YOGA UNION 200-HOUR TEACHER TRAINING
@home study: january 5-28
studio intensive: january 29-february 27
application deadline: december 15

PADMASANA TT

Celebrating Ten Years of Teacher Training
Twenty Years of Teaching Yoga
Twenty-five Years of Practicing Yoga

ALISON WEST will lead the widely acclaimed YOGA UNION TEACHER TRAINING for qualified applicants. The goal of these unique, powerful Teacher Trainings, which are the model for many of the urban TT's and intensives now taking place, is to give you a thorough foundation for outstanding teaching, while allowing you to discover your personal direction as a teacher and as a person.  Explore the full scope of yoga as a practical, philosophical and spiritual practice.

Alison West's high-wattage TT offers a systematic approach to the practice of asana and pranayama with a grounding in the philosophical tradition of Classical Yoga and an introduction to anatomy both physical and subtle (nadis, chakras, the koshas), ensuring a sound and meaningful practice. You will focus on the immediate importance of asana and pranayama without forgetting the ultimate goal of the practice--union, in a way meaningful to you.

Each student is given the chance to practice teaching in small groups from the very first day. This is also an opportunity to deepen your practice if teaching is not in your plans.
Teacher Certification is dependent upon completion of all requirements.

Each day includes an asana practice, class instruction in the subjects listed below and teaching practice.                                
                                                                                                
PROGRAM
o Fundamentals of a sound Asana Practice and Principles of Action and Alignment
o Fundamentals of Pranayama
o Fundamentals of Meditation
o Principles of Safe, Ethical Teaching
o The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, philosophy of Yoga and Sanskrit
o Fundamentals of Anatomy (including scoliosis, pregnancy, menstruation)
o Fundamentals of Kinesiology

Guest teachers include Bobby Clennell (Pregnancy and Menstruation), Leslie Freyberg (Sanskrit), Amy Matthews or Kriota Wilburg (Anatomy), Sharon Salzburg (Meditation), and Deborah Wolk (Scoliosis).
                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                         
PARTICIPANTS                                                                                                    
· You must have at least one year of asana practice and be currently practicing on a regular basis.
· Please call Alison West directly for details. The best way to determine if the Teacher Training represents a good fit for both parties is a solid conversation and, if you are locally based, class attendance. Interview essential: 212.889.8643 or email if abroad.
· TEN CLASSES with Alison (or Iyengar Level I) are required prior to the TT.  It really  makes a difference!
· You will need to complete a substantial amount of reading and preparation, for which you will want plenty of time during the @Home Study period. Details upon registration.

 SCHEDULE
January 5-28 @ Home Study
The @Home Study is just that--at home. You must take your minimum of ten yoga classes at the studio of but your homework is on your own time.
January 29 - February 27 Studio Intensive 
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm
 
COST: $3200 before December 1st.  $3700 after December 1st. A $500 nonrefundable deposit is required to secure your place. Final payment due Monday January 26, 2009.
Note: No refunds after Thursday, January 29, 2009
 
"I've known Alison for almost fifteen years as both a teacher and a fellow Astanga practitioner. Her insight and experience single her out as one of the most highly regarded Yoga instructors in New York City." -WILLEM DAFOE, New York City, March 2007

"Alison's Teacher Training was one of the most in-depth and empowering trainings I have ever had!" SARAH NIELSEN, Certified Massage Therapist and Yoga Teacher, 2007.

Classes are held at The Yoga Union Center for Backcare & Scoliosis
32 West 28th St, 4th Floor, between 6th Ave  Broadway.

The studio is easily accessible from the 28th street stops for the N/R/1/6 subway lines. The 34th street stations on other lines are also near as is Penn Station and the PATH.
  
ASSISTING the 200TT:  if you have done the YU 200TT and are interested in assisting during the next 200TT, please let me know. Robin Thorpe, who has been doing this for many years now, is taking on full-time responsibilities elsewhere. I am full of gratitude to Robin for all her fine work and very sad indeed to see her go. 

Assisting is a great opportunity to revisit material in the 200TT. Robin will give you a full run down of what assisting entails. Good organizational skills are important!  

For more information call 212 889 8643 or email yogaunion@nyc.rr.com


Assisting:  if you have done the YU 200TT and are interested in assisting during the next 200TT, please let me know. Robin Thorpe, who has been doing this for many years now, is taking on full-time responsibilities elsewhere. I am full of gratitude to Robin for all her fine work and sad to see her go.

