Women’s Yoga Teacher Training
with Sara Avant Stover & The Way of the Happy Woman^TM Team
18 Jan – 16 Feb 2011 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

 

CLICK HERE to Listen Now

Dear Yoginis,

It is my great pleasure to invite you to a unique and transformational Women’s Yoga Teacher Training program with The Way of the Happy Woman^TM!

You might be asking yourself, why women’s yoga? Quite simply because women learn better in community—specifically a feminine community—and while most of the practical teaching skills learned are applicable to both men and women, the experience of training to teach with ONLY women is so profoundly different (and powerful) that you’ll walk away a stronger teacher as a result.

During this four week course, you will imbibe and embody all the necessary skills to become a yoga professional, community leader, and inspired feminine leader.

While I now live in the U.S., from 1999-2008, I had the good fortune to make my home in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

A cosmopolitan city that maintains the intimacy of a village, Chiang Mai attracts healers, artists, and sages from all over the world, making it an ideal venue for us to come together in the spirit of yoga.

We all are called to this noble profession in different ways and at different times.

My calling came at the age of 18 when I took my first yoga class. While I had been steeped in prayer and dance from a very early age, something new awakened in me during that class and I knew then and there that I would become a yoga teacher.

After much dedicated practice, four years later I did just that. Since then, I have taught over 3,000 students in over a dozen countries and have gone on to become a Yoga Alliance accredited teacher trainer (E-RYT 500).

I have been fortunate to study with some of the greatest yoga teachers of our time: Richard Freeman, John Friend, Gurmukh Khaur Khalsa, Shiva Rea, Gary Kraftsow, and Sarah Powers. Other strong inspirations on my path have been my countless hours on my meditation cushion, both on retreat and at home; master yogini, Sofia Diaz, and her ecstatic revelation of the divine dance between masculine and feminine; and Sri Swamini Mayatitananda Saraswati’s lucid and grounded teachings on Ayurveda.

For me, yoga is so much more than what I teach.

It is a daily reminder and guidance for who I am and who I aspire to be. Over the years, yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda together have been the guiding lights in my life. My participation with them has brought my own self-healing, personal and professional empowerment, and a sense of greater connection to the world.

Truly, there are no limits to where this practice can take you.

Course Overview

By steeping yourself in a conscious community of like-minded people, continuous practice, and the larger spiritual vortex of Chiang Mai, Thailand, you will empower your body as your temple and trust more deeply in the true teacher within your own heart. In harmony with yourself and life around you, you will relate to and realize these ancient and transformative teachings of ultimate freedom in ever-new and deepening ways.

One of the many things that set this program apart from others is our emphasis on the feminine path to practice, life, and self-inquiry.

Women have a very different way of relating to life than men do, and our yoga and meditation practices need to honor this. The approach taught in this course combines women’s vinyasa yoga, yin yoga, and insight meditation—a culmination of Sara’s own 15-year journey into yoga and self-healing. She’ll share the essential elements of what she has learned that women need, bodily and spiritually, at this time in the world.

Meditation and personal practice, interspersed with guided classes and a diverse, integrated curriculum, blends tradition with innovation, solitude with community, and reflection with sharing. This, we believe, gives you a platform to truly get to know yourself better, serving as the source for your own authentic and inspiring teachings.

This course is suitable for committed yoginis who aspire to teach yoga, deepen their personal practice, and impact positive change in the world. It is also suitable for yoga professionals who seek further expansion and refinement. Upon graduation you will be equipped to teach to both women and men, with a specialty in all-women’s classes.

By the end of these four weeks, you will be able to incorporate postures, breath awareness, meditation, philosophy, intuition, inquiry, and an attitude of compassionate service into creative, adaptive, and inspiring teachings. You will leave transformed and ready to step boldly into the seat of passionate service—as a yoga teacher, role model, and an inspired woman living a more conscious life.

The Way of the Happy Woman^TM is a registered school with Yoga Alliance. Sara Avant Stover is an accredited teacher trainer at the highest level (E-RYT 500).

