The 500-hour Level

Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training School

 

Introduction

Dates

Cost - See special discount for group of teachers!

Prerequisites

Curriculum

How to Apply

Book List

Certification, Prerequisites and Other FAQs

The 2011 Program Packet is now available!

              Open Application, Schedule and all information >

Video Messages: 

Go to Aadil and Savitri's Blog to see videos about the college:

  • Aadil Palkhivala (Director, The College of Purna Yoga) talks about why he and Savitri created the 500 hour Level teacher training, based on what they saw in other yoga teachers around them. 

Post #550 >

  • Kirsten Elfendahl (Administrator, The College of Purna Yoga) talks about how this training helps teachers take their yoga teaching to the next level, creating a career that is part of the bigger picutre. 

Post #554 >

  • Aadil Palkhivala talks with Kirsten about  becoming a Yoga Therapist and what teachers need to consider if they want to offer Yoga Therapeutics to their students.

Post #566 >

 

The 500-hour Level

Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Training School

“All Life is Yoga,” says Sri Aurobindo, the great yogi of yogis.  At the 500-hour Level, you will take this to heart and embark on a seven month journey to expand your understanding of what it means to live Purna Yoga.  The 500-hour level consists of 300 hours of classes (three 2-week intensives) and independent study (two 14-week sessions of book reviews, asana and meditation practice, and anatomy study).  While at the College, you will receive the tools, techniques and information to deepen your teaching, and when you are away from the College, you will have the time to integrate, deepen, and apply what you have learned.  Looking deep within yourself, you will learn to discover the areas that hold promise, and unveil their potential.  Plan to delve into the wellsprings of your inspiration to teach yoga, and into your heart, bringing forth the teacher within.

In this course, expectations are higher and living yoga is the goal.  You will learn additional asanas and sequences, therapeutic applications, how to teach the Purna Yoga Meditation Snacks, and the holistic approach to business and marketing.  In the end, you will emerge confident enough to hold the mantle of an Affiliated Purna Yoga Instructor. 

Even if your 200 hour training was in a different school of yoga, you can be eligible to complete this course!

 

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*Download the Program Packet (all the forms and information on this web page, in a printer-ready format)

 

Dates - 2011

Attend all three in order:

Course 1:  January 10-22, 2011

Course 2:  May 16-28, 2011

Course 3:  Sept 5-17, 2011

Open the complete 2011 schedule >

 

Cost

$ 5,770

Special Discount!  Save up to $1,154!   Apply as a group and receive:

            Two teachers:  10% off each

            Three teachers:  15% off each

            Four teachers:  20% off each

 

Payment Schedule:

Up to December January 3, 2011                     

  • You apply to the course by sending in the following:
    • Application
    • $100 check for Registration Fee
    • $120 check for Purna Yoga Introduction course
    • (if applicable)
  • Due by January 3, 2011                        $1,890 Tuition Payment #1
  • Due by May 19, 2011                            $1,890 Tuition Payment #2
  • Due by August 29, 2011                        $1,890 Tuition Payment #3

Tuition does not include lodging, food, books and materials, or travel expenses.

 

Prerequisites

You must have completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training.  If your 200-hour training was not in Purna Yoga you must: 

  • Document 30 hours in Purna Yoga classes (workshops, meditation or asana classes from Aadil, Savitri or any Certified Purna Yoga Instructor)
  • Attend the Purna Yoga 500-hour Prep Course on Sunday, January 9, 2011 from 1:00-7:30 pm (Cost: $120)

If you intend to register at the 500-hour level after completing this course, you MUST have attended a 200-hour Level Course at a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School (RYS), AND you MUST be a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200-hour level (RYT-200).  This 500-hour Level Course provides the additional 300 hours of training required to obtain the 500-hour level registration.  Therefore, if you have not fulfilled the 200-hour prerequisite, and are not registered with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level, you will not be able to register at the 500-hour level after completing this course. 

