RYS-300 Online Yoga teacher training
Become an RYT-500 online!
The Heartwood RYS-300 Online program is a comprehensive yoga training with a concentration in yoga therapy, recognized by Yoga Alliance and also IAYT. This course is designed for yoga teachers who have already received their RYT-200 certification and are now looking to dive deeper into yoga theory and philosophy as well as refine their communication and information base to enhance their teaching skills. When all work is complete (combined with the prerequisite RYT-200) participants will become an RYT-500, eligible to register with Yoga Alliance.
This course provides remote access to our full curriculum through Zoom meetings and pre-recorded content (for accepted subject matter such as anatomy and humanities) with person-to-person instructor interaction and a shared learning experience with fellow students from all areas of the world. Additional Zoom meetings are scheduled for questions and answers and for the opportunity to participate in practicum teaching with feedback. This program is limited to 12 students to ensure each participant receives individual attention and feedback and our ratio is 1 ERYT-500 experienced teacher to 6 students to assure our participants get individualized attention and assessment to help them on their journey to become a qualified teacher.
This distance learning program includes advanced content to expand your yoga education. We include per-recorded lectures and material in anatomy, philosophy, posture focus, Sanskrit, bells, bowls and gongs, Chakra studies, Bandhas, and business of yoga to support your educational foundation and to assure you get the most out of your time with us.
The Heartwood RYS-300 Online forges a sense of community, and shared wisdom, and expands yoga skills, progressing from the core basics of traditional 200-hour yoga education to expanded skills such as specialty classes and techniques for working with diverse populations and those with individual needs (in a therapeutic context.)
The 300-course advanced yoga training content includes:
Advanced teaching skills: Props, advanced postures, language of yoga, learning styles, effective communication.
Advanced Yoga Sutra study.
Restorative Yoga
Chair Yoga
Yoga for seniors
Advanced Pranayama and koshic theory/subtle body studies.
Mudras/ Chanting
Advanced meditation
Ayurveda studies
Yin Yoga
Introduction to Yoga Therapy & assessments
Trauma-Informed Yoga
Workshop and Retreat Planning.
RYS-300 Online Program Tuition $2,250.00
Heartwood is an accredited school with the International Association of Yoga Therapy. The RYS-300 program at Heartwood is also applicable to our IAYT 800-hour yoga therapy program. This course counts as the 300-hour foundational studies required for Yoga Therapy Certification.
Comprehensive yoga education in a school you can trust!
Online Zoom meetings
Every other Saturday 1 - 6 pm
Fall Session 2024/2025
11/2, 11/16, 12/7, 12/21, 1/18/25, 1/25/25, 2/1/25, 2/15/25, 3/1/25
Study Sessions and Online Course Schedule
Online Zoom Meetings
Prerecorded content, readings and homework
Prerecorded content, readings and homework
Each week, we address a specific subject matter and we will assign homework (readings or watching those "live" Zoom sessions before the meeting in preparation for our work.) This way you have had time to view the lectures and demonstrations on each module we are covering, can consider what you may want to be reviewed or explained, and are ready to participate in a practicum teaching exercise. This format also keeps everyone progressing steadily to fulfill our work within the YA-recommended time frame for certification. In addition to a teaching practicum during this time and answering questions, we can address concerns and special considerations on the subject being taught each week.
Prerecorded content, readings and homework
Prerecorded content, readings and homework
Prerecorded content, readings and homework
In addition to our live training sessions, Heartwood offers comprehensive per-recorded content for material to study at your own pace which is less experienced based and more academic and therefore transfers well in a self-paced online format. Students not only learn as they view this section of the course but often refer to this content again and again as a helpful resource for review and to support their teaching even after this course is complete. This material includes a comprehensive anatomy course, philosophy lectures, posture and alignment, lectures in Sanskrit, business of yoga, Chakra studies, Bandhas, Sound theory and vibrational healing, Ayurveda, prerecorded classes, and much more. Students have lifetime access to this material.
