What Our Trainings ARE:
An expansive and integrative online learning experience with a strong community of support. VBY Programs provide experienced faculty, expert content and opportunities to think critically and experientially about the material offered.
An opportunity to learn, grow, and share. We provide each student with the tools and skills to explore the practice of Yoga, teach asana safely, and help them cultivate the wisdom of direct experience to allow them to apply these tools in Yoga and in life.
Community affairs. Yoga is a solo practice, but you can’t do it alone. We provide cohort support, accountability partners, and experienced mentorship to all of our students creating space to process your discoveries and connect with others.
Interactive. Our trainings are structured as both synchronous and asynchronous learning. That means that you will meet “live” with your cohort group regularly, as well as work independently.
Integrative Learning. At VBY we will encourage you to unlearn the old ideas of right and wrong, and good and bad, and challenge you to courageously find your own understanding of Tantra & Yoga philosophy through direct experience, active exploration, and shared communication.
What Our Trainings ARE NOT:
Self-directed learning. Our YTT programs are NOT a work at your own pace model, and instead provide a clear structure, timeline, and integrative learning experience so that you graduate as more than just a leader of Yoga classes; you graduate with the confidence & authority needed to teach others.
Achievement-oriented. We will encourage you to unhook from performance based models of learning, and boldly explore what is right and true for YOU. We believe that Yoga is who you are at your essence, and you CANNOT fail at that. So, we work with you to discover what Yoga is for you, instead of requiring you to do it “our way.”
Perfection-demanding. We believe that there are as many ways to practice, learn, and teach Yoga as there are practitioners of it. We do NOT demand perfection of our YTTs and instead hold space for their own discoveries while providing guidance from highly experienced teachers and faculty.
Information Overload. We emphasize knowledge and direct experience over information. This means we spend as much time helping you to process and understanding the information that we are providing as we do in giving the information itself.
A way to escape your life. At VBY, we do not use Yoga as a tool to escape the stress and challenges of life, but instead as a powerful tool to step fully into the lives that you are living as the place to experiment with the tools that you are learning.
How we are different from your average Yoga Teacher Training:
Vira Bhava Yoga Trainings are built on the foundation of Sri Vidya Tantric philosophy and stretch beyond the limits of the 8 limbs of Pantanjali.
We emphasize the power and capacity of each individual student to develop their own path and voice from which to share yoga, rather than the perfection of asana (postures).
What makes VBY unique is our commitment to exploration beyond the physical practice of yoga. Our exceptional faculty practices what they teach, and share their wisdom about how to use asana as a path to Self Discovery, not simply a physical practice.
We encourage you to share and inspire others to broaden their scope of understanding about Yoga and its benefits.
Our primary requirements are practice and experience. We value the direct application of the practices and materials over the grades and performance. (This means you will NEVER FAIL).
In our programs you will learn the skills and tools to TRUST the guidance that arises from within. You will learn how to become YOUR OWN AUTHORITY.
At VBY we encourage you to Unlearn everything you thought Yoga was, and embark on a bold exploration of discovering what Yoga is for you. And we teach you the tools to share those discoveries with others.
Our programs work to show you what’s possible, instead of what is right.
VBY programs encourage you to explore the content that is offered to deepen your practice, your reflection, and build your capacity. Openness, a desire to be curious and motivation to explore are the only requirements.
Whether you choose to do a training because you have discovered that there is more to Yoga than what you are getting in classes, or you want to share the depth of your practice with others, Vira Bhava Yoga Trainings will support you on your journey.
An Explanation of Yoga Certification Levels
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A 200 hour Yoga Teaching Training provides education in the following categories as determined by Yoga Alliance: Techniques, Training and Practice, Teaching Methodology, Anatomy & Physiology, Yoga Philosophy/Ethics/Lifestyle, and Practicum. These categories provide instruction in areas such as asana foundations, safety, assisting techniques, planning and sequencing a yoga class, and vocabulary and process of teaching. A basic 200 hour YTT gives a broad understanding of classical and modern yoga. At the completion of a 200 Hour program, you will have exposure to philosophy, moderate proficiency with teaching an asana class in the style of the training, and a strong foundation of personal practice. A 200 Hour YTT program is like a Bachelors degree in Yoga. This program culminates in a 200 Hour YTT Graduate Certificate that allows you to register with Yoga Alliance and teach yoga.
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In addition to providing a full spectrum integrative Yoga experience that is Yoga Alliance (YA) Certified and based on the YA standards, we offer a fully-online program that is firmly rooted in Sri Vidya Tantric Philosophy. The intention is to teach and support empowered Yogis to find their voice and share it with the world. Our trainings provide tools and skills for developing teachers who are seeking to ask questions, deepen their practice, and share it with others. In this training, we experience the study of Yoga within a community of like-minded students seeking positive and lasting impact in ourselves and our world.
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A 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training Program is designed to strengthen and build upon the basic skills learned in a 200 YTT, and deepen your understanding of Yoga asana and philosophy. The scope of a 300 hour YTT program can be broad or more specific to the style of Yoga being studied. Often the 300 hour programs are more focused on specific aspects of teaching and sharing yoga (i.e. therapeutics, trauma informed, etc.) but can also be a general studies program. A 300 Hour YTT is like a Master’s Degree in Yoga. You must have completed a 200 hour YTT prior to enrolling in a 300 hour program. The addition of a 300 hour certification to your 200 hour credential equates to 500 hours of Certification.
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Our 300 Hour Programs are a fully online mix of interactive and independent learning that build and sustain a community of support and learning (Satsang) through the use of technology both virtual and heart-centered. In the Vira Bhava Yoga 300 Hour Training you will learn practices and gain tools that not only inform your practice and teaching but also enhance your life. Our approach provides accessible approaches to implement into the day-to-day, and encourages you to discover how your practice and purpose are of benefit to the world. This training is firmly rooted in Sri Vidya Tantric Philosophy. The curriculum covers the Five Koshas and offers an in-depth opportunity for students to deepen and mature their personal practice in areas of asana energetics, meditation, pranayama, and sadhana.