200-Hour Hybrid: Self-Paced Online and 11 Day In-Person Yoga Teacher Training in Mytikas, Greece

Pre-application requirements

• Yoga practice: The more comfortable you are as a yoga practitioner, the more you will be able to focus on the teaching and transformational aspects of your training. To take the most out of the training, YogaUnion Bali recommends a foundation in fundamental yoga postures.
• English: YogaUnion welcomes all nationalities and languages and the material and lessons are delivered in clear and not over-complicated English. Please note all the classes are delivered in English and so is the exam.
• Attendance: to ensure the success of the training, participants are required to attend all the classes and lectures.

Certifications

Students who complete their training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).

How the training works

Introducing a training exclusively tailored for you. You will have complete access to the online platform upon booking. You will have access for six months, during which you can take part before or after the residential part of the training. Once in Mytikas for your 10-day stay, you will dive into an immersive on-site training, offering a harmonious blend of learning, social interactions, cultural exploration, and thrilling adventures.

Your experienced teachers, with years of practice, will skillfully guide you through the remaining 100 hours. Additionally, the flexibility to conclude the training online empowers you to learn at your own pace, right from the comfort of your home. You will nourish your mind, body, and soul, forming connections with like-minded, playful, and adventurous souls. You will have a group-host, who will be on hand at all times to support any of your needs.

You will deliver a 30-minute Vinyasa flow class to your fellow yogis and receive constructive feedback from your head teacher. Take a three-hour written exam focused on asana analysis, philosophy, and anatomy. YogaUnion believes that whether one decides to teach or not after the training is of little importance. This experience will allow you to grow and develop on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. It will be a journey inward, and a cornerstone in the ultimate quest is self-realization and self-love.

Sample schedule for residential training

• 07:00 - 08:00 Meditation, pranayama, and chanting mantras
• 08:00 - 10:00 Vinyasa practice
• 10:00 - 11:00 Breakfast
• 11:00 - 13:00 Analysis of asanas, adjustments, and teaching methods
• 13:00 - 15:00 Lunch
• 15:00 - 16:45 Anatomy or philosophy of yoga
• 17:00 - 18:30 All styles of yoga lessons and time to make your own lessons with your teacher’s guidance

Course information

YogaUnion has been delivering yoga teacher training courses (YTTCs), based on Ashtanga Vinyasa flow, an internationally accredited program with Yoga Alliance, for over a decade now. Enchanted by their experiences in Bali and India, Ourania, the founders of YogaUnion, decided to call Mytikas their new yoga home. Bringing their experiences from their permanent home in Ubud (the cultural and yogic capital of Bali), all the way to their birthplace in Greece.

YogaUnion is currently running a 200-hour Vinyasa teacher training, a unique and authentic course, open to those who want to become yoga teachers or simply deepen their practice. YogaUnion shala is located on a cliff, surrounded by Greek olive trees and botanical herbs, overlooking the endless blue waters of the Ionian Sea, which makes this experience even more magical.

Based on thousands of hours of experience from all over the world, Ourania carefully created and shaped the course to deliver the most educational, life-changing experience. The training is designed to challenge and develop individuals at all levels. This 200-hour course specializes in Vinyasa Ashtanga yoga, with a strong focus on the breath and how to combine it with movement. With a focus on:

• Building your confidence, skills, and profound knowledge
• Comprehensive understanding of Vinyasa and Ashtanga practice
• Asana analysis and adjustment theory
• Methodology, theory, philosophy, and anatomy or physiology
• Insights into basic Ayurveda, nutrition, healing, and rejuvenation in relation to yoga practice
• The business aspect of yoga

Mission statement

• YogaUnionBali challenges the status quo
• What you do transcends practice
• You learn, re-learn, break, and grow
• Every day, on your mat, you sweat, laugh, and cry together
• You are present and aware
• You support each other
• You embrace the challenge; you welcome uncertainty and seek change
• You do it all together. Build unbreakable bonds.
• You enter an ever-growing community
• You become a family, a union. A YogaUnion

How the residential training looks like

Daily morning will begin with an hour of pranayama, meditation, and mantra chanting, followed by a Vinyasa flow class. Early afternoons are focused on deep learning of asanas with an emphasis on alignment, adjustments, and teaching methodology. You will dive into the theoretical part, studying yoga philosophy or anatomy (alternating days).

