250-hr Yoga Teacher Training with Ashton Szabo
June to October 2017
108 hours of in-person classes taught over 6 weekends in San Diego, Ca
Weekly 90-min Online Asana Practices
Live Online Trainings
Anatomy of Living Yoga Teacher Training Manual
Access to Online Resource Library
Guest Expert Teachers
San Diego Dates:
(Each weekend has a general theme, but various topics will be thread throughout the course)
June 23rd to 25th – Intro to the Journey of Teaching
July 7th to 9th – Anatomy
July 21st to 23rd – Anatomy & Sequencing
August 19th to 21st – Philosophy & Mythology
September 8th to 10th – Chakras
October 13th to 15th – The Business of Yoga
Weekend Hours:
Friday 6-9pm
Saturday 9am-6pm
Sunday 9am-6pm
What People Have To Say
About Learning With Ashton
“Ashton continually kept those engaged by hands on experiments, use of entertaining props and confidence in the subject matter he was teaching. One of the aspects of his training I appreciate most is his patience in explaining and possibly re-explaining the same concept until it is understood and his ability to break down difficult concepts into a way where every mind can grasp.”
– Ashley S., Yoga Teacher, San Diego, Ca.
Ashton is accessible, and above all, knowledgeable. He is able to take complex information and teach it in a way that is comprehensible. Because of him, the fear of learning this science is not as intimidating and actually more enjoyable than I ever gave it credit to be.”
–Janine A., Yoga Teacher, San Diego, Ca.
“Ashton has an incredible wealth of knowledge and his excitement and passion for yoga and anatomy is inspiring and contagious. I have no doubt that I will seek out more training with this amazing human being.”
– Laura M., Yoga Teacher, Salt Lake City, UT
The Path of Teaching as Service
Overview
The course will include weekly and monthly videos of various yogic techniques and full asana practices that you can utilize according to your own schedule. Weekend modules will include daily asana, pranayama, mantra and meditation practice, as well as our lectures on various topics.
Participants will study and practice a thorough curriculum of both the esoteric and practical techniques of yoga, ranging from anatomy and biomechanics, to subtle body anatomy and the chakras.
In addition, students will leave the course with a commanding understanding of sequencing, queuing, creating and holding space for others, and how to teach yoga classes skillfully in a way that fits their unique being.
Anatomy
Teaching a physical practice, we need to understand the physical body. The two things I hear most from YTT students about anatomy is that either they didn’t get enough in their training, or it was boring. You can expect the anatomy portions of the training to be engaging, fun and informative, as we cover a wide range of topics around anatomy, kinesiology and biomechanics. This will be the most comprehensive anatomy training of any YTT out there!
“Ashton makes anatomy fun, accessible, and practical which is a rare skill for someone with so much experience and knowledge. From my 7 years experience in the fitness/training world this makes him invaluable to yoga students and any studio he works in.” – Kelley R., Yoga and Pilates Teacher
Philosophy
In this course, we will cover a thorough history of yoga while emphasizing not only the various approaches and understandings of Yoga, but root ourselves in actual source texts. With expert guest teachers coming in to share their knowledge and understanding of actual Tantric and Yogic texts, students will receive authentic teachings more aligned with the modern practice of yoga. This ain’t Patanjali’s yoga teacher training, that’s for sure.
We will explore texts like the Bhagavad Gita (Song of God), the Pratyabhijna Hrdayam (Heart of Recognition), the Devi Mahatmyam (Glory of the Goddess), the Shiva Sutras and more!
Teaching As Service
The course explores the important dynamic of teaching yoga as seva (service). Our role as teachers is to meet the students where they are, and offer whatever assistance we can in their growth. When we view what we do as teachers through the lens of service, it shifts how we teach and allows a space for everyone to shine their fullest selves out into the world.
Why 250 hours?
We have grown accustomed to the 200hr and 300hr model given to us by Yoga Alliance, but this simply isn’t enough time to cultivate the personal practice and development of teaching skills to set teachers and students up for success. While students of this training will be given all the tools to be confident in their ability to lead incredible yoga classes after they have completed the course, they are also starting a journey with the potential to continue their training and education in a progressive system of learning, designed to create a new generation of highly skilled and competent yoga teachers.
The extra 50 hours of training will be utilized in such a way that allows a greater integration of the content of the course. Additionally, this course is Part I of III parts that will be offered in 2018 and beyond that create a cohesive 1000 hour program in the hope of raising the standards of training for yoga teachers everywhere.