Assisting is a great opportunity to revisit material in the TT and hone your own skills as a teacher. Robin will give you a full run down of what assisting entails. Good organizational skills are important! 
SAVE THE DATE!
Wall-Rope Certification Level I, Saturday-Sunday Dec 13-14
Yoga = Leaving  things a little better than you find them.




YOGA UNION 300 TT
2008-2009

PADMASANA 300TT

September 2-11 @Home Study period
September 12: Start of Ten-Month Training

Application deadline: August 22
Class audition (or video) deadline: August 21

The Yoga Union 300TT continues the "Gold Standard" (TONY 2007) quality of its 200TT in its equally rich and demanding 300-hour, ten-month program, providing you with the opportunity not only to become outstanding teachers at the intermediate+ level, but to maintain a serious self-practice in asana, pranayama and meditation as well and a Karma Yoga project of your choosing. The engaging, rigorous curriculum is presented by a seasoned faculty.  Excellence, integrity, hard work, inspiration-these are some of the qualities you can expect from the YU 300TT.  And because of the limited group size, you will receive abundant personal attention and have the opportunity to develop a real Satsang with your fellow students.

In addition to the well-rounded program described below, you will be certified in Basic Backcare as well as receiving Level One Wall-Rope Certification, allowing you to safely and effectively use wall-ropes at YU and other studios where they are available to you.

You can expect to achieve new clarity and confidence in both your teaching and  practice, while assimilating a substantial body of information on which to draw, both in and out of the studio.


MEN IN HANDSTAND
STUDYING AND TEACHING ASANA

Practice and teach at a new level. Yoga Union's trademark emphasis on teaching practice during the program will help you to perfect your observation, verbal, physical and tonal expression, pacing, sequencing and suitable modifications. Unique to the YU 300TT, you will also learn the principles of sequencing governing the major forms of Yoga directly from teachers of those forms, laying the   foundation for a broad understanding of ancient  and modern Yoga, while honing your own ability to sequence meaningfully and appropriately. You will perfect both your knowledge of alignment-Yoga as well as your ability to teach a sound Vinyasa practice.


ANATOMY
Delve more deeply into the body's systems (nerves, muscle, bones, organs). The strong anatomy section will culminate in your participation in the four-day FAMI workshop at Mt Sinai in June, a remarkable opportunity to learn from leading anatomists and doctors both in the lecture hall and gross anatomy lab (with professional dissections of various parts of the body, or pro-sections).  You will have far more hours under your belt than the minimum YA requirements and a strong foundation for your studies as a Yoga Therapist, if that is your direction.

CHAKRAS and CHANTING
Awaken your whole being by studying in greater depth the subtle anatomy of the body, chanting and mantras and how they affect us.  There is nothing that does not vibrate in the manifest cosmos.

MEDITATION
Still your mind under the guidance of Sharon Salzberg, a veritable "national treasure," in the words of one long-time practitioner.  Sharon Salzberg will oversee your meditation practice on a regular basis during the intensive, offering several three-hour lectures and discussion.  In the meantime, a buddy system will help you maintain a regular practice during the time of the 300TT and lay the foundation for a lifetime of meditation.  If you already have a meditation practice, this will be the perfect time to receive sustained guidance.

PHILOSOPHY
Explore new texts, such as Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Shiva Samhita,Gheranda Samhita, and other texts assigned during the 300TT.  This is a wonderful opportunity to read texts you might not otherwise find the time for and to share your experience of them in the company of interested colleagues.  We will also briefly review the Yoga Sutras of Master Patanjali.  If you have not read and analyzed this text, you may attend the Philosophy sections of the winter 200TT.

BEYOND
With the YU 300TT, you will be ready to safely teach at the intermediate+ level anywhere.  YU strives to develop teachers who can be hired with confidence by any center looking for a well-rounded, confident, sensitive teacher. This program will also prepare you for the 300YTT (or Yoga Therapy Training) beginning in 2009. The personal mentoring of senior teachers will provide you with a solid point of reference while you continue to forge your personal trajectory in Yoga.

Yoga Union TT Recognition
YU is recognized by Yoga Alliance at the 200 & 500 level.  But more importantly, it is recognized by its peers as one of the leading Teacher Training institutions in America. 

