28 Days 200-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, India

During this training, you will stay either in a private or a shared room. The rooms are fully furnished and hygienic and have a double bed for single or double use and a full bathroom with shower and toilet. The ashram also hosts a big yoga hall with proper ventilation and a hygienic kitchen to prepare all meals.

Certifications

Upon completion of this yoga teacher training, students will receive certificate affiliated with Yoga Alliance. Registration with Yoga Alliance provides a globally recognized credential.

This course is affiliated with Yoga Alliance USA, which explains how respected the International Yoga and Meditation Society is. All the teachers working with them are highly educated in the field of yoga and therapy, have certifications from Yoga Alliance USA, and have taught to hundreds of students.

Syllabus

Asana

Asana means a state of being in which you can remain physically and mentally steady, calm, quiet, and comfortable. In the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”, there is a concise definition of “yogasana; sthiramsukhamasanam”, meaning that positions that are comfortable and steady. Yogasanas are practiced to develop the practitioner’s ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended time as it is necessary during meditation.

In yoga, asana refers to sitting in a position for a long time but in this multi-style yoga teacher training program of Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, it means something more. Asanas are specific body positions which open the energy channels and physic centers.

They will help you to gain higher awareness and provide the stable foundation for the exploration of the body, breath, mind, and beyond. The yogis also found that by developing control of body through asana the mind is also controlled.

Yoga poses

This yoga teacher training program includes more than 70 different yoga poses, starting with poses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced level with demonstration, indication, contra-indications, alignment, adjustments, and modulations.

Subjects on yoga postures

• Structuring and sequencing the postures
• Technique, teaching, method, application, contra-indication, and benefits of asana
• Traditional sun salutation series with beej (root) mantras
• Sookshmavyaayaam (basic and preparatory movements)
• Standing pose
• Kneeling pose
• Sitting pose
• Backward bending pose
• Forward bending pose
• Twisting pose
• Inverted pose
• Meditative pose

Pranayama (yogic breathing)

The starting point for any asana practice is the breath and for the Vinyasa yoga, the starting point is “Ujjayi pranayama”. Ujjayi pranayama is defined as extended victory. Prana is defined as breath, respiration, wind, life force, life, energy, strength, and the hidden energy in the atmospheric air. pranayama is most clearly defined as the developing life-energy rather than the restraint of breath.

The breath is the first component of the “tristhnam”, or three places of attention. It is through the breath that the other two components, the body and mind, are transformed.

You will have the opportunity to study the concepts and practices of Pranayama including different breathing exercises like Shwaskiryas mentioned in Hatha yoga and kumbhaka (breath retention) with indications and contraindications. You will learn the technique, the teaching, the method, the application, and contraindication and benefits of this technique.

Mudras

Yogic mudras (gestures) are a combination of subtle physical movements which alter mood, attitude, and perception and which deepen awareness and concentration.

A mudra may involve the whole body in a combination of asana, pranayama, bandha, and visualization techniques or it may be a simple hand position. The aim is to create fixed, repetitive postures and gestures which can snap the practitioner out of instinctive habit pattern and establish a more refined consciousness.

Bandhas

Bandha is defined as “binding tie”, hold back, restrain, or lock. The basic premise of the bandha is that by restraining or locking the muscles on a physical level a subtle unlocking occurs on a mental or energy level.

The bandhas regulate the flow of energy and assists the practitioner in asana. There are three principal bandha. They are mula bandha, jalandhara bandha, and uddiyana bandha. Mula means root, jalandhara means net in the stream, and uddiyana means to fly upwards.

Shatkarma (cleansing process)

Shatkarma are the six yogic cleansing techniques for purifying the tissues and organ systems while bringing a harmony in their functioning in the most simple and natural manner. When fat or mucus is excessive, the shatkarmas or six cleansing techniques should be practiced before pranayama. Others, in whom the doshas like phlegm, wind, and bile are balanced, need not do them. The six shatkarmas are neti, dhauti, nauli, basti, kapalbhati, and trataka.

