ORIENTATION - Santosha Yoga Institute · create any stress in anyone’s life, we are here to support and nourish our students. Therefore, if you need more time, no problem, whatever

O R I E N T A T I O N

Copyright Santosha Yoga Institute v3 All Rights Reserved 2015 3

Welcome!

Welcome to the 200-hour Santosha Yoga Institute Online Yoga Teacher Training.

We are indeed honoured to have you with us, and so proud you are on the path towards reconnecting to your true self, allowing you the time and space to learn the ancient teachings of yoga that were a gift from Patanjali, to heal the world.

Your teachings are not made up, you are learning the teachings of Sri. T Krishnamacharya, who was the teacher of teachers. He believed asanas are applied for each individual, in that moment, at that time. Teaching yoga is not a casual routine by anybody, to everybody. Yoga is unique, highly individualized and very specific, with clear intentions.

The goal of yoga is to heal and not harm, to reach a state of calmness and ease, and to be still and controlled in your mind. If a teacher is not leading a student to stillness and clarity, understanding of the mind, body and spirit, then what is it the yoga teacher is teaching? Certainly not Yoga! ‘Chitta Vritti Nirodha’, cessations of the fluctuations of the mind, is the goal of yoga.

You are learning what is known as, Viniyoga, or Vinyasa Krama. The authentic teachings and scriptures. Allow yourself time to absorb these teachings. Do not feel


rushed to get to the end, but rather savour the teachings. Allow time to practice them as you move through.

You do not need to finish the course in 12 months. We are not in this business to create any stress in anyone’s life, we are here to support and nourish our students. Therefore, if you need more time, no problem, whatever it takes, we are alongside you each step of the way.

If you also need additional Skype sessions with a Senior Teacher, then no problem again, we are here to help you be the BEST YOGA TEACHER YOU CAN BE. :) This course is young, so we appreciate any feedback that would enhance your learning or that of others, we are here to LISTEN. :)

We have graduated thousands of students, so Santosha is not just any School, but a School with experience and understanding of the journey to becoming a yoga teacher! We are here to support and help with love and compassion.

This document should act as a reference point throughout your teacher training. keep a copy handy and come back to it as you need for guidance.

Oceans of love, Sunny and the Santosha Team


Course Objectives• Provide students with a comprehensive Level 1, 200-hour Yoga Teacher

Training course from the teachings of Sri. T Krishnamacharya that enhances their personal practice and enables them to provide safe, intelligent and engaging yoga experiences for others

• Provide a supportive and compassionate learning environment for students that challenges them to do and be their very best

• Provide a well-rounded understanding of the foundations of yoga including the history, underlying philosophy, keys to well-being and all parts of a holistic yoga practice including asana, breath development and meditation thereby nourishes the whole person according to the ancient teachings of yoga and Ayurveda

• Provide students with a deep understanding of and guidance to further develop their own personal practice, including but not limited to, breath awareness, development and pranayama, asana and meditation

• Develop student’s understanding of the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology required to teach safely and cue correctly

• Provide students with an understanding of the keys to teaching to a diverse client-base including, but not limited to those that are pregnant, menstruating, injured or ill and of varied levels of experience

• Develop confident yoga teachers who are able to plan, prepare and conduct yoga classes that are sequenced appropriately. Additionally, this course aims to develop a yoga teacher’s teaching style in order for them to create inclusive classes that provide safe modifications and an atmosphere that allows for a range of clients to reap the benefit of a high-quality yoga practice

• Provide students with a range of key factors to consider when planning to create a successful yoga business or to begin working as a yoga teacher

• Provide rigorous and rich learning and assessment experiences and ongoing, high-quality feedback to students in order to provide them with a learning experience comparable to Santosha’s face-to-face Yoga Teacher Trainings, thereby enhancing their learning for the benefit of their own practice and others


Assignments

There are 2 types of assignments in this course: 1) Foundation Assignments and; 2) Course Assignments

Foundation assignments are best completed towards the start of the course, however, we understand that reading, ordering books etc. can take time. Therefore, please get started on what you can either Foundation or Course Assignments, whichever you feel you have the most resources and knowledge to begin first.

