RYS-200 for teacher trainees ages 50 plus

Absolutely! You will be able to join Yoga Alliance and start teaching immediately, and we have plenty of opportunities to practice and get feedback before you graduate. We also send you extra guidance and information once you get home to help you start sharing your yoga with others. 

No worries about the course pacing. It helps that everyone is over 50 because everyone is dealing with similar issues and we all need breaks. The staff is responsive to the energy in the room. We do this program often, so we have learned the best way to unfold the material so that we get the most done in the time allotted while also assuring everyone is enjoying the process and able to retain the teachings.

There are no formal tests, although we do have competency activities that everyone must pass to be sure you can teach yoga safely and with confidence. But no one has ever failed. We consider "tests" to be testing the staff more than the students. If an attendee hasn't learned something that is important to know, it shows us we need to go over that material again and find a better way of communicating the information. This assures the students are ready to call themselves yoga teachers and will leave our program feeling confident and competent.  In most cases, our 50 plus communities take the work seriously and they all study and practice together throughout the course, and they pass any competency testing with flying colors.  

A good yoga teacher isn't in class performing, but observing, mentoring, and sharing information with others. All teachers at Heartwood are advanced IAYT-certified yoga therapists with years of experience, so they are sensitive to and mindful of limitations and can provide modifications and suggestions for anyone struggling with the work. Students can watch anything they don't feel up to doing, and every challenge is a teaching moment for the group as, together, we learn how to address limitations or challenges in yoga classes. We've had people successfully complete this training with MS, Parkinson's, cancer, after surgeries, with little past yoga experience, and more, and in every case, the student has graduated and found the program helpful to their own healing and their dream of helping others in similar circumstances.  

A powerful YTT isn't about students gathering to do challenging yoga, but a learning experience focused on yoga methodology, theory, and a wide range of information preparing a yoga teacher to work with clients of all levels and circumstances. Even the fittest yogi needs to understand how aging invites potential injury, and how different body types or fitness levels can practice yoga safely with correct guidance. We have plenty of robust practices available for attendees to enjoy while on site, but exposure to diverse practices and addressing the needs of less fit practitioners is important to expand a yoga teacher's awareness.  Remember that attaining a yoga certification is not about enjoying yoga classes for you specifically, but about learning to guide others.  We have plenty of fit, strong, experienced, mature yogis who take this course, right alongside yogis whose limitations help everyone gain insight into the real-world application of yoga's goals and practices. 

Actually, there are two components to the course that you will do online because this has proven the easiest way to learn. One is an anatomy course you can go through at your own pace, and the other is a course on how to begin teaching and establish classes after graduation (which is optional). Students also have the option of leaving before the last two days and taking the chair yoga course online at their own pace if that is of interest.

We wish Heartwood had more lodging available, but we have limited spaces to stay on-site. The good news is, that our dorms are only for sleeping, and other areas of the property are open 24/7 such as the library, yoga kitchen, or practice spaces. Everyone who wants privacy can find it. Meanwhile, our dorms offer privacy curtains around beds, large, comfortable mattresses, and big, beautiful bathrooms. It may have been a while since you shared sleeping accommodations, but if you chose the dorms, think of it as a slumber party with good friends. Some people tell us that dorm lodging is one of their favorite parts of the experience, feeling young at heart and connected with others in an adventurous way. For those who are not comfortable with the dorms, we have just a few private spaces and can recommendation nearby air B & B's. Many people elect to stay off-site, and if this is your choice, no worries that you will be missing anything important.

A self-serve continental breakfast is available including fruit, yogurt, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, healthy muffins, etc. Lunch and dinner are served family style. We offer gluten-free and vegan options.  Individual servings of snacks, such as power bars, nuts &  fruit are available all day, as well as coffee and tea to keep up energy and focus. You will be well fed and nurtured while with us.