October 2024 - March 2025

200hr Teacher Training
based in Ottawa

All sessions offered in-person!

► See Program Dates

This course will transform your practice, and help you find your own unique approach to teaching others.

Our Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) is designed to take you deep into the heart of yoga. We want to empower you with the tools required to skillfully teach yoga to the unique needs of your students – be it gentle, strong, or somewhere in the middle. 

Your growth will be supported by in-depth studies of yoga philosophy, the anatomy of movement, teaching yoga postures to different levels of ability, creative and purposeful class sequencing, the energetics of yoga, breathing techniques (pranayama), lifestyle and ethics discussions.

+ SPECIAL GUEST TEACHERS

NEUROSCIENCE OF YOGA  •  CHANTING  •  BUSINESS OF YOGA  •  YOGA + COMPASSIONATE SOCIAL JUSTICE •  GENDER DIVERSITY + INCLUSION  •  TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA  •  CULTURAL APPROPRIATION  •  ACCESSIBLE VINYASA YOGA

Our Approach:

Adapt yoga to the needs of the students; not the other way around

Yoga has evolved immensely in the last decade alone, as has our understanding of the human body, mind, and the role of the teacher. How can we honour its roots as a spiritual system in a way that is relevant to our times? How can yoga help us get grounded in a world that is out of balance, and be develop genuine compassion to truly serve other people?

We’ve all heard that Yoga is a holistic system that encompasses mind, body and spirit. This training blends classical yoga (hatha, vinyasa, ashtanga) with modern movement principles and philosophies. Our aim is to help you to take your own practice to a much deeper level, so you can confidently transmit your own understanding of yoga to others from a place of lived experience.

Your growth will be supported by in-depth studies of yoga philosophy, meditation, the anatomy of the body, teaching yoga postures to different levels of ability, creative and purposeful class sequencing, the energetics of yoga, breathing techniques (pranayama), lifestyle and ethics discussions.

We believe that truth lies among the multiplicity of viewpoints and yoga systems. Gone are the days of devoting oneself to a single style or lineage to the exclusion of others.

When our eyes are open, the guru is the practice itself — it’s the student you are teaching, and every moment in our waking lives.

Program Overview

Philosophy – As an inspiration for living! Study the most influential source texts: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Safety and Injury Prevention – Modern perspectives on asana (posture) and alignment in motion.

Anatomy of Yoga – Functional anatomy of yoga and the physiology of meditative states.

Self-Guided Practice in a Group – Yoga at your own pace with AYO’s Mysore program.

Meditation – Various practical approaches will be explored drawing from Patanjali’s Yoga and Buddhism.

Breathing Techniques (Pranayama) – practices that can focus the mind, and calm or stimulate the nervous system to experience deep states of tranquility.

Teaching skills – Adjustment techniques, holding space, language skills, sequencing for specific purposes, wrapping content around a theme, and modifying yoga to suit individual needs. Language skills to balance the flow with the form; humility and strength: mental focus and acceptance; tools for putting yourself and your students at ease. Grounding and holding the seat of the teacher.

Cultural Appreciation vs Appropriation; Compassionate Social Justice — How can we honour Yoga’s vast roots as a Southeast Asian tradition? We will begin to untangle the colonial gaze with which yoga has developed, and cultivate an approach to social justice that aligns with the yoga principles of ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (pursuit of the truth).

Diversity and Inclusivity in Yoga Spaces — Examine the intersection of yoga, race and gender. Learn to use language in a way that honours and embraces the diversity of human experiences and gender identities.

Teaching through a Trauma-Informed Lens — Gain an understanding of the basic impact trauma can have on the brain and body, and cultivate compassion.

Your investment:

Earlybird: $3,000 +HST

• Pay $500 deposit by July 15th, 2024.

Full tuition: $3,430 +HST

• Tuition must be paid in full by January 31st, 2025.

• Monthly Payment plans are available. Reach out to us!

• See our policies on cancellations, refunds, professional ethics 

Course Workload

Two Practicums with Feedback from your Teachers!

• Teach a 45-min beginner-friendly flow / vinyasa class emphasizing foundational movements

• Teach a one-hour all-levels class

Regular Assignments and Readings

• An average of 30 pages per week. Readings will mostly be assigned between weeks off.

Mid-Term and Final Exam

• These exams will build upon the course material and regular assignments you’ll have completed.

• Questions are straight-forward. Keep up on course work and practice mindfully integrating what you’ve learned on the mat.

Essay on yoga philosophy (500 words)

• You’ll receive a list of suggested topics, or may pursue another subject that captures your interest (please approve it with the teaching faculty first).

• Includes a 5-min presentation to your fellow trainees

Apply to Teacher Training

FAQ

I don’t want to teach, can I still take this training?
Absolutely, many of the people who take our training have no intention to teach.  Besides, we are all students, and the ability to see experiences with fresh eyes, or a beginner’s mind, is not just important for teachers—this also keeps you moving forward in your own journey.

I’ve seen one month trainings elsewhere. Why is the program offered over a 6-month period?
To allow time to absorb the teachings, catch up on readings, assignments and put the principles of yoga into practice—all while still having a life! Yoga can’t be learned in a month, it takes time and lots of practice for our mind-body awareness to develop — rushing the process can be counter-productive to one’s journey (ie: getting a certificate in one month).

How is VINYASA Yoga different?
The distinguishing feature of our approach is exploring how the breath effects our mind, posture, emotions and nervous systems. It’s impossible to understand MOVEMENT and POSTURE without understanding BREATH. The diaphragm, the main muscle of breathing, shares connective tissues with the pelvic floor, psoas and serratus anterior. So when the diaphragm moves freely with an inhalation, it can effect our posture creating more spinal extension. Similarly, when you force the breath out, your abdomen tones, which can counter-balance this expansive action to protect the body against injury. 

Is this an Ashtanga training?
This course is studying VINYASA YOGA — think of it as open-source yoga, with an emphasis on understanding movement in more general terms. Vinyasa yoga can be a gentle class, an all-levels flow, chair yoga, a power class, a hatha practice — it encompasses all postural yoga.

I’ve never tried Ashtanga before / don’t really know the series.  Can I take this training?
YES!  This is NOT an Ashtanga training - however you will learn how to practice that style with modifications and an emphasis on accessibility and so much more. Our training is designed to give you a strong foundation, so you can learn how to modify the practice to suit your needs, energy levels and ability levels. Vinyasa Yoga is a term that encompasses Hatha Yoga, Flow, Power and other expressions of movement strung together on the breath. We simply use Ashtanga as a base to deepen our personal practices. The structure allows us to go into great depth in our group studies on how breathing can enhance healthy movement, free the mind, and help us tap into our full potential. In the past, typically more than half of our students have been brand new to Ashtanga yoga, and the other half were long-time practitioners.  Everyone graduates with a personal practice of yoga.

Our Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training is registered with the Yoga Alliance (RYS)

Upon graduation, students who fulfill all the course requirements will receive a 200-hour certificate of yoga teacher training which is recognized by the Yoga Alliance of North America, and by yoga spaces all over the world.

Testimonials

“I adored my teacher training experience at AYO. Michael Dynie and Janice DeFilippi are extremely knowledgeable, experienced teachers and excellent course facilitators. The training was intimate, extensive and well-catered to our individual needs as practitioners and future educators. I was able to deepen my own practice enormously through the guidance of these wonderful teachers. The training inspired me to explore the philosophy of yoga more deeply and gave me the confidence to begin to share the knowledge I received and my own passion for the practice in a respectful and accessible way with my own students.”