Teacher Training Timings
How the hours are made up on the Vajrasati Teacher Training 80 week (8 x 10 week terms) course
Contact Hours
A session of 3 hours and 45 minutes will occur every week for 8 x 10 week terms.
Tutorials: Every student will have one 15 minute tutorial per term to see how they are getting on with the course. The tutor will ask for direct feedback and take appropriate action during proceeding training sessions where students need assistance.
Arrival: Invocation to Patanjali.
Mantra: A regular mantra practice to continue the broad based understanding of yoga.
Meditation: One of the traditional yoga practices and one that underpins all other aspects of yoga.
A Short Reading: Students share a reading on a rota basis. Short pieces from sutras, articles, magazines, websites or original work that students consider as exemplifying the spirit of the yoga are read aloud to the group. The course tutor will then feed back the parts or whole that have clear connection with Vajrasati yoga. In this way it is possible for the tutor to re-focus misunderstandings where needs be and to encourage well founded lines of thought.
Feedback: A chance for students to feedback on how the meditation and mantra practice went and an opportunity for tutors to give suggestions where useful or necessary.
Homework distributed: Homework sheets covering areas such as asana, pranayama, mantra, meditation, anatomy, physiology, philosophy, yoga sutras, yoga traditions, class compositions, observation, adjustments, props and yoga therapy are given out. Also previous weeks work fed back on. This is done as a group so the students can learn through each other's work. All students are asked to send e-copies of their own work to share with the group and to bring a hard copy for the tutor (this is not required where the work is an anatomical drawing in this case only the tutor need have a copy).
Techniques and Practices: In turn, students teach and demonstrate the asana and pranayama from the term syllabus to the rest of the class. Students then feedback their direct experience of the teaching followed by the Teacher Trainer’s critique covering these areas:
Technicalities: alignment; anatomical references, ‘how and why’; clarity of language; teaching qualities (enthusiasm, confidence, appropriateness)
Class observation: safety, appropriate adjustments (verbal and/or physical), props
Spirit of yoga: breath work; explicit or implicit reference to 5 yamas; applied yoga philosophy; vocal tone; projection and pitch
Sub-Total 322 hours (over 8 x 10 week blocks)
Additional Contact Hours
Regular class attendance with an experienced Vajrasati Teacher (all experienced teachers will have a minimum of 5 years teaching within the school post graduation)
One or more sessions per week. Minimum 1 ½ hours. Total 120 hours minimum
At least one Yoga day or half day, every two months min 5 hours per term. Total 40 hours minimum
Buddy meetings: graduates and trainees are buddied up and meet up to discuss the training at least once a term minimum 1 hour. Total 8 hours minimum
Final assessments and written test
Written test 1 ½ hours
Personal assessments up to 3 hours
Group assessment 2 ½ hours
Personal assessment feedback min 2 hours Total min 9 hours
Grand total contact hours for whole training period - 494 hours
Non-contact hours
Homework: 2.5 hours (approx) each week. 61 homeworks divided over the course Total 152.5 hours
Personal practice: 8 hours per week including at least one 1.5 hour class each week with certified Vajrasati Teacher Trainer (asana, pranayama, mantra) Total 840 hours
Meditation practice
1 hour (minimum) each week
Total 80 hours
Reading from the reading list min 1/2 hour per week (not including research for homeworks and current terms syllabus)
Total 40 hours
Grand total non contact hours: 1,092.5