class and learn how to teach with deeper intentions;
- improve your teaching communication skills: become student focused, refine your verbal language, visual demonstrations and hands-on manual adjustments;
- provide an opportunity for supportive feedback on your teaching skills, including video review;
- sharpen your ability to “see” your students, prioritize their needs and become more efficient and effective
- enhance your understanding of the energetic, psychological and subtle bodies, with a special focus on the koshas and prana vayus, so that your teaching penetrates deeper layers of being
- teach you the principles of yoga psychology, Samkhya philosophy, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the primary Upanishads in detail;
- provide a group experience for reading and discussing the Bhagavad Gita;
- help you establish a daily and seasonal routine based upon the principles of Ayurveda;
- develop your own unique, contemporary teaching;
- build a private practice/expand your teaching career;
- become an inspiring and effective teacher. Learn how to inspire, mentor and teach from the divine spark within your heart.
Upon satisfactory completion, trainees are certified as 500 hour level yoga teachers and may register as a 500 RYT with Yoga Alliance. (YA requires 100 teaching hours for 500 RYT designation).
COURSEWORK
The Advanced Training includes practice, hands-on training and group discussion; workshops with master teachers: weekly homework (approximately 5+ hours per week); and apprenticing. The Advanced Training requires a final culmination project: you develop and teach a specialty yoga topic of your own interest as approved by the Director. Participation in all components of the program are valuable for your development as a teacher. Your full commitment and attendance is required. Please adjust your schedule to make room for these requirements. We understand the occasional conflicts with family events or the unexpected emergency, but repeated tardiness, absences or early departures are not acceptable and will impact your earning the 500-hour certification.
CLASS PRACTICE
Class practices are taught in a dedicated yoga teacher training environment.
SELF PRACTICE
Trainees are expected to have a dedicated and consistent yoga practice a minimum of 4 days per week. At least 2 of those practices should be self-practice on their own.
ADVANCED YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL
The Prairie Yoga Advanced Training manual is included in your tuition.
BOOKS
Required Books:
Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace and Ultimate Freedom by BKS Iyengar
Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Muktibodhananda
Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
Light on Pranayama by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Translated by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Bhagavad Gita, Translated by Eknath Easwaran
The Upanishads, Translated by Eknath Easwaran
The Hidden Secret of Ayurveda by Dr. Robert E. Svoboda
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
300+ Hours Total
Intermediate and Advanced Course: 325 hours, includes:
- Intermediate and Advanced Training Classes: 180 hours
- Therapeutic Teacher Training with Gabriel Halpern: 12 hours
- Apprenticing in Therapeutics: 24 hours
- Teach 5 private lessons and write summary: 10 hours
- Final culmination project: 40 hours
- Tias Little Teacher Training: 24 hours
- Master Teacher Electives: 30 hours
- Community Service/Karma Yoga: 5 hours
REGISTRATION
PDF: Flyer and registration form
If you have questions, please call the studio at (630) 968-3216. Or you may contact Lori directly at lorigaspar@mac.com or (630) 702-8908.
$150 non-refundable deposit will hold your spot. You must apply for the program and enrollment is limited.
Application
Please respond to the following questions by email to:prairieyoga@comcast.net. (Include original question in response).
- Name, Address
- Phone: Home, Cell, Work
- Email address:
- Emergency Contact
- Date of Birth
- When and where did you receive your 200-hour certification?
- How long have you been teaching yoga? Are you teaching now?
- Where? How many hours per week?
- How would you describe your teaching style?
- Do you have another job?
- Have you continued your study of yoga after 200-hour certification?
- Why are you interested in this training?
- What do you hope to gain from this experience?
- Describe your personal practice.
- Describe your health history.
- Describe your emotional and mental health. How is your health now; any injuries? List any medications.
- List activities, interests and hobbies.
- List the name of the program you are applying to (intermediate only or intermediate + advanced).
Mail a copy of your 200 hour certificate to Prairie Yoga. Or email a PDF.