Certifications
Upon completion of this yoga teacher training, students will receive certificate affiliated with Yoga Alliance. Registration with Yoga Alliance provides a globally recognized credential.
Program
In yoga practice, you'll clear the body and mind, making space for wisdom and deeper understanding to flow freely and openly. In making space, you'll allow yourselves to experience your fullness and connection to everything around you. Yoga is therefore about cultivating flow through the body and mind and opening up to optimal experience - union.
Permaculture follows the same principles. In permaculture, you are essentially making space for the wisdom of the entire system to fully flow, to become a more open and thriving container for life. Permaculture teaches you to observe the natural environment and work with rather than against the natural order of flow. Thus, in permaculture, you are also cultivating union. Through the yoga of permaculture, you'll get the experience of yoga as deep ecology - by allowing the ecosystem, and yourselves within that system, to demonstrate their own evolution.
Lower world
- Advanced creative sequencing and adjustments, therapeutic yoga and trauma sensitivity, pre-natal
Deepen your personal practice and teaching of yoga throughout this cycle with advanced asana analysis and adjustment techniques. You will explore the art of teaching methodology in detail and creative sequencing. Incorporating approaches to yoga teaching for special populations such as prenatal and older populations, and you will learn how to diagnose and treat disease in the body through therapeutic applications to yoga asana.
Together you co-create holistic classes from a variety of lineages, artistically weaved together with themes and intentions, encouraging advanced levels of awareness throughout the program.
Middle world
- Shamanic and energetic healing, holistic cleansing, ancient wisdom, Tantra, Ayurveda, and yoga philosophy
Focus on the expansion of our own sacred consciousness in the context of shamanic healing, holistic cleansing, and ancient wisdom. By releasing the stories and holdings that no longer serve you, you create more space to see your gifts and the essence of who we are as teachers and beings on this path of Light and Oneness.
Connecting to the essence of the true teacher within, you are able to integrate the wisdom of your own yoga with the deep wisdom of Native American earth medicine, shamanic practices, subtle energy systems and other healing practices of the world.
Exploring ancient wisdom traditions and deepening your understanding of the timeline of Yoga as you study the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, providing you the tools and understandings for you as teachers to weave together authentically inspired intentions and themes into your practice and into your classes.
Upper world
- Yoga of sound; Nada yoga, mantra and deep listening, bhakti bliss and yoga Nidra
Uncover your heart’s true voice through ancient and modern practices of Bhakti (the yoga of devotion) with ceremonies of sacred song, kirtan, bhajan, and mantra practice. Learn to introduce musical themes to classes and invigorate your own understanding with the science and philosophy of Nada Yoga - the yoga of inner and outer sound. Through the art of deep listening, you come to awaken a profound presence.
Refresh your understanding of consciousness and meditation in the lessons of Nidra - the yoga of sleep and deep relaxation as you equip your tool-bags with a therapeutic and healing gem.
Curriculum
Kula Collective’s yoga teacher training is a holistic program based on the understanding that to understand yoga you must first understand the self - body, mind, and spirit. The chakana, or Andean cross, acts as the guide and foundational structure for the course, encompassing a lower world, middle world, and the upper world that each focuses on different types of movement, diet, and meditation.
The levels allow you to move up through the layers of your self-understanding, to reveal the wise and light-filled beings that you are. Kula Collective brings to life the ancient teachings of yoga through accessible spiritual lessons, a solid foundation in yogic philosophy, and a daily yoga practice called the Kula flow.
Kula flow
The Kula flow is a slow Vinyasa-based sequence with an emphasis on mindfulness, breath, meditation, and alignment.
The Kula flow has roots in Ashtanga, Sivananda, Kundalini, Hatha, and Iyengar. The intention of the flow is to give you an opportunity to access the stillness of the mind, preparing the body for meditation which is the foundation of yoga.
During this training, you will dive deep into the four traditional paths of yoga:
- Bhakti or the way of the heart. It’s where you will experience love and devotion through prayer, ceremony, singing, and chanting.
- Jnana or the way of knowledge. It’s where you will experience self-inquiry through the art of living with intention and contemplation of your very oneness.
- Karma or the way of action. It’s the selfless service to the one, how you can gracefully and mindfully serve the whole.
- Raja or the royal path of meditative absorption. It’s where you explore the work of Patanjali's Ashtanga (eight limbs) philosophy.
