How the Program Works

8509 N. 29th Street, Tampa, FL 33604 Phone: (813) 932-5456

Attendance at Training Weekends

You may choose the weekends that you wish to attend depending on your own individual schedule. Most three-day workshops equal 20 hours of teacher contact credits. The categories that the credits apply to will vary depending on the particular master teacher. For example, one master teacher might devote more time to philosophy, another to asana. You must attend at least one retreat weekend, preferably during your first year in the program.

After each weekend you are to complete the “Learning and Evaluation” form in order to receive credit for the hours in the workshop. This applies to FIFIYS workshops as well as to other workshops you attend.

Personal Practice
The decision to teach changes your commitment to yoga. Teaching requires a deeper understanding of the practice and greater responsibility and clarity. You need to make a greater commitment to your own practice, not only for yourself, but also as a means of clearing yourself to be present for and attentive to your students.

When you are teaching, your primary resource is your personal practice. It serves as an inner resource and as the laboratory where you can experiment and discover.

Some people do a set routine in their daily practice, others do a free-form practice, and others are somewhere in between. During the period you are in this program you will be asked to work on specific breathing practices and asanas. At the same time there will be days you will want to follow your usual routine or work on other poses. You are free to do all of these things. We do want you to pay special attention and spend time doing the postures we focus on in each packet.

We ask you to:

Practice at least 5 days a week for a minimum of four hours
a week – more if possible.

Do the practice that serves you and maintains your joy in
practicing yoga at least half the time. This practice
may be free form or it may be a set routine, whatever
you wish. Practice the asanas that you are studying
in the packets separately.

Include at least 15 minutes of breathing in each practice.
If you have an already established meditation practice that
you do separately, do 10 minutes of breathing as part of
each practice.

Keep a diary or log of your daily practice, e.g. Jan. 15
– 4 sun salutations, Erich Schiffmann's flowing sequence,
headstand, shoulderstand, alternate nostril breathing, savasana,
and 15-minute meditation.

Learning Packets

There are six learning packets altogether. The first three are to be completed for the Basic Yoga Teacher Program. All six are to be completed for the Professional Yoga Teacher Program. You may move through the reading and writing at your own pace. Some people may be exempt from certain parts of the packets based on previous training and experience. There is no “grading” in this program, but we will provide feedback in the form of written comments and we will use your responses and observations to structure the classroom teaching.

Each completed packet equals six hours of credit. Each packet will give you:

2 hours - Yoga Techniques
1 hour - Teaching Methodology
1 hour - Anatomy and Physiology
2 hours - Philosophy, Ethics and Yogic Lifestyle

These hours are independent study, non-teacher-contact hours.

Mentoring

The Basic Yoga Teachers Program offers a mentoring component. You will be assigned a mentor and will have both email access and a monthly check-in by phone with your mentor. This provides you with support and guidance as you move through the program. In addition to this, Peer Sessions are offered on a regular basis. These sessions focus on the practical aspects of teaching. Each session will have a theme and will include an educational portion, practice teaching, discussion and opportunities for questions and answers. We feel it is important for students to be part of a teaching community where they can meet and learn from each other. You will be credited for attending these sessions.

Internship/Practicum

For the Basic Yoga Teacher Program, you need to take one class a week as a student and either intern in or teach another. For those who have not taught at all, the internship phase may last as long as a year. By the beginning of the second year, everyone should be teaching at least one class. If you are already teaching several classes, you may want to discuss waiving the taking of a class.

The internship is an opportunity for you to learn by observing and then assisting in the classes of accomplished teachers. If it is practical for you, we recommend that you intern at the TreeHouse for three or more eight-week terms and work with at least two senior teachers. Those who live in other areas need to find accomplished, certified teachers and make arrangements with them. Ideally, your first internship would be in a brand-new beginner’s class, but that may not be possible. You need to discuss your internship choices with the coordinator and get approval for your internship before you begin.

Those in the Professional Yoga Teacher Program are to do a 50-hour practicum. The practicum is a "learning-by-doing" experience, not "business as usual". It means teaching a class for a population you've never taught before -- an underserved population such as unwed mothers, 12-steppers, or a special population such as children, senior citizens, cancer patients, MS patients, et cetera -- or creating a new class or program that is different from anything you have done in the past.

In preparation for your practicum you will want to study the particular group you intend to work with, either independently or through a specialized training course such as Yoga for Cardiac Patients, Yoga for the Special Child, prenatal yoga, et cetera. Ideally, your practicum will involve at least 25 hours of training, study, observation, planning and evaluation and 25 hours of teaching plus a presentation for the training group. You may want to make your video part of your practicum.

Video

Submitting a video of you teaching a class is the final piece of your certification program. Upon successful review of this video by the FIFIYS faculty, you will receive your FIFIYS teacher certification. People who move straight through to the Professional certification make only one video. Those who complete the Basic certification and then move on to the Professional certification will make a video for each certification.

For more information Email:info@fifiys.com or phone us at (813) 932-5456