Please note: We are sold out of single rooms and have just one spot in a triple room left. Doubles are still available.
Our Namaslay® Yoga Teacher Training program was such a success in Thailand, and since we've been receiving requests for a Europe-based training, we decided to make it happen! We'll be headed to Santorini, Greece in April of 2019 for an intensive 200hr training! Our venue, Hotel Pelagos, will make a beautiful backdrop of learning all things yoga. It also sits just minutes from Oia, the gorgeous, 'gram-worthy town that you see all over Instagram! Check out all the information here and when you're ready, submit your application!
Namaslay® YTT Graduate Joey participates in strength class
What makes this yoga teacher training unique?
Over the years, I've found that many yoga teacher training programs are lacking in a few key areas.
Strength Training For Yoga: One major component I've noticed that's left out of so many yoga teacher trainings is foundational basics for strength training. Based on what I see in classes I both teach and attend, I see many students relying on their mobility (and often, their hyper-mobility - yikes!), to get them through powerful vinyasa classes. The danger is that over time, relying on that hyper-mobility may lead to joint damage and potential injury. A great way to balance out hyper-mobility is building strength. Not only will the strength building personally impact our trainees in their overall health, but it will give their yoga practice that extra boost it may need to take it to the next level. In addition, the vital strength training information they learn in the Namaslay® Yoga Teacher Training program will ensure they'll have solutions for their students with hyper-mobility. We'll be bringing in a strength and conditioning coach to teach the foundational basics for strength building as it applies to yoga.
Entrepreneurial Class for Yoga Teachers: I can't tell you how many newly minted yoga teachers have written to me and said, "Ok, I graduated from my teacher training, but I don't feel comfortable enough to teach and I feel like I can't make any money!" The Namaslay® Yoga Teacher Training includes classes on how to market yourself as a yoga teacher, how to build a strong social media presence, how to design workshops and retreats, and will answer all your questions about how to create a viable business as a yoga instructor. Not that yoga is about money, but we all have bills to pay! In addition, trainees of our program will get teaching experience daily, from day one. Yes, you read that right. It is our mission to ensure our graduates feel comfortable and confident to teach immediately after our training.
Yoga for All: One thing that's always stuck out to me is the lack of training to accommodate all bodies at yoga class. Many of us teachers were taught a script that really only works for one type of person - the slender, bendy person. It doesn't take into account the fact that many people have bigger bodies. People carrying extra weight cannot do, for example, a comfortable downward dog with the traditional cue of "feet hip distance" due to their bellies because bigger bellies create a different center-point of gravity than the slender, bendy person has. Cueing needs to reflect this so that you can welcome bigger students in your class safely and ensure they get something out of the practice. The Namaslay® Yoga Teacher Training includes education on how to safely teach yoga for bigger bodies, as well as the elderly, and people with PTSD and anxiety.
Namaslay® Yoga Classes: Upon graduating our teacher training program, you will be able to register as a 200hr yoga teacher who is able to teach vinyasa and yin yoga, and you may also offer Namaslay® yoga classes as retreat, studio or workshop offerings. You will have the option, if you like, to use our trademarked Namaslay® Yoga name. The content of your Namaslay® class is completely up to you, and we're confident you'll have ideas galore you can draw upon from the Namaslay® curriculum. Some of the advantages of having permission to call your classes, retreats or workshops Namaslay® Yoga include:
marketing help from YBC® - once you have the details of your Namaslay® class, workshop or retreat set, simply get in touch with us and we will promote your offering on our website (great for SEO), and social media (great for your own social exposure)
exclusivity and marketability - only those who graduate our YTT will be approved to use our Namaslay® trademark for their offerings
Additional supplementary teachings: At YBC®, we understand yoga to be so much more than a standard script of postures, breath-work and meditation on the mat. We understand yoga to be a way of life. We live our yoga on and off the mat. We bring the lessons of yoga to everything we do from eating to socializing to working out, which is why the Namaslay® Teacher Training also incorporates discussions on gut health, stress and the human body, communication for yoga teachers, and growth mindset.
In addition, the curriculum goes above and beyond what is required by the Yoga Alliance and provides all the vital, foundational tools you need as a yoga teacher. We live our lives by the Namaslay® message, which marries old world yogic principles to modern life, and we are confident that through this training, you will emerge a competent, capable, exceptional yoga teacher, eager to help others learn to live the best version of their lives.
