200 hr Yoga Teacher Training - MODULE A

This section is to get to you prepared for your training course. We will talk about getting you set up for the training and most importantly how to practice safely.

In order to help create a setting of mutual respect and professionalism, here are some guidelines for your teacher training.

Learning how to sit (the original primary reason for our asana practice!), knee safety and making yourself comfortable using props (please see the previous sections on how to make your own if you don't already have them).

Lalit is the Founding Director of Himalaya Yoga Valley and leads all 200 & 300-hour Teacher Training Programs at our school.

As a lead teacher on all Himalaya Yoga Valley educational programs, Lalit divides his time between the Goa centre and his European centre in Ireland working on 200 & 500-hour training.

Lalit began studying at traditional Indian yoga schools known as Gurukulams at the age of 7 and he is honoured to have studied yoga under some of the most well-known and respected yoga Masters in India. Lalit was initiated by Swami Veda Bharti of the Himalayan tradition in 2003. He has spent nearly a decade studying numerous traditional styles and disciplines at various Ashrams in North and South India. He studied Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore at Ashtanga Yoga Nilaya and Shri Parakala Mutt. Lalit has also studied at the Sivananda Centre in Trivandrum and spent his formative spiritual years at Swami Ram Sadak Gurukulam in Rishikesh. Lalit has studied under Sri BKS Iyengar and Sri K Pattabhi Jois, Sri Sharath Jois and Sri BNS Iyengar in Mysore and. Lalit continues to train in the Mysore with Sharath Jois as a humble and devoted student.

Viriam has been teaching yoga philosophy for Teacher Training courses with Himalaya Yoga Valley since 2011. She is from the UK and has lived in India for almost 20 years. Having trained with the SKY School of Kundalini Yoga in the UK in 2003, she is now a registered Senior Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals UK. She has furthered her studies of yogic philosophy with the Oxford College of Hindu Studies, with Embodied Philosophy and Christopher Hareesh Wallis. Before travelling to India, she did a ten-year apprenticeship with spiritual teacher and author Amoda Maa, culminating in a deep meditation and self-enquiry intensive under Shiva’s mountain at Mt Arunachala.

Fascinated by the sister science of yoga – Ayurveda – She received a Diploma in Ayurvedic Studies in 2005 from the School of Ayurveda and Panchakarma in Kannur, Kerala and as well as training in Ayurvedic Yoga Massage, she holds her ITEC Diploma in Holistic Massage and Anatomy and Physiology. In 2020, Viriam completed her 300hrs in Yoga-Ayurveda-Mantra-Meditation with the American Institute of Vedic Studies under Dr David Frawley and is now a qualified Yoga and Ayurveda Wellness Consultant.

Viriam has embarked on further study with teachers fusing yoga, somatics and neuroscience as well as a deep dive into restorative yoga and yoga Nidra with teachers such as Angela Farmer, Bo Forbes, Max Strom, Donna Farhi and Uma Dunsmore Tulli. Viriam is also a writer and contributes to both yoga magazines and travel guides.

Certifications

• 2020 – 300hr Ayurveda-Yoga-Mantra Diploma, American Institute of Hindu Studies

• 2019 – Restorative Yoga CPD, Adelene Cheong (YogaCampus)

• 2018 – Foundation in Mindfulness Meditation Teaching, Michael Stone (YogaCampus)

• 2015 – Foundation in Yoga Nidra, Uma Dunsmore Tulli (YogaCampus) UK

• 2015 – Oxford College of Hindu Studies (OCHS) UK, Bhagavad Gita

• 2014 – Oxford College of Hindu Studies (OCHS) UK, Philosophy of Yoga

• 2008 – ITEC Diploma in Holistic Massage

• 2007 – Sun Yoga Kids, Yoga Teacher Training

• 2003 – KYTA (Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association) UK, Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Instructor

Maeve is originally from Ireland, then after spending a considerable number of years in Australia now divides her time between Ireland and India. She is a 500 RYT, graduating from the 200 & 300 Hour Teacher Training with Himalaya Yoga Valley.

