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200 Hours Yoga & Hot Yoga Teacher Training

The most thorough and inclusive teacher training course in the South West.

“My life now couldn’t be more different from when I started the course! Taking on the teacher training was the first step in creating a life that I have chosen for myself.”
Seana – 2021 Yogafurie Academy Teacher Trainee

What to expect

Every studio writes its own Teacher Training course. There is no standard syllabus: all Yoga Teacher Trainings are not equal. At Yogafurie Academy, professionalism and quality assurance are out first priority, and so you can expect:

  • Evidence-based content: everything you learn comes directly from Yoga’s rich tradition and is informed by modern medical and movement science.
  • 28 course days spent learning in-person at the Yogafurie studio in Bristol with a qualified and professional Yoga teacher.
    A strict maximum of 14 people per course. We’ll encourage everyone to speak and be heard, to find their own voice as a teacher and as an individual. It’s easy to make friends at Yogafurie.

Course info

The next course runs Sep 2023 – Jul 2024.

The course costs £2899 if you pay by instalments, and £2699 you pay in full (£200 discount). Spaces are strictly limited and a deposit of £499 secures your space.

Ready to take the next step on your Yoga journey?

FAQs

September 1 – 3  (3 days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

September 29 & 30, October 1  (3 days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

November 4 & 5  (2 days: Saturday and Sunday)

December 1 – 3  (3 days: Saturday, Sunday and Monday)

January 13 & 14  (2 days: Saturday and Sunday)

February 9 – 11  (3 days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

March 9 & 10  (2 days: Saturday and Sunday)

April 12 – 14  (3 days: Saturday, Sunday and Monday)

May 18 & 19  (2 days: Saturday and Sunday)

June 7 – 9  (3 days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

July 13 & 14  (2 days: Saturday and Sunday)

Total commitment – 28 days. Each day runs 8AM-5PM at the Yogafurie studio in Bristol unless otherwise advised (occasionally we might start earlier; you’ll be notified well in advance if we do).

Yoga has a vast body of literature and practices from prehistory through to the modern age.

We will teach you key skills in asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork) and meditation.

You’ll learn the physiology and the philosophy behind the practice, and you’ll learn to communicate your knowledge in safe, succinct and engaging ways.

There is a lot to do. We passionately believe that people need all this time, spread over the period of a year, to fully embody the practices learned and develop all the skills required.

Spending less time learning – or trying to squeeze it all into a month or two weeks – is not really giving Yoga a chance to work on and through you.

Yoga is about people.

Even if you don’t want to teach others, you’ll be using your skills to teach yourself. Again, we passionately believe that you need to be with people to learn about people – especially when it comes to assessing Yoga postures, or guiding people through physically or emotionally challenging practices.

It’s a real missed opportunity to try to do that kind of thing over a video link. The best outcome always arises from being with your students and fellow trainees, in person.

Half of your course time is spent in practice of one kind or another – and lots of this will be movement practice. The rest of your practice time comprises meditation and breathing practices.

There’s also study to be done. You’ll learn about:

  • Human anatomy and physiology, as it relates to practicing and teaching asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork) and meditation. We have a special focus on practical safety.
  • Subtle anatomy – Yoga’s model of the energy body of channels, chakras and prana.
  • Yoga philosophy, lifestyle and ethics: the fundamental principles of Yoga – and what these concepts mean to today’s teacher and practitioner.

Sessions are led by qualified, professional Yogafurie course leaders. In addition, subject-matter specialists visit regularly to bring all their experience and knowledge to the course for you.

Finally, some time each weekend is usually devoted to the practicalities of teaching and holding classes – how to teach basically, from sequencing to language skills and managing your own boundaries…and everything in between!

So many people ask this question!

We have to answer with another question: if you overcome your own limitations, how many people like you will you be able to help?

No one can see the future: start from where you are, start now. You might imagine a future you that can do more and knows more – that’s what your teacher training will deliver.

If you wait for that person to appear before training, well, you might be waiting a long time…

Numbers are strictly limited – you secure a spot by placing a £499 deposit.

The total price if you pay by instalments is £2899. After paying your deposit, you can pay the balance by monthly instalments of £218, due 1st of each month Sep 23 – Jul 24 inclusive.

The total price if you pay in full is £2699 (you get a £200 discount). After paying your deposit, you have a further £2200 to pay before 1 Sep 23..

You’ll be issued a free copy of the Yogafurie Academy 200 hour manual. This contains everything you need for the course, and more – it will continue to be useful to you, long after you have graduated.

