22 Jan 2023 Life of Yoga: 200-Hour Training at Purna Yoga 828
Have the last few years inspired you to expand your personal yoga practice as a means to support your well-being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?
If you’re seeking effective tools and experienced guidance in exploring the vast field of yoga, from the poses to the more philosophical and meditative aspects of the practice, this small group training with lots of personal attention might be the one for you whether you’re looking to deepen your personal practice or start teaching yoga to others.
Learn how to craft an effective yoga practice for you that supports your unique needs, and use this information to support your family and friends in moving towards greater ease and freedom in their lives.
Purna Yoga 828 recognizes the importance of learning from a lineage that honors the Indian origins of yoga with an emphasis on accessibility, inclusion, self-discovery, and social justice.
Do something really fun, learn more about yourself through the practice of yoga, and develop great friendships along the way.
Become a student at Purna Yoga College. Deepen your practice or take the first steps to becoming a yoga teacher with a 200-hour Life of Yoga Immersion Program.
Letitia created a safe environment for learning. I feel privileged to be a member of a small class and to receive individual guidance at just the right points and based on my learning style.
STUDY…
Our foundation for this 200-hour immersion program begins with the four petals of Purna Yoga.
- Alignment-based asana and Pranayama
- Heartfull® Meditation
- Nutrition and Lifestyle choices
- Applied Philosophy
EXPLORE…
Deepen your self-awareness and your practice as you learn about:
- anatomy & biomechanics
- the history of yogic philosophy and yogic texts
- introduction to Ayurveda (yoga’s sister science)
- modern, researched perspectives on traditional yogic practices
PRACTICE…
The topics and concepts are taught in a layered format that allows you to explore, absorb, and integrate each section of the training in a way that helps you to get this information into your body, into your head, and into your heart. As you move through the training, you’ll learn the basics of over 50 poses – from actions to benefits – and how to vary these poses to support you. You’ll learn about anatomy, breath-work, therapeutic applications, meditation techniques, lifestyle practices, yogic philosophy, and how to build a yoga practice that is more than just doing poses on a mat, but supports your whole being as you move through life.
This training will help you learn about yourself through the study of yoga so that you can become your own teacher… and maybe even contemplate teaching others. Those who complete the program will be able to register with Yoga Alliance as a 200-hour instructor. It’s your choice to enter the program focusing on learning how to teach yourself or how to teach others.
Check out the weekend schedule, learn more about the instructors, download your application and submit your application fee below. We’re always happy to schedule a call with anyone to answer any questions about entering Purna Yoga College.
Even though I was taking this training for personal growth and have no desire at this time to teach, the peer teaching aspect allowed me to gain a fresh understanding of asana – even poses I have been doing for many years. Having to instruct another in a pose, observe their form, and provide adjustments both revealed the gaps in my knowledge and gave me new enthusiasm for the poses.
This training went beyond the goals I set for myself: to learn anatomy, delve deeper into meditation, and to further deepen my asana practice. I very simply can say I learned that 'all life is yoga.'
THE DETAILS
DATES, TIMES, & FORMAT
This is, primarily, an in-person training, though there will be some online components. This training will be capped at 10 students to allow ample space for all as well as personalized attention and support for each student.
The course runs over 11 weekends from March 17th through November 19, 2023.
Weekend Schedule
Fridays 5:00-8:30 pm
Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 am-5:30 pm (with a one-hour lunch break)
March 17-19 (includes a workshop with Purna Yoga co-founder, Aadil Palkhivala)
April 14-16
May 12-14
June 9-11 (includes lecture with Q&A with Aadil)
July 7-9
July 28-30
August 18-20
September 8-10 (includes lecture with Q&A with Aadil)
September 29-October 1 (includes a workshop with Aadil)
October 27-29
November 17-19 (graduation weekend)
TUITION
Non-refundable Application Fee $300 (online payment window at the bottom of page)
Tuition $3,500 (installment plans available, pay in full for a bonus 10-class pass at PY828)
Scholarships
Humility – $1,000 towards the cost of tuition
Aspiration – $500 towards the cost of tuition
Progress Fellowship – $1,750 fellowship granted to applicants who are graduates of Purna Yoga College at the 200, 500, or 2,000 hour level
Tuition does not include lodging, food, books and materials, travel expenses, or application fee.
APPLICATION
Secure your spot and apply for one of our scholarships by submitting your application with the application fee by February 24, 2023.
