SoundYoga's Certified 200 & 500-hour yoga teacher Training

Who you will be learning from

The Teacher Training course is presented by Christine Dormaier, M.S., CYT, ERYT 500, the director of SoundYoga.

"I began my personal Yoga journey in 1989 with Gary and Mirka Kraftsow as my teachers. Being an asthmatic the emphasis on acknowledging present conditions and adapting the practice to make steady progress helped me to feel comfortable with who I was and to grow physically healthier and mentally stronger. I began teaching this therapeutic approach to Yoga in 1992 and was Asana Certified in 1996. I became a Certified Yoga Therapist in 2002 and a Certified Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation (KHYF) Teacher Trainer in 2007. I continue to study with Sonia Nelson deepening my practice and learning more of the healing aspects of yoga."

Our guest teachers for special sessions are Sonia Nelson, a KHYF Certified Teacher Trainer, and Julie James, LMP, Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Practitioner.

Why take SoundYoga’s Teacher Training?

SoundYoga’s Teacher Training program is both challenging and richly rewarding.  You will experience the joy of learning in an environment that has been designed to help you achieve a sense of fulfillment and prepare you to teach beginning yoga to groups and to individuals.

• This training fulfills all the requirements for a Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation(KHYF) Teacher Certification.
• Only ten applicants are accepted ensuring that you will benefit from our holistic methods and a rich, personal learning environment.
• You will have the personal attention of a mentor throughout the training.
• You will experience the rewards of practicing the teaching techniques you learn beginning with your very first weekend.
• We treat the mind, body and spirit as a whole, and each person as an individual.
• We adapt the yoga to each of our students.

Our goal is that upon completion of the course, students will feel comfortable teaching beginning yoga to groups and individuals.

What you will learn

SoundYoga’s Teacher Training is in the tradition of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar.

The ten students accepted for the SoundYoga teacher training program will participate in a holistic course of study that includes:

• history and philosophy of yoga
• anatomy and physiology
• asana
• pranayama
• ayurveda and practice
• meditation, mantra and chanting
• course planning and teaching methodologies

Students successfully completing the course will be eligible to apply for certification from the Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation (KHYF).

How the training is structured

• We limit the class to ten students ensuring you have abundant personal time with your mentor.
• We build positive relationships to help you enhance your personal practice and develop as a teacher.
• The training begins with private sessions with Chris to help you develop your personal practice – the foundation for Teacher Training.
• Students participate in an intensive and rewarding course of study that includes lectures, practices, home study, written and oral presentations, tests, evaluations, teaching practicum and personal practice.

The 200 hour training includes basic asana, beginning techniques of meditation, and draws from the second chapter of yoga sutras which focus on Practice. You will also be practicing teaching techniques starting with your very first weekend.

The advanced 500 hour training, includes advanced asana, pranayama, and meditation techniques for working with individual students and group classes, and draws from the first chapter of yoga sutras which focus on Mind.

Scheduling

The total 500-hour course will take approximately 18 months to complete. Trainings are scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 9:30am to 5:30pm, and are held at the SoundYoga studio on California Avenue in West Seattle.

Pre-requisites

• A willingness to learn and to explore yoga in the tradition of Krishnamacharya.
• Dedication to serious study and consistent practice of yoga.
• Minimum of one year’s experience practicing yoga.
• Have the mental and emotional stability and physical health to fulfill the demands of the training.
• Ability to demonstrate good communication skills.
• Provide letters of recommendation from two individuals that you have known at least two years and who are not relatives. At least one letter shall be from someone who knows you in a professional or educational context. The letters are to include the writer’s opinion of your communication skills, mental and emotional maturity and stability, and your general strengths and weaknesses.
• Meet with the trainer, Chris Dormaier, prior to being accepted.

