Yoga Teacher Training

The Sama School of Yoga & Movement (hosted at Ashtanga Yoga Victoria), offers the most comprehensive yoga teacher training on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

With over 220 hours of training, this course is designed for students aspiring to teach, as well as teachers eager to expand their understanding traditional Vinyasa yoga through classical pranayama and meditative practices, detailed asana clinics, hands-on assisting, yoga psychology and philosophy, western functional anatomy and Sanskrit. 

Our global faculty has over 120 years of teaching experience.   Click the links below to see what makes us different and find out how to apply.  This is not your average yoga teacher training.

What You Need To Know

Format

Our Spring 220 hour Yoga Teacher Training is a four-week intensive with one day off a week. Over the period of the course, students will complete self-study assignments, classroom hours, exams, and all practicum hours.

Students are expected to maintain their practice and complete self-study assignments between classroom dates. All sessions are mandatory and required for course completion.

Each week, significant time is spent on going deeper into your personal practice with meditation, mantra recitation, pranayama and asana, along with lectures, practice teaching and peer reviews.  There is pre-course work required for completion prior to the first week.

Course Content

We are a Registered Yoga Alliance School. Our yoga teacher training syllabus exceeds Yoga Alliance’s 220-hour standards.

Asana: Asana clinics cover the movements of yoga and detailed alignment of the postural foundations of Ashtanga Vinyasa and Hatha postures.

It is from this strong foundation of basic forms that variations and modifications can be made. This provides an unparalleled base from which to sequence and teach any vinyasa  asana practice. 

Thorough progression sequences for Surya Namaskara (sun salutations) are learned that enable graduates to teach a variety of student levels. 

In addition to detailed clinics, each day of the training includes asana practice sessions to assist in learning how to cue postures safely and confidently while deepening personal practice.

A combination of led Vinyasa classes, Ashtanga Vinyasa and teacher-assisted, self-practice in the Mysore method are practiced.

Pranayama: We are very fortunate to have the knowledge base and extensive practice experience to correctly teach classical Pranayama.

Our knowledge was acquired directly from one of the last living masters, Sri. O. P. Tiwari and his primary student, Dr. Paul Dallaghan. 

Paul’s one-on-one studentship with Tiwari as well as his PhD studies have made him an authority in the practice, which he, in turn, has taught Arielle alongside Tiwari. 

Arielle has been teaching undiluted breathwork and pranayama for 16 years. Jeff has also learned the practice directly from Tiwari and taught it for the past 15 years. 

You will practice classical pranayama, receive a prescription according to your needs, and learn how to teach basic breath regulation. 

Graduates leave confident being able to identify correct breath patterns in students and cues as well as exercises on how to help students correct dysfunctional breath patterns.

This type of training is not found anywhere else in North America.Yoga Kriyas: You will be introduced to, and have the opportunity, to practice classical yoga kriyas (cleansing practices) under the teachers’ guidance. 

The purpose as well as “how to” is covered so students are comfortable continuing this on their own as needed following the yoga teacher training.

Meditation: The details of how to properly sit for meditation and what exactly meditation is sets the foundation for learning techniques to build a practice.

Once personal meditation practice is built, graduates can use the techniques they have learned to teach and practiced to incorporate meditation into their classes or teach short guided meditations.

Sanskrit & Mantra: The detailed naming of postures in the traditional language of yoga is getting lost in western trainings. 

This language carries with it a rich history and culture, which is important to respect and if teaching, study at least the basics.

During the training, participants will learn the sounds of sanskrit, the difference between Vedic and Non-Vedic chanting rhythms, how to correctly pronounce words, key yoga words and their meanings as well as asana names. 

Mantra recitation is a part of every morning seated practice during training weekends. Several chants are practiced and meanings discussed so graduates are comfortable with them, including their use in opening and closing a class.

Yoga Philosophy: With a primary focus on the yoga sutras of Patanjali, we discuss yogic texts and Samkhya as they pertain to modern life.

The 8 limbs of yoga (“ashtanga”) are explored through detailed discussion and practice. A clear and accurate textual history is presented in order to understand the roots and development of  yoga practices and their purpose.

You will be introduced to yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda and how it applies to lifestyle and teaching.

This portion of the course is primarily taught by Jeff Lichty and supported by Dr. Paul Bramadat.  Ayurveda is taught by Ayurvedic counsellor and health coach, Mia.

Western Anatomy & Physiology: An introduction to fascia and its role in asana and a detailed study of the musculoskeletal system and the biomechanics at play in yoga will help you understand how to teach asana effectively and safely with a deep understanding of how the body works.

Beyond muscles and bones, we look at the physiology behind our body processes as it applies to our yoga practice. 

Arielle has been teaching anatomy for over 20 years in several different settings and is gifted at making it come to life with somatic movements, therapeutics and functional mobility exercises so students experience the body from the inside out. 

The focus of Arielle’s scientific research is the effects stress has on our body movement and structure, so special attention is paid to the autonomic nervous system and stress response.

Practical Teaching (35 hours): Practicing correct and effective cueing, hands-on assisting and holding space are crucial to developing the confidence required to teach.

You will assist and observe during live asana classes in addition to practicing in small groups. Teacher and peer immediate feedback is provided so students feel ready to teach and understand areas they may want to refine.

The Art of Adjusting: During the asana clinics, you will learn effective and safe hands-on adjustment techniques for poses and when to assist – all with a trauma-informed lens.

Assists will be practiced in both practice teaching sessions and live asana classes. Some time is spent on assessing movement in order to identify faulty patterns in students.

We will also cover the ethics of physically contacting students.  Through practicing, intuition is nurtured to support the techniques leading graduates to be comfortable assisting students of a variety of practice levels.

Preparing to Teach: With a focus on simple, effective sequencing, how to hold space, communicate clearly, and assist students safely, you will leave the course confident teaching all levels of students up to your own. 

The confidence to teach grows with each training day by deepening personal practice, theoretical understanding and practice teaching. 

A session on next steps, administration and how to start as a teacher is discussed on the final day of the course.

Assessment: As a measurement that each student has remained attentive and absorbed pertinent information, this course has several assessment parameters including written and oral, teaching and participation.