Part 1: Foundations: Teaching a Practice of Surrender

Alignment is relative to position of Pelvis

• Introduction to Taoist Anatomical Analysis and Yin Yoga Sutras of Paul Grilley

• Interactive hands-on study of anatomy
• 14 Functional Segments of the Skeleton
• Understanding and discriminating sensation: Tension vs Compression, Muscle vs Fascia, Physical vs Subtle Energy
• Finding skeletal landmarks and testing range of motion
• Communication: When to listen/observe, when to speak/lead
• Introduction to sequencing
• Prayer for Teacher and Student (aka Shanti Prayer)

Yin Yoga is a very simple practice. We settle into an asana for 3-7 minutes and slowly relax our muscles to allow the deeper drier tissues–the connective tissues that wrap our muscles and make up our joint capsules–to be safely and therapeutically stretched, stimulated and strengthened.

The alignment rules of the postures are also simple, but more importantly they are functional and organic: We listen to our bodies and lead ourselves into the shape that follows the natural contours of our spine, pelvis and hips. However, bringing ourselves into this simplicity can be quite challenging. The practice of being still and quiet for minutes at a time can be trying enough, let alone while dropping into a powerful stretch that moves across wide sheets of fascia and drops deep into the ligaments of the joints. And listening to our bodies to find the natural alignment of the pose requires a power of discrimination, and an understanding and familiarity with the ever-changing sensations in the body.

In this training, we will analyze, observe and practice all of these elements of Yin Yoga in depth. We will examine ourselves on a personal level with ancient meditation techniques that guide us into a steady awareness of the changing sensations in the postures. We will study with slides of real bones and by articulating the joints on a plastic skeleton. But mostly we will have an interactive, hands-on study and examine eachother with anatomical range of motion (ROM) tests. The study culminates in a truer understanding of the the infinite variety of human bodies (from the bones up), an understanding of why every posture should be modified to the individual, and the basic techniques to help guide each Yin Yoga student with their unique skeletal structures into the appropriate asana for them.

Part 2:  Understanding Alignment, Functional and Organic

• Learning through images: Mandalas of Thigh and Torso
• Target Areas of Yin Yoga

• More Range of Motion tests, expanding on Skeletal Variations
• 20 is Plenty: Basic Yin Yoga Postures
• Bhava: Intention, Sequencing, Teaching and the Energy Curve
• To adjust, or not to adjust: Intro to Assisted Yin Yoga

In this second module of Yin Yoga Teacher Training, we will go further into the study of skeletal variations and individual modifications to more of the Yin Yoga poses because this is the foundation of the Yin Yoga TT which we must always be reinforcing with continual, live and interactive anatomy studies; and because, the source of most injuries in Yoga is a misunderstanding of anatomical differences in our bones.

However, part 2 takes our study of Functional Alignment further and into schematics of Muscle, Fascia and subtle energy channels in order to focus a little less on what we are avoiding and a little more on our target areas in each posture.

This weekend culminates into the art of developing an effective and appropriate Energy Curve in a yoga class, and the art of sequencing Yin Yoga postures for a dominantly Yin class or as a means to support a more fiery and/or fluid Flow (Yang) class.

Part 3: Putting It All Together

Finally a review and deeper study into all of the elements of the first two parts of the program.

This third segment of the Yin Yoga Teacher Training shows the budding teachers how to integrate their new skills and put them into action. Trainees now practice teaching (colleagues and/or general public), receive critical feedback, and complete their training journals including a refined script for Yin Yoga class.

10-15 hours per weekend
Example:

Fridays 6:00 – 9:00pm
Saturdays 11:00 – 2:00pm & 3:00 – 5:00pm
Sundays 11:00 – 2:00pm & 3:00 – 5:00pm