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Curriculum

Philosophy: Purna Yoga introduction and lineage, Yoga Class Etiquette, Key Sutras, Yamas and Niyamas, Kleshas, Saucha in Teaching, Savitri, Om, Mantras, Poetry, and much more
Meditation: Purna Yoga Meditation introduction, Purna Yoga Meditation Snacks, Student/Teacher Relationships, Keeping Your Aura Clean, How to Teach Meditation
Nutrition and Lifestyle: Nutrition Systems, Sunrider Basics, Ayurveda Basics, Ayurveda Recipes, What to Eat/What to Avoid, Alkalinity, Acidity, Digestive Health, What to Do/What to Avoid, Daily Practices for Health and Hygiene
Anatomy: Anatomy Principles in Yoga, Bones and Bony Prominences, Joints and Muscle Classifications, Yoga Anatomy Muscle Sutras (“YAMS”), Asana and Anatomy, Anatomy of the Foot
Teaching Yoga: Foundations for Living, Creating a Practice, Preparations for Teaching, Foundations of Teaching Asana, Relationships with Students, Method of Teaching, Delivery, Actions and Alignment (Duality, Breath, Pelvis/Head/Heart, Muscles and Joints, Spine), Adjustments, Props, Injuries and Healing, Setting Up a Class, Class Control, Professional Presentation Skills and Appearance, Voice and Verbal Presentation, Command Language
Asana: In each section on Standing Poses, Inversions, Twists, Backbends, Abdominal Strengtheners, Seated Poses, Forward Bends, Reclining Poses, and Restorative Poses you receive the following information, on 80+ asana: actions in the pose, what to look for (alignment), benefits, contraindications, moving into the pose, adjustments, and prop work
Prānāyama: Purpose and Practice, Methodology, Supine Position, Seated Position, Program for Prānāyama Practice
Sequences and Series: Guidelines for Sequencing, Basic Asana Reference Sequence, plus 22 detailed class sequences
Health and Healing: Women’s Health, Menstruation Sequence, Pregnancy and Postpartum, General Considerations in Therapeutics, Therapeutic Topics - What to Do/Avoid, Therapeutic References by Pose, Therapeutic References by Condition
Being a Yoga Professional: What is Business, Laws of Successful Business, Foundations of Professionalism, My Business Outline, Naming My Business, Places to Teach, Income and Expenses, Business Risks and Uncertainties, Essential Tools for Business, Essential Tools for Marketing, What to Charge, Basics of Bookkeeping, The Interview, Holistic Marketing, Social Media, Networking, Promotional Photos, Recruiting New Students, Retaining Current Students, Continuing Education

How to Apply

Please download the Program Packet and complete the application (begins on page 9) and complete it in full.  You may also call us at Yoga Centers and we will gladly mail an Application to you. 

Applications are accepted up to January 3, 2011. 

Mail your completed application, along with your $100 registration fee to:

The College of Purna Yoga at Yoga Centers

2255 – 140th Ave NE, Suite F

Bellevue, WA 98005

We will contact you by email within three weeks of receiving your Application to confirm your enrollment.  

 

 

Book List

Here are the required textbooks for the 500-hour course.  Please refer to the Yoga Centers Online Store for prices and ordering information:

Fire of Love: For Students of Life, for Teachers of Yoga , by Aadil Palkhivala

Teaching Purna Yoga:  500 Hour Program Manual, by Aadil Palkhivala (provided to students by Yoga Centers)

Trail Guide to the Body, 3rd Edition, by Andrew Biel

Trail Guide to the Body, Student Handbook

Health and Healing in Yoga, by The Mother, of Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Living Within, edited by A. S Dala, compilations of writings by Sri Aurobindo and The Mother

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translation by Swami Satchidananda

plus one of the following (optional)

           Thoughts adn Glimpses, by Sri Aurobindo

           Thoughts and Aphorisms, by Sri Aurobindo

           Prayers and Meditations, by The Mother

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

What certificate will I receive?

This program has two certification tracks. Students select which track they wish to complete.


The first track is the RYT-500 Track. In this track, with your successful completion of the program requirements (course hours and all homework) you will earn the 500-Hour Course Completion Certificate from the College of Purna Yoga. With this certificate, and once you have completed 100 hours of teaching yoga, you may register with Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour Level, becoming a RYT-500.

In the second track, you will earn the Affiliate Purna Yoga Instructor certification in addition to the 500-hour Course Completion. Graduates at this level will be recognized as Affiliate Purna Yoga Instructors on the Purna Yoga website (www.purnayoga.com). This track requires additional independent study above and beyond the Yoga Alliance requirements for an RYT-500; in addition, completion of the required elements on this track does not guarantee certification as an Affiliate Purna Yoga Instructor. That distinction is subject to approval by your instructors.


What is the Yoga Alliance?

The Yoga Alliance was created to establish national standards for yoga teachers.  Over the years, it has grown to become the nationally recognized body of yoga teacher training standards.  Yoga Alliance does not certify teachers; instead it provides a list of teachers who have fulfilled certain yoga teacher training minimum standards.  Those standards make up the 200-hour level and the 500-hour level of most teacher training programs today.  Most studios and yoga teaching venues require teachers to be registered with the Yoga Alliance in order to teach yoga. 


When can I register with Yoga Alliance?
With your successful completion of the program requirements (course hours and homework) you will earn the 500-Hour Course Completion Certificate from the College of Purna Yoga. To register with Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level, becoming a “RYT-500,” you will need this certification and you will need to document 100 hours of yoga classes that you have taught in order to complete your Yoga Alliance application for registration. You may begin counting your teaching hours as soon as you have earned your RYT- 200 certification, and may even include teaching you will complete during this training.

What if I my 200-hour training was not at The College of Purna Yoga? May I still attend this course?
Yes, students who attend a different school other than The College of Purna Yoga for their 200-hour training may still attend The College of Purna Yoga 500-hour training provided that they have attended at least 30 hour of Purna Yoga classes or workshops, and that they attend the Purna Yoga Introduction course before the actual training begins. The 30 hours and the introduction course will give students a foundation in Purna Yoga Meditation, philosophy, and teach them the primary asana sequences as well as the Purna Yoga approach to asana. In addition, you will be given the knowledge summary from the 200-hour training, so that you will have an opportunity to be sure you know the content covered in the Purna Yoga 200-hour training, upon which the 500-hour level is built.