Please complete the application and bring or mail to Purna Yoga 828, with the $300 non-refundable application fee (pay by check, payable to Purna Yoga 828, or online through the payment window below), to:
The College of Purna Yoga at Purna Yoga 828
697 D Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
Applications received after February 24, 2023, will not be eligible for scholarships.
We will contact you by email by March 1, 2023, to confirm your acceptance and any awarded scholarships.
This training has made me more mentally, emotionally, and spiritually resilient, just as a more comprehensive exploration of asana has made me more physically resilient.
THE CURRICULUM
This is an immersive training designed to give you a strong, independent foundation for a Purna Yoga practice. Completion of the program also comes with a 200-hour certificate through Purna Yoga College and the ability to register with Yoga Alliance as a 200-hour yoga instructor. However, we believe that a 200-hour training is merely the first step to becoming a teacher. It is an opportunity to learn more about yoga than you can in a group class or even a workshop, but the best teachers continue to learn and study and deepen their knowledge well beyond a 200-hour training.
Not everyone who joins this training is interested in becoming a teacher. Regardless of whether students wish to become instructors or simply lifelong students, the methodology of this training is through a teaching lens. There’s an adage: if you want to learn something, teach it. You’ll learn about yoga by teaching your fellow cohort members, guiding them through poses and series, studying anatomy and biomechanics together, and discussing yogic concepts. Not only will you learn about yoga and yourself, but you’ll also deepen your communication skills as you learn about the topics while you build relationships with your fellow students.
Our core curriculum covers:
- Asana (yoga poses) with a focus on alignment for safety and Pranayama (appropriate breathing techniques)
- Heartfull® Meditation
- Lifestyle choices and nutrition (exploring Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, as well as Western tenets)
- Applied yogic philosophy
You will also learn:
- Anatomy and physiology of Asana and Pranayama
- The benefits and contraindications of asana to keep all bodies safe, and the use of props to enhance the benefits for all students
- How to teach students who have injuries and health conditions effectively
- Ability to view and understand bodies, and provide beneficial, hands-on adjustments when appropriate
- The benefits and effects of nutrition and yogic lifestyle on your students, your teaching, and your life
- How to incorporate timeless yogic philosophy into your classes and daily life
- How to focus your mind and awaken your intuition through the simple, practical, and effective techniques of Heartfull® Meditation
- The powerful feeling of welcoming your soul into your body and life, so you can be a better teacher and live a joyful, purposeful life
- Ethics, business, and the professional and energetic boundaries of teaching
BOOK LIST
Required textbooks for the 200-hour course:
Fire of Love by Aadil Palkhivala (available at Purna Yoga 828)
The Sunlit Path by The Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram (available at Purna Yoga 828)
Trail Guide to the Body, 4th Edition by Andrew Biel
Trail Guide to the Body, Student Workbook 4th Edition, by Andrew Biel
Teaching Purna Yoga: 200-Hour Program Manual by Aadil Palkhivala (provided to students by Purna Yoga 828)
While our class sessions were transformative, the manual is a gift that will keep on giving. I'm grateful to carry this resource with me, and look forward to using it to continue the work begun in this training.
THE INSTRUCTORS
The 200-hour course at Purna Yoga 828 is taught by Letitia Walker, with Whitney Shroyer (PYI, 500 RYT), and Marissa Mele (certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor), providing teaching support.
Letitia is a Certified Purna Yoga Instructor with over 2,000 hours of training, practice, and apprenticing. She is also registered with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT (“Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher”) at the 500-hour level (the highest level awarded). She has been hand-selected by Purna Yoga founders Aadil Palkhivala and Savitri and has studied under them personally for many years to achieve the level of being a Purna Yoga College faculty member. The members of the college faculty have made very deep commitments to their own practice of Purna Yoga as well as to serving others and carrying on the Purna Yoga lineage by training teachers.
Aadil will also teach two virtual workshops during the course of the training as well as give two lectures with time for Q & A, so you’ll have the opportunity to study with a master teacher on multiple occasions throughout the course of this training.
OUR LINEAGE
The lineage of Purna Yoga and Heartfull Meditation is vast and deep, rooted in the ancient texts of the Vedas, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali while embodying the new yoga of this present moment. Co-founders Aadil Palkhivala and Savitri have over 85 years of experiential study in asana, pranayama, and meditation.