The Kula flow is a philosophical journey through the eight limbs of yoga inspired by the teachings of the ancient sage Patanjali. Sutra literally means to thread, so you will experience this weaving of these important concepts throughout the class, leaving you with a better sense of yourself.
- Yamas - social ethics and guidelines (external)
- Niyamas - observances (internal)
- Asana - to sit comfortably with the self
- Pranayama - to let the breath flow with intention and ease
- Dharana - concentration
- Dhyana - meditation
- Samadhi - transcendence
The Kula flow provides an experience to look inward and fulfill your soul’s purpose. It encourages you to find contentment in the present moment. When in the flow, you recognize that there is nowhere you need to be, there is nowhere you need to go.
Everyday, the teachings will flow through four arts:
The art of teaching
The focus is on giving you the best foundational understanding of yoga possible in the time available. In asana, this means the emphasis on the correct alignment, muscular engagement, and breathing.
You will be introduced to Kula flow, a dynamic, slow Vinyasa sequence that is highly adaptable and contains many of the building blocks you will need to make your own sequences. Students in your class will benefit from this extra focus on anatomical alignment within asana, as well as the step-by-step guide to physical and energetic Thai massage-based adjustments.
Through this art of teaching, you will:
- Learn to teach the signature Kula flow, complete with the full anatomic and energetic cues, physical, verbal and energetic adjustments, and modifications for all levels of practice.
- Become familiar with the form, teaching methodology, benefits, and cautions of principal asanas (postures), pranayamas (breathing techniques), and kriyas (cleansing techniques).
- Explore teaching as an art - how to keep the energy flow within a class, how to create a grounded and inspired space for teaching and learning, how to weave your intention and your unique presence into your class, and how to share yoga off the mat.
- Learn to create various class-styles, from the beginner, intermediate, to specialized yoga, integrating your own style into traditional techniques.
- Receive a foundational education in anatomy specific to yoga, including functional alignment, benefits, and contraindications of the practice as well as learning modifications for age and common injuries or conditions.
- Become familiar with the subtle yogic anatomy and the chakras, as well as the systems of the Peruvian shamanic tradition.
- Receive a foundation in the history of yoga and the four traditional paths as well as Ashtanga philosophy (the eight-fold path) and related practices and topics to broaden your knowledge and understanding of conscious living.
- Teach two full classes and many mini-sequences throughout the training and receive loving and specific feedback from the trainers and your peers.
The art of healing
This 200-hour yoga teacher training will give you the opportunity for deep self-healing through personal discovery practices, group exercises, intentional discussion, and sacred ceremony.
The training also offers a wide selection of teachings on complementary health practices, including but not limited to Ayurveda, nutrition, massage, Thai massage, energetic healing, tai chi, chakra cleansing, herbal healing, and the yogic diet.
The art of healing component of the curriculum allows you to reveal your wisest self and to unveil your true calling as a healing practitioner and as the sharer of an ancient wellness practice. Through this component, you will:
- Have the time and space to dive into your own personal healing, guided by experienced facilitators and supported by a safe, energetic container.
- Be guided through a wheel of transformation as you cycle through the three levels of the Peruvian Chakana.
- Take part in the sacred ceremony, calling in the energies of the four cardinal directions as you hold full and new moon ceremonies, ceremonies of release and of manifestation, cacao ceremonies, and ceremonies of healing, asking the elements of the earth for support as you transform.
- Abandon yourself to the healing power of sound, through traditional kirtan circles and native medicine song and ceremony chants from around the world.
- Become familiar with the subtle yogic anatomy and the chakras as well as the systems of the Peruvian shamanic traditions.
- Receive the introduction to many different healing modalities and lifestyle practices, including but not limited to Ayurveda, nutrition, massage, Thai massage, energetic healing, tai chi, chakra cleansing, herbal healing, and the yogic diet.
- Step into your role as a healing practitioner and sharer of this ancient wellness practice.
The art of living
As you come together in the group training, you will explore the art to living well through examining both your own understanding of the art of living and that of the ancient sages.
Through the study of the yoga sutras, modern yoga’s foundational text, as well as the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, you better come to understand the true nature of the self and your place in the world.
Through the discussion of the art of living, you will:
- Experience the true sense of community. You will be encouraged to share from the heart, experience as a whole, and make new friends with the same passion for truth as you.
- Become the spiritual being you truly are, through learning how to take your yoga off the mat and into life.
- Live a spiritual intention every day, weaving your inner practice into your outer world.
- Explore the key themes for integrating yoga into daily life, experiencing them through practice and self-study and discussing as a group.