300TT Requirements for Certification
· You must complete all *300TT weekends, and 1 elective from the workshops listed.
Note: if there are scheduling conflicts, some modifications are possible.
· Self-practice of asana, pranayama and meditation
· Class 2 times a month at YU/YUB for the duration of the training (additional classes not included in cost of TT)
· Assisting 10 classes starting in November (not more than once a week)
· Teaching regularly during the year
· Assigned reading, written homework, assigned asanas/sequences for self-practice and final exam
· One class at least at each of the following studios/styles in the course of the 300TT:
Jivamukti, Om, Iyengar Yoga Center, Dharma Mitra, Yoga Works, Viniyoga class at Yoga Sutra, observe Astanga class or take led Mysore style, Anusara, Sivananda (not included in cost of TT)

Note: Yoga Union reserves the right to withhold certification in the event that not all requirements are fulfilled.

Books and materials must be purchased by participants and are not included in the cost of the TT.

SCHEDULE
The 300TT represents 300 full contact hours
· Your @Home study starts on September 2.  Homework assignment for the ten-day period prior to the first weekend intensive will be sent upon registration.
· Orientation takes place on Thursday, September 11th at 8:00 AM.
·The 300TT starts on September 12th and finishes at the end of June 2009.
To get the 300TT off to a good, strong start, the first month includes two consecutive weekends (with the option of a third weekend, if you choose the workshop of Sept. 26-28 as your elective workshop):

2008
Sept. 12-14*
Sept. 19-20*
Sept. 26-28      Elective workshop (Jeanne-Marie Derrick: Yoga for Women)
Thereafter:
Oct. 17-19*
Oct. 25-26       Elective workshop (Jacki Nett: The Pelvic Floor)       
Nov. 14-16*
Dec. 12-14*

2009
January Intensive
Jan. 4-11 (Sunday, January 4-Sunday, January 11)*
Feb. 6-8*
March 13-15*
April 3-5         Elective workshop (Karin Stephan: Observation and Analysis)
May 1-3*
June Intensive
June 14-21 (Sunday, June 14-Sunday, June 21)*

Weekend schedule (with occasional modifications, especially for workshops):
Friday 2-5 PM
Saturday 9-12 & 4-7 PM
Sunday 9-1 & 2-6 PM

Intensives:
Full weekend days, and half weekdays (2-5PM).

If you need to make up requirement hours for Sanskrit, or wish to refresh your foundation, you may take the two days of Sanskrit of the Winter Teacher Training and the Anatomy sections. 

APPLICANTS
Please have at least three years of regular practice and be now at the intermediate level (full headstand in center for five minutes, and so forth), and have fulfilled a 200-hour program or the equivalent, including an introduction to Sanskrit. Please also have at least one year's teaching experience. In addition, you will need to interview with Alison and take an audition class by August 21.  If you are unable to take class, you can schedule a private session with Alison, or if you are out of town, send a video of your practice to Alison West, 128 East 29th Street, Apt 3A, NY NY 10016 by August 21st

Application deadline: August 22
Class audition (or video) deadline: August 21
Full payment due: September 2

Note: Yoga Union reserves the right to withhold certification in the event that not all requirements are fulfilled.

COST 
There is a non-refundable deposit of $700 to secure your place
Early full payment by August 11: $4500 for YU 200TT graduates; 
$4700 for non-YU graduates
Full payment due by September 2: $5000 for YU 200TT graduates;
$5200 for non-YU graduates.  No refunds after this date.
Note: The low cost-per-hour ratio of the YU 300TT is possible only with a minimum number of 10 participants.  The maximum number of participants is 20.

Payment: You can pay by cheque or by PayPal to Alison West.

For all information email yogaunion@nyc.rr.com or call 212.889.8643.

Deadlines reminder
Monday, August 11: last day for discounted payment
Thursday, August 21: last audition class  or video submission
Friday, August 22: application deadline
September 2: full payment due; start of @Home study
Thursday, September 11, 8 AM:  Orientation Meeting
Friday, September 13, 2:00 PM: Start of 300TT





SHARON SALZBERG TEACHING MEDITATION

Sharon Salzberg Teaching An Introduction to Meditation

Please call Alison West at 212-889-8643 for more information regarding Teacher Training.  ll classes are held at The Yoga Union Center for Backcare & Scoliosis
32 West 28th St, 4th Floor, between 6th Ave & Broadway.
For more information call 212 889 8643 or email yogaunion@nyc.rr.com

The studio is easily accessible from the 28th street stops for the N/R/1/6 subway lines. The 34th street stations on other lines are also near as is Penn Station and the PATH.