Guest Teachers
Each of these guest teachers will be teaching an Online Module for the course. Each module will have a live component, but will be recorded for those that cannot make the live online training.
Jules Mitchell – Biomechanics
Jules Mitchell, MS, yoga educator, combines the tradition of yoga with her education in biomechanics to help people move better, age well, and feel supple. As adjunct faculty at Arizona State University, Jules serves as the yoga consultant on various research studies (including a recent grant from NIH) to quantify the effects of yoga therapy on special populations – including pregnant women, women with depressive symptoms associated with perinatal loss, and cancer patients. Her future research goals include the adaptive effects of asana on tissue behavior, bridging the gap between exercise science and yoga research.
Jules is currently writing her book Yoga Biomechanics: Redefining Stretching, which is expected to become available in 2017.
Douglas Brooks – Philosophy – Bhagavad Gita
Douglas Brooks is a scholar of Hinduism, south Asian languages, and the comparative study of religions. He lived in India with his teacher, Dr. Gopala Aiyar Sundaramoorthy, for many years studying and practicing Srividya, Auspicious Wisdom, and the modern traditions of goddess-centered Tantra. Currently Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester, he holds both Masters and his doctoral degrees from Harvard University.
Sunday August 6th 12-3pm PST
Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis – Philosophy – Heart of Recognition
Christopher was introduced to Indian spirituality at the age of six and initiated into the practice of meditation and yoga at sixteen. His degrees include a B.A. in Religion from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley, and an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from the University of Oxford. He also pursued graduate work at U.C. Santa Barbara, and completed his Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley on the traditions of Tantrik Shaivism. He received traditional education at yoga āshrams in upstate New York and India in meditation, kirtan, mantra-science, asana, karma-yoga, and more. He currently teaches meditation, yoga darshana (philosophy), Sanskrit, chanting, and offers spiritual counseling.
Hareesh is the Founder and Head Faculty of The Mattamayura Institute. His teachers, mentors, and gurus, in chronological order, include: Swami Muktananda; Gurumayi Chidvilāsānanda (diksha-guru and mula-guru), Paul Muller-Ortega (Shaiva Tantra and Classical Yoga); Douglas Brooks (Shakta Tantra); Alexis Sanderson (Shaiva and Shakta Tantra and Sanskrit); Marshall Rosenberg (Nonviolent Communication); Somadeva Vasudeva (Shaiva Tantra), Dharmabhodi Sarasvati (Tantrik Yoga); and Adyashanti (Meditation). Hareesh is author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition.
More guest teachers to be announced soon!
Required Reading:
The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer
Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope
The Anatomy of Exercise & Movement by Jo Ann Staugaard-Jones
(Tuition fees do not include costs of required reading material, but do include a full manual for the course)
Location
Azul Retreat – Vista, California
Azul Retreat is located in Vista, California just 40 minutes from San Diego international airport, and 10 minutes from Carlsbad Palomar Airport. The location is about 90 minutes south of Los Angeles. We are beautifully situated 15 minutes from the coast, with panoramic Pacific ocean views and inspiring sunsets.
Nestled among the southern California hills, with citrus trees and avocado groves on 5 acres of private land, the retreat is the perfect sanctuary to rest and rejuvenate. The sound of birds and views of the Californian coast will leave you feeling at peace and reconnected with yourself. Facilities on site include a large pool, indoor equipped Pilates studio and an outdoor yoga deck. There is a lovely upper balcony for al fresco dining and viewing sunsets after your day filled with Pilates and yoga.
There are lots of areas to relax, in the sun and in the shade and a lovely lounge, comfy sofas and a fireplace for relaxing with a book over the views of the Southern California hills.
**Accommodations are available upon request for those traveling from out of town for the weekend modules.**
Tuition & Fees
$3000 USD
$2700 USD (Early Bird, Pay in Full before May 14th 2017)
Deposit & Payment Information. Terms & Conditions
A non-refundable deposit of $900 is required to secure your place in the training. We accept bank transfers or Paypal (with an additional 3.5% fee).
The full balance for tuition is due by June 12th, or May 14th for the Early Bird price.
If you withdraw from the training for any reason on or before May 22nd you will receive a refund of tuition fees minus the non-refundable deposit and all bank fees involved in the transactions. If you withdraw between May 23rd and June 12th, you will receive a refund of 50% of the remaining tuition fees (minus the deposit) less all bank fees involved in the transactions. If you withdraw June 12th or after, no refunds will be given.