Yoga Teacher Training Syllabus: The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is the dynamic flow of various Hatha Yoga Asanas. The real purpose of Hatha Yoga is to help an individual reach the stage of “Sthiram Sukham Aasanam” (Stable and Comfortable position of Sitting) as told by Sage Patanjali so that the subject can meditate without any physical limitations. In Hatha Yoga Pradipika also in the very first couple of verses, the aim of Hatha Yoga is to make a person prepared and able to reach Raj Yoga i.e. meditation.
Hatha yoga enhances health, and wellness and builds strength for this purpose. However, being overly flexible and associated with good shape and body type is not the purpose of Hatha yoga. Here the students will be introduced to a number of Hatha Yoga Aasana with the purpose of getting good health and making a disease-free body. At the same time, students will be asked to understand the therapeutic benefits of each of these Aasanas so that they can be utilized for advancing the good health of practitioners and their family members and society. The following asanas will be taught and practiced in the Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga.
The following topics are explored in philosophy:
1. Meaning of yoga according to Yoga Sutra and Geeta, concepts, history
2. Eight paths of yoga including:
3. Ashtanaga Yoga of Patanjali
4. Panch kosha (five layers or sheaths over consciousness)
5. Samadhi
The practice of Pranayama is very necessary for calming down the mind. Pranayama practices also become the basis of various meditation techniques.
Here the pranayama will be taught with great care so students learn the process and get better at their practices. All the following techniques will be taught initially in a beginner manner without ‘Kumbhaka’ (retention of breath) and slowly they will be encouraged to do it with ‘Kumbhaka’ on advanced levels. The following techniques will be covered: