INTEGRATIVE YOGA THERAPY
TRAINING PROFESSIONAL YOGA EDUCATORS

By Joseph Le Page

Yoga Therapy Hero 3

Yoga is an ancient science spanning at least 5,000 years, but the science of teaching Yoga is relatively new. Yoga as it is taught today is the product of a renaissance in Indian culture that began in the middle 1800s. Much of the pedagogy (approach and methodology) of teaching Yoga used today was developed during this renaissance, and is actually a hybrid of traditional Yoga philosophy and practices with Western approaches to education introduced to India while it was a British colony. There are several key themes that distinguish traditional and "modern" methods of teaching Yoga, shown in the table below.

TRADITIONAL YOGA INSTRUCTION
CONTEMPORARY YOGA INSTRUCTION
  • Mostly individual instruction.
  • Mostly group instruction.
  • Most practitioners are full-time spiritual aspirants.
  • Most practitioners are lay people who practice Yoga part-time.
  • Initiation by a guru or teacher is a prerequisite for practice.
  • Relationship to any spiritual teacher or lineage is optional and often absent.
  • The focus of most practice is spiritual.
  • The focus of most practice is physical.
  • Asana practice lays a foundation for mediation and other spiritual practice.
  • Asana practice is sometimes an end in itself, not always associated with meditation.
  • Most payment for instruction occurs in the form of offerings or donations.
  • Most payments for instruction are fixed, and based on a Western business model.
  • The student undergoes an extensive period of study into most aspects of Yoga. Yoga philosophy is the foundation.
  • The student chooses those aspects of Yoga that are of interest. Yoga philosophy may be optional or secondary.
  • Teaching are considered sacred and secret, and are only to be shared with a fully prepared and capable student.
  • Teachings are available in a wide variety of formats to almost anyone and are extensively marketed to the general public.
  • After developing an experiential understanding of the essence of Yoga, the teacher receives permission from his/her teacher to begin teaching.
  • The teacher is generally certified by a Yoga teacher instruction course before teaching, and the inner understanding of Yoga is not a prerequisite for teaching.
  • Morality and ethics are the foundation of Yoga practice.
  • Morality and ethics may not be taught explicitly as part of the Yoga practice.

The blossoming of Yoga in the West presents possibilities as well as challenges for Yoga education. It has, in part, been responsible for the resurgence of spirituality and also for the mind-body health movement. A major challenge is the quest for tradition and authenticity. The oldest schools of Hatha Yoga (asanas, pranayama, etc.) that exist today extend back only to the Yoga renaissance, less than 100 years. This means that claims to be doing Yoga in the traditional way refer to a tradition that is very recent, missing the point that the whole movement of the West into Yoga is a tremendous experiment. Within this evolving modern Yoga scenario, Integrative Yoga Therapy has chosen the path of providing in-depth understanding of the Yoga tradition, together with modern experiential education techniques, to give teachers a foundation from which to create their own unique approach to teaching. The IYT two week teacher training focuses on the following areas:

  • A clear historical context to understand the philosophies, traditions, and practices of Yoga.
  • An understanding that approaches to Yoga may be varied, but all include 1) Yoga as a view of the world, 2) a path to integrate that view, 3) techniques and methods to facilitate the path, and 4) an experiential realization of the essence of Yoga beyond philosophy and practice.
  • A multidimensional view of the human being and benefits of Yoga, including physical, energetic, psycho-emotional, intuitive, and spiritual.
  • An individualized approach to Yoga instruction, including appropriate modifications, level of practice, and use of Ayurvedic principles.
  • In-depth knowledge of the principles behind asana instruction, so that Yoga postures can be taught safely and appropriately at all levels.
  • Understanding of creative and experiential approaches to education in order to create classes that are varied, vital, and flexible, and reflect the individual personality of the teacher.
  • Understanding of the relationship between Yoga and health in order for the Yoga teacher to serve as a mind-body health facilitator.

This approach makes the Integrative Yoga teacher training an important educational experience for those who want to share a vision of Yoga that includes an in-depth understanding of the tradition, a wide variety of experiential techniques to convey it, and the scope to teach as independent and professional Yoga educators.
Copyright 2005 Joseph Le Page

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