1) Foundation AssignmentsThey allow you to build a foundation of knowledge that is required to engage in the rest of the course materials. There are 6 foundation assignments.

1. Daily Reflections Assignment (not submitted)2. Daily Self-Practice (not submitted)3. The Power of Now Assignment2. Additional Reading Assignment3. Anatomy Assignment4. Samkhya Philosophy Assignment

2) Course Assignments

There are 10 course assignments that must be completed. These are to be completed after the foundation assignments have been completed. Please book your first Skype session with a Senior Teacher prior to starting these.

1. Journal Entries 2. Module Comprehension Checks3. Santosha Breath and Movement Manual Assignment4. Self-Practice Sequence Assignment5. Meditation Assignment6. Pranayama Assignment


7. Teacher Tune-up Assignment8. Sequencing Assignment9. Video Class Analysis Assignment10. Video Assignment

• In some cases, following submission, you may be required to do more work. Please be patient with the learning process. We will work with you to ensure you are a safe and intelligent yoga teacher.

• All information regarding the requirements of your assignments can be found at the end of the module that they relate to. A complete list of all assignments in this course with each task description can also be found in the Assignment Tasks document, it is a summary of all of the assignments you are required to complete throughout this course.

• Finally, we have created an Assignment Checklist document for your organisation, so that you can tick off assignments and journal entries as they are completed and keep track of your progress.

• We have strict submission guidelines to ensure your assignments are received, reviewed and read in order to return them to you with feedback in a timely manner. Please follow the steps below when submitting assignments.

◦ All assignments, journal entries and module comprehension checks are to be sent in to [email protected] in a PDF document for marking.

◦ The subject line should include your full name and the assignment being submitted only.e.g. Jane Doe - Meditation Assignment

◦ Please send one assignment, journal entry or comprehension check per email for ease of marking.

◦ Please DO NOT send multiple assignments attached to one email. Please send one per email. We are happy to get six emails from you in a row, not one email with six assignments attached ☺


Getting Started

1. Required TextbooksPurchase your required reading or download them. If you do not have the books, or are waiting their arrival, you can still get started with the course materials. The required texts are:

A. G. Mohan – Yoga for Body, Breath and Mind -https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Breath-Mind-Reintegration/dp/1570629773/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502950893&sr=1-1&keywords=Yoga+for+body+breath+and+mind

Gary Kraftsow – Yoga for Wellness - https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Wellness-Timeless-Teachings-Viniyoga/dp/0140195696/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502950947&sr=1-1&keywords=gary+kraftsow

D.R. N Chandrasekaran - Yoga Therapy, Vol 1 https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Therapy-Dr-N-Chandrasekaran/dp/8192343308

Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+power+of+now+by+eckhart+tolle&sprefix=Power+of+NOw+%2Cstripbooks%2C375&crid=1BSSZ7T5Y891D

A. G. Mohan and Indra Mohan – Yoga Therapy - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=yoga+therapy+mohan&sprefix=Yoga+Therapy+%2Cstripbooks%2C375&crid=2HOO44J0GI9NI

Anodea Judith - Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System https://www.amazon.com/Wheels-Life-Chakra-System-Llewellyns/dp/0875423205

Ray Long - The Key Muscles of Yogahttps://www.amazon.com.au/Key-Muscles-Yoga-Scientific-Keys-ebook/dp/B00JS50UHQ


2. Resource CenterAccess the Santosha Online Resource Centre to access all of your course materialshttp://santoshayogainstitute.edu.au/online-yoga-training/level-1-ytt-200-online/student-resources/ Username: santoshaonline Password: SantoshaYTTOnlinePlease do not change the Username or Password

3. FacebookJoin the ‘Santosha Yoga Online Students’ Facebook Group. Course announcements will be posted here and will provide an opportunity for connecting with other online students.https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=santosha%20yoga%20online%20students%20%3A)

4. Watch Episode 1-0 - Welcome to Santosha’s Online Yoga TeacherTraining Course These will prepare and give you a feel for the course, the intentions and origins of Santosha Yoga Institute.