There are some Essentials that everyone needs to read. There are also some others that you might want to read to further develop your interest, but they are not essential.

Yogafurie offers you a book bundle of all the Essentials for just £. Make your life easy and get them all in one pace from Yogafurie!

Essentials…

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Swami Satchidananda

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Swami Muktibodhananda

The Bhagavad Gita
Eknath Easwaran

Science of Yoga
Ann Swanson

The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk

If you’re keen…

Yoga Sequencing (Designing transformative Yoga classes)
Mark Stephens

Full Catastrophe Living
Jon Kabat-Zinn

Anatomy Trains (any edition, these are the ISBN for 3e)
Thomas Meyers

The Endless Web
Schultz, Feitis and Salles

There is continuous assessment during the course through group work, practical study and teaching practice. There is an exam and a teaching assessment at the end of the course. The marking system is designed such that you cannot fail on any one element – so if you’re just not good at taking exams, it won’t stop you as long as you have delivered good results otherwise.

Support is available for people with dyslexia – ask for details.

There is an average of around three hours study or reading to do per week.

That is an average: depending on how you manage your time, you might have nothing to do some weeks and more to do at other times.

On average, at least 2-3 practice sessions per week outside of your course weekends.

You might attend classes, or you might practice on your own. Meditation, mindfulness and pranayama classes count towards this also.

You’ll be asked to submit a practice diary each month, with a brief record of all your practice.

Accordion Content

We can help if you are dyslexic or if you have ADHD. Ask for details.

Your course is led by Ed Wood (E-RYT500, YACEP, Yoga Elder). Ed is certified to the highest level with Yoga Alliance International, and is a registered Yoga Elder with the Independent Yoga Network

James

Sinead

Aaron

You won’t be alone. There are always some people who take part just to learn more about the depth and breadth of the Yoga tradition.

The Yogafurie course has a very strong reputation in Bristol and beyond, and people often travel a long way to take part – even if they don’t plan to teach ultimately.

Your deposit and course fees are not refundable if you don’t complete the course for any reason.

You can defer to the next presentation of the 230 hour course from Yogafurie Bristol 1) if Yogafurie agrees to the deferment (this is exclusively at Yogafurie’s discretion) 2) you pay a deferment fee of £500 within one week of the deferment being agreed. Any outstanding course fees would then be payable when you rejoin the subsequence course. If the course prices have changed when the subsequent course runs, your outstanding balance will be based on the new prices. If you want to defer and either 1) Yogafurie hasn’t agreed for any reason and/ or 2) the course you want to defer to isn’t the next scheduled 230 hour from Yogafurie Bristol then you are cancelling your course place – see below.

Your course fees include a free copy of the Yogafurie Academy 200 hour manual.

Your course fees do not include any other books or stationery that you need for study, any Yoga equipment, clothing or class costs, or any travel costs you incur if you go to or teach classes whilst on the course.

Yogafurie strongly recommends that you obtain trainee teacher insurance (public liability, professional indemnity) during the course. Your course fees do not include the cost of this insurance.

You can cancel your place on the course. Email teachertraining@yogafurie.com – we will obviously offer to talk things through with you to see if we can help in any way.

Any acts of aggression or discrimination, or repeated disruptive acts, or any behaviour that can bring Yoga or Yogafurie into disrepute, will result in your place being cancelled by Yogafurie.

In the event that your place is cancelled for any reason, your deposit and course fees and any deferment fees paid are not refundable. If you want join a Yogafurie course at a later date, then none of the deposit, fees or deferment costs will count as credit towards that course.

You must attend all the course days. If you have pre-planned absence, known and declared before the course starts, then we will offer you 1:1 catch-up sessions. If you are suddenly unable to attend, eg due to illness, then we will offer to open a zoom session for you to attend virtually. The zoom will not be recorded; you will need to ask your colleagues for notes from the session if you miss it. If you repeatedly miss course time then you might not pass the course. Not attending is not the same as cancelling: unless you cancel, your course fees will still be collected, even if you don’t attend.

Your course is accredited by Yoga Alliance International.

While your course runs, you qualify for a half-price Yogafurie studio membership. Please ask for details. The half price offer is not available on all memberships.

Video Testimonials

Why Yogafurie?