Certification requirements

This training fulfills all the requirements for a Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation (KHYF) Teacher Certification:

• Display an understanding of yoga’s key concepts and all course material
• Demonstrate a commitment to regular personal practice
• Attendance at all scheduled classes
• Schedule and attend 25 hours of private instruction with your mentor
• Complete all homework assignments, class observations and teaching components of the training

Certification is not guaranteed. In addition to the requirements listed above, there will be a formal assessment in which you must demonstrate to your trainer’s satisfaction that you have a reasonable understanding of the material presented and how it is applied. For those participating the training solely for their own personal development, no formal assessment will be done.

Important aspects of KHYF Yoga Programs

• Student-teacher relationship – When a student and teacher interact, learning can begin. The teacher provides support and guidance to foster each student’s learning and growth.
• Mentorship – The individual attention provided by one-on-one learning allows the teacher to tailor practices to meet the needs and abilities of each student. Students will meet regularly with their mentor (monthly) during the training. This contact may be in person, by telephone, and under special circumstances, through email. These meetings will help students’ understanding of the training materials and help them develop personal practices that are beyond the course material. These meetings will be private sessions, scheduled in advance, and may not occur during a training weekend.
• Teacher-student ethics – To insure a productive learning experience, the relationship between the teacher and the student must be consistent with the yamas and niyamas.
• Student evaluation process – Students will be evaluated and their progress assessed based on:

  Quality of their relationship with their mentor
  Continual assessment of their level of understanding and communication skills
  Ability to fully participate and interact in a group setting
  Satisfactory completion of homework

• Certification under KHYF – Graduates will apply to KHYF for certification. Once accepted, they are invited to submit their personal listing as a Yoga Teacher affiliated with KHYF, and will be included in KHYF’s database – accessible through the KHYF website (www.khyf.net). Certificates are valid for five years.
• KHYF Member Benefits – Access to website articles, forum discussions, continuing education workshops and seminars, special events and the KHYF database.
• Equity Policy – No restrictions will be made on the grounds of race, creed, color occupation, religious or political affiliation, age, gender, and /or ability. We promote equal opportunity for all, however, since this is a training program for Yoga teachers, students should be reasonably mentally and emotionally healthy, and show commitment to learning through the suggested training procedure.
• Drug Abuse Statement – All KHYF teachers and trainers are to be free of drug and substance abuse.

Your first step to Yoga Teacher Certification

Application procedure

Please fill in and submit your application questionnaire two weeks before your scheduled meeting with Chris Dormaier.

The next SoundYoga Teacher Training is schedule to begin 2010.

Fees

• Tuition for SoundYoga 500 hour Teacher Training is $6,450
• Tuition includes up to 25 hours of individual practice with mentor and private make-up sessions for missed weekends.
• Tuition does not include lodging, meals and text books. A list of lodging and dining suggestions will be provided.

Payment

Total cost for the 500-hour SoundYoga Teacher Training is $6,450. Tuition payments will be due as follows:

• $500 due upon acceptance into the program
• $3,000 due one month prior to the first Teacher Training session
• $2,950 due at the beginning of the second year

Please note that the first payment is a non-refundable registration fee.
Payment arrangements can be adjusted by contract with SoundYoga.

Required text books

SoundYoga can assist students in obtaining the following books:

Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar
Viniyoga of Yoga by TKV Desikachar
An Illustrated Guide to Asana by Michael J. Smith
Health, Healing and Beyond by TKV Desikachar
Reflections on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by TKV Desikachar
Anatomy books to be determined

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About Chris

Chris Dormaier, M.S., CYT, ERYT 500 is the director of SoundYoga and a certified Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation teacher trainer. She holds diplomas from the American Viniyoga Institute as a yoga teacher and yoga therapist. As a yoga therapist she specializes in developing yoga practices that support and meet the needs of individuals who strive for better health and a happier, well-balanced lifestyle. Chris has helped many people with arthritis, chronic fatigue, grief, anxiety, fibromyalgia, heart conditions, MS, and other health concerns find Yoga practices that fit their needs. Chris believes that stress is one of the main causes of illness and that yoga can help everyone have more balance in their lives. In 2002 Chris completed a video, Strong Bones Yoga as a way to help prevent osteoporosis. Chris continues her studies with her teacher/mentor Sonia Nelson in Albuquerque, New Mexico.