Aadil was conceived because of yoga after his parents began studying with B. K. S. Iyengar in hopes of having a child. Aadil studied with Iyengar from the age of seven, as his protege, becoming the youngest person to receive the Advanced Yoga Teacher’s Certificate. Savitri began her journey as a 25 year old housewife, praying for truth and understanding for the incomprehensible events of her life. Her sincere desire for truth steered her to find true love within and discover, refine and practice the heart-focused Align and Shine Snack techniques, for over 35 years.
Purna Yoga and Heartfull Meditation represent a holistic synthesis of yogic traditions based on the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother holds as its central tenet that “All life is yoga.” Yoga is not a singular pursuit for individual enlightenment, but a daily practice guiding all of our actions towards the evolution of humanity, for the benefit of all, with an emphasis on the pursuit of truth, the embodiment of beauty, and the living of our dharma.
FAQ
What certificate will I receive?
With your successful completion of the program requirements (course hours and homework) you will earn the 200-Hour Course Completion Certificate from Purna Yoga College. This Certificate enables you to register with the Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level.
What is the Yoga Alliance?
The Yoga Alliance was created to establish national standards for yoga teachers. Over the years, it has grown to become the nationally recognized body of yoga teacher training standards. Yoga Alliance does not certify teachers; instead it provides a list of teachers who have fulfilled certain yoga teacher training minimum standards. Those standards make up the 200-hour level and the 500-hour level of most teacher training programs today. Most studios and yoga teaching venues require teachers to be registered with the Yoga Alliance in order to teach yoga.
When can I register with Yoga Alliance?
With your successful completion of the program requirements (course hours and homework) you will earn the 200-Hour Course Completion Certificate from Purna Yoga College. This certificate is the documentation that you need to complete your application to become a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200-hour Level, becoming a “RYT-200.”
Are there payment plans available?
Yes! Students may choose between a variety of plans, including a one-time payment, two payments, or nine payments.
What if I miss a class?
To receive your Course Completion Certificate and be eligible for Yoga Alliance registration, you must complete 100% of the classes and requirements. In addition, you must attend the first 5 modules of the course. However, we understand that you may not be able to foresee every conflict, so we have devised the following procedures if you must miss a class.
If you miss more than 30 minutes of a module (4 hour course), either by arriving late or leaving early, you will not receive credit for that module, and the entire module will have to be made-up.
Any missed modules may be made up in the following ways:
• If you miss 1-3 modules (up to 12 hours), you may still complete the program by making up missed classes by taking private lessons with a teacher training instructor. One module (4 hours) = 1.5 hours of private instruction, at a cost of $90 per 1.5 hour session. Private lesson make-ups must be completed within 30 days of the completion of your course.
• If you miss more than 3 modules, you may continue in the course, but you will not be eligible for a Course Completion Certificate. If you wish to receive a Course Completion Certificate, you will have to retake the course making up the necessary hours and modules.
How many people will be in class?
Class size at Purna Yoga 828 is limited to 10 students.
Will I have homework?
Yes, you will have two books to read and anatomy workbook pages to complete. Expect about 20 hours of homework during the 200-hour course.
How much should I expect to pay for books and materials?
Your books should cost around $100. You can purchase them at the studio, order them online, or find them at other book retailers.
I am coming from out of town. Where can I stay?
We will provide you with a list of local recommended accommodations, ranging from rooms in houses, AirBnB’s, hotels and bed & breakfasts, as well as transportation options. Many students find that they prefer to set up carpools and shared lodgings with their classmates while they are here. We regret that, due to privacy concerns, we are not able to share directory information with students until the course has begun.
After I graduate, where will I be able to teach?
Upon completion, you will be able to apply to teach alignment-based yoga at a variety of venues, such as studios, gyms, park departments, and schools. While there are no legal requirements for teaching yoga, most studios require their teachers to be registered with Yoga Alliance. The 200-hour level of training will equip you to teach basic classes; your teaching repertoire will grow as you increase your level of training.
What is your refund policy?
Within five business days of receipt by Purna Yoga College of your signed enrollment agreement, you may withdraw and be refunded all money paid. After five days, but before the program starts, you may withdraw and receive all money paid, except the $300 application fee. Once the program begins, refunds are calculated according to the following:
If you complete this much of the program; You will be refunded this much of your tuition:
• One week or up to 10%, whichever is less; 90% will be refunded.
• More than one week or 10% (whichever is less), but not more than 25%; 75% will be refunded.
• 25%-50% of the course; 50% will be refunded.
• 50% or more of the course; no refund.
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