500-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Certification: Curriculum Details
The 500-hour curriculum consists of four modules:
Module One—Meditation: Inside and Out
One of the hallmarks of Kripalu Yoga is our focus on meditation in motion. In order to fully appreciate and teach this powerful practice, Kripalu Yoga teachers must first experience the practice of seated meditation as well as other meditation practices. This module will provide the context and skills for teaching meditation and meditation in motion from a place of knowledge and understanding. The practices taught and experienced in this program will draw on Kripalu Yoga’s focus on the cultivation of prana (life force) and chitta (awareness). Meditation practices taught in this program include Japa, mantra, walking, slow-motion prana, and mudras for meditation.
In addition to meditation, this module will cover
- Asanas
- Balancing Half Moon
- Balancing Stick
- Balancing Posterior Stretch
- Balancing Seated Angle
- Rabbit
- Rotated Lateral Angle
- Rotated Triangle
- Side Boat
- Skygazer
- Wheel
- The practice of yoga nidra
- How to create sacred space
- How to lead transformational classes
- The practice of Sanatana Dharma
- Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology
- Anatomy of the feet and knees
- Connective tissue
- Positional therapy
- An Overview of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Required module reading Stephen Cope, The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living (Bantam).
Module Two—Pranayama and Practice: The Cultivation of Prana
Pranayama had a profound influence on Swami Kripalu’ yogic inquiry and personal practice. In fact, his entire yogic journey began when his guru initiated him into a single, easy-to-practice pranayama technique: alternate nostril breathing, or Anuloma Viloma. Through his diligent practice of this pranayama, all yogic secrets and knowledge were revealed to him directly, and he underwent spontaneous awakening of all the yoga postures and techniques that have been recorded in ancient scriptures (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, among others). He came to let the wisdom of prana be the guiding light for his transformational journey.
This 9-day training has been structured as a journey into the sacred space of one’s own direct connection to prana. We revisit the multidimensional map of the Self, as revealed in the Koshas, in order to locate the functional relationship between the intelligence of prana and our body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Building upon Dirgha, Ujjayi, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, and Anuloma Viloma, we add the deepening layers of bandhas, mudras, and mantras to enhance our experience and understanding of the practices.
In addition to the practices above, this module will cover
- Asanas
- Balancing Hand to Toe
- Cross-legged Great Seal
- Flamingo
- Half Camel
- Plow
- Rotated Forward Bend
- Rotated Great Seal
- Chanting and toning of bija mantras
- Facilitated posture flows to connect with the voice of prana
- A vigorous vinyasa practice
- Self-Awakening Yoga movement inquiries, including kinesiology and therapeutics
- Anatomy of the respiratory system
- Energetic anatomy of the bandhas
- Philosophy of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika as it relates to pranayama and bandhas
- Co-listening, reflective listening, and conscious communication
- One-one-one partnering to improve skillfulness in presenting and facilitating greater self-development through pranayama.
Required module reading Swami Muktibodhananda, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Bihar School of Yoga).
Module Three—Self and Spirit: Being a Transformational Teacher
Part of what makes Kripalu Yoga unique is the intention that the practice of yoga on the mat has repercussions off the mat as well. In fact, yoga's intent is to transform the lives of those who practice it. When we consciously use the practices of yoga off the mat we can explore our innermost selves and awaken ourselves to new possibilities. We can take these tools into our classes, inspire the lives of our students, and contribute to the evolution of society.
In this module, you will learn
- Asanas
- Bird of Paradise
- Eagle
- Handstand
- Lotus
- Reclining Diamond
- Standing Split
- Swallow
- Toe Stand
- Tortoise
- Business skills for supporting yourself and your teaching in the world
- Methodology for teaching using the koshas and the chakras
- Methodology for bringing themes into your teaching
- Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology
- Anatomy of the hips
- Subtle body anatomy: the koshas and the chakras
- Principles of somatics
- Philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita and how it enhances our presence in the world
- The evolution of Kripalu Yoga.
Module Four—Living Yoga: Love, Service, and Surrender
How we take yoga out into the world and into our classes and the variety of what we have to offer play a part in determining how successful we are as yoga teachers. In this module, we will work with class design and sequencing asana: through traditional approaches to posture order, in relation to meditation in motion, and for sequencing vinyasas that flow. We will learn how to work with specific needs and study the Ayurvedic approach to sequencing and to health. We will use the Shambhala Guide to Yoga to gain an overview of the different yogic philosophical systems and how they are embodied in the practices of Kripalu Yoga.
In this module, we will cover:
- Asanas
- Crow
- Dancer
- Forward Split
- Four-Limbed Staff
- Incline Plane
- Lateral Incline Plane
- Rotated Balancing Half Moon
- Class design
- Sequencing
- Ayurvedic teaching methodology
- Creating vinyasas
- Teaching for specific needs (this will be an introduction to the basic principles of teaching to these populations, not a complete training in any of these areas)
- Restorative yoga
- Pregnancy yoga
- Cardiac yoga
- Elderly/Chair yoga
- Emotional body
- Fibromyalgia, MS, chronic fatigue syndrome
- Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology
- Anatomy of the shoulders
- Circulatory system
- Lympathic system
- Pilates principles/core stabilization
- Ethics
- Ayurvedic philosophy.
Required module reading Georg Feuerstein, Shambhala Guide to Yoga (Shambhala).
