20 Day 200-Hour Hybrid Yin Yoga Therapy Teacher Training in Goa, India

Certification

Students will receive a Yin Yoga Therapy Training Diploma as a component of Alexandra Denkinger M.D.(ACU) physical therapy practice, licensed and registered as a Doctor of Medicine in Acupuncture M.D.(ACU) by the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine.

After the in-person immersion, you will receive with successful examination your Yin Yoga Therapy™ teacher certificate right away, and after the completion of the online courses, you will be able to register as an RYT 200 (Registered Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance.

How the training works

The focus is on a 3-week immersion in Goa, complemented by a independent 40-hour self-paced online training. You can start the online training anytime after the competition of registration and you will have one year time to go through the material at your own pace. The Yin Yoga Therapy Teacher Training team is always available for active support throughout this process.

Please note that the duration and dates below are only for the 20-day in-person training. The online training can be started anytime after registration and can be completed for up to 1 year.

Course information

The Concept: Start teaching yoga with a focus on the Yin Healing Method

This is a quite unique combination of in-depth Yin Yoga Therapy™ teacher training with all the needed yoga background teachings of a general 200-hour teacher training course and the immersion into the Yin side of yoga. Students will gain the knowledge, practice, confidence, and certification to be able to share this practice.

Stretched over 3 weeks of immersion you will dive deep into the Yin side of yoga by the seaside in beautiful Goa. For an embodied experience students will have plenty of opportunities to practice teaching and will leave this certification course feeling confident to lead a Yin Yoga Therapy™ class.

Yin Yoga Therapy™

Yin Yoga waves all layers of your being -body, energy, and mind- into a seamless whole, allowing a sublime experience of stillness and peace. The stillness of the long-held static stretches with relaxed muscles in Yin Yoga allows the space for mindful awareness and the opportunity to reveal and release deep layers of physical or emotional tension held within your fascia. The healing wisdom of the Daoist philosophy and the Meridians provides insight and guidance.

With this practice, you get a unique opportunity to learn to release physical and emotional tension, free stagnant or blocked energy and cultivate a peaceful quality of mind. By practising Yin, you are practising acceptance and surrender, connecting your body to a Zen state of mind and you create the space to allow energetic and physical healing to take place.

3 weeks residential immersion by the beach in Goa, India

In the in-person immersion part of this course, you will be guided through a journey through all the Daoist elements and their healing wisdom. There is no specific prerequisite required but an open mind and commitment and dedication to your personal development.

You will learn all about the ancient healing wisdom of the main Acupuncture Meridians and Chi flow in the body. You will receive a deep insight into each Daoist element and the correlating acupuncture meridians and organs. Find out more about their subconscious value and the applied body acupressure points and Yin Yoga poses to help balance those energies and stimulate a free chi flow.

In detail, you explore each body’s target area and its correlation with the meridians and facial pathways. They explain to you ways to emotional healing and the release of energetic blockages in the poses. As you put your bodies in certain positions different meridian energy streams get stimulated and you activate your body’s own healing powers.

You will get to know more about additional tools and different meditation techniques to support this process. They offer you insight into the power of visualization and breath, Yoga Nidra, Mantras, and Mudras. There will be some more dynamic Yang yoga classes for general balance and some movement in the mornings. The sunset classes are dedicated to different meditations, sharing and healing sessions, and some chanting circles. In the Circles of Transformation, they create a safe space to connect and share. Together you open the gates to a long-lasting transformation.

Daily residential schedule

During the immersion, weekdays are study immersion, your weekends are free to explore the area or to dedicate yourself to the online content. The mornings start with a nature meditation followed by some movement with guided Yang yoga classes. After breakfast, there are theory and methodology classes till lunch, followed by a long midday break. The late afternoons are dedicated to the yin yoga practice and a sunset circle to complete the day. Days can vary, but here is an example day:

• 06:30 - 07:00 Sunrise Sadhana - Spiritual self-practice time
• 07:00 - 07:15 Beach meditation
• 07:20 - 08:30 Guided Yang Yoga practice
• Breakfast break
• 09:15 - 10:15 Theory
• 10:20 - 11:20 Theory
• 11:30 - 12:30 Methodology
• Lunch and afternoon break
• 15:30 - 17:30 Yin Yoga Immersion
• 17:45 - 18:45 Sunset circle
• 19:00 Dinner
• Occasional optional evening activities

40 hours self-paced online video course

To complete a solid foundation for your yoga teacher's 200-hour certification and a deep understanding of yoga in all its variations they offer you a high-quality 40-hour self-paced online video course. Of these 40 hours 20 hours are dedicated to anatomy and physiology, and 20 hours will focus on general yoga humanities.

