VI Yoga School's

300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training 2023

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We are excited to offer our Spring training in March 2023!

Offered in Two Modules, for both Advancing Student and Teacher-in-Training. 

 Module One: “Going Deeper: An Advancing Practitioner’s program”.

Module One is a foundation course for consistent, experienced practitioners wishing to strengthen their relationship to posture, meditation and breath-work. Students will deepen their practice (Sadhana) for their own sakes and benefit, not to simply qualify as a new teacher.

Module One dates:

  • March 31-April 2 weekend

  • April 14,15, 16 weekend

  • April 28, 29, 30 weekend

  • May 12, 13, 14 weekend

  • June 2, 3, 4 weekend

Investment: $2400 + gst includes a studio pass for the duration of the course, and textbooks.

Embarking on the spiritual path of Yoga requires patience, humility and a desire to learn. It also requires a willingness to practice the teachings that have been passed down over the millennia and make them a part of our daily lives. We Human Beings have always been curious about what exists beyond our physical experience. Many Sages and Saints have tried to answer this question, and guide us toward a spiritual connection while in this human form.

Module One is also a journey of self-discovery and personal development, via dynamic group work within a supportive community (Sangha.) Previous students have experienced life-changing growth and evolution, helping them to move forward with renewed purpose and vision.

Module One offers the flexibility, upon completion, to join the subsequent Teacher Training Module that will support you in a teaching career.

Module 2: “The Teaching Pathway”

Module two is devoted to supporting teachers in training to lead and support students in a meaningful way. 

This will include practice teaching with your peers and in community via practicum. This section of the 300-hour program gives students an authentic experience of traditionally taught, classical yoga. The course curriculum is based on the Ashtanga Vinyasa Method, Patanjali Yoga Sutras and up-to-date research from the field of Neuroscience. It will include an online anatomy course done outside of class time.

Module two dates:

  •  June 9, 10, 11 weekend
  • June 16,17,18 weekend
  • June 30- July 2 weekend

Investment:$1750 + gst includes studio pass, textbook, online anatomy course. Module one is a prerequisite for this training.

Practicums: Students will practice teaching and assisting fellow students early in the program, in a fun, supportive manner. Students will also Observe, Shadow & Assist the Lead Teachers during select scheduled studio classes. 

Teaching Pathway: Students are guided in led classes and traditional “Mysore-style” learning formats. In keeping with the tradition of the student-teacher relationship, students are tasked with particular practices as their body/mind is ready to receive them. This personal experience of overall growth and steadiness of practice will cultivate excellence in teaching going forward.

This approach represents a departure from the more common modern yoga experience, where students are often thrown into classes where advanced techniques are given without preparing students appropriately. Cultivation of deep spiritual practice requires mastery of breath, mind and posture, one step at a time, at a pace that suits each individual. 

Students will focus on the Primary Series of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system, plus additional sub-sequences, increasing their knowledge of each individual posture and the vinyasa system. Curriculum modules will be dedicated to specific posture themes, such as hip opening, back bending, arm balancing and inversion sequences. Developing and deepening a personal practice will be a priority in this training.  Students come away with the ability to teach postures in a sequence, rather than memorizing and teaching sequences that ignore students’ capacities.

 

Are you ready to develop as a yoga teacher or advanced practitioner?

On the mat

Students will improve their functional breathing techniques, posture alignment, variations, use of props, and the "assisted self-practice" Mysore-style model. Through practicums, you will practice teaching and adjusting students early in the program in a fun, supportive manner.

Off the mat

Students will be inspired to further their studies of this perennial wisdom and apply it to their everyday life and interpersonal relationships.

Teaching pathway

Students are guided in led classes and the traditional Mysore style of learning. In keeping with the tradition of the student-teacher relationship, you are given postures as your body/mind is ready to receive them. This personal experience of overall growth and steadiness of practice will cultivate excellence in teaching going forward.

Padahastasana - VI Yoga School

Explore the Ashtanga Primary Series

Canadian Yoga Alliance RYS300 Logo

This training offers a departure from modern yoga classes, where students are often thrown into classes where advanced postures are given without the foundation and readiness of the student. Cultivation of a deep spiritual practice requires mastery of breath, mind, and posture, one step at a time.

Students will learn the Ashtanga Primary series, increasing their knowledge of each individual posture. Daily classes will be dedicated to specific themes such as hip opening, back bending, arm balancing, and inversion sequences. Deepening and developing your personal practice will be a priority in this training.

This 300-Hour Canadian Yoga Alliance Certification course is perfect for yoga teachers with 200-hour certificates to increase their skill, confidence, and success in starting their own teaching business or working for an established studio.

