Advanced Yoga Studies & Continuing Education
Yoga is ultimately a journey of Self discovery. The science of Yoga is uniquely designed to pave the pathway to the inner world and give us the tools for Self-knowing and Self-realization. Through this Advanced Yoga Studies program, you will be taught the practices and self awareness necessary to experience the true teachings of yoga as they have been preserved and passed down for thousands of years. The curriculum is designed to take your practice and your teaching to the next level and immerse you more deeply in the philosophy and techniques of this ancient tradition.
Advanced Yoga Studies courses are open to yoga teachers and experienced students who wish to expand their knowledge and personal practice, acquire training in specialized areas of yoga instruction, and develop their teaching and professional skills. These courses may be taken for personal enrichment or teaching enhancement and may be used to fulfill continuing education requirements by the Yoga Alliance. This program is the equivalent of a 300-hour training, though will not be registered through Yoga Alliance. For more information, see Frequently Asked Questions.
The Advanced Yoga Studies program is offered in four courses. Each course is independent and courses may be taken in any order. Each course consists of 2 weekend sessions (20 hours) as well as home-study and reading (estimated at 55 hours). All assignments, case studies, practices, and reports must be turned in within 6 months of the completion of the weekend classes.
At the completion of each course, students will receive a certificate of completion for 75 hours. If all 4 courses are completed, students will receive a certificate of completion for the Advanced Yoga Studies program worth 300 hours.
Advanced Courses:
YOGA & AYURVEDA: USING YOGA TO HEAL
(75 hours)
Weekend 1: Oct 21-22, 2017
Weekend 2: Nov 11-12, 2017
Classes are held 1-6pm each day.
Weekend 2: Nov 11-12, 2017
Classes are held 1-6pm each day.
Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences that have been united for thousands of years for the sake of healing the body, mind, and consciousness. While Ayurveda deals more with the health of the body and yoga deals more with purifying the mind and consciousness, together they form a complete approach for optimal health and higher awareness. Combining the knowledge of Ayurveda with the technniques of Yoga allows us to create the most beneficial practices for a healthy body and mind and pave the way to Self-realization.
Topics covered include:
- Yoga as Therapy
- Treating Injuries and Disease
- The Doshas, Vital Essences, and Gunas
- Ayurvedic Approach to Asana
- Ayurvedic Approach to Pranayama and Meditation
- Ayurvedic and Yogic Diet
Students are required to complete a detailed case study and assigned homework.
Required Reading: Yoga & Ayurveda by Dr. David Frawley.
DHARMA & DESIRE: FINDING PURPOSE AND CREATING A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE
(75 hours)
Weekend 1: Jan 20-21, 2018
Weekend 2: Feb 17-18, 2018
Classes are held 1-6pm each day.
Each of us enters the world with a unique dharma (purpose), a potentiality that we are meant to realize. When we are not living our purpose we miss out on the pleasure of filling that exceptional space the universe meant for us to fill. We can live an abundant and more meaningful life when we shape it from the wisdom and calling of our highest self.
Yoga and Tantra provide a profound yet practical approach to finding meaning and purpose in our lives, and tools to unlock our capacity to achieve it. Become aware of your heart’s deepest desire and learn how to manifest the things you need to fulfill it. During this course we’ll learn various techniques including yoga, meditation, visualization, journaling, and yoga nidra to help us discover our unique purpose and to live our most vibrant life.
Topics covered include:
- Understanding the Role of Desire
- Clarifying Your Dharma/Purpose in This Life
- Increasing the Energy of Transformation
- Decreasing Resistance to Change
- Accessing Intuition and Self Awareness
- Transforming Through Deep Relaxation and Life-Affirming Intentions
Students are required to complete a 40-day home practice and assigned homework.
Required Reading: The Four Desires by Rod Stryker
PRANA: THE PATH OF ENERGY
(75 hours)
Weekend 1: Sept 29-30, 2018
Weekend 2: Oct 27-28, 2018
Classes are held 1-6pm each day.