The anatomy course will look into the anatomy of the muscular and skeletal body, as well as the human physiology like the nervous system, incl. ‘fight, flight, freeze stress response, vagal theory, overall mind-body connection, cardiovascular / circulatory, endocrine, digestive systems and the respiratory system as they relate to yoga practice.

In the yoga humanities course they share details about general yoga history, philosophy, and foundations like the eight limbs and Patanjali’s yoga sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. You will get to know about the Chakras, Koshas, Prana Vaayus, Kleshas, and more.

The school's philosophy

Yin Yoga Therapy Teacher Training sees teaching yoga as an art fueled by authenticity and creativity. A student's personal practice and the understanding that follows spark the inner teacher and sharing with others will come naturally and spontaneously. In a Taoist/Zen way, they emphasize the value of breath, meditation, and intuition rather than ritual worship or rigorous following of old scriptures and perfect alignments. It matters how it feels much more than how it is supposed to look.

They acknowledge that every student and teacher has his or her own unique presence, energy, and teaching style. They provide an ideal environment for learning and a practice process, where yoga teacher training courses are presented and practised in depth.

The aim is to apply the teachings and practices of the yoga tradition to go on an exploration to investigate the relationship of your body, mind, and soul. Ultimately to gain clarity, understand your nature, create harmony between you and others, and experience freedom and joy. In a Taoist/Zen way, the teachings emphasize the value of breath, meditation, and intuition rather than traditional worship or rigorous following of old scriptures and perfect alignments. Yin Yoga Therapy Teacher Training sees teaching yoga as an art fueled by authenticity and creativity.

Curriculum - What you will learn:

Yin Yoga Therapy™ teacher training

Yin healing, Daoist elements, meridians, acupressure points, mindfulness, and yoga foundations.

Foundation, definition, and theory of Yin yoga

• Physical
• Energetic
• Soul and mind

Yin yoga practice

• 35 regular Yin yoga poses +
• Additional upper body poses, wall poses, and modifications
• Functional and energetic aspects of the poses
• How and when to use props
• 8-points-analysis principle
• Special situations / target areas
• Sequences for each Daoist element and each meridian

The art of teaching Yin

• Intention / expression / context / tools
• The art of sequencing a Yin class
• Embodied practical experience

Yin Therapy, Chi, and the meridian flow in the body

• Yin / Yang / Chi defined
• Five Daoist elements
• The three treasures
• 12 primary traditional oriental medicine meridians and their healing wisdom
• Meridians addressed in each pose
• Energetic and emotional value of each pose
• Dan Tien healing breath
• The 3 different ways to activate chi flow
• The transformative power of the rebound

Mindfulness

• Mindfulness history
• Concept and practice
• Neuroplasticity

Yoga philosophy and basic foundations

• History and people
• Overview of different yoga styles
• The 8 limbs of yoga
• Patanjali Yoga Sutras
• Pranayama
• Chakras, koshas, mudras, and mantras
• Spiritual concepts

Healing toolbox

• Extracurricular workshop ‘Acupressure Points’
• Anatomy of the mind
• An invitation to mindful living
• Tools to transformation
• The power of visualization and the Dan Tiens
• Overview of oriental medicine and Ayurveda

Basic anatomy and the theory of exercise

• Muscular and skeletal system
• Biomechanical principles, joints, and their movements
• Physiology such as nervous system, cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive systems, respiratory system
• The vagal theory
• The physical theory of the practice
• Aesthetic vs. functional alignment
• Compression vs tension
• Understanding fascia and tensegrity
• Sensory processing, interoception, and proprioception
• The piezoelectric principle in the poses
• When and how to apply Yin yoga principles in physical therapy to release pain

Professional development

• Class management and general professionalism
• Marketing and promotion
• Responsibility and accountability
• Scope of practice
• Code of conduct
• Equity in yoga

Daily yoga practice

• Yin yoga healing immersions
• Meditations, breathwork, and Yoga Nidra
• Morning class of dynamic yang styles of yoga for the balance

Sunset circles

• Different active meditations
• Movement therapy
• Yoga Nidra
• Extracurricular acupuncture healing sessions
• Circle of transformation
• Sharing circles

Highlights:

• Learn all aspects of Yin yoga from all angles - body, mind, and soul
• Ancient teachings brought into a contemporary context
• Mindfulness and Daoist healing philosophy of meridians and Chi flow in the body
• Learn in a supportive and encouraging environment
• Transformational healing and sharing circles
• Receive Yin Yoga Therapy™ diploma and Yoga Alliance affiliated teacher certification
• Have a transformational experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life
• Find out more about yourself and who you really are, finding a heart connection
• You will leave this training confident to teach Yin yoga as a healing modality