Yoga Institute

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living...

Home About Teacher Training Courses Workshops Retreats Classes Mentoring Therapy Contact Payments

Diploma Advanced Diploma Graduate Opportunities Enhance Your Training FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What style of yoga to do you at the Yoga Institute?

There are many different styles of Yoga available today.

Many styles (including Iyengar Yoga and Ashstanga Yoga) come from teachings that originated from one of the greatest Yoga masters T Krishnamacharya. Considered an outstanding teacher of yoga and healer, his conviction was that yoga practice should always be adapted to suit the individuality and particular situation of each practitioner. The breath and various breathing yoga techniques (pranayama) are also central to his teaching. Today his approach is sometimes referred to as “viniyoga”. We prefer to refer to it as the classical teachings of yoga.

The Yoga Institute Teacher Training courses has been developed by senior yoga teacher and therapist and counselling psychologist Michael de Manincor (Course Director) from years of study in India with Krishnamacharya’s son, TKV Desikachar who offers the most authentic continuation of these teachings available in the world today.

Will I learn how to teach private yoga as well as classes?

Yes. Most yoga training tends to focus on developing skills to design yoga for groups or classes. In our Diploma course there is an equal emphasis on cultivating the skills to design yoga for the class setting and also the development of a personalised home yoga practice for clients. This involves a refinement of the teacher's capacity to observe their students, find out about their unique needs and goals and tailor the tools of yoga to best suit that person.

The starting point in both context is that we adapt the yoga to support the person, rather than fitting the person into the yoga.

How will I be support during my studies?

Each student will be assigned a mentor. Typically the mentor is a senior teacher who is a Level 2 member of Yoga Australia. Each student will meet regularly with their mentor (ideally monthly) who will guide them in their personal practice for the duration of their training and also provide them with general support and direction in their studies.

Professional yoga mentoring is designed to provide yoga teachers and trainee teachers with ongoing guidance in their personal and professional yoga journey. While it is always customised to meet the specific needs of each teacher, the key areas explored include:

• Personal Yoga Practice: Development and review of an appropriate home yoga practice

• Continuing Education Guidance: Supporting the ongoing education of the student.This might involve further discussion into an various aspect of yoga e.g.: pranayama techniques, review of an assigment or practice plan. It is based on the needs of the student

• Practicum Guidance: Support through out the practicum component of the course to maximise the learning opportunity

In addition, each student is also teamed up with a study buddy who can, for example, collect notes for you if you miss a class.

Who is Krishnamacharya?

At the Yoga Institute we teach an approach to yoga that comes from the teachings of Professor T. Krishnamacharya, who is considered to be one of the greatest yogis of the past century, and whose teachings have greatly influenced the practice of Yoga throughout the modern world.

During the one hundred years of his life, he inspired thousands of practitioners worldwide. Prominent teachers such as B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi, and A.G. Mohan were all taught by this great master, and the lineage of his teachings continues to be passed on through one of his closest students for many years, his own son, T.K.V. Desikachar, and now also his grandson, Kausthub Desikachar. More

What happens if I have to miss a training day?

No problem. Most people doing the course are juggling other commitments therefore we try to make our courses as flexible as possible. If you can not attend a session or a training day there are a few options. You can; attend the session you missed at one of the other courses eg: the weekend course if you are doing the Friday course, arrange for the session to be videoed by one of the students or the lecturer, get the course notes from your study buddy or arrange for your mentor to cover the content you missed. Please note that you need to attend at least 80% of any subject.

What does the practicum involve?

Students are required to do 40 hours of practicum as part of the Yoga Institute’s Diploma of Yoga Teaching. It is made up of a progressive mix of observing classes, assisting classes and the final stage is indepentent teaching. There is also a practicum component to the Private Yoga module so students can develop their skills in designing a personalised home yoga practice for a client. This is value part of the training to consolidate teaching skills.

The time allocated to the practicum components account for the scope of activities that make up the practicum including; pre-class preparation, post-class review, writing up a summary of observations and key learnings.

Trainee teachers work closely with their mentor when planning and doing their practicum to ensure they are well supported as they develop their teaching skills and confidence.