Mantra yoga

Mantra refers to a particular combination of words which produce specific vibrations when chanted. Mantra yoga is a tool for freedom and perfection. Mantra is constructed from a combination of sounds derived from the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.

The ancient sages were well aware of the inherent power contained in sound and they utilized combinations of sounds to set up specific vibrations. Mantras for daily chants are gayatri mantra, Beej mantra for goddess, universal peace mantra, mahamrityunjaya mantra, omkaar mantra, and guru vandana mantra.

Anatomy and physiology

The human body can be divided into several systems according to their functions. For the purpose of this study, you will classify these systems individually. But on a more functional level of body is a living organism, and each system works in a close harmony and coordination with others. The main systems of the body that you will study are:

• The locomotive system (musculo-skeletal system) that works as the framework of the body, protects the internal organs, and produces blood cells and stores minerals, especially calcium, until they are needed to the body.
• Joints or articulations act as hinges and lever giving mobility to body.
• The muscular system does the work of moving the body and the muscles make up about half of the body and bulk of the body.
• The respiratory system carries air into the lungs where oxygen is exchanged for gaseous wastes
• The digestive system takes in, digests, and absorbs food. It optimizes the nutrients by the body and eliminates waste products.
• The cardiovascular system is the transport system of the body and it brings nutrients and oxygen to all the cells and removes waste products.
• The nervous system relates with the sense organs and includes the brain, the spinal cord, and all the nerves.
• The endocrine system is the system of hormones that help to regulate the internal environment, prime the body to respond to stress, regulate growth, and development and contribute to reproductive process.
• The immune system provides several lines of defense against micro biological organisms.

Yoga philosophy

Yoga is the science of right living and, as such, is intended to be incorporated in daily life. It works on all aspects of the person like the physical, vital, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The word yoga means unity or oneness and is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj”, which means “to join”. In spiritual terms, is the union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

On a more practical level, yoga is a mean of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind, and emotions. This is done through the practice of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, shatkarma, and meditation and must be achieved before union can take place with the higher reality.

The science of yoga begins to work on the physical body, which for most people is a practical and familiar starting level, the organs, muscles, and nerves no longer function in harmony; rather they act in opposition to each other. Yoga aims at bringing the different bodily functions into perfect coordination so that they work for the good of the whole life. From the physical body, yoga moves on to the mental and emotional levels.

Through the practice of yoga, awareness develops the interrelation between the emotional, mental, and physical levels. Gradually, this awareness leads to an understanding of the more subtle areas of existence.

Yoga sutras

The yoga sutras of Patanjali are one of the six darshanas of Hindu schools of philosophy and a very important milestone in the history of yoga. The book is a set of 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. The yoga sutras are an enormously influential work that is just as relevant for yoga philosophy and practice today as it was when it was written.

Four chapters (pada) of the yoga sutras

Samadhi pada

This is the first chapter and provides a definition and the purpose of yoga. Various approaches that can be used to achieve the objectives of yoga are also provided.

Sadhana pada

The second chapter contains the practical approach to achieving the goals of yoga. In this chapter, the author gives a description of the eight limbs of yoga or Ashtanga yoga, which is how the yoga sutras are sometimes referred to.

Vibhuti pada

The third chapter focuses on some of the supernatural powers that an adept yogi may be able to attain.

Kaivalya pada

In the fourth chapter, the nature of the mind and mental perceptions like desire, bondage, and liberation are discussed. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are also sometimes referred to as Raja yoga or the “Royal yoga”.

Bhagwadgita

The Bhagwadgita is an ancient text that became an important work of Hindu tradition in terms of both literature and philosophy. The name Bhagwadgita means “ the song of the Lord”. There are 700-verse Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit that are part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Hatha yoga pradipika

The Hatha yoga pradipika of Svatmarama is one of the most important yoga texts that has been valuable to yoga students as a complement to their practice and study. The pradipika is divided into four parts:

• Yamas (restraints on behaviour), niyamas(observances), asanas (posture)
• Pranayama (control and expansion of pranic energy) and the shatkarmas (internal cleansing practices)
• Mudras (spiritual expressions), bandhas (locks), the nadis (channels of energy through which prana flows), and the Kundalini power
• Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption)

Practicum

Adjustment

In this practicum session, you will learn the proper alignment of the posture. Those students who found difficulty in some poses will learn the art of adjustment about the posture so they can grab this art to use in their practices and teachings and also learn how to conduct a class in an easy way.

