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VI Yoga School's
300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
The Vancouver Island Yoga School is pleased to announce its new 300-hour yoga teacher training program that gives students an authentic experience of traditionally taught classical yoga.
The course curriculum is based on the Ashtanga Vinyasa Method and Patanjali Sutras. The objective for students is to significantly deepen their personal practice and knowledge of practical yoga philosophy and allow this to inform their future teaching.
VIYS faculty, Geoff MacKenzie and Deborah Carruthers, talk a little about the program:
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.
Explore the Ashtanga Primary Series
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
I have been practicing yoga for over 25 years since beginning on a forest floor in France in 1996. I began teaching classes in 2004 after completing a YTT in Victoria, BC. My guidance is informed by extensive studies with R. Sharath Jois and his family in Mysore, India, combined with input from innovative Western practitioners. Modern approaches to strength, mobility, and breathwork training feature in my own practice too.
My students consider me a reliable, steady presence in the classroom. You can count on me 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, I want you to breathe well, move well, and focus your mind on what you’re doing.
Deborah Carruthers
Director of Vancouver Island Yoga School
I have 13 years of teaching experience in the Ashtanga method. As the director of Harmony Yoga and Wellness Center, I facilitated eight teacher training programs and four retreats to Kerala, India.
I honour my teachers along the way in the Mysore method with Geoff MacKenzie, Rolf and Marcia Naujokat (Goa), Sharmila Desi (Goa), David Swensen, Kino Macgregor, and Tim Feldman (Miami). I hold a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and a Level One Ayurveda Practitioner Certification.
The Curriculum
The curriculum will include:
- Advanced yoga asanas
- Level II adjustments
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Yoga philosophy (Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Tantra, Goddess)
- The Energetic Body
- Ayurveda
- Asana sequencing
- Pranayama
- Ethics
- Yoga business development
- Teacher communication skills
- Meditation
- Circle time, inquiry, and reflection
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
We are pleased to announce that our next 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training program will be held at VIYS in Duncan, BC, Canada, with tentative dates from early November 2022 to early March 2023!
The course will be delivered in a series of weekend modules starting March 4th, 2022, and delivered in modules of one weekend per month, with two 4-5 day intensives, over a period of six months.
Location of training modules: First Light Yoga, 718 E 20th Ave, Vancouver BC.
Tentative dates for 2022
- March 4th, 5th, & 6th - Course kick-off
- April 1st, 2nd, & 3rd
- April 29th, 30th, & May 1st
- May 19th-24th
- June 17th, 18th, & 19th
- July 1st thru 5th (Friday evening to Tuesday afternoon)
- July 29th thru August 2nd (Friday evening to Tuesday afternoon)
- September 2nd thru 5th (Friday evening to Monday afternoon)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Cost for the 300-hour certification program: $3,800 plus GST.
- The deposit required to hold your place is $300. You may pay in two or three equal installment payments. We accept debit and credit cards.
- Applicants withdrawing 30 days before the start date are subject to a 20% 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 Vancouver, all YTT modules will be taught at First Light Yoga in the Bridge & Enrich Lives Society building, 718 E 20th Avenue, Vancouver, 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