As Program Director of Himalaya Yoga Valley (India & Europe), she is responsible for the course and syllabus development for Level 1 & 2 Teacher Training in-person and online courses. She coordinates the international training and retreat programs, ensuring that students and yoga guests receive the best learning and yoga holiday experience possible. During the Level 1 & 2 Teacher Training programs, she teaches Meditation, Mantra and Pranayama, Yoga Business, Ethics for Yoga, Classroom Management, Communications and Teaching Methodology. Maeve also contributes to Himalaya Yoga Valley’s Online Academy, Alaya Yoga, by teaching online meditation, pranayama and Mantra classes. Using her previous experience in business strategic planning and management which encompasses 23 years in Western Australia’s Department of Justice, she can pass on her knowledge and skills to trainees who wish to pursue a yoga business upon graduation. She has also lectured in Justice Studies at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia for eleven years and brings her tertiary teaching experiences to the yoga shala. Maeve holds a B.A. (Hons) Justice degree from Edith Cowan University, a Business Diploma and a Master's in Leadership and Management from Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.

Certifications

• 2015 – 300 HR Teacher Training, Himalaya Yoga Valley, Goa, India

• 2007 – 200 Hr Teacher Training, Himalaya Yoga Valley, Goa, India

• 2007 – Masters Leadership and Management, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia

• 2006 – Graduate Diploma Business- Curtin Business University, Perth, Western Australia

• 2004 – BA Justice ( Hons) at Edith Cowan University Perth, Western Australia

Adam hails from the UK and has lived in India for 16 years. He has been teaching Anatomy with Himalaya Yoga Valley since 2010 and is a valued teacher and team member. He completed his 200 Hr Teacher Training with Himalaya Yoga Valley in 2019 and hence he brings an empathic learning experience into his lectures for trainees. He is an avid yoga practitioner and shares his knowledge and passion for yoga-focused anatomy with the Himalaya Yoga Valley 200 and 300-hour trainees through his lively and interesting lectures.

Adam is also a massage teacher and body mechanic. He trained extensively in the UK and is certified through ITEC (International Therapeutic Examination Committee); he has trained with Ayurvedic doctors in India and monks in Thailand. Since 2011, he has been teaching Ayurvedic Yoga Massage, an Iyengar-inspired massage trans globally certified by the complementary therapists association.

Adam’s passion is structural re-alignment and balancing the nervous system. During the 200 and 300 hr Teacher Training, he teaches from a physical posture and alignment focus showing that by tuning into the subtleties in yoga asana we get to know our bodies through yoga, and hence there is a stronger awareness that we hold the key to our mental and physical wellbeing.

Certifications

• 2021 Gray Institute Certificate in Applied Functional Science

• 2021 Born to move Certificate with James Earls

• 2019 200hr Certificate with Himalaya Yoga Valley

• 2018 Thomas Myers Structural bodywork

• 2017 Doug Keller – Yoga Therapy

• 2013 Breath and trauma release

• 2011 Cameron Reid-Certification of Training (Neck Pain)

• 2010 AYM Inst Certificate in Ayurvedic yoga massage

• 2008 ITEC Diploma in Holistic Massage.

• 2006 Wat Po Thai Massage Diploma

• 2005 School of Ayurveda and Panchakarma 150hrs

Tony first encountered yoga while on a working holiday in Australia in 1995. After numerous trips to India, he decided to combine his passion for yoga and teaching by completing a two-year hatha yoga Teacher Training Course with Yoga Therapy Ireland in 2007 and commenced yoga teaching from that point onwards. He has spent time at several centres in India such as the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre (Kerala), Iyengar Yoga Centre (Goa), Osho Centre (Pune), Mother Amma (Kerala) and taken meditation courses at the Vipassana Meditation Centre (Aurangabad) and Bodhi Zen Meditation Centre (Kodaikanal).

Further yoga study in 2010 brought him to Goa where he studied with Lalit and in February of that year, he graduated from Himalaya Yoga Valley. He returned to Goa later in the same year to take part in the internship program and subsequently managed and taught members of the public in the Yoga Shala. As a senior teacher with the Centre, he works closely with trainees in Goa and Ireland.

Tony has a wide range of teaching experience from primary level, through high school up to second-year University students and in addition has taught yoga classes in a range of locations from Cairo to the Falklands. Apart from teaching, he has worked as a web designer and has also spent several years working in administration at an Irish university.

