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 New Info/Opinions on Yogafit?Moderators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 2 3 Now viewing page 2 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
| Yoga -> Yoga Teachers | Message format |
YogaMommy |
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| Well, I'm a pretty experienced yogi, and I'm taking Level 1 in August. I've read multiple books on yoga, and have practiced many styles of yoga. I'll let you guys know how it is..... Carole  | |||
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| i look forward to hearing about your experience. so far, i haven't attended one myself, and i have no intention of doing so. i'm lucky enough to live near to so many excellent teachers that if i want more training, i can go to them. currently, i'm attending dharma mittra's teacher workshops at his studio in NYC: dharmayogacenter.com. he has a teacher training program for people who aren't teachers as well, but since i'm already a teacher, i get to take the 'extended' program (which is an ongoing program). I really enjoy studying with him. | |||
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| isha |
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| Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479    Location: A Blue State | |||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442   |  You guys know I work with little kids, right? Every once in a while one of our little folk lies down and has a full fledged, kicking, screaming, spitting, snarling temper tantrum. We pretty much ignore them (except to monitor for safety blah, blah, blah. Don't think we just let kids scream alone in a corner all day, people....) Invariably one of the teachers will look at another nearby adult and say something like, "When is it my turn to do that?" I'm going to spend the next few days looking for opportunities to have a yoga fit!  | ||
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| YogaMommy |
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| I just finished the Yogafit training this weekend. I was very pleased with it, and feel confident to start teaching a basic level class. However, I do have about 7 years of prior yoga experience, which may add to my understanding and confidence. Overall, I thought the Yogafit training was beyond my expectations. I'm not saying it's as comprehensive as White Lotus, because that's a two week program, but for the time spend it was amazing. I plan on taking other Yogafit trainings. I wrote more about my experience on the other Yogafit thread. Carole | |||
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| yogi-boy |
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| Kym |
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| shnen |
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| Kabu |
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Kym - I probably won't mention my training very often b/c I'm really not interested in defending it. I just wanted to put it out there that YF teachers are capable of more than some people think. I don't know a thing about YogaFit, but I can identify with what you're saying (only my particular situation deals with something outside of Yoga). In fact, I just said those words..."not interested in defending it." It just gets too tiring. | |||
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| YogaMommy |
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| Funny to see this topic come up again. I'm the one who started this thread way back in August, after I took the Yogafit Level 1 training. A lot has happened since then. I'm currently enrolled in a different 200-hour teacher training program that is very comprehensive. I've got about 140 hours done in that program, in addition to the Yogafit, and 16 more specialty pre-natal training hours through a Kripalu instructor. So, I pretty much have 200 hours already. Anyway, as I've received more training and had more experience teaching, I've had more time to reflect on my Yogafit training. I think Yogafit can be a good basic training program for someone with prior experience, but they are clear that only completing one level of training is only 18 of their 200 hour program. It evens states that on the certificate you receive. You are told you can teach after the Level 1, 18 hour training, but are only supposed to only teach the 30 or so poses they taught you. The Level 1 training does go into ailignment for those 30 poses, but you are told you are not to physically adjust people yet. That is taught in another level. I don't know how many Yogafit Level 1 teachers really stick to those rules. It's hard to teach a yoga class and not tough a single person. My other concern is for people who's ONLY exposure to yoga is that basic 18 hour YF training. Without a person knowing previously about yoga and educating themselves, I think the training would be hard to grasp and apply. I think the assumption that a person with only that 18 hour training can teach a safe yoga class in not correct. However, like I said previously, if a person has yoga experience it's a different story. They have a foundation to build on. Also, a person who is an aerobics or pilates instructor, at least comes into the training knowing the basics about the human body and movement. Not ideal, but better than coming in with zero knowledge. I'm still glad I took the Yogafit Level 1 training, because it allowed me to find out if teaching yoga was something I wanted to pursue further. I had a positive experience with YF, but I never had the intention of only taking one Level and completing my yoga education there. I think I'm the exception. In my training there were many pilates instructors who were taking the class because the gyms where they worked wanted them to be able to offer combo yoga/pilates classes. I think Yogafit is definately catering to the "gym" or "fitness" population. Yogafit Level 1 did not even touch the history or philosophy of yoga, sutras, chakras, ayurveda, pranayama, Gita, meditation, yamas, niyamas, ethics, pranic sheaths, or gunas just to name a few. The only anatomy we covered was briefly discussing the curves of the spine. Level 1 simply focused on the physical component of yoga, and that type of yoga is different than the traditional type of yoga that has been around for thousands of years. To me, that is teaching a "fitness" yoga. Not the whole package. The problem with this, is that people who don't know any better, think they got the whole package. Carole | |||
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| Jambo |
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| Kym |
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| Huh. I didn't get the impression that the people at Level 1 were only going to take the one class then teach with no further training. But, then again, I didn's ask anyone and it never came up in conversations. When I took level 2, last fall, there were several people who were doing their re-trains and were just about finished. In fact, one gal there was celebrating completing the program and getting her 200 hrs for Alliance cert. I am truly excited to continue the training! I am also looking forward to different styles of trainings, tho I wonder how I"m going to afford it all. I guess my point is, taking just one level isn't the norm around here to my knowledge. | |||
