Program Type: Online Training Course

Date & Time: Jan 22-24 & 29-31, 2021

Weekend 1

Class 1: Friday, Jan 22 – 4:00 – 7:30 PM

Class 2: Saturday, Jan 23 – 12:30 – 5:00 PM

Class 3: Sunday, Jan 24 – 12:30 – 5:00 PM

Hours: 12.5 hours

Weekend 2

Class 4: Friday, Jan 29 – 4:00 – 7:30 PM

Class 5: Saturday, Jan 30 -12:30 – 3:30 PM

Class 6: Sunday, Jan 31, 12:30 – 3:30 PM

Hours: 9.5

Total Hours: 22 hours

All times listed in Eastern Standard Time

Minimum 6 students, maximum 21

Description: 

Yoga is a path for healing, optimal wellness, mental peace, transformation, and spiritual growth that can benefit everyone, regardless of physical abilities. Chair Yoga is a useful way to adapt yoga so that everyone can benefit.

In this training, you will learn how to make yoga accessible to seniors, persons with disabilities or limited mobility, the chronically ill, and those recovering from injuries.

You will learn to teach and offer:

• Modified yoga postures in chairs
• Chair modifications in mixed level classes (standing and sitting)
• Private chair yoga sessions
• Breathing, chanting, and meditation in chairs.

You will also learn about the business and marketing of Chair Yoga so you can teach Chair Yoga online.

Who should take the course: This training is for yoga teachers, nurses, PT’s, MD’s, OT’s, caregivers, and for those practitioners with experience who would like to learn Chair Yoga for their own practice or to share it with others.

Weekend 1

How to teach Chair Yoga Level 1 class.

At the end of the weekend, the students should reach the point that they can teach ⅓ of Level 1 class. Students will learn the sequence and the difference between Level 2 and Level 1. Between the weekend intensives, students will be asked online teach ⅓ of a Level 1 Chair Yoga class to their group. They will record themselves teaching and send the recording to teachers for review and remarks.

Weekend 2

Teach a full Level 1 class and then focus on teaching a Level 2 class. The last two days will be dedicated to teaching an abbreviated Level 2 class (30 min) and teaching a full (45 min) Level 1 class.

Certification: This training includes a digital Chair Yoga teaching manual and a certificate of completion of the Chair Yoga Teacher Training. Upon completion, students will be certified to teach Chair Yoga online. Yoga teachers can earn 16 hours of Continuing Education Units with the Yoga Alliance.

Class Format

• Each class will have 2 sessions of 1.5 h each, divided into 40 min theory and 50 min practice with a break of 15 min between the sessions and 15 min of introduction of the project, or Q&A, or feedback at the end of the second session.
• There are a total of 10 theoretical and 10 practical sessions
• During the 50 min practice sessions, the students will:
  • Experience Chair Yoga as students of a particular level of practice (3 levels of practice will be introduced)
  • Practice “How to Teach” techniques (teach each other in pairs or groups)
  • During “How to Teach” sessions, the Course Teacher and Teacher’s Assistant/s will observe the students and at the end of each such session give them group and/or individual feedback (as will be needed) on their teaching skills.
• In order to get the certification for completion of the course the students will have to actively participate* in both theoretical and practical sessions and reach satisfactory skill in teaching as follows:
  • Participate in at least 9 of the 10 theoretical sessions.
  • Participate in at least 9 of the 10 practical sessions. If the student missed a session of teaching part or full class, they will be asked to teach it to one of the course teachers. Same if the teaching skill will require improvement.

*Note: actively participate means having the camera open throughout the whole and each session. In order to miss a session the students will be asked to coordinate this with one of the teachers ahead of time.

Module 1 – Weekend 1 (12.5 hours)

Learning Objectives:

The following general topics will be covered in this module:

• Yoga as a therapy, Biomechanics 101, and how to each online
• 3 Levels of students and 3 levels of practice
• Uniqueness of Chair Yoga and the healing properties of it

The students will be introduced to, experience (as a student), and then practice teaching class Level 1. The students will be introduced to and experience (as a student) class Level 2. From Day 2 on, after practicing teaching the students will be provided with feedback on their teaching.

Detailed Objectives:

Day 1 

The students will learn:

• Intro: Yoga as a natural, holistic therapy & Basics of Biomechanics
• How to teach online. Who are the 3 levels of students? What are the 3 levels of practice we will offer?
  • Level 1 – Whole class on the chair
  • Level 2 – Combined chair-yoga mat class
  • Level 3 – Workbreak Yoga with a chair

The students will practice:

• Present and experience (as student) Level 1 class
• Teach each other some of the techniques of Level 1

Day 2 

The students will learn:

• Why Chair Yoga? Why is it called Yoga? What makes it a Yoga practice?
• Discuss main asana vs. adaptations vs. variations.

The students will practice:

• Experience Level 1 class in detail, with guidance to feel the adaptations and modeling teacher’s posture, presence, and wording to use for teaching
• Teach each other the rest of the main techniques of Level 1 applying the approach presented in modeling

Day 3 

The students will learn:

• Yoga for healing: How does Yoga heal? Presentation of Healing in relation to the 5 Koshas and Body-Breath awareness
• The 3 stages of healing on the physical level (informed by mental)

The students will practice:

• Teach each other (in pairs) ⅓ of Level 1 class
• Present and experience (as student) Level 2 class

Module 2 – Weekend 2 (9.5 h)

Learning Objectives:

• Comparison of Level 1 & Level 2 classes
• Introduction of Level 3 class
• The Business and Marketing side of Chair Yoga
• Review of, Q&A on, and feedback about any material of the course

Detailed Objectives:

Day 4 

The students will learn:

• Discussion of the differences between Level 1 & Level 2 classes
• Q&A on Level 2 class

The students will practice:

• Review of techniques of Level 2 class and teach some of them (abbreviated version)
• Teach each other the abbreviated Level 2 class

Day 5

The students will learn:

• Introduction of Level 3 class with different options and variations

The students will practice:

• Q&A on Level 1 class, and teach full Level 1 class
• Get a review of any practical part of the course as they will request*

*Note:  Students will have the opportunity to present their challenges so they can get teachers feedback on a specific teaching technique or situation

Day 6 

The students will learn:

• The business of Chair Yoga and Marketing strategy

Individual Work and Project

• To enhance assimilation a short (20-30 minutes) individual work will be given after each day’s class
• Mandatory project between the weekend modules (1.5-2.5 hours) to enhance the practical experience of teaching online.
  • The students will be divided into groups of 3.

During the week each of the students will prepare and teach online the rest of the group part of Level 1 class.

Additional Information:

This program is offered live through Zoom webinar with the availability for students to interact through Q&A with the presenter.

For enrolled students, a video recording will be available after each class in the event you miss a class or would like to review the content.

It is possible to register and take the course at any time. You can catch up on any classes you miss with the recordings.

Requirements & Recommendations: 

• Viewing Device: Desktop or laptop computer will provide the best experience, although you can also connect via a tablet or smartphone.
• Internet connection: High-speed broadband wired or wireless is best.
• Video: Download Zoom to your computer, or install the Zoom app to your device.  For interactive group sessions, a webcam or integrated camera will allow others to feel more connected with you.
• Audio: Headphone speakers are recommended. If you wish to participate vocally, a headset with a microphone will be ideal.