Your Faculty Guides

Geoff Mackenzie, Director of First Light Yoga, Vancouver 

Geoff has been practicing yoga for over 25 years, since beginning on a forest floor in France in 1996. He started teaching classes in 2004, after completing a YTT at Moksana Yoga Center in Victoria, BC. Geoff’s guidance is informed by extensive studies with R. Sharath Jois and family in Mysore, India, combined with input from innovative Western practitioners. Modern approaches to strength, mobility and breath-work feature in his own practice too. 

Students consider Geoff a reliable, steady presence in the classroom. You can count on him to apply the Ashtanga Vinyasa method in a way that will challenge you, while still respecting where you’re starting from and what your intentions are. Ultimately, he wants you to breathe well, move well and focus your mind on what you’re doing. 

Geoff Adjustment - VI Yoga School
Deborah Adjustment 1 - VI Yoga School
Deborah Carruthers
Director of Vancouver Island Yoga School

Deb has facilitated 10 teacher trainings and five retreats in Kerala, India. She honours her teachers along the way in the Mysore method: Geoff Mackenzie, Rolf and Marci Naujokat (Goa), Sharmila Desai (Goa), David Swenson, Kino MacGregor & Tim Feldmann (Miami). Deborah holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and a Level One Ayurveda 

The Curriculum will include:

  •  Primary & Intermediate Asana Series, Pranayama & Meditation 
  •  Yoga Philosophy (Patanjali, Bhagavad Gita, Tantra, Goddess)
  •  Ayurveda and  The Energetic Body 
  •  Anatomy & Physiology 
  •  Asana Sequencing , Level I Adjustments 
  •  Teacher Communication Skills , Ethics 
  •  Yoga Business Development
  •  Circle time, Inquiry, Reflection, Sharing 

Testimonials

I took my first Yoga Teacher Training with Deborah in 2015. Little did I know at the time just how much it would change my life. Deb's YTT program got me out of my comfort zone and made me realize I was living small. Her love and compassionate guidance helped me to find my voice, become more confident and let go of many self-limiting beliefs. I came out of my YTT ready to teach classes safely. I came out of my YTT with a greater sense of self. I came out of my YTT with more passion and purpose — not just for yoga but for LIFE. Today, I am blessed to have my own yoga studio and the privilege of teaching yoga classes to the community. I am now becoming a teacher to teachers. I would not be the person I am, nor the teacher I am, had it not been for this beautiful soul.
I completed my Yoga Teacher Training with Deb Carruthers in 2018. It was an experience of a lifetime. It has enriched my life emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Well-instructed with support, encouragement, and space to learn and grow at your own pace. I absolutely recommend taking the YTT based on the Ashtanga method and I am forever grateful.

Course Dates

Module One Weekend Dates:

  • March 31-87 April 2
  • April 14,15, 16
  • April 28, 29, 30
  • May 12, 13, 14
  • June 2, 3, 4

Module Two Weekend Dates:

  • June 9, 10, 11
  • June 16,17,18
  • June 30- July2 
Geoff Adjustment 2 - VI Yoga School

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Module One Investment: $2400 +GST (includes a studio pass for the duration of the course, and textbooks.) 

  • Module 2 Investment: $1750. Plus gst includes studio pass, textbook, online anatomy course.

Payment Information: The deposit required to hold your place is $500.00. Three different Payment Plan Options are available. We accept Debit & Credit Cards, plus Interac etransfer. 

Applicants withdrawing 30 days before the start date are subject to a 50% administration fee.

  • The tuition fee does not include the cost of the required textbooks, nor the cost of food, travel, and accommodation.
  • The required textbooks are:
    • Kino McGregor – The Power of Ashtanga Yoga: Developing a Practice That Will Bring You Strength, Flexibility, and Inner Peace, and
    • Eddie Stern – One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga & How It Can Transform Your Life.

In Duncan, all YTT modules will be taught at VI Yoga School, 360 Duncan Street, Duncan, BC.

In addition to the training modules, including 100 hours of supervised practice, students are expected to cultivate an independent solo daily practice. It builds discipline and dedication and cultivates a meditative state. This combines well with regular periods of study with an experienced teacher.

Ready to Transform Your Practice and Your Life?

We encourage all potential students to contact VI Yoga School’s faculty members by clicking on the link below. We will contact you and answer your questions about the 300-Hour YTT Program, and you can complete an application form.

There are limited spaces in this program, so please contact us soon to secure your place.

Namaste,
Geoff and Deborah

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