Candace showing how to use props for supta baddha konasana
The Curriculum
The Namaslay® 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program is accredited by Yoga Alliance, which means that it meets stringent standards for yoga education, and upon successful completion of our training, you will be able to register through the Yoga Alliance, if you choose, as a 200hr yoga teacher. Our program covers:
Yogic Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics
Introduction to Yogic Texts
Introduction to Yamas and Niyamas
Introduction to Conscious Eating
Introduction to Sanskrit
Aromatherapy for yoga
The Entrepreneurial Yogi: social media, and marketing
Seva
Teaching Methodology
Applying Yogic Ethics to Modern Business as a Yoga Teacher
The Greatness Within: Realizing your true potential
Yoga Class Design and Sequencing
Yoga Workshop Design and Sequencing
Communication Skills for Yoga Teachers
How to Teach Special Groups- An emphasis on people with PTSD, people who are overweight, athletes, and the elderly
Anatomy and Physiology
Intro to the Knee, Shin, Calf and Foot
Intro to Glutes and Hips
Intro to Arms and Trunk
Intro to Shoulders and Chest
Intro to Jaw, Head, Neck and Upper Back
Intro to Chakras
Intro to Bandhas
Stress, the Human Body and Gut Health
Basic Movement Foundations
Strength Building Fitness for Yoga
Techniques, Training and Practice
Meditations and Mudras
Pranayama Techniques and Practices
Teaching Sun Salutes A & B
Intro to Teaching Seated Postures
Intro to Teaching Standing Postures
Intro to Teaching Supine Postures
Intro to Arm Balances and Advanced Poses
Intro to Teaching Yin Yoga
In Focus: Hip Opening
In Focus: Back Bending
Principles of Demos, Assists and Corrections
Practicum
Teaching Sun Salutes A and B
Teaching a Workshop
Teaching a Guided Mediation/Centering
Teaching a Yoga Class without Pose Calling
Teaching a Yoga Class without your mat
Two written exams
Namaslay® teacher Dan Morgan with YTT graduate Daron going over sequencing
The Teachers
We will have a small team of highly skilled instructors to help run the program. I will be teaching the business and marketing sections of the training, the communication classes, personal development and various morning classes. I will also co-teach the asana classes and assists/adjusts classes. In my own studies, my main focus was Ashtanga Vinyasa, and the majority of my studies have been under Mark Ansari, a direct student of Patthabi Jois. I take frequent master classes with renowned teachers, and consider myself a student first, always. However, I physically cannot teach this entire curriculum myself, and even if I could, it would not be in the best interest of your education. I firmly believe it's important for our Namaslay® trainees to be taught by a number of different teachers from various backgrounds and with different teaching styles. Therefore, for this training, we will be bringing in the following guest teachers, among others:
Danny Tavino, Strength and Conditioning, CF-L1
Jen Mehall, Special Focus and Asana
Kathrine MacLeod, Asana, Yin, and Personal Development
Candace leading a YTT lecture on yoga class design and sequencing
Your Certification
Upon successfully passing our 200hr yoga teacher training program, you will be certified to teach yoga anywhere in the world. Through our training, you will be able to teach vinyasa, power, yin and Namaslay® yoga classes. You'll be able to register with the Yoga Alliance, if you wish, as a 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher. Should you offer Namaslay® classes, YBC® will be able to help you with marketing.
Note that we do not sell certifications, and that your participation in the training does not guarantee you a certification. Certifications will be granted only upon successfully passing our written exam and practicums. The graduation ceremony will take place on the second to last day of the training.
Namaslay® YTT Graduate Eva practices adjustments on fellow graduate Danielle
Who is this training for?
The Namaslay® Yoga Teacher Training program is intensive. It is no joke. This is not a relaxing, care-free retreat, but rather an introspective, rigorous program that will be physically and mentally demanding. This is a time for deep, intensive self-study that will not only better your own life, but brighten the lives of those you reach through your teaching. This training is for people who aren't 100% satisfied with where they're at. It's for people who are ready to make a change, but who might be a little apprehensive about taking the first step. This training is for people who want more out of their lives, who feel that deep down, they possess a profound inherent strength and gift, and are looking for a training to help them bring it to life.
This yoga teacher training is best suited for people who want to be yoga teachers. While we are open to accepting people who are looking to deepen their own personal practice yet do not have a desire to teach, please note that this training has a strong emphasis on developing qualified, exceptional teachers, and there will be a tremendous amount of practice teaching and business classes throughout the program in which all trainees are expected to participate.
This training is not suited for pregnant women due to the acrobatic nature of the training.
Please note that this training is very physically and mentally demanding. April can be unpredictable in Santorini, and regardless of weather, we will be outside the majority of the time, under a protective yoga tent. It's important that you be in good physical and mental health to successfully complete the program. Please note that you do not need to know or be able to do every single yoga pose. You're coming to us to learn, so you don't need to know everything right off the bat. However, you should have a strong personal yoga practice (at least three classes per week - one of which is hot yoga) so that the training won't be a total shock to your system.