- Study and discuss the yoga sutras of Patanjali, aphorisms giving insight into profound yogic practices and contemplations, as well as their life-transforming benefits.
- Study the select sections of other great yogic texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads.
The art of practice
This yoga teacher training places an emphasis on the experiential face of yoga by living your practice as a group - beginning and ending each day with a form of meditation and daily connection to your asana and pranayama.
Each morning, you will wake in silence to meditate as the sun rises, flowing into your internal experience of pranayama and the Kula flow - the unique sequence. As you continue to expand through your teaching, you creatively work with this flow and feel what it is to open up your boundaries as you are guided into deepening your personal practice through meditation, pranayama, and asana.
You will follow the yogic, vegetarian diet, which purifies your practice from the inside out. You will eat your meals with reverence and you open and close your space with Om, the universal sound. You meditate as you breathe, walk, dance, and laugh your way through your experience and you allow your practice to be a ceremony each time.
Through this art of practicing and embodying yoga, you will:
- Build your practice with daily meditation, pranayama, and asana in a beautiful location.
- Cleanse your body as you live the yogic diet, filling your body and soul with the high-prana, Sattvic (pure) food, and observe the space that is created in all aspects of your being as a result.
- See your poses improve through the one-on-one guidance and hands-on adjustments to help you get the most of your practice.
- Learn how to deepen your practice through mudras, bandhas, and understanding of yogic anatomy and alignment.
- Experience a wide selection of meditation and pranayama techniques, both traditional and modern.
- Learn how to reintegrate your practice into your daily life.
- Discover the depths that lie within you through your own true connection to spirit.
Syllabus
The 300-hour Kula Collective training strategically builds upon the 200-hour Kula curriculum but is also a good fit for those who have completed a non-Kula 200-hour program or those who have a good deal of experience teaching and / or holding sacred space.
At the 200-hour level, the focus is to guide students to understand how to teach a safe and effective yoga class. Students are given the foundation for teaching yoga asana, Pranayama, and meditation, as well as the principles for understanding the application of topics such as anatomy, Ayurveda, yogic cleansing, and yoga philosophy.
At the 300-hour level, the Kula facilitators guide students into a deeper understanding of the essence of who they are as yoga teachers. Students are given opportunities to expand their teaching by incorporating themes and spiritual intentions that speak to their deeper message as a yoga teacher and their greater purpose as a healing practitioner on this planet. A safe container is created for self-exploration that encourages students to step beyond their previous ways of teaching and engage in a practice that expresses their authenticity and passions in service to the whole. The 300-hour curriculum is designed to move students from the level of “teaching a yoga class” to the level of “guiding an inspirational experience”.
Training schedule
The program is a 31-day course, using the chakana as the foundational structure. This means the course is separated into lower, middle, and upper worlds. The lower world represents the physical, the middle world reflects the mental and emotional, and the upper world involves the energetic or spiritual realm, leading you on a true journey from the head to the heart. Uncover and let go of the layers and step into a more awakened state of being to sit in the seat of your soul.
You will spend eight days in each world, broken down into two half-cycles of three days, with a half-day on day four to apply these practices to modern day living, and a full day off on day eight to live your spiritual practice.
For full school days, you will follow the detailed schedule below. On half days, you will open with a morning's rest, restorative Yin class and a workshop to deepen your understanding of the chakras associated with the world you are working in, with the rest of this day free. You will meet the group for evening gathering every other day.
Sample daily schedule
- 06:30 - 09:00 The art of practice covering meditation, pranayama, and asana
- 10:00 - 13:00 The art of living and teaching covering yogic philosophy, theory and diet, yogic living, and daily intentions
- 15:00 - 17:30 The art of teaching covering Kula flow, asana analysis, adjustments, and yoga anatomy
- 19:00 - 20:30 The art of healing (every other evening) including ceremony, kirtan, or Satsang sacred gathering
Other highlights
- Live in a permaculture food forest
- Eat delicious vegetarian meals sourced from the organic gardens and local producers
- Explore the beautiful forest gardens, waterfalls, and natural abundance
- Live in sustainably built eco-cabins and experience conscious off-the-grid living
- Practice yoga in beautiful natural indoor and outdoor spaces surrounded by forest
- Swim or kayak in the beautiful Lake Atitlan
- Shop for beautiful textiles and handicrafts in local indigenous villages
- Professional massage, wellness counseling, and various therapies available
- Probiotic courses
