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sun & moon in-depth: advanced yoga studies and teacher training
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Sun & Moon's Teacher Training Programs have become known in the greater Washington, DC area for producing excellent teachers. In view of that, Sun & Moon often receives requests from the local community asking for one of our graduates to teach yoga at their facility.

These training programs are designed to guide the emerging teacher in finding his or her unique voice and style of teaching. These programs are for students or current teachers of yoga who realize that yoga is a deeply intimate event for the body-mind-spirit and that its beauty lies in how differently it is expressed from person-to-person.

The transformation from student to teacher and from ordinary teacher to the extraordinary is a challenging and exciting process. These programs help trainees emerge as extraordinary teachers in a supportive environment where participants progress at an individual pace and have the flexibility to pursue areas of special interest.

Commitment to this path is a journey that allows us to respond to life with intelligence, intuition, compassion and joy. Yoga transforms the way we know ourselves, how we feel, and how we practice the art of being in the world. Our program blends ancient wisdom with grounded contemporary counsel to cultivate relaxed awareness at all levels of our being - physical, energetic, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The Commitment

 

    One weekend intensive per month (approximately 12 hours/weekend) for 10 months
    One weekly class for three consecutive quarter (one quarter must be with lead faculty members Alex Levin or Rixie Dennison; the other must be with other Sun & Moon In-depth Faculty)
    20 additional study hours in elective workshops presented by Sun & Moon teachers and/or visiting faculty (with prior approval)
Choose either the Yoga Teacher Training path or the Advanced Studies path:

Yoga Teacher Training: Build a solid foundation of acquired knowledge and ongoing personal practice that becomes the source of your teaching. You will accrue skills to teach an intelligent, safe and fun yoga class demonstrating proficiency in observation (knowing and seeing your students); creation (designing a well sequenced practice and responding to the unexpected); and presentation (being present in your body, mind, heart and voice). In addition to the elements listed above under "The Commitment," requirements are:

    A consistent home practice of asana, pranayama, and/or meditation
    Short, periodic reading/writing assignments
    A weekly apprenticeship in a class taught by Sun & Moon In-Depth Faculty for two quarters (two different teachers)
    Evaluated teaching of a free, open-to-the-public class
    Final written examination
    Completion of our yoga teacher training requirements earns a Sun & Moon Teaching Certification and an RYT 200 designation from the Yoga Alliance.
Advanced Studies: Focus your inquiry and discovery of yoga by participating in all the coursework of the program but without the teaching evaluations (e.g. free class, final evaluation). The evolution of your practice will employ many of the same tools as those required for a teaching foundation. In place of the teaching-specific activities, with the guidance of your mentor, you will design and conduct one research project and one service project in an area(s) of your interest.

Areas of Study and Guiding Principles

Classical hatha yoga presents eight limbs on which to base our yoga experience. Sun & Moon In-depth delves into all eight areas and expands upon them in a modern, practical manner. Based on this classic structure, we offer study in the following areas:

    technique - asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting, visualization
    wisdom - the timeless texts of yoga that inform our yoga practices (including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads) and current interpretations and studies
    anatomy - structural, kinesthetic, somatic studies; physical and subtle body energies
    methodology - structure, sequencing and presentation of a practice or class
    lifestyle - service, Ayurveda, nutrition, ethics and practice

Ultimately, the journey of yoga has as much to do with our commitment to the path as the accumulation of knowledge. Nothing can substitute for the experience of living what we take in. Through that experience, we know all we need.

Prerequisites and Application

In order to be considered for the program, we'd like you to have the following:
    two years of yoga practice with a teacher at least once a week
    a home practice
    some study at Sun & Moon yoga studio (before investing time and resources, it is wise for you to be sure that you resonate with our teachers, our styles, and our studio's ambiance)
    an interview with a member of our teaching staff
    two references - one personal reference and one yoga reference
    completion of the following application questions (electronically or printed, please), submitted to Alex Levin, Director of Teacher Training; alex@sunandmoonstudio.com
1. Describe your yoga experiences so far (teachers, styles, books, etc.) What are your preferences?
2. Describe your first encounter with yoga.
3. Why are you interested in Sun & Moon In Depth studies rather than other programs?
4. Tell us about your personal practice (asana, breath, meditation, mantra, chanting other).
5. What are your vocations, hobbies?
6. What educational degrees have you earned?
7. Do you plan on teaching? If so, how does your background and life experience contribute to what you will bring to the yoga class?
8. Do your family, or the people you are close to, and your current life situation support your commitment to this program?
9. Is there a particular aspect(s) of yoga that you are especially interested in. Please describe.
10. How do you describe yoga to people who are unfamiliar with it?

Fees

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Fees

Application: $25

Administrative Fee: $500 due by August 16, 2010

Program Fee includes the ten weekend intensives, curriculum and community, and final exam (Teacher Training), or research and seva projects, guidance and evaluation (Advanced Studies).

Payment Options for Program Fee: 

Single payment: $1900, due postmarked no later than 9/1/10.
Two payments of $1000 each, due postmarked no later than 9/1/10 and 12/1/10
Four payments of $525 each, due postmarked no later than 9/1/10, 11/1/10, 1/3/11, and 2/15/11

Make checks out to: Sun & Moon In-Depth, and mail or deliver to Sun & Moon Yoga Studio, 3811 Lee Hwy. Arlington, VA 22207, attn: Alex Levin.

You will pay separately for weekly classes and 20 hours of electives, an additional amount of about $835.

Please carefully and seriously consider the time and energy you are committing to this In-Depth program. Because we have to make upfront financial obligations based on your commitment to the program, no refunds are given after September 1, 2010. 

Reading List

Required

Yoga, General (required) Yoga, General (highly recommended for your bookshelf) Asana (one of the following required; the rest highly recommended for your bookshelf) Wisdom (required) More Wisdom (highly recommended for your bookshelf) Anatomy & Physiology (required) More Anatomy (highly recommended for your bookshelf) Energy & Subtle Anatomy (highly recommended for your bookshelf) Pranayama (one of the following required; the rest highly recommended for your bookshelf) More Asana & Special Applications (highly recommended for your bookshelf)

 

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Last modified: Saturday, 17-Jul-2010 10:47:39 EDT