Frequently Asked Questions

Am I ready for a yoga teacher training?

Yoga Teacher Training will change your life. If you’re looking to dig deeper, if you know there’s something else “out there” besides the rat race, if you are hoping to uncover a deeper meaning within yourself and your life, then it’s definitely for you. It’s important to have a pretty consistent yoga asana practice (the physical postures) for about a year before coming to this training, and also if you have wavered over the years with your practice, and you’re hoping that this can help to set you on track, that works too. We will be learning the Asana for each of our unique bodies, and how to practice them safely. There is a lot of focus on the basic physical postures, because you will want to feel confident as a teacher to go out into the world and teach after this training :) You do not need to be able to do any “fancy” yoga poses (like arm balances or headstands) just a basic understanding of the simple physical postures is great, and then we will learn form there :)

What is the time commitment?

Trainees must complete all 3 weeks of training, along with all required readings and homework in order to receive their Yoga Alliance approved 200hr certification of completion. 

What is the cost, and what does it include?

**EARLY BIRD PRICING - $3000 if you pay your $500 deposit by September 15, 2018** 

The full price investment for Heart Thread Yoga's 200 hr Yoga Alliance certified program is $3500, and includes 3 weeks of lodging (shared, max 3ppl/room - based on gender) at Vida Asana Yoga School, 3 delicious homemade meals per day, all group activities (hikes, Temascal, ceremonies), all ground transportation to/from group activities (including roundtrip airport shuttle to SJO), and your Yoga Alliance 200 hour yoga teacher certification.   There is a $500 deposit with the application to secure your spot; final payments are due upon arrival at Vida Asana.

What if I don't want to be a yoga teacher

That is totally fine :) We will be learning a lot, and all of the principles that we are learning can be applied to your yoga practice, and also to your life. This training is all about identifying and trusting the inner voice, and then living your truth, whether that is through teaching yoga, or bringing the training into another job, relationship, etc.

i have a conflict with some of the training days - now what? 

This is an immersive experience, and it is important that you are present for the duration of the training. And, you'll want to be here for the whole thing, because it's going to be super awesome and transformative. Please email Rachel@HeartThreadYoga.com with any concerns about this.  

will there be tests? or homework?

Yes, we will have a few assignments outside of class - for the most part, it will be readings that we will then discuss in class. Here is a detailed breakdown:

1) Read Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater
Judith Lasater does an amazing job of describing the application of yogic philosophy to daily life. Students will read sections from the book, and then we will discuss and participate in some of the suggested activities in class. Students will be encouraged to maintain a written journal throughout their training, and will be encouraged to think about and try out the different suggested philosophic exercises from the book.

2) Daily Meditation, Morning Pages, and Gratitude Practice
We will be utilizing the One Giant Mind app to build a daily meditation practice. Students will also be encouraged to maintain a journal with morning pages - 1-3 pages written stream of conscious, with no need to edit, review, or even think about what is being written. The journal will also house three gratitudes for each day.

3) Review/quizzes - 3-4 (spread out over the course of the training)
A "take home" study guide/quiz for students to review the work that has already been completed in the training.

4) 15 Class Observations - Approx 20hrs (over the course of the whole training)
Students will be required to attend 15 classes over the course of the training - due to this training being an intensive format, students can begin their observations ASAP after making their deposit and being accepted into the program. These classes can be in any yoga or meditation style, and should be at least 1 hour in duration. Classes should be mostly Asana focused, with a maximum 2 "meditation" only classes. Trainees will participate in at least 10 of the 15 classes (optional to "observe only" 5 of the classes, with the teacher that is leading the class's advanced permission to observe only) and then spend about 15-30mins afterward to write a reflection about the class. They will also log where they took the class (studio name & location), the style of the class, and teacher's name. This is designed to give students an opportunity to experience different styles and teachers outside of those offered during the teacher training.

**Observations must be completed before the trainee will be awarded their 200HR certification. If the trainee needs more time after the training to complete the observations, that can be negotiated - please talk to Rachel about it :) 

what books will i need for the training?

We will be using the following books - these do not need to be "new" copies, and you can find most of these lightly used on Amazon:
1) Living Your Yoga - by Judith Lasater
2) Yoga Anatomy - by Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews
3) The Secret Power of Yoga - by Nischala Joy Devi