300-HOUR ADVANCED YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

BUILD ON YOUR EXPERIENCE TO EXPAND AND REFINE ALL THAT YOU BRING TO TEACHING YOGA

 WHAT'S COVERED 

The Mark Stephens Yoga 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training covers all of the major topics in teaching yoga and goes far beyond the very basic curriculum standards set forth by the Yoga Alliance.

This a comprehensive training that both fills the gaps in knowledge and skills that most teachers feel they have after completing most 200-hour trainings, and it helps you to greatly refine your knowledge and skills in entirely practical ways that are in keeping with your personal values and interests in yoga.

Upon registration, you receive a welcome packet giving a general orientation to your training. You receive the reading list, recommendations on how best to get the most out of the training, and you receive Mark’s direct and personal contact information so you can discuss any questions you might have before, during, and after the training.

On the first day of the training you receive a detailed syllabus for the course along with the course Resource Book that contains materials to assist you in more deeply learning. You will also receive a Yoga Anatomy Workbook and a variety of other PDF handouts on various aspects of teaching yoga.

Our primary resource in the training is one another as we interact in a variety of ways to develop and hone our skills and knowledge. Throughout the course, Mark will give you extensive individualized guidance and support.

Teacher training can be an intensely personal and transformation experience. We begin each session with an Opening Circle to ensure we’re sharing in the clearest and most comfortably engaging, always opening to making our shared learning experience the best it can be.

In the Online Format, we meet bi-weekly (every other week) for a 3-hour Live Session via Zoom. All Live Sessions are recorded to watch and listen to at any time.

In the 9-month format, we meet bi-weekly on Saturdays in Santa Cruz from 1:00pm to 7:00pm.

Through your training, you will have extensive opportunities to engage one-to-one with Mark. He will directly with you in your 50-hour Independent Study on a topic of your choice (see below for more details).

An integral part of this training is your unlimited access to over 100 hours of resources high quality videos on yoga humanities, anatomy and physiology, teaching methodology, sequencing, asana and pranayama theory and technique, and other topics in the curriculum, allowing us to concentrate more on the practical aspects of teaching in our in-person weekend sessions.

With your successful completion of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion of  the 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. This also gives you the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 500) status with Yoga Alliance.

WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?

This training is designed for anyone who has completed a credible 200-hour training and wishes to dive far more deeply into learning and refining the skills for a lifetime of teaching yoga with spirit, intelligence, and creativity.

The 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training attracts a wide range of participants from a variety of backgrounds and diverse interests in life and yoga. Many are new to teaching yoga, some are teacher trainers themselves, some are still trying to find their path in the teaching world, while others might own studios or run retreat centers. Working and sharing together, participants in the 300-hour program have at least one thing in common: the desire to keep learning and to develop into the most highly competence and confident teacher – and potentially a teacher trainer – which this structure and processes in this training actively support – one can be.

“It was a wonderful experience attending Mark Stephens Advanced Teacher Training. Mark was a dedicated, passionate and smart teacher who motivated and inspired us all. I don't think we could of had a better teacher trainer on this planet. His online resources, his textbooks and resource book promote and support that independent learning after you return home and try your best to apply the principles as a teacher. It was fantastic.”

—Wendy Ansley, Palm Desert, CA, RYT-500

“Mark is an exceptional teacher and a constant reference to me on my yoga path. He is amazingly knowledgeable in so many areas of yoga, and I would like to highlight in particular: asana hands-on adjustments, alignment and sequencing, anatomy, pranayama and history, philosophy & ethics in teaching yoga. I super recommend this course with Mark. It has totally made a difference for me, both in my life and path as a teacher!”

—Ana Beatriz Ribiero, Sao Paula, Brazil, RYT-500

COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM

The world-class Mark Stephens Yoga Teacher Training programs concentrate on learning and integrating the five essential elements of teaching yoga, preparing new teachers to teach with confidence and competence, and experienced teachers to deepen, refine, and expand their repertoire of skills and knowledge.

1. PRACTICAL YOGA ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

A comprehensive introduction to human anatomy and physiology as they relate to yoga. Understanding the basics of joints, movement, and stability in postural practice. The energetics and basic organ systems of human beings. Application to yoga therapy.

2. YOGA HISTORIES AND PHILOSOPHIES

Survey of yoga's earliest roots and practices, including from the Vedas,13 original Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (in-depth exploration), medieval sources, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and modern and contemporary sources. Also the psychology of yoga.

3. REFINED TEACHING OF ASANA, PRANAYAMA & MEDITATION

Extensive exploration of how to teach each of over 100 postures for diverse ranges of ability and multiple conditions, focusing on the integration of informed verbal cues, visual demonstrations, and tactile cues; seven pranayama techniques and when, how, and to whom it is appropriate to teach them; a variety of meditation practices that support varied conditions and intentions in contemplative experience. Practice teaching is part of the daily training program.

4. CREATIVE SEQUENCING

General class design plus in-depth exploration of how to design classes for different styles of yoga, levels of students, student conditions, energetic or postural focus, themes, and seasons, also for workshops and retreats.

5. SPECIALIZED TEACHING

From kids to seniors, pregnant students to active athletes, emotionally depressed to hyper-anxious, PTSD to physical disabilities, plus the application of yoga to specific occupations, sports, hobbies, and other interests.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM

The comprehensive curriculum fully covers the fundamentals of yoga philosophy, teaching methods, techniques for working with a diverse array of students in all aspects of postural, breathing, and meditation practices, and myriad small matters that come into play in the art and science of teaching yoga.