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| mishoga |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 1738  Location: right where I'm supposed to be | I find this converstaion interesting. I definitely agree that someone who takes a level one yoga program, whether through AFAA, IDEA, or yogafit is not necessarily prepared to teach a yoga class. Unfortunately this happens often in the gyms. But on the flip side, this is what the gym enthusiasts want and accept. I don't know if the majority want a more in depth class. It's a great starting point for a gym goer. But the instructor does need more training as the movements can really hurt someone and since the gym mentality is competitve, the instructor has to make clear all contraindictions, modifications,etc.... As far as fitness instructors teahing yoga, well, I am a certifed fitness instructor for over 22 years. I orginally taught specialty classes, and managed gyms. It was my love of fitness (and my doctor) that brought yoga into my life. My personal practice is exclusive to yoga. I feel my understanding, and education of the human body for all (children and seniors-certifed) and my experience instructing and communicating is a major plus. How can it not be? The body changes as we age and instructors need to understand how to work with all populations. I personally certified in Pilates Mat level I & II because I knew this was marketable. I love yoga but I am also a fitness professional. As I like to say, I slip out of my yoga clothes and put on my business hat. I find teaching a class that is a fusion of Yoga and Pilates very strengthening. But it is purely physical and my format is catering to the gym mindset. Listen, as long as you love yoga and are going through training that's a good thing. We all have to start somewhere. You can't start from any other place than the place you are.  Peace!!! Mishy | ||
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| Jambo |
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| skatrenah |
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| JackieCat |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 418 Location: New York | |||
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| Jambo |
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| Kym |
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I paid $3,000 for a one year local training and I still didn't feel like it was enough. I keep reading and studying constantly. I also keep looking for workshops and attending classes. Sharon I totally agree with that! No matter what a person's initial training, if he/she is someone who truly loves yoga, they will never be finished with training and education. I am starting to undestand the point some of you are making. YF does cater to the fitness industry and though that's not my style, it is for some who train with them, and many people are sad to see yoga be more about fitness and less about spiritual. For me, I'm taking the cueing, the poses, the adjustment work, and the other stuff they offer-they do offer something for 200 hours and $3000+ lol! But, whereas they leave out the spiritual, I bring it with me. But again, I can see that someone without personal training beforehand could think YF was all there was to it. Edited to add- either I have been to training with a remarkable group of people, or was just naive in assuming eveyrone there had honest intentions to continue training. Going into it, I had no idea YF was as fitness oriented as it is. Uh, hence, the YogaFIT name!  Edited by Kym 2006-02-25 9:12 PM | |||
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| YogaMommy |
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| Jackie Cat- I like to subtly mention things about energy moving through the body during certain poses. For example, during backbends I mention opening the heart center, opening the heart chakra, and helping with Kapha conditions such as ashthma or chest congestion. Also, you can talk about the yamas and niyamas in the context of using contentment to be happy with where you are in your pose. Or using Tapas to stay a little longer in your pose, pushing your comfort zone. Or non-harm, in that you need to listen to your body and not subject it to harmful activities or habits. Subtle ways like that, then it moves the principles of the deeper yoga into the unconscious. Carole | |||
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| JackieCat |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 418 Location: New York | |||
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| skatrenah |
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| JackieCat |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 418 Location: New York | |||
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Do you (and if so, how?) address the mental and spiritual effects of asanas when you teach your class? I really don't, explicitly anyway. I have briefly spoken about the energetic effects of yoga postures, mainly in terms of the importance of savasana as that is the time when the body integrates the effects of the postures. But that's about it. I try to "live my yoga" in terms of attention to the yamas and niyamas, but I don't really talk about them explicitly in class. Do you? If so, how do you integrate it? I do not have time for an in-depth expression of what i do right now, but i'll do my best to give you a quick run down of how i work. lets say that i have my students in tadasana. I'll start by describing the basic anatomical alignment and then how that 'feels.' From there, i talk about the basics of energetic movement (particularly when talking about mula and uddiyana bandha--how mula bandha starts in the arch of the foot, etc). I'll also talk about how this energetic level 'feels' particularly if it's different since we've engaged the bandhas. Then, i might talk about some sort of history or philosophy or life-lesson that can be learned through the practice of mountain pose. Generally speaking, a posture is down twice (if held)--once on the right, and once on the left. I usually describe alignment, adjustments, and modifications while they're on the right side. Then, when they're moving into a posture on the left, i'll give the quick instructions for alignment, and then go into the energy movement, history or a story, or application of philosophy or whatever. Also, sometimes classes tend to have themes. So, the focus may be on the first chakra and how all of the postures affect the first chakra and what that means. You may be thinking that people must hold Mt pose for 20 minutes or something while i do this. that's not really the case. It's usually a minute or two per posture--the 'five breath' times that things are held. This means that all descriptions are short. One or two sentences on anatomy, one or two on adjustments, one or two on chakras, one or two on philosophy (and i'll continue the philosophy into the next pose). But, the key to this is repetition. I repeat the same information class-to-class in different ways, so that when a person didn't 'catch' it from the description in the last class, they might 'catch' it in the description for this class. And, by repeating it, they eventually 'get' the different levels. THis also meets the issue of students in 'all levels' classes. For those students who really know the alignment and modifications, they'll move right in on the basic cues--such as the name of the pose. When they settle in, they'll hear me talk about the energy movement, and zero in on trying to apply that. Those who are beginners will focus on the alignment stuff, but phase out during the energetic stuff, and both sets will come back in on the philosophy discussion element. So, each person is working 'their level' and i'm also teaching 'their level' by including these various elements. | |||
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| skatrenah |
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