29 Day 300-Hour Yoga Therapy Training for 500-Hour Teacher Certification in Valencia, Spain

Certification

Students who complete their training are eligible to apply for Yoga Alliance International certification.

Course objectives

This 300-hour Yoga Therapy course for 500-hour Master Yoga Teacher certification is a four-week intensive journey in healing through exploring the subtleties of the asanas, their energetic links with the chakras, the Chinese acupuncture meridians, as well as modern anatomy, physiology, and yogic psychology.

You will learn how to evaluate your patient's health using methods of palpation (touch) as well as observation of posture and structural evaluation, listening skills, taking detailed case histories, and interpreting the signs and symptoms of imbalance and disease.

Yoga therapy is based on the concept of salutogenesis, in line with all holistic therapies. This is the promotion of health and healing rather than focusing on curing diseases. When the body-mind and emotions heal, the disease falls away as it can no longer feed on negativity, bad habits, toxins, and trauma.

This may take time and always involves the individual as an active participant in the healing process.

The course syllabus is divided into four parts:

1. Detailed asana practice

• Asana practice
• Meditation
• Pranayama
• Sequencing
• Correction and adjustment techniques

2. Evaluation methods

• Detailed interview, i.e., questioning and how to evaluate the answers (questions on digestion, stools, sleep, pain, gynecology, etc.)
• Observation (posture, the spine, facial diagnosis, movement, etc.) and listening skills
• Back palpation (feeling and evaluating the zones on the back) based on Chinese Medicine and the chakras
• Introduction to Chinese Medicine
• Digestive and nutritional assessment

3. Treatment methods

• Asana, in-depth understanding, recuperative, therapeutic, and use of props
• Breathwork
• Meditation, guided meditation, and scanning
• Asana for specific chakras, meridians, and organs
• Relaxation techniques, types of savasana (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual)
• Nutrition and eating habits
• Mantras and color therapy
• Hands-on techniques: Basic back Shiatsu, including all diagnostic zones on the back; chakra balancing; and hip and neck adjustments

4. Theory

• Philosophy and aim of yoga
• Concept of salutogenesis (promoting health rather than just concentrating on curing disease)
• The five points of yoga
• The four paths of yoga
• Prana (qi); concept of energy, the nadis, and Chinese acupuncture meridians
• The four elements and the akasha
• The five koshas
• Yoga psychology: The gunas; the chakras; the eight limbs of yoga, and the two hemispheres of the brain
• The bandhas
• Principles of self-development
• Teacher-student relationship
• Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita
• Karma and reincarnation
• The yugas
• Principles and benefits of meditation
• Ethics for yoga teachers
• Philosophy and spirituality; purpose, meaning, and goals of life
• Anatomy and physiology

5. Yoga Therapy for illnesses and problems relating to the following systems

• General signs of bad health and stress
• Backache
• Respiratory system
• Circulatory system
• Digestive system and nutrition
• Urinary system
• Nervous system and stress
• Hormonal system
• Immune system
• Women’s and men’s health
• Mind and emotions

In yoga therapy, these problems are treated with:

• Asanas related to the chakras and the Chinese acupuncture meridians
• Deep relaxation
• Breathwork, mindfulness, and meditation
• Diet
• Understanding the link between physical problems, mind, emotions, and spirituality

Prerequisites

Students enrolling in this 500-hour yoga course are expected to be qualified yoga teachers at the 200-hour level from any school.

Evaluation procedure and grading criteria

Students are required to have completed all the set assignments by the end of the course. They are also expected to show proficiency and improvement in their own asana practice and understanding, including:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Evaluation and treatment procedures
• Case history

The practical evaluation is based on continual assessment. There will also be a written exam, which all students must pass in order to obtain the 500-hour master yoga teacher certification.

Attendance

Trainees should attend a minimum of 90% of the course. Should trainees miss more than this minimum, they will need to agree with the teacher which modules to retake. SYM reserves the right to charge additional fees for these catch-up modules.

Example of daily schedule

• 08:30 - 09:00 Meditation and pranayama
• 09:00 - 11:00 Asana and restorative asana and relaxation
• 11:00 - 11:15 Break
• 11:15 - 13:00 Yoga theory, philosophy, psychology / anatomy, physiology
• 13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
• 15:00 - 16:30 Yoga theory - Psychology / assessment tools / hands-on (chakra balancing, basic back Shiatsu)
• 17:00 - 18:30 Yogic healing tools and practice

Please note that times may change slightly due to season and location.

One and a half days per week are free. Students are expected to spend free days and several hours per day during the week on homework and practice.