We begin with the question, “What is yoga?” Then we fully dive into the interwoven threads of a holistic and integrated practice and how best to share it with others.

Asana Technique & Teaching Methods: The most extensive part of the course, here you will learn in detail how to teach each of over 75 basic yoga poses compassionately yet systematically, including their functional anatomy, alignment principles, energetic actions, risks, benefits, preparatory asanas, counterposes, variations, modifications, hands-on adjustments, and use of props. This part of the course covers the major families of asanas: Sun Salutations, Standing Poses, Backbends, Forward Bends, Twists, Arm Balances, Inversions, Core Refinement, and Hip Openers.

Practical Yoga History & Philosophy: A practical survey of yoga's interconnected histories and diverse philosophies that distills the essential insights for teaching yoga. We look at the ancient-to-current threads of yoga and how they have developed and been intertwined over the ages, exploring key passages from the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Tantra, early to modern Hatha, as well as somatic theory and other 20th and 21st century sources that can inform how we practice and teach. We give close attention to ethics in teaching, including matters of emotional transference and projection, sexual harassment, and how to ensure an emotionally and physically safe space for practicing and self-transformation.

Practical Yoga Anatomy: A hands-on introduction to functional anatomy, bio-mechanics, and the kinesiology of movement as applied to seeing students in the practice and guiding them in a meaningful, safe, and effective way. You will learn about the basic human skeletal structure; how different types of bones, joints, muscles and connective tissues optimally function in postural practices; the basics of human movement so you better understand transitions in and out of asanas; close study of the spine, hips, and shoulders as they relate to all seven families (and sub-families) as asanas.

Designing & Sequencing Classes: The art and science of sequencing families of asanas and crafting entire classes, including for different levels of students, different intentions, seasons, styles and other considerations. Here we also cover pacing, duration, tempo, and vibe for different levels and intentions of classes.

Teaching Pranayama: Basic and intermediate pranayama techniques, including how, when, and whom to teach basic yoga breathing (ujjayi pranayama) and more intermediate pranayama techniques – including sama and visama vritti, viloma, kumbhaka, kapalabhati, bastrika, sitali, seetkari, murcha, plavini, and nadi shodhana.

Subtle Energy & Anatomy: Awareness and activation of subtle energy, including how to cultivate bandhas and the relationship between pranayama, bandhas, and the elements of yogic anatomy, including koshas, chakras, nadis, vayus, gunas, and doshas.

Meditation Practices: In demystifying meditation, we explore how to bring meditation into yoga classes and everyday life in way that is simple, accessible, and sustainable. We explore several meditation techniques.

The Art of Seeing & Relating: An integral part of the course, here we learn to systematically observe, appreciate, and understand what is happening with different students in each of the 75 asanas, thereby developing the necessary skills for working individually with your students and giving appropriate verbal cues, hands-on adjustments, and use of props.

Demonstrating & Cuing: Here we focus on when, where, and how to most effectively demonstrate yoga poses while giving the clearest, most understandable verbal and hands-on guidance to students. Qualities of voice, including language, tone, and audibility, are given close attention.

Hands-On Adjustments: We go deeply into the full range of hands-on adjustments, an essemntial skill for all yoga teachers. It begins with an in-depth consideration of the principles of tactile cues, and then looks at specific techniques for guiding students in over 50 poses. Here you will work with one another to learn, practice, and refine your ability to guide students.

Teaching Pre/Post-Natal Yoga: Every public yoga teacher is a pre-natal yoga teacher if only because you will definitely have pregnant students in your yoga classes. Here we look closely at maternal anatomy and physiology, adaptation of the practice for each trimester of pregnancy, indications and contra-indications for various conditions, effective use props, emotional and psychological aspects of pre-natal experience, preparation for delivery, delivery, and post-partum reintegration through yoga.

Working with Student Injuries & Special Conditions: Students come to classes with a variety of conditions, including acute and chronic injuries, disease, and other conditions that need to be considered in guiding their practice. We will consider several of the most common conditions: joint issues (ankles, knees, hips, sacro-iliac, spinal, shoulders, elbows, wrists), scoliosis, osteopororis and students undergoing chemotherapy.

Making Yoga Meaningful: Why do you do yoga? What are the core values at the heart of your practice? How can you best be true to your values while holding space for othersand their values in your classes? How might you best create space in class and provide guidance to students in making their yoga experience more meaningfulin the fullness of their lives?

Class Observation: Buy observing experienced teachers in the act of leading live classes, you will further refine your insights into what different students are likely experiencing in their yoga practices, thereby expanding your own skills in leading classes.

Practice Teaching: From the very beginning of this course, you will work with other participants to teach classes, starting with working one-on-one and gradually developing the confidence and skill to lead larger and larger classes. Each practice teaching session includes extensive feedback and discussion of teaching techniques and methods.

Lifestyle & Ethics: How we live our larger lives off the mat, including personal yoga practice, nutrition, sleep, relations with family and friends, and being in community are essential aspects of deepening our yoga and sharing it with dignity and integrity.

The Profession & Business of Yoga: This covers the role of the teacher, getting yourself established as a professional yoga teacher, and being successful in teaching yoga as your source of livelihood.