25 Day 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training in Vinyasa Yoga by the Sea in Greece

Facilities

Overview

This intensive 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training places major emphasis on Vinyasa Flow Yoga. The class schedule is 6 days per week and 1 day off. The main topics of this course are:

• Advanced Vinyasa Flow and Power Yoga classes so that you can advance your personal practice and start your day feeling energized and fresh
• In-depth theming and sequencing for class structure so that you can create interesting classes for your own students. They will keep coming back to you for more and more classes
• Workshops on advanced back-bending, hip opening, arm balances, and inversions. In these workshops, Alpha Yoga School will teach you all the preparations for these complex postures so that you can show them to your students. You will improve your own practice
• Deeper knowledge of hands-on adjustments. Once Covid-19 is over and you will be able to offer adjustments, you will be ready and offer these to your students, who will appreciate them and keep on asking for more
• Anatomical application of asanas, comparative anatomy of different body types, tension, and compression theory. This is not a class where you will just sit and take notes. You will learn how to apply the practice to each individual in order to bring safety but also depth in the asanas
• Yin and restorative yoga classes in the afternoon so that you can relax and wind down. You will also learn a bit of theory on these 2 yoga styles

Detailed course content

Morning asana classes

Students will practice daily dynamic, powerful Vinyasa Flow classes. These classes are intended to build strength and to utilize existing flexibility for deeper posture variations so that you can advance your practice.

Emphasis is placed on incorporating topics from afternoon workshops on advanced poses into the morning practice so you can experience and feel the poses in your own body.

Proper practice and spotting techniques of advanced inversions will also be applied so that you can gain confidence with these techniques in a safe environment.

Students will also be acquainted with creative and intelligent sequencing across asana families in order to arrive at deeper, more advanced posture variations.

Teaching Methodology and Practicum

Alpha Yoga School recognizes and encourage that each teacher defines and refines their own teaching voice. They are not into creating a cookie-cutter monologue of how and what teachers should say in their classes.

In these sessions, they integrate knowledge and principles discussed in Alignment classes in order for teachers to adapt their manner, body language, tone, words, and public speaking to fit their audience’s needs and requests. Students will be teaching in small groups every day and will be observing, analyzing, and assisting in other students’ classes.

Topics include:

• Identifying your dominant learning style and learning how to teach based on others’ learning styles.
• Communication skills such as group dynamics, time management, and the establishment of priorities and boundaries.
• How to address the specific needs of individuals and special populations, to the degree possible in a group setting.
• Speech patterns - active vs. passive language and the effective use of each; positive and conscious communication; habitual speech and communication patterns
• Principles of demonstration, observation, assisting and correcting​.

Alignment and hands-on adjustments

In Alpha Yoga School theory classes, you will learn how to organize the body to allow safety in the deepest expressions of asanas. The deepest expression is not the most advanced shape of a pose, but the breath and concentration required to practice it. You will explore this deeper expression through a dual approach of understanding safe and effective alignment for different bodies and basic biomechanics for functional movement, as well as how to adjust postures for healing as well as for depth.

Much of your time will be spent on expanding your knowledge of asanas while paying attention to key alignment and anatomical structures in order to deepen your own practice as well as learning how to guide others safely into poses verbally, visually, and physically.

You will have many opportunities to practice hands-on adjustments with feedback from your teachers and peers.

Topics include:

• Alignment principles for postures grouped by the foundation (standing, seated, all 4's, hands, etc)
• Learning the five categories of Asanas and the key poses and alignment options in each category (standing poses, forward bends, backbends, twists, and inversions)
• Developing alignment maps for each of the five categories of asanas to find resemblance in the foundation, and how to build upon this foundation and create ideal transitions
• Physical benefits and cautions for yoga postures
• The Art of Touch and Adjustment Theory
• Advanced Assisting – Hands-on and Verbal
• Advanced Posture workshops (lotus variations and deep hip openers; arm balances and transitions; headstand variations and transitions; pincha mayurasana; handstand and scorpion; deep backbends—dropbacks and deeper variations of urdhva dhanurasana, pigeon, dancer pose, etc)
• Safe Spotting Techniques for deeper inversions
• Creating Sequences and developing mini-flows
• Anatomical Sequencing and working towards a Peak Pose / Pathway Sequencing
• Yoga and Injuries
• Sanskrit for advanced poses
• Creating and Leading Workshops

Anatomy

Alpha Yoga School focuses on an experiential, engaging breakdown of the human body as it relates to the practice of yoga. You won’t just sit there and take notes; you will learn how to directly apply this essential information to your practice and your teaching. You will explore a deeper understanding of anatomy and physiology modalities from Eastern and Western medicine and their applications to traditional yoga philosophy.

Alpha Yoga School strives to understand the body and the practice so that they can understand how to apply the practice to each individual with any style or level of understanding to create personalized, functional, and safe classes to bring students to their deepest mind-body edge.

Topics include:​

• Practical applications of anatomy in specific yoga postures
• Comparative anatomy and understanding different body types
• Focus on the 4 systems that allow and restrict movement – Skeletal, Muscular, Nervous System and Connective Tissues
• Practical anatomy with a major emphasis on muscular and skeletal structures and in-depth study of anatomical and skeletal differences (i.e. compression, tension, proportion, and orientation theory)
• Scapular Stability and strength in deeper arm balances and inversions
• Regional study of specific joints of the body – Hip, Knee, Foot, Spine, Shoulder, etc
• Role of Fascia in Flexibility
• Breathing and respiratory system and the role of breath in asana
• Therapeutic applications of postures and working with injuries in asana class
• Yin Yoga Theory and basic Meridian Theory
• Basics of Thai Massage and relationship to Meridian Theory

Philosophy

Expanding on your 200-Hour Yoga Philosophy foundation, you will dive deep into classical yogic texts such as the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Further emphasis will be placed on an exploration of The Yoga Sutras and 8-Limbs, moving beyond a general introduction and into deeper understanding and application.