Early afternoons are focused on deep learning of asanas with an emphasis on alignment, adjustments, and teaching methodology. You will dive into the theoretical part, studying yoga philosophy or anatomy (alternating days). The afternoon lessons will be focused on restorative styles of yoga such as Yin, Hatha, and Nidra and specialized workshops. This 200-hour yoga teacher training program incorporates training hours in the following educational categories and topics:

How to use yoga props

• Block, bolster, strap, and blanket
• Wall in your yoga practice

Teaching practice

You will start to teach from day one. The building of the yoga lessons will be gradual and smooth, facilitating everyone to develop their talents. Teaching will also be progressive, starting with one-to-one lessons in the beginning and moving step by step to bigger groups of students, ending up in full open classes. Regular feedback is given by teachers and fellow students about your teaching so that you can improve and find your unique voice and style as a teacher. Some of the things you will do and learn include:

• Practice teaching
• Receiving feedback
• Observing others teaching
• Hearing and giving feedback
• Learn to give hands-on adjustment
• Teaching methodology and technique
• Principles of demonstration
• Observing, assisting, and correcting
• Instruction, teaching styles, and qualities of a teacher
• Voice projection and floor presence

The process of learning

• Planning and structuring a class
• Alignment and hands-on adjustment
• Dealing with injuries and safety precautions
• Business aspects of teaching yoga
• Pranayama, mudra, bandhas, and kriya
• Pranayama (yogic breathing)

Pranayama

Prana - breath, Yama - control - in accordance with the great yogis, breath equals energy flow. Every morning will begin with pranayama classes, where you will have the chance to get grounded, look inward, and set intention and energy for the day ahead. You will practice your breath and gain conscious awareness of your body. In this class, you will learn and practice:

• Yogic breathing
• Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing)
• Bhramari (humming bee breath)
• Ujjayi (the psychic or victorious breath)
• Bhastrika (bellows breath)
• Kapalbhati (frontal brain cleansing breath)

Asana analysis and adjustments

This class focuses on analyzing and dissecting basic and advanced postures. You will learn the correct alignment based on the traditional approach and in line with body mechanics, understand how to offer hands-on adjustments, and how to structure them in a Vinyasa class. The teachers will always be present in your practice, observing and providing feedback. In this class, you will learn:

• Analysis of the 80 postures and more (arm balances, back-bends, and inversions)
• Modifications, other variations, and advanced variations of all postures
• How to use yoga props in your yoga practice
• Adjustment (physical and verbal) theory and hands-on practice

Philosophy

You will travel back in time to India and dive deep into the origins of yoga and how it reached today's modern form. Focusing on philosophical concepts, you will learn how to adapt and apply them to your modern life. These lessons are held in a conversational format, which enables students to actively engage and explore meanings through their own visions and stories. In this class, you will learn and discuss:

• History and meaning of yoga
• The eight-limb path of yoga according to Patanjali
• Prana, Vayus, Nadis, Chakras, and Kundalini
• The Gunas, Doshas, Introduction to a yogic diet
• Mudras, Bandhas (energy locks), and Mantras
• The meaning of Om
• Lifestyle and ethics as a yoga practitioner and a teacher

Anatomy

You will take a deep dive into the understanding of the human body in today's modern world, with a focus on the nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems. You will gain a deep understanding of how these systems work in harmony to create movement and gain the ability to articulate this through your yoga practice, teaching, and everyday life. This class is delivered in a conversational setting. Over the years, you have been able to master the delivery of complex concepts in a fun, interactive, and intuitive way. In this class, you will learn and discuss:

• Introduction to anatomy and different body systems
• Analysis of the skeletal system and connective tissue, muscular system and nervous system
• Movement analysis of all major joints and muscles and direct application to yoga practice and asanas

Teaching methodology

They believe that you begin teaching from the moment you enter your shala. They aim for the lessons to be confidence-building and progressive. You will start with one-to-one lessons and gradually move to bigger groups of students; eventually, you deliver a 30-minute class to your fellow yogis. Through regular feedback from teachers and fellow students, you will have a chance to improve as you go along about finding your unique voice and style as a teacher. In this class, you will learn and practice:

• YogaUnion Vinyasa structure and principles
• Practice teaching and receiving feedback
• Learn and practice hands-on adjustment
• Instruction, teaching styles, and qualities of a teacher
• Voice projection and floor presence
• Planning and structuring a class
• Dealing with injuries and safety precautions

Restorative and workshops

The afternoon classes will serve to introduce the students to various styles of yoga, in addition to core course specifications. Alternatively, you will take part in restorative practice and themed workshops. To complement your morning dynamic Yang practice, the afternoons will focus on Yin practice. The classes will feature Yin yoga, Yoga Nidra, Restorative, and Gentle Hatha. Asana-related, these workshops will cover handstands, hip openers, fun modules like partner yoga, and spiritual immersions such as eye gazing and bhakti.