Prana is the force of life, the energy that underlies all activity – physical, mental, spiritual, and cosmic. The science of Prana (Prana Vidya) is the knowledge of awakening the fullest potential of yoga and life. These teachings and techniques detailed in ancient scriptures, such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Tantras and many other key texts, empower us at every level. They show us how to change the quality of the Pranic body to affect everything from health, to state of mind, to a deepening of spiritual awareness.
Topics covered include:
- The Kosha Model
- The Pathways of Prana
- The Three Qualities of Energy
- Prana Vayus
- Kundalini and the Awakening of the Chakras
- Energetics of Asana
- Energetics of Pranayama
- Diagnosing and Treating Pranic Disorders
- Prana and the Mind
Students are required to complete a home practice, case study, and assigned homework.
Required reading: Path of Fire and Light, Volume 1 by Swami Rama, Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and Yoga & Ayurveda by Dr. David Frawley
YOGA SUTRA: THE PATH OF MIND
(75 hours)
Schedule Coming Soon...
Written over 2000 years ago, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the singular text that illumines the path of Yoga more clearly and systematically than anything before or after. The word ‘Sutra’ means “thread” and the text is thus called because it threads together all the diverse teachings of Yoga into a single body of knowledge. It is considered the most precise and scientific text ever written on Yoga. By illuminating the practices, challenges, purpose, and potential of Yoga as a spiritual journey, the Sutras map the path to realizing life’s ultimate goals.
Topics covered include:
- The Samkhya System of Philosophy
- Practices for Self-Reflection and Self-Inquiry
- The Mastery of Asana According to Patanjali
- Pranayama and the Light of Consciousness
- Bhakti Yoga, the Path of Devotion
- Kriya Yoga, the Path of Action
- Ashtanga Yoga, the Path of Purification
Students are required to complete a 30-day home practice, a self-reflection exercise, and assigned homework.
Required reading: Four Chapters on Freedom by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the experience level necessary to participate? Are there any prerequisites or requirements for participating?
It is recommended that teachers have previously completed a 200 hour training course and have practiced yoga for a minimum of 2 years. It is recommended that dedicated students have practiced yoga for a minimum of 2 years.
It is recommended that teachers have previously completed a 200 hour training course and have practiced yoga for a minimum of 2 years. It is recommended that dedicated students have practiced yoga for a minimum of 2 years.
Note: there are no prerequisites for the Dharma & Desire course and all experience levels are encouraged to attend.
What if I have to miss a weekend? Can I make it up?
There are no make-ups available for these classes. If you need to miss a weekend, it is suggested that you wait to take the course at a later date.
There are no make-ups available for these classes. If you need to miss a weekend, it is suggested that you wait to take the course at a later date.
How much time outside of the weekend classes should I expect to spend on each course?
There is an estimated 55 hours of reading, homework, and personal practice for each course.
There is an estimated 55 hours of reading, homework, and personal practice for each course.
Why are these courses not registered through Yoga Alliance?
The program created, which we feel is the most valuable information for advanced students and yoga teachers, does not fit into the Yoga Alliance mold. As “graduate studies,” we feel that more personal practice, experience and self-directed work is appropriate. Yoga Alliance mandates that a minimum of 270 of the 300 hours must be contact hours, which means they must take place in the presence of the teacher. For a program of this level, we believe the teacher is essential in guiding the student, but that the learning should occur through the effort of the student, and that personal practice is what truly allows us to evolve as both students and teachers of yoga.
The program created, which we feel is the most valuable information for advanced students and yoga teachers, does not fit into the Yoga Alliance mold. As “graduate studies,” we feel that more personal practice, experience and self-directed work is appropriate. Yoga Alliance mandates that a minimum of 270 of the 300 hours must be contact hours, which means they must take place in the presence of the teacher. For a program of this level, we believe the teacher is essential in guiding the student, but that the learning should occur through the effort of the student, and that personal practice is what truly allows us to evolve as both students and teachers of yoga.
As a Registered Yoga School, all course hours are eligible for continuing education credits through Yoga Alliance.
Upon successful completion of all 4 courses, students will receive a certificate of completion for Advanced Yoga Studies worth 300 hours and may use the designation of CYT300 (or CYT500 if a 200 hour training program was previously completed), “Certified Yoga Teacher.”
For more information and a course brochure, please email shanon@shanonbuffingtonyoga.com