Namaslay® YTT Graduate Christina assists fellow graduate Liz
Dates and Scheduling
This training will take place April 4, 2019 - April 22, 2019. You may check in anytime after 3pm on April 4, and we will have our first class at 4pm on April 4, followed by a welcome dinner. On April 22, we'll have a morning graduation celebration and you may leave any time after 10am. This is an intensive yoga teacher training program, which means the days are tightly scheduled. You will likely not have a day off, although there may be a few free hours towards the end of the training. A typical day will look like this:
5:45-7:45am - Guided Journaling, Meditation, Pranayama and Yoga
8:00-8:30am - Breakfast Groups
8:30am -10am - Anatomy and Physiology
10am-12pm - Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics Lecture
12-1 - Lunch
1-3pm - Teaching Methodology Lecture
3-3:30pm - Break
3:30pm - 5:30pm Techniques, Training and Practice
5:30pm - 7:30pm - Anatomy and Physiology
7:30pm - Dinner
8:00pm - 9pm - Studying/Prep Reading for the next day's lectures
The Venue
We'll be at Hotel Pelagos in Santorini, a small, privately owned boutique hotel. The sprawling property is comprised of a handful of rooms in the Cycladic cave-like style of white washed buildings with blue doors. There is a yoga deck covered by a thick tent to protect us from potential rain. There is a pool, although in April it will likely be too cold to swim. There is an outdoor patio area where we will gather for meals. The beautiful town of Oia is just a few minutes drive away.
One of our shared rooms
Guest room at our venue
Accommodations
The bedrooms are simple, small and comfortable, complete with air conditioning. Each bedroom has its own bathroom. Each room has a safe, hairdryer and a small fridge. Daily housekeeping service will be provided. Laundry service is available for a small charge.
Maximum occupancy for this training is 26.
Surrounding Area and Logistics
If you're arriving by plane, you can fly directly into Santorini airport, and we will arrange to have a driver pick you up. If you're arriving by ferry, you will come into Fira port, and we will have a driver pick you up.
You are welcome to rent a car or scooter if you'd like, although to be honest, you won't have much free time.
Investment
Below is the cost. This pricing includes: Namaslay® 200hr Yoga Teacher Training tuition, accommodation from April 4 - April 22, 2019 in the room of your choice, transfer to and from the venue on travel days April 4 and April 22 (unfortunately, we cannot cover transfers on any other day), vegetarian breakfasts, lunches and dinners, (option to add on meat to your lunches/dinners for 7 euros per day, paid directly to the hotel), yoga props (excluding mats - please bring your own), and wifi.
Single: $5,650
Double: $4,650
Triple: $3,950
This pricing does not include: airfare, travel insurance, required reading texts. Required reading lists will be emailed to you upon acceptance into the program.
Payment plans: Payment plans are available, and come with a $199 convenience fee. It works like this: Your application fee of $199 will be credited towards your balance if you are accepted. If you are not accepted, it will be refunded to you. If you are accepted, you will then pay a $199 deposit via PayPal. This payment does not go towards your final balance; this is the aforementioned convenience fee. Once you make the deposit, you will then receive a link for monthly payments of the remaining balance that you will pay via credit card. The balance must be paid in full by February 22, 2019. All sales are final, no refunds are granted for any reason unless you're able to find someone else to take your spot, in which case the person taking your spot will need to pay you. If the person taking your spot would like to upgrade their room (ex: from a triple to a double or single), payment is due to YBC® within 24hrs of acceptance to the training. If payment has not been rendered, their spot at the training is not guaranteed.
Eligibility and Application Process
We live our lives by the Namaslay® philosophy - lead with love, kindness, gratitude and an unwavering belief in one's intrinsic capabilities. We believe in being gentle, determined, and strong. We believe in doing no harm and taking no shit. We are accepting applicants filled with kindness, determination and grit. We are accepting applicants with open minds, open hearts, and a willingness to be lovingly and gently pushed so they can emerge the best versions of themselves. We are accepting applicants who want to grow and lift others up through the Namaslay® teachings of this program. Note that no where on our program description does it say that you must be able to do all the yoga poses, or the perfect forward fold or handstand. We don't care about that stuff because you're coming to us to learn. We'd much prefer someone with an open mind who can't do x, y or z pose, than someone who is closed minded but has the perfect handstand. We're not here for the handstands. We are here for the growth that comes from the teachings. We are here to build confident, compassionate, loving, knowledgeable teachers. So don't worry about what you can or cannot do right now, because that's not important. Rather, ask yourself if you have the love and determination to get through what is sure to be a demanding yet empowering, life-changing, intensive training.
To apply:
Go to our application page to apply. You will be notified within three business days of your acceptance. As we already have a list of interested applicants, we are sure this program will sell out. Therefore, payment (either the deposit or full amount) will be required within three business days, or your spot will go to the next person.
Final Thoughts
I am so inspired by the YBC® Community, and am so proud of the curriculum we've developed. I know that this is going to be an unforgettable, life changing experience for those who attend, and I am honored and humbled to share the adventure with you. Please check out our Namaslay® YTT account to see pictures from our latest trainings.
We're excited to have you! Submit your application here.