What is included:
Downloadable manual
Our manual has comprehensive notes for each module in the course. Several books are required - listed below.
Advanced Teaching skills
Props workshop, Hands-on adjustments workshop, Advanced Postures workshop, Cuing and Language of Yoga workshop, Learning styles, and effective communication, and a bonus workshop on Social media for yoga teachers to expand their reach into new communities.
Advanced Philosophy: The Yoga Sutras
This course covers all 196 sutras in detail with conversations on the history of the Yoga sutras of Patanjali, as well as various interpretations and meanings of independent sutras for a broad overview of the origins of the yoga we practice today. For students who are not well versed in the Yamas and Niyamas, we include additional lectures breaking down these and a few other core concepts. An art project is introduced to work on at your own pace to deepen your understanding of and connection to the sutras. Additionally, prerecorded philosophy lectures are included as well as yoga history.
Advanced Meditation and Pranayama/Subtle body Studies
Two modules include advanced meditation, science and techniques, and a pranayama/ subtle body training that teaches the science and technique of pranayama as well as koshas, chakras, and subtle body studies. This unit also explores yoga chanting and mudras.
Chair Yoga and Yoga for Seniors
These two modules include accessible chair yoga and Yoga for seniors. This includes techniques for teaching older populations or those with injuries or circumstances that make yoga on the mat difficult or inadvisable. These two courses cover yoga for Parkinsons, Hip and knee replacements, arthritis, yoga for incontinence, yoga for balance issues, facial yoga, and other subjects that provide important information to work effectively and safely with aging bodies.
Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga
These two modules include a comprehensive overview of Yin and Restorative yoga practices. Includes the science and theory of Yin, meridian lines, postures, and structuring a yin class, as well as research into the nervous system, postures, and structuring restorative yoga classes.
Trauma Informed Yoga
Trauma-Informed Yoga reviews the science, practice, and special considerations necessary to support and prepare a yoga teacher to work with individuals affected by traumatic life events and/or PTSD. This course covers the origins of trauma and how it affects health and functionality, the basic theory and principles of trauma-informed yoga, the anatomy of the nervous system, and neuroplasticity. We also cover methods to support the unique needs of trauma-affected individuals and their families.
Ayurveda Foundations
Ayurveda Foundations teaches the basic theory and methodology of Ayurveda with techniques and practices to apply to your yoga and personal health choices to vitalize your life and feel more personally balanced. This seminar covers the basics of Ayurveda in a way that makes the subject understandable and easy to apply to your life. The course is comprised of a combination of lectures, practicum, and creative exercises so the information unfolds in a way that makes it easy for students to embrace the powerful life-enhancing beauty of an Ayurvedic yoga lifestyle and share it with others. This course includes body-typing, essential oils for health, and cleansing and health techniques.
Yoga Anatomy
This course is offered online, with easy-to-follow lectures, exercises, and examples to help yoga students develop a deeper understanding of how the body works in the context of yoga.
Teaching Practicums
In addition to the formal 300-hour course content, we ask students to send in a video of a class to demonstrate their teaching. Each student will receive valuable feedback to enhance and develop their teaching skills and to connect and learn from those sharing this journey with you. We also provide a variety of staff-led classes to take at your convenience providing an example of different specialty classes.
Workshop and Retreat Planning
This course breaks down the business and important considerations of planning and implementing effective workshops and retreats.
RYS-300 Lead Teacher
Ginny Shaddock, ERYT-500, C-IAYT
Ginny Shaddock is the owner and director of Heartwood Yoga Institute and she has taught thousands of yoga teachers at the 200, 300, and 800 levels over the last 12 years as director of a leading yoga facility. She is an ERYT-500 yoga teacher, RCYT (Registered Children's Yoga Teacher) a certified yoga therapist with IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists), a Reiki Master, and a trained Ayurveda Counselor from the Kerala Institute, India. She has a BA in Business Management from Eckerd College and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Lesley University. Ginny has a love of yoga philosophy and classic concepts and teaches much of the theoretical and philosophical elements of this program as well as therapy content.