What if I am not registered with Yoga Alliance? Will I still be able to attend this program?
Yes, you can attend if you meet the prerequisite of having a 200-hour foundation in teacher training. You will not, however, be able to register as a RYT-500 with Yoga Alliance after completing this course. You also would not be able to register at the 200-hour level, since this course does not fulfill the 200-hour standards by Yoga Alliance; it fulfills the standards for an additional 300-hour training.

When can I register with Yoga Alliance?

With your successful completion of the program requirements (course hours and homework) you will earn the 500-Hour Course Completion Certificate from the College of Purna Yoga.  To register with Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level, becoming a “RYT-500,” you will need this certification and you will need to document 100 hours of yoga classes that you have taught in order to complete your Yoga Alliance application for registration.  Your yoga classes can be from any time in your yoga teaching career, even teaching you did before you took this training.

 

What if I have to miss one of the three courses in the program?

Because the course progresses sequentially through the curriculum, it is very difficult to continue if you cannot attend all three of the courses in order.  If a leave of absence is unavoidable, or if you miss more than 12 hours of a course, you will be permitted to resume the course at the same point one year later.

What if I miss a class session?

To receive your Course Completion Certificate and be eligible for Yoga Alliance registration, you must complete 100% of the classes and requirements.  In addition, you must attend the first 5 modules of the course.  However, we understand that you may not be able to foresee every conflict, so we have devised the following procedures if you must miss a class.

 

If you miss more than 30 minutes of a module (4 hour course), either by arriving late or leaving early, you will not receive credit for that module, and the entire module will have to be made-up.

 

Any missed modules may be made up in the following ways: 

If you miss 1-3 modules (up to 12 hours):

  • If you miss up to three modules, you may still complete the program by making up missed classes by taking private lessons with a teacher training instructor.  One module (4 hours) = 1.5 hours of private instruction, at a cost of $120 per 1.5 hour session.  Private lesson make-ups must be completed within 30 days of the completion of your course.

 

If you miss more than 3 modules:

  • You may continue in the course, but you will not be eligible for a Course Completion Certificate.  If you wish to receive a Course Completion Certificate, you will have to retake the course.

 

Who will be my instructor?

“The faculty was extremely supportive, and was always willing to tell me the truth—and it was what I needed to hear to become a better yoga teacher!  They carry on the Purna Yoga tradition and operate from their hearts.  The entire environment within Yoga Centers is one of love.”

Jennifer Weinert, CPYI and 2006 College Graduate

Purna Yoga Instructor) and Event Specialist

Papaikou, HI

The 500-hour course will be taught by selected Senior Certified Purna Yoga Instructors Catharine Eberhart, Kumar Upadyhayula, Aadil Palkhivala, and Savitri. 

The teachers of the 500-hour Level are Certified Purna Yoga Instructors with over 4,000 hours of training, practice, and apprenticing.  They are also registered with Yoga Alliance as E-RYT-500s (“Experienced Registered Yoga Teachers at the 500-hour Level,” the highest level awarded).  They have been hand-selected by Purna Yoga founders Aadil Palkhivala and Savitri, and have studied under them personally for many years to achieve the level of being a College of Purna Yoga faculty member.  The members of the college faculty have made very deep commitments to their own practice of Purna Yoga as well as serving others and carrying on the Purna Yoga lineage by training teachers. 

How many people will be in class?

We require a minimum of 10 students and accept a maximum of 30 students.  In most classes, you will have one teacher and one or two assistants.

 

How much homework will I have?

During the two 12-week breaks (after Courses 1 and 2), you will have a workbook that you must complete.  The workbook consists of anatomy lessons, home practice in asana and meditation, books to read and respond to, and other written assignments.  Your workbook must be complete prior to each of the courses.  Expect to spend approximately 2 hours a day on your yoga homework, which includes your personal yoga and meditation practice.  Expect about 50 hours of homework for the entire course. 

 

How much should I expect to pay for books and materials?

Your books should cost around $200 (less if you already own the anatomy text book from the 200-hour program).  You can order them from the Yoga Centers Online Store, or find them at other book resellers. 

 

I am coming from out-of-town.  Where can I stay?

We will provide you with a list of local recommended accommodations, ranging from rooms in houses, to hotels and bed and breakfasts, as well as transportation options.  Many students find that they prefer to set up carpools and shared lodgings with their classmates while they are here.  We regret that, due to privacy concerns, we are not able to share directory information with students until the course has begun. 

 

After I graduate, where will I be able to teach?

Upon completion, you will be able to teach Purna Yoga at a variety of yoga venues, such as studios, gyms, park departments, and schools.  While there are no legal requirements for teaching yoga, most studios require their teachers to be registered with Yoga Alliance.  The 500-hour level is one of the most prestigious levels of Yoga Alliance Registrations.

 

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