Yoga Alliance is the most-respected governing board for yoga teachers and training courses around the world. Graduates of our course are qualified at the 200-Hour level, the international standard for teaching. When hiring teachers, most studios look for Yoga Alliance 200-hour certification, so most graduates find it’s a tremendous asset to their career.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS (subject to change)

• Arrival Day (Jan 18)
• Module 1: Yin Yoga (Jan. 19-23 ) with Sara & Team
• Rest Day (Jan 24)
• Module 2: Anatomy (Jan 25-27) with Michelle Lam
• Module 3: Nutrition (Jan 27 & 28) with Rebecca Andrist
• Karma Yoga Day (Jan 29)
• Rest Day (Jan 30)
• Module 4: Vinyasa Yoga (Jan 31-Feb 4) with Sara & Team
• Rest Day (Feb 5)
• Module 5: History & Philosophy (Feb 6-10) with Dr. Katyayani Poole
• Rest Day (Feb 11)
• Module 6: Practice Teaching/Business of Yoga (Feb 12 & 13) with Sara & Team
• Module 7: Silent Meditation & Yoga Retreat (Feb 14 & 15) with Sara & Team
• Departure Day (Feb 16)

Asana (Yoga Poses)

Yoga asana (poses) are what initially draws students to the practice and will always be a very powerful tool for yourself and your students. Of all the practices in yoga, the postures are the most practical and easily experienced, so a great deal of emphasis is placed here.

In the area of yoga poses, here’s what you’ll learn specifically during your studies:

• Foundations of Women’s Yoga
• Safe and Effective Alignment
• Vinyasa Yoga Practice & Sequencing
• Yin Yoga Practice & Sequencing
• Benefits, Contraindication, and Modifications in all categories of Poses: Sun Salutations, Standing Poses, Balancing Poses, Backbends, Hand Balances, Inversions, Forward Bends, Hip Openers, and Inversions
• Class Planning
• Assisting & Adjusting
• Creating a Personal Practice

Yoga Anatomy & Physiology led by Michelle Lam

Through yoga, you will gain tremendous insight into both your mind and your body—and this module is all about scientifically exploring what’s happening on a physical level when you practice. As a teacher, it’s vitally important that you have a solid understanding of how connective tissues and skeletal structures vary from person to person, how to deal with injuries, and how the internal system or nerves and digestion play a part in everything we do.

In school, your experience with anatomy and physiology may have been dull, but when coupled with yoga, it becomes immediately applicable and fascinating. Here are some of the most important topics you’ll learn:

• The Nervous System
• The Digestive System
• The Female Reproductive System
• Muscles & Joints
• Dynamic Movement
• Applied Flexibility (in poses)
• Injury Prevention
• Connective Tissues

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the ancient science of traditional Indian medicine, and as a yoga student, it provides incredible insights into your unique body and temperament. Ayurveda is a huge area of study, one that could take a lifetime, so during the course, we’ll focus primarily on the fundamentals, specific tools that you can use right away to improve your digestion, your energy level and manage your weight.

Here are the core teachings you’ll learn:

• The 5 Elements & How they Affect You Uniquely
• The 3 Doshas
  (energies and personal constitutions)
• Lifestyle & Diet for Women
• Ayurveda Applied to Asana

Pranayama

Pranayama means “breath extension”, and it’s a powerful way to calm the chatter of your mind, gain focus, relieve stress, and find your center. Like yoga asana (postures), the benefits of pranayama can be felt right away.

Here is what you’ll learn:

• The Five Winds
• How to Develop a Daily Pranayama Practice
• How to Teach Basic Pranayama

Meditation

It’s a rare person who takes even 15 minutes per day to sit in silence and observe their breath, calm their mind, and to actively seek out stillness. This is what meditation is all about, and during the course, you’ll learn a practical way to approach the practice so that it bears the fruit of deep insight.

