Congratulations :: Our new group of 500-Hour Professional Yoga Teacher Training Grads!

We are so thrilled to announce the graduation of our latest group of advanced teacher training grads! We had 20 devoted yogis take this journey together starting back in September 2012. They all dedicated a huge part of their life to completing this training and advancing their study of yoga. We were honored to be a part of their yogic path and we look forward to watching them grow.

Prana Yoga Center's 500hr Teacher Training Graduates 2013

In case you are curious about what goes on in our 500hr Teacher Training, here is what it is in a nutshell:

A stellar five-month program for grads of a 200hr teacher training we’re offering in partnership with Yogaworks, exclusively at Prana. Through a combination of workshops and an apprenticeship with a local senior teacher, students refine their teaching skills, identify areas of expertise, and set the foundation for fully incorporating yoga into their life path. The mentors in this recent training were some of San Diego’s finest and most experienced teachers:  Gerhard Gessner, Stacy McCarthy, Sara Deakin and Rachel Krentzman. A huge thank you to them for their loving guidance, sincere commitment and humble dedication!

Our Yoga Classroom

The weekend workshop series progresses from the basics of developing confidence and delivery, observations skills, and injury assessment strategies to understanding how to sequence classes for different ages, seasons and needs. Topics include asana-specific intensives (Backbends, Inversions, Vinyasa Flow, Working with Beginners, etc.) Injury Management, Restorative Yoga & Yoga for Chronic Illness, Yoga Sutras, Subtle Body & Meditation to name a few,  taught by master teachers from the Yogaworks Teacher Training Faculty. Equipped with proper training, a yoga teacher can create the context to promote healing, improve the quality of people’s lives, and celebrate vitality.

Weekend Workshop: Backbends

Through the apprenticeship program, students benefit from working more closely with a mentor who will help them cultivate their teaching skills. Additionally, trainees build upon what they learned in their initial training, solidifying and integrating the information through a consistent, one-on-one relationship and on-going dialogue with their mentor. As assistants in their mentors’ classes, trainees hone their ability to see bodies and give hands on adjustments. They also have the opportunity to observe and assist their mentors and learn so many valuable tools for instructing, sequencing, adjusting and inspiring their students.  Each group meets with their mentor regularly in a constructive and supportive forum where questions and issues related to teaching yoga are discussed. The highlight of the program is the final group teaching and presentation of a thesis project students work on for several months.  Stay tuned for some examples of what students have worked on in upcoming posts!

A few words from our Mentors:

Rachel Krentzman

"Being a mentor was a wonderful experience for me.  It was more than just teaching.  It was an opportunity to share, grow and witness four amazing women grow into the teachers and healers they are.  The dedication required for this program is intense and it draws individuals who are truly willing to 'live their Yoga'.  I feel blessed to be part of this community and am proud of the quality of teachers that emerge from this program."
Rachel Krentzman. E-RYT 500, Embody Yoga Therapy

Stacy McCarthy

“Empowering yoga teachers to grow their practice through mentorship is a profound experience for both parties.  I believe in the impact of one person on another person’s life. The opportunity to share over 20 years of experience  creating a thriving and sustainable career teaching yoga is rewarding. As a mentor, I dream of a world for our next generation of yoga teachers in which our yogic light becomes so bright that it will wash away the unnecessary pain and suffering in the world. We can do this. We can build a yoga revolution, teacher by teacher, student by student.” 

Stacy McCarthy, E-RYT500, Yoga Namastacy

Stacy with her mentees

One of the beautiful things about yoga is that the learning is continuous. There is always something new to take from each teacher and something you can add to the experience. If you have been considering taking a 500hr Teacher Training, we will be hosting our next one September 2013- February 2014. We would love to have you with us for this journey. For more information about our upcoming 500hr Teacher Training please click here.

~Namaste