  • Over 100 of today’s teachers in Bristol trained with Yogafurie, and at least as many again have studied with us to explore the depth and breadth of Yoga.
  • Evidence-based courses: everything you learn comes from Yoga’s ancient texts, or from medical science.
  • All your course time is in-person, with a professional Yogafurie instructor.
  • Restricted numbers on all courses. You’ll always be heard and you won’t get lost in the crowd.
  • Free access to a professional mentor.
  • Learning support for dyslexia – it’s not a barrier to your progress as a practitioner or teacher.
  • We are Bristol’s friendliest and most grounded studio. You’ll feel at home with Yogafurie.
  • Supportive practice community: the friends you make at Yogafurie remain your friends into the future.

What our students say

Where to find us

Parking is free on the streets around the studio – please park mindfully. There is also a large car park at the very end of College Road which is currently free evenings, weekends and early mornings (check signs). From there it’s a short walk past the Co-op to the studio.

Get in touch

Our reforestation mission

Yogafurie has already planted 156 trees in Bristol. Read more about our reforestation goals.

Course Content Summary

Asana (postures) and movement

You’ll master how to safely enter, hold, exit and transition between postures.. You’ll understand the anatomical breakdown (key muscles, key alignments ) of a large range of asana. You’ll learn about possible adjustments and facilitations – how to assess what will be most suitable for different people. You’ll know modifications and how to use props to support practice.

But most important of all, you will have time to deeply feel and experience Yoga postures from within. True, there are key instructions to give for each pose, but the best teaching comes from deep, internal body awareness – good teachers tell you what they’re feeling physically, not just what shape to make. It’s authentic and it really connects with people. Some say, “You are your own best teacher”: it turns out that you are your own best student first.

Medn and breath

There is a well-known connection between settled, calm breath and mind, and a regular Yoga/ Hot Yoga practice. But how do you actually realise that connection in yourself  – and how can you teach it to others? We look at a range of breath exercises, and a range of techniques to focus and clear our minds.

Much of our work is based on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP), which is on the course reading list.

We practice sometimes in silence, and we also learn to use mantras, mudras and gaze focus to enhance concentration.

Your Yogafurie course leader will take you through your HYP work, and we will be supported by mindfulness and meditation experts, again to offer fresh perspectives and new insights.

Human anatomy and physiology

You learn about the latest ideas emerging from the sciences of anatomy and therapy. What is Yoga (or Hot Yoga) really doing to bodies and minds? This knowledge empowers you to design relevant and powerful sequences for your classes and for your own personal development. More and more studios are using heat because it helps. What does heat do physiologically, and what else do you need to know to guide students safely? Perhaps even more importantly – how will you manage the physical strain on your own body and mind?

Subtle anatomy

Yoga teaches of an energy body woven into our physical body. How can we work with it in ourselves and our classes? These energy ideas have shaped much of the practice we do: today’s teachers need to understand them.

Yoga philosophy, lifestyle and ethics

Ok, so we understand that there is a subtle energy body. But how does this relate to the fundamental principles of Yoga? We look at the history of Yoga, and how it’s evolved through the ages. We get a better understanding of what we do today – and why we do it. This is a foundation to base lifestyle choices on.

Safety and communication skills

Yoga is a healing art, and we don’t want to hurt ourselves or others. Yogafurie’s courses have a special emphasis on safety. This starts with clear personal boundaries, and extends to great class management. When delivering classes, we must be responsive to different needs. Teachers should have a thorough knowledge of anatomy as it relates to practice, and be aware of how to adjust and modify in the moment. Finally, teachers have to express themselves clearly, in a relatable and engaging way.

Supporting yourself

Graduating as a teacher can be a bit like emerging into a wilderness. Suddenly, the world is full of new challenges that are not related to Yoga. For instance, if you teach, you’re likely to do so on a self-employed basis. What are your new obligations around tax, insurance and data protection? How will you market your classes – how will you tell people about your classes?  Even if you don’t teach, you’ll have a whole new approach to Yoga learning and practice. You might’ve outgrown all of your favourite classes and teachers.

But you are in a unique and fortunate position. You have new attitudes, beliefs and skills that will shape your life for many years to come. We’ll help you get ready for the moment when you stop doing Yoga and really start living it.

Guest speakers

Your Yogafurie instructors can help you with every aspect of your Yoga learning and practice. But there are related subjects where the best input from the specialists working in those areas. Yogafurie is proud to bring you guest speakers in these areas:

  • Meditation and mindfulness
  • Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, contrasting with Buddhist through and philosophy
  • Fascia – it’s physiology and structure, how it shapes and supports our bodies and its relationship to our experience “in the moment”.
  • Simple Sanskrit to enhance our appreciation of traditional posture names.
  • Meditation and mindfulness – how your senses and your experiences combine to bring you your personality