Adaptive Yoga Teacher Training

Phase 1 Module

Course Description:

Focus on making the teachings of Yoga available to individuals with disabilities and physical challenges by exploring the many ways the Yoga practice can be modified. Adaptive Yoga examines the essential benefits of each asana and Yoga practice to determine how to best implement these practices without strain to one’s physical, mental, or emotional condition. Training hours include lectures and workshops, attending Gentle and Chair Yoga classes in the community, a research project with written report and oral presentation, one-on-one sessions, class presentations, and reading assignments. Learn adapted and supported poses (including how to modify a class in a chair or bed); anatomy and physiology with an overview of common medical conditions and the major impacts of aging on the physical body; and methods to address special physical, mental, and emotional needs of students who are aging, injured, or have other special needs. Focus on teaching warm-up techniques for gentle joint mobilization and stretches that prepare the body for the asanas and strategies for introducing the more subtle aspects of Yoga practices such as meditation, chanting, deep relaxation, and Yoga Nidra.

Curriculum:

• Focus on asana (postures); how to adapt for various conditions/limitations
• Learn how to work with props including wheelchairs and walkers
• Review anatomy and physiology as it relates to various conditions such as osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, spinal conditions, osteoporosis, various cancers, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, etc…learn what to do and not do for specific conditions
• Deepen experience through pranayama (breath work), meditation, Yoga nidra (Yogic rest), and Raja Yoga (philosophy)
• Learn how to create a safe space/environment for your students

In this Training you will…

• Receive an in-depth training manual, specifically designed to support you as you continue to grow as an Adaptive teacher
• Gain access to a student portal that provides a centralized location for all your training materials, recordings of the daily practices, and other resources to facilitate a deep immersion
• Collaborate with your fellow teachers-in-training during break-out sessions, designed to help to get to know one another
• Practice teaching and receive constructive feedback from your trainers and peers
• Work one-on-one with people living with specific conditions
• Observe and participate in several classes including Gentle Mat, Chair, and Restorative Yoga; Yoga for Arthritis; Yoga for the Heart; Yoga for people living with multiple sclerosis; and Yoga for Osteoporosis
• Complete a research paper exploring a physical or mental condition of your choosing and develop a practice to support the student with that condition
• Create and design your own Chair/Gentle Mat Yoga class to share as your final practicum

Once you have met all requirements, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from Integral Yoga as an Adaptive Gentle/Chair Yoga teacher.

Upon graduation, you can expect to be able to guide people living with limitations confidently and compassionately through a Hatha Yoga experience that is both safe and satisfying. You will be able to teach in many settings, including Yoga studios, gyms, assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, veterans’ organizations, schools, prisons, and hospitals.

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