You will be challenged to contemplate and question who you are, what your truths are, and your ultimate role as both a student and a teacher.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda, the Vedic science of health and longevity, is intrinsically linked to the practice of yoga. These two sister sciences were developed together and traditionally are taught together.

At the 300-hour level teacher training, you will spend extra time on this holistic science of life and longevity. Ayurveda provides a practical approach to a healthy diet and lifestyle tailored to the individual on a personal basis. You will explore diagnosis, prevention, care, diet, daily routine, application in asana practice, and much more!

Meditation and Pranayama

In this module, Alpha Yoga School expands on your 200-Hour foundation and introduces more advanced practices of mantra, meditation, and pranayama. Students will practice chanting and mantra daily while taking a deeper look at the science of sound and the significance of the Sanskrit language. Pranayama sequencing, ratios, and practices will be examined. Experiential understanding of Eastern anatomy, the subtle body, chakras, and nadis will be cultivated. At the end of the course, students will guide each other through one 30-minute pranayama or meditation class.

Certification

Since this is not a yoga retreat or holiday, you will be asked to actively participate, study, do your homework and prepare for all classes. You must meet all course requirements to graduate successfully. Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.

The course is conducted in English.

Prerequisites

This 300-hour yoga training is open for all 200-hour yoga teachers. As the course is demanding, the applicant should be in good physical and mental condition. What is most important is that the applicant arrives with an open mind and an eagerness to learn. The applicant should also have a basic English language understanding as the course is conducted in English and the student will be required to speak English. Alcohol and recreational drugs are not available and are totally restricted on the premises.

Daily schedule

• 07:00 - 08:00 Pranayama and meditation
• 08:00 - 10:00 Dynamic Vinyasa flow practice
• 10:00 - 11:00 Breakfast
• 11:00 - 13:00 Anatomy / philosophy (on alternating days)
• 13:00 - 14:00 Alignment / workshops
• 14:00 - 15:30 Break and snacks
• 15:30 - 16:30 Hands-on adjustments, sequencing, teaching skills.
• 16:30 - 17:45 Teaching Practicum (students teach each other)
• 17:45 - 18:00 Break
• 18:00 - 19:00 Yin or Restorative yoga
• 19:00 - 20:00 Dinner
• 20:00 - 21:00 Movies, Satsang, self study

You will be right next to the water. You can swim after the morning practice, in your one-hour breaks or you can even swim under the stars. The water is so clean that you can see the bottom of the sea even when you go deeper inside. There is a sup board available for the students to share and maybe try your balance with sup yoga? The retreat center is so quiet, that you can hear the silence.

This teacher training takes place at Evia Silence, which is located on Evia Island. Evia Island is connected with the mainland with a bridge, so there is no need to take a ferry to get to the island. The retreat center can be easily reached in 2.5 hours drive from Athens International Airport.

You can arrive either with a shared taxi which costs 40 euros when shared with three more persons or you can arrive by public transportation and then a taxi. All the traveling details will be sent upon registration.

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The retreat center has amazing food. You will smell the dinner from the yoga shala and you know that the day is over. The only complaint is that it's very difficult to resist going for a second refill of your plate.

All food is included in the cost, except the lunch. Since breakfast is more like brunch and runs till 11:00 am, Alpha Yoga School had an experience that people were not hungry for a big lunch. This is why they offer an afternoon snack instead. Nevertheless, each room has a big fridge where you can store some food from the breakfast. Also, Joanna, one of your teachers, goes to the supermarket once a week and can buy food for you (this way, students can always have more fruits, snacks, rice cakes, chocolate, in their fridge in the room). You can estimate around a maximum of 15 EUR per week for this food.

You can also have ​lunch ​at the retreat center (8-10 EUR) or walk for five minutes to local restaurants which have amazing food as well). You will find Greek salad for about 6 EUR, the main dish for 8-10 EUR calamari for about 12 EUR. Bring a water bottle with you.

Evia Silence Retreat Center partners up with Evia Adventure Tours. Since 2013, they have been a family-run business, providing guiding tours on the island of Evia, keeping everything authentic. They organize sightseeing around the island, sailing cruises, food and wine tours, cycling and hiking tours. They will take care of all the details, you just sit back and relax. They believe that you will want to spend your Sunday on the beach, at the retreat center. That's how beautiful and serene it is there.

• 24 night accommodation in clean rooms with a terrace overlooking the sea
• Deliciously amazing breakfast, afternoon snacks, tea, coffee, dinners every day.
• Manual and all the classes
• Certification of completion upon successful completion of the practical and written exam
• Beautiful yoga studio with sea view
• Beach within steps (40 meters away)
• Clear waters to swim in (you can see the bottom of the sea)
• Delicious Mediterranean food
• Rooms with sea view, terrace, A/C, mosquito net, good quality mattresses so that you can sleep like a baby
• Local restaurants within seven minutes of walking
• Experienced teachers so you can learn from the best
• Lots of opportunities to teach yoga to your peers (from week one)

• Flights
• Lunch (estimate of 50-60 EUR for the whole stay)
• Transfer to and from the airport, but this can be arranged by Alpha Yoga School
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
• Other activities

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.