You’ll learn the following:

• Insight (Vipassana) Meditation
• The Four Brahma Viharas
• Daily Morning Meditations

The Retreat Experience: Within the course, we’ll all join in a one-day meditation retreat which will allow you to go deeper in your practice and lay the foundations for the long term.

History & Philosophy Led by Dr. Katyayani Poole

As a yoga teacher, it’s very important that you understand the history and philosophy behind the yoga that you practice and teach. During the training, you’ll study the past as it relates to you right now. Many students are intimidated by these “heavy” topics of yoga, but there’s no need to be! History and philosophy are fun and engaging when learned with a practical application.

The main topics you’ll cover include:

• Yoga History 101
• The Yoga Sutras
• The Bhagavad Gita
• Secrets of Hindu Goddesses
• Sanskrit 101
• Vedic Chanting

Teaching & Leadership Skills

Yoga teachers have a very specific and important role to play in the lives of their students, and this module is all about becoming the leader that you want to be. You’ll practice public speaking, sharing stories, and connecting to your own truth as a teacher. This is very challenging, but ultimately, so rewarding.

Here are the main leadership areas we’ll cover:

• The Art of Teaching
• Ethics & The Seat of the Teacher
• Class Planning
• Classroom Organization
• Overview of the Business of Yoga and Being a Yoga Professional
• Authenticity & Creativity
• Effective Themes & Language
• Observational Skills
• Peer Teaching

Yoga Diet & Healthy Eating with Rebecca Andrist

You’ll find that the more you practice yoga, the more aware you will become of the food you eat. This module is all about developing a healthy relationship with food by understanding its healing benefits. Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Healthy eating de-mystified
• Basics of a healthy kitchen
• How to make tasty foods with confidence
• Nutrition for Women/How to incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle as a woman, yogini, and yoga teacher

NOTE: this module includes hands-on food preparation and cooking, so it’s extremely practical information that you can take home with you!

Meet the Teaching Team

Sara Avant Stover
(Program Director)
CLICK HERE to Listen Now

Sara took her first yoga class at age 18 and knew immediately that she would someday devote her life to teaching. By her early 20′s, yoga was such a big part of Sara’s life, that she moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she lived for 9 years and served as one of the pioneer yoga teachers in that part of the word.

To date, Sara has taught some 3,000 students in over a dozen different countries. She is a prolific writer whose articles have been featured in half a dozen magazines including Yoga Journal, Yogi Time Business, Pilates Style and Fit Yoga. Sara takes yoga very seriously, but teaches with kind, gentle understanding of the human spirit.

As a student, Sara has been fortunate to study with some of the best teachers in the world including Richard Freeman, Gurmukh, Shiva Rea, John Friend, Sarah Powers, Sianna Sherman, Jill Satterfield, Susanna Nicholson, and Gary Kraftsow. Sara continues to be inspired by master yogini, Sofia Diaz, who teaches spiritual empowerment for women and the balanced dance of the masculine and feminine. Her spiritual teacher, ShantiMayi continues to shine light on her path to full illumination and realization.

Sara has also studied Ayurveda, Reiki, pre/post natal yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Thai Yoga Massage, and Insight Meditation. Sara is now based to Boulder, Colorado, and is very excited to return once again to her second home, Chiang Mai, for this course.

 

DR. Katyayani Poole, PH.D.
(History & Philosophy)
CLICK HERE to Listen Now

As long as she can remember, Katyayani has been searching for truth, like a moth to flame. Since starting her practice of yoga at the age of three, she never quenched her thirst for spiritual experience nor satisfied her hunger for liberating knowledge.
Her seeking first led her to pursue Carnatic Music (South Indian classical) at Amherst College. Her studies of vina initiated her into the sacred arts and nada, the yoga of sacred.