Certifications

• 2016 – Educational Leadership (American University of Cairo)

• 2013 – 500hr Teacher Training (Himalaya Yoga Valley, India)

• 2010 – 200hr Teacher Training (Himalaya Yoga Valley, India)

• 2007 – Yoga Teacher Training (Yoga Therapy Ireland)

• 2001 – M.Sc. E-Commerce (Dublin City University)

• 1997 – Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi)

• 1996 – H. Dip. Education (University College Dublin)

• 1993 – B.E. Electronic Engineering (National University of Ireland, Galway)

Welcome to Module A - Foundations in Yoga

Welcome to Module A and the start of your training! Begin to work your way through the content, either in the order shown or you may wish to do a Meditation, Chanting, Pranayama and Asana class each day along with one of two of the Philosophy or Anatomy classes. Whatever works best for you.

Study Guide

Make a plan

It is important to plan your time. Decide how much time you can commit to your study each day around your work, family, social and other life commitments and make a rough daily plan as to how you will spend these hours, study and developing your personal/teaching practice. As you can see, much of the course is practical, but there are also other activities and assessments to consider and build into your plan.

Remember if you have any questions or are unsure of anything please contact us via email.

Enjoy the course!

You can see a translation of the Mantras in the downloads section. You can also download a recording of the mantras to your devices to listen to during your day.

A Guided Meditation & Pranayama session for Mindfulness of Breath by Maeve. Mindful breathing brings deeper awareness to you and helps you reduce your daily stress and anxiety.

Also, the more you become aware of your breath, the deeper it goes, letting your prana channel open, causing the smooth flow of prana.

Once you learn the technique, this meditation can be done anywhere, anytime, all you need for this is your breath and awareness, and here you go!

Silent Meditation by Maeve mainly focuses on watching your mind, managing your thoughts while being silent, and looking within. Here Maeve also uses the singing bowl to bring your mind back to the present if distracted.

Guided Meditation by Maeve on So Hum. This Meditation will take you back to the ultimate source of your being - 'I AM'

A guided Meditation Session by Maeve starts with Pranayama and then slowly takes you to the inner journey helping you connect with the Earth Element.

A Guided Meditation by Maeve to bring you in the space of gratitude. Gratefulness to the present moment brings peace of mind, staying in a mind-space wherein there are no complaints. All we feel in this meditation is gratitude for what we have.

Here Maeve guides you to the space of compassion for yourself and others.

Please note there are no downloads for this class.

In this video we highlight the importance of practicing safely and taking care of yourself before, during and after your training.

You can find the Surya Namaskar A & B videos referred to at 2:55 above later in this section.

The 'Series Sheet' referred to at the end of the video can be downloaded in the Surya Namaskar A video.

In addition you can find a full 'Self Practice Series Sheet' showing all the asana positions in the Downloads attached to the 'Learn the Asana Names' at the end of this section.

You can begin to practice Sun Salutations (known as “Surya Namaskar” in India) every morning, if possible. In this video you can follow along to both versions of Surya (Sun) Namaskar (Salutation) A.

You can see we start in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and then you will see two different versions of Sun Salutation A and similarly in the video for Sun Salutation B. Version 1 is more accessible, you can repeat this version or continue onto Version 2.

We recommend doing 3 rounds of Surya Namaskar A (Version 1 followed by two rounds of Version 2) and 2 rounds of Surya Namaskar B (one each of Version 1 & 2). Surya Namaskar B is covered in the next section.

You can also review the notes which show the positions of each sun salutation sequence and also read over the verbal cues. Cues for both versions are given. You will soon be hearing all of these cues in class!

Note the inhale and exhale related to each asana within the sequence.

In this video you can follow along to both versions of Surya (Sun) Namaskar (Salutation) B.

Version 1 is more accessible, you can repeat this version or continue onto Version 2.

You can find the cues in the downloads section below.

This workshop focuses on correct alignment when you are doing your yoga practice and tips on avoiding injury. In general, you should always listen to your own body - there should never be any pain or discomfort, particularly in your joints. If you do feel pinching or pain, please come out of the pose immediately. Muscle soreness is okay and means that your body is getting used to moving in new ways, but again, there should be no pain.

This video is an exploration of the Bandhas (energy locks) and Ujjayii breath (pranayama).