300h Yoga Teacher Training - Week 2
This is a write up of my experience in week 2 of the 300-hour yoga teacher training with Sampoorna Yoga in Goa India. If you haven’t already you might want to look the first blogs in this series. This article follows on from the previous which was a write up of my experience in week
There are also earlier articles in the series that look at considerations and advice I would give before committing to a yoga teacher training and my preparation before the course.
Week 2 Timetable:
Anatomy:
I really appreciated going over some of the 200-hour content last week as it meant I had a good foundation to build on from week 2.
Anatomy topics covered during the course included the following:
Review of Anatomical Principles
Directional Terms, Basic movements
Integumentary system
Skeletal system
Muscular system
Nervous system
Endocrine system
Cardiovascular system
Lymphatic system
Digestive system
Respiratory system
Urinary system
Reproductive system
Anatomy and its application in asana.
Philosophy:
After some revision over the 200-hour topics last week, we got into new material this week.
Philosophy topics covered during the course were as follows:
Bhagavad Gita
Yoga – meaning, definition and concept
Four Yogas
Three bodies / Five Koshas
Hatha Yoga – meaning, concept, chakra theory
Vedas and the six schools of Indian Philosophy
Gunas and diet
Eight limbs
Ishvara
Meanings of Om
Types of Samadhi
Yoga nidra
Ayurveda
Meditation
Pranayama
Mudras and Bandha
Mantras and chants
Asana theory
Throughout the course the following topics are covered during sequencing, adjustment & alignment, individual differences classes and lectures:
Asana and its application
Vinyasa flow: Movement and Breathing system
Elements of an asana class: Pranayama, Mantra, Meditation, Bandhas, Dristi and Mudras
Basic guidelines for Alignment
General Alignment principles
Teaching qualities
Basic guidelines for Adjustment and Adjustment theory
Basic Guidelines/considerations for Vinyasa flow
Basic sequencing of a Yoga Asana Class (and templates)
Characteristics of a good teacher
Ethical guidelines
Private lessons
Business basics and use of social media
Language development
Surya Namaskar variations
Gentle flow class
Restorative yoga
Yoga Injuries
Yoga during pregnancy
Individual differences
The yoga poses themselves
Student Teaching #2: Sun Salutations and start of standing sequence
The student teaching exercise the previous week had been about teaching a warm up sequence so this followed on from that. Like the previous exercise we were split into groups to teach to the other students. We hadn’t received feedback last time but for this exercise students wrote anonymous feedback on paper and the teacher discussed their own feedback with you. The feedback is useful because you rarely get the opportunity to receive feedback when you are teaching. Your usual students are unlikely to want to risk hurting your feelings and say anything negative about your teaching. You will often be doing things when you teach that you are not aware of so once they are highlighted you can work to improve. Sometimes it is easier said that done, particularly if things have become a habit. Having the awareness is the first step to being able to make the positive change though. Try to see the feedback as a positive and be grateful for the opportunity to improve and be open to ideas and suggestions.
Student Teaching #3: Standing Sequence building to peak pose
This exercise was in a similar format to the previous teaching. This time you had to design a standing sequence to build up to a peak pose. I was starting to enjoy the teaching exercises much more now and I was losing the nerves. I was able to relax into them much more and treat them just like I would teach my normal classes. My confidence was back and I really enjoyed preparing my class which was a standing sequence up to Pincha. I love this pose myself and I had been working on it in my own practice over the last few months. After enjoying this class, I was remembering why I loved teaching so much!
Days off
The weeks on the course are long and quite exhausting both physically and mentally. The Sundays off are much appreciated! As much as I love yoga the last thing I wanted to do on the days off was yoga! I was all yoga’d out and I think most of the other students were feeling the same! It would have been good to more time off, even if it was just another half day. I understand though that there is a lot of material to fit into a short period so it is the only way it can work. Just be aware that you are signing up to an intensive course and it is just that! I found it more so than the 200-hour first teacher training in terms of volume of material and complexity. Having said that it is manageable.
I personally liked to take a bit of time on the day off to go over the course notes from the week but I also made sure I made time to relax, rest and refresh. This usually involved spending time on the beautiful Agonda beach which is just on the doorstep. We also arranged activities and meals out with the group and it was nice to try different places to eat in the area.
I have written a separate article about things to do in Agonda and the nearby area. These are good things to do on the day off.
My personal experience of week 2
By the end of week 2 I was exhausted both physically and mentally but in a really satisfying way! We had learnt so much this week and I had managed to tackle some new poses! The day off was just what I needed and I was then feeling excited for another week.
Further reading:
This blog post explored week 2 of the training course you might want to look at further blogs in the series where I have written up my experience throughout the remainder of the course:
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Considerations before a yoga teacher training
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Before the Course
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week 1
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week 2
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week 3
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week 4
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Final Thoughts and reflection
Agonda, Goa, India.