The music ignited a fire that led Katyayani to Nepal where she lived with a temple priest and his family. Each morning in Katmandu, she awoke to the luscious sounds of Sanskrit mantra being chanted and her appreciation for nada deepened.
Inspired by the living Veda she encountered in Nepal, Katyayani continued her education in Religious Studies and Sanskrit at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she earned an M.A. and Ph.D. with an emphasis on Vedic, Yoga, and Tantric traditions.
Yet while studying for her academic degrees, she became disenchanted with the distance Western education places between objective learning and subjective experience. To bridge this gap, she apprenticed with a traditional guru for 12 years, refining her experiences of meditation and learning the value of seva (selfless service).

At the same time, she traveled throughout India studying Sanskrit with Vedic pandits, absorbing the teachings of masters from diverse traditions, and living in villages and ashrams to adopt the ancient ways of leading a spiritual life.
Since completing her doctorate in 2001, Katyayani has taught Yoga Philosophy, World Religions, Sanskrit and other related topics at various universities including California State Polytechnical University, Simpson College, University of Colorado Boulder and Naropa University.

Rebecca Andrist
(nutrition)

Rebecca is a qualified Nutritional Advisor as well as a certified Yoga Teacher and Massage Therapist. She has worked in healing centers in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Thailand and the U.S. Her philosophy for her healing work is to help people attain better health through a holistic approach, incorporating yoga, meditation, bodywork, courses in health care and nutrition, exercise and colon care.

During the course, Rebecca will lead workshops designed to heal and rejuvenate both body and mind, and support each person’s individuality to facilitate health and well-being. She is co-founder of Jiva Healing, a successful retreat group operating for over 4 years with annual events in France, England, Turkey and India.

Michelle Lam
(anatomy)

Michelle is a physiotherapist specializing in sports injuries and prevention. She graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1998; and now, after working in the sports rehabilitation for nearly 10 years, Michelle has developed a unique way of incorporating physiotherapy with exercise training and performance enhancement.

Michelle is also a Personal Trainer, Group X instructor, and a part-time lecturer in the Chinese University Adult Learning Center in Hong Kong.

Beautiful Training Facilities

The training is held at yoga students favorite center called, “The Spa” Chiang Mai. It’s an ideal location with a yoga sala that sits alone on top of a mountain with 300 degree vistas of Thai jungle. You can see both the sunrise and sunset here… it’s truly special.

The resort itself opened in 2008 and is absolutely lovely. The rooms are bright and airy, with hot water and air conditioning, small terraces and mini bars. All the creature comforts are taken care of so you can focus on you—without distraction.

Food is an important part of all of our lives, and The Spa makes an art out of healthy, all-natural foods. They use organic ingredients whenever possible, much of which is grown in and around the resort itself. You’ll experience all the amazing tastes of Thailand prepared with love and mindfulness, specifically for healthy yogis.

Aside from the yoga sala, there is also a DVD-screening “tea house”, a full-service spa and steam room, exercise facilities, walking trails, internet access, 2 pools, and a trickling stream running through the resort. Within 10 minutes of arrival, you’ll never want to leave!

Daily Schedule Overview

This intensive course is four weeks total; each week includes five full days training, and one day off. We will have “karma yoga” 1-day excursions to offer selfless service in Chiang Mai and a 2-day meditation retreat before our graduation.

• Course Arrival Day: 18 Jan 2011 (anytime after 12:00 p.m.)
• Course Departure: 16 Feb 2011 (anytime before 12:00 p.m.)

NOTE: airport transfer to/from airport provided. No need to arrive early or leave later unless you so choose to do so.

Days Off: between each module, you’ll have a rest day to relax, explore Chiang Mai, and enjoy beautiful Thailand.

The following is the basic schedule, which may vary as needed.

Requirements to Join

Students who are interested in participating should bear in mind that this will be a physically and emotionally demanding course. It will require steadfastness, commitment, perseverance, and a positive attitude. You will have a wonderful time with a supportive group of friends, but please come prepared to learn, grow and contribute.

Interested students must have:

• Minimum of 1-2 years of committed yoga practice.
• Deep desire to learn and personally explore the deeper dimensions of yoga.
• Be willing to live harmoniously in community for four weeks.
• Have a positive attitude and a true desire to learn and share yoga.