Teaching practice

In this practice, you will teach the students what you have learned during the course and get confidence in being a teacher.

Teaching methodology

You will learn how to teach a 60-minute Hatha yoga class while gaining versatile teaching skills including working with beginners as well as with intermediate and advanced students.

You will also have the opportunity to learn the dedicated teaching system to every student, to find greater flexibility and comfort in your personal practice of asanas, setting up of a proper environment for class, general pointers on teaching a class, the basic Hatha yoga sequence class, advanced postures, relaxation, and detailed correction.

Sample daily schedule

Monday to Saturday

• 05:00 Wake up tea
• 05:30 Meditation and mantra chanting
• 07:00 Asana class
• 09:00 Breakfast
• 10:30 Anatomy and physiology
• 12:30 Lunch
• 14:00 Pantanjali yoga sutras
• 16:30 Asana practice
• 18:15 Meditation practice
• 19:30 Dinner

Sunday

• 07:00 Tea
• 09:00 Breakfast followed by self-study
• 12:30 Lunch followed by self-study
• 18:15 Self-practice
• 19:30 Dinner

The time of the classes may vary according to the circumstances. There will be a slight change during the fourth week for some cleansing technique and teaching practice. You will be informed of the changes with anticipation.

• Excursions to Mahrishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram in Rishikesh
• Trip to Neelkanth temple of Lord Shiva
• Visit to Kunjapuri temple

This teacher training will be held at Shri Avdhoot Ashram in Rishikesh, India. The ashram is situated on the bank of the Ganges and is one of the holiest pilgrimage places in India. For thousands of years, it has been a chosen retreat of saints, sages, and pilgrims who after retiring from worldly involvement pursued a solitary life of study, meditation, and austerity. Shri Avdhoot Ashram is situated in the town of Haridwar, right between the major pilgrimage places of Haridwar.

Located as it is between the swiftly-flowing yet serene Ganges and the foothills of the Himalayas, it is an ideal and tranquil setting for spiritual practice. The sounds of nearby temple bells and devotional songs are carried on the morning and evening breezes, mingling with birdsong and augmenting the peaceful and contemplative atmosphere of the Ashram.

Rishikesh is one of the most popular pilgrim centers and a gateway to the Himalayan Shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The yoga centers of Rishikesh have enhanced the significance of the place.

From this point, the great Ganges leaves behind her mountain home and enters the vast plains of Northern India. Rishikesh is located at a height of about 1360 feet above sea level. It is believed that several yogis and sages lived and practiced penance there. Rishikesh represents the site where Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu.

During this training, you will be served three delicious and healthy daily meals, plus morning and evening tea, and different fruits. The meals are pure sattvik food, simple, and nutritious which fulfill the demands of a yogic diet.

Ayurvedic consultation, massage treatments, and physiotherapy can be provided on request for an additional cost.

• 1 cleansing kit
• 1 excursions to Mahrishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram
• 1 trip to Neelkanth temple of Lord Shiva
• 1 visit to Kunjapuri temple
• 1 yoga kit bag
• 3 daily meals
• 27 nights accommodation
• 200-hour Yoga Alliance certificate upon completion
• Daily tea two times per day and different fruits
• Rafting during season or tracking

• Airfare
• Airport transfers
• Ayurvedic treatments and consultations
• Medical expenses
• Spa treatments
• Transportation

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). Upon arrival in Delhi, you may take a flight to Dehradun and then transfer to Rishikesh, where you may call International yoga and meditation society and they will receive you from anywhere in Rishikesh.

Arrival by bus

From Delhi, you may also take a bus to Rishikesh.

• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.