5. Download all Santosha Manuals from the Santosha Online Resource CenterYou will need these when you begin learning more about asana postures and sequencing:

◦ Santosha Breath and Movement Manual ◦ Santosha Vinyasa Krama Manual

6. Download the Assignment tasks and Assignment Checklist documentsThese documents can be found in the Santosha Online Resource Centre. Read over these documents carefully as these assignments need to be completed prior to beginning course modules. If your books have not arrived, start with what you can until your books arrive :)


7. Begin with any of the AssignmentsNote: Whilst it is recommended to start the Foundation assignments first, we understand reading or obtaining books can take time therefore, start what you can. For example, The Power of Now assignment can be moved through/completed as you read the book. You can watch any and all of the videos, as you move through the questions to help assist you with poses and a deeper understanding. Watch the videos more than once!

8. Begin keeping a Daily Self-ReflectionBegin keeping a Daily Self-Reflection in a journal or notebook. This is for your personal use and will not be marked. You do not need to send this into Santosha for marking. This is for you. Try and complete this at the end of every day ☺

9. Start or continue your Daily Self-Practice Download and use the Daily Self-Practice Guide to start or continue your self-practice from the Resource Centre. It is essential that you use and follow this document for your self-practice as it includes the correct sequencing, asanas and practices that you will be assessed on in this course. More importantly, it has been designed to allow you to continue to deepen your practice in a safe and supportive way and ensures you embody the teachings offered in this course.

10. Start working through Course ModulesYou can start downloading and completing modules and associated course assignments from the Santosha Online Resource Center.


Connecting

Skype MeetingsThe purpose of these meetings is to guide and mentor you through course materials and assignments and to provide individual one-on-one feedback to you.

When you have finished your Foundation Assignments please log on to book a meeting with a Senior Teacher at:http://www.meetme.so/santoshayogaytt

(If you would like to book these earlier, please do :))Skype username: santosha.ytt

Queries and questions

If you require assistance or would like to provide feedback please get in touch via WhatsApp:

+61 428 190 029

Networking

Sunny, our founder and director loves to stay in touch with each Santosha graduate. You can connect with her via her Facebook at ‘Sunny Santosha’.

Please note, we would like to direct the best help to each of our students and ask that the above communication lines are used for their intended purpose. This ensures we address each student concern in a timely and effective manner.

If you have any questions on the above, are having difficulty finding any of the items listed in the resource center, or cannot log in to the Santosha Online Resource Center please email us at: [email protected]


Lastly…

Please remember that this is a learning journey and you are not alone! You are supported by our teachers and fellow students. You will learn a lot about yourself and your students and this course will be a blessing to your wellbeing and that of others.

Enjoy! xx

Sunny and the Santosha Team

Your Teachings are not ours, your teachings come from our master Sri. T Krishnamacharya


Copyright

All rights reserved 2015. The materials in this course have been carefully researched and put together for the intention of creating a comprehensive learning experience for students. Please respect our work and share your learnings but not in an exploitative manner. ☺


Disclaimer

This course provides suggested practices for yoga, however, as with all individuals, certain physical activities and practices are not appropriate for all.

If you, your partner or friends intend on partaking in the practices provided in this course, please ensure assessment with a medical professional prior to starting.

There is always a risk of physical injury in any exercise or physical practice and as such please be mindful of your body’s unique needs and limitations which may change on a day-to-day basis.

Santosha and its teachers, course writers and featured guests on this training do not assume any liability for loss or injury suffered whilst partaking or in connection with this course and its’ instructions or use.

Documents

ORIENTATION - Santosha Yoga Institute · create any stress in anyone’s life, we are here to support and nourish our students. Therefore, if you need more time, no problem, whatever