Tuition Investment

Investing in your personal growth and education is one of the smartest decisions… one that always pays for itself many times over (in the case of yoga teachers, usually within the first 6-12 months).

This course is held in Thailand where the cost of operation is much lower than most Western countries, so we’re able to provide incredibly high level of teaching and facilities at an extremely affordable rate. With a course of this length and nature, you will absolute appreciate the expert teaching team, the stunning yoga studio and facilities, and all the daily joys of being in Thailand.

Tuition: $3,750
Room* & Food: $1,855
Total: $5605
Early Discount: Only $5299, Save $300!
*Must be accepted and pay in full before 15 Oct to qualify for early price.

Tuition Includes: all tuition and course fees, transfer to/from Chiang Mai airport, 3 meals daily, shared accommodation (you’ll have 1 roommate), course manual and all materials. There are no extra fees, only your pre-course reading (very inexpensive) and whatever personal and travel expenses you may incur.

*NOTE ON SHARED ROOMS: Shared rooms contain one double bed and 1 twin bed (2 separate beds, different sizes). You will share the room with 1 other student, and you both can decide upon arrival who gets the big bed. If you are a big bed lover, we suggest you opt for a private room.

More About Thailand

Thailand is an extremely safe, peaceful country, and we take care of everything! From the moment you arrive in Chiang Mai, we’ll pick you up at the airport and bring you to the resort. Your food, accommodation, and all materials are provided, so there is nothing to worry about at all.

Travel to/from: Most students fly to Bangkok, and then get on a 1-hour
flight to Chiang Mai (usually less than $75). Chiang Mai does have an international airport, so it is possible to fly direct from cities in Asia such as Kunming, Hong Kong, and Seoul (Korea). It is also very easy to travel on an overnight bus or train from Bangkok (10-12 hours).

Vaccinations: There is no malaria here, so vaccinations are not needed and it is strongly advised that you NOT take anti-malaria medications as they may make you feel unwell.

Visas: You’ll be given a free, 30-day visa upon entry at the airport, but if you wish to stay longer than 30 days, please apply for a tourist visa at the Thai consulate in your home country and they’ll give you a 60-day visa for a small fee.

Water: The entire resort has reverse osmosis filtered water running from all the taps. It’s higher quality than bottled water and is available freely.

Prescriptions/Doctors: Chiang Mai has over 100 pharmacies where you can get most-everything you might need. The hospitals are modern and provide excellent care. We also have an extensive list of alternative medicine practitioners, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, not to mention the numerous gifted healers on site at Tao Gardens.

Note: if you are currently medicated for any physical or mental health problem, it is required that you let the training team know this on your application.

The Next Step is Up to You

As my spiritual teacher, ShantiMayi, often advises, “The world is balancing on the head of a pin.” By this she means, it is time to take bigger and bolder steps for personal and global change.

The world needs more compassionate, skillful, courageous, and creative woman leaders who are firmly rooted in the integrity, freedom, and truth of their own hearts. This training creates a platform for you to emerge as such a feminine leader!

Teaching yoga is one of the most challenging, rewarding, and profound endeavors that one can choose. It is not a commitment to be taken lightly, yet I have no doubt that, if you are reading this, you have what it takes to make such a commitment. This training reaches across all aspects of what it means to practice and teach yoga—both on and off the mat.

I believe that yoga teachers need to master so much more than physical postures.

We need to be living masters. We need to walk the talk.

Please join me for this auspicious event. I look forward to walking with you into a brighter, healthier, more joyous world!

With a deep bow,

The Way of the Happy Woman^TM

p.s. As a welcome gift from me to you, upon arrival you’ll be given a “welcome massage” and access to The Spa’s beautiful steam room and/or sauna. I really hope you can join us!

p.p.s. If you are also planning to attend the Women’s Yoga Immersion and Detox course 7-15 January, there is a special combo price. Contact us for details.