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Next Course: 12 February- 11 March, 2012 @ The Sanctuary
Level 2 (500 Level) planned for July 1, 2012, Phangan, Thailand
Welcome to the Teacher Training Page! There will be another Training course, which is a Yoga Alliance certified course at the 200 hour, 12 February -11 March, 2012. Dates are still pending somewhat...
Thus far, we have had many successful courses of Jungleyoga Teacher Training in 2008, 2009, both January and July 2010 and January and July, 2011!. All of them have been unique and different from the others, for I never teach the same course twice. My understanding of yoga and its methods are constantly being refined and upgraded, and naturally the trainings will reflect this. I have spent plenty of time working to making this course the best i can make it. I am constantly studying, writing and composing material so that the yoga can be clear and powerful. The most important element of my work is the effort to teach the appropriate material at the appropriate time; and since every training has different students at different levels of understanding, the trainings will also be different.
Students who have completed the course have gone on to become teachers, or better teachers and some have even started their own schools of yoga. If you want to read about their experiences on the course you can visit the Testimonials Page. Photos can be found on the Photos Page. Information about the style of Jungleyoga can be found on the Jungleyoga Manifesto Page. Any specific questions you have can be answered if you write to me: Ramgiribaba@gmail.com
A Basic Outline of the Teacher Training/Yoga Intensive Course
Course Info:
The course runs for 28 days, 6 days per week, with Saturdays off.
The Cost for the Training: 1500 Euro which includes the course tuition, but not transportation, food or accomodation. Bookings after 15 May, 2011 will cost 1650 Euro, so there is a discount for booking early.
Accomodation and Food: These items are a separate cost, not included in the Training cost.
Location:
The Sanctuary, Haad Tien Beach, Ko Phangan
Daily schedule:
Mornings: 7-8.00 am Puja (ritual),Meditation, Swara Cycles, Mantra and Pranayama.
8.00-10.00 Asana Class (which explores the theme of the day and builds upon experiences from previous classes)
Eating: a light meal or tea: 10.00-11.00
Lecture:11.00-1.00 Philosophy, Discussion and Exploration
Relax: 1.00- 4.00 Eating and relaxing and beach time.
Afternoons: 4.00-5.00 Optional 'Exploring Yoga Teaching' class for those who want to train more deeply in yoga teaching.
5.00-7.00 A mixture of meditation, exploration, asana, teaching practice, etc.
Evening: Eat, chat, relax, sleep.
Qualifications:
Nearly anyone is welcome to do the training, if there is at least a few years of yoga experience. The course is designed to fit to the needs of the individual, so beginners can work more gently and experienced people can do more. Please write me if you have any questions or concerns.
Certification:
Upon successful completion of the training, a Certificate is issued which is a 200 hour Teacher Training Certificate. Jungleyoga is a registered yoga school with the Yoga Alliance, USA. The School is called Jungleyoga Ashram and is registerd at the 200 hour level. This is formally called NRYS-200 at the Yoga Alliance.The School is registered under #34883.
Keep in mind that the Jungleyoga certificate and the 'Registered Yoga Teacher' are different things. After the training you can then apply with any yoga group such as the Yoga Alliance, ect. to become a registerd yoga teacher. Charges apply for this that are not included in the course.
Introduction to the Yoga Course
The Training course is a 200 hour Teacher Training course, which will follow the general guidelines required for certification in yoga. The course will build up day by day, the lessons from one day will lead to the next and so on. And of course, we will keep referring back to the core lessons from the beginning.
Physically, the work will begin with the shapes of the spine in the asanas (twists, fd bends, backbends, etc), so we will break those down and understand how they work. Then we will look at the variations in arm and leg positions, so we can see how these affect the postures. Finally, we look at the roots of the postures and what their roles are. Then we put them together so that we can look at any posture and understand its essence, physically, energetically and mental/emotionally. This, then, leads to sequencing postures, relative intensities of postures, building a practice, and so on. This knowledge enables students to be able to work with the postures as the fundamental tools for changing, shifting, transforming and expanding prana (energy).
Energetically, we take time to develop the breathing and the energetic body (pranamaya kosha). The main focus of the breathing practices are the Swara cycles, which are patterns of movement and breath (much like vinyasa but more careful). We will learn the 7 fundamental Swara cycles and practice them extensively, for they are very important tools for developing good breathing habits in students. I have found these cycles to be the most powerful ways to truly create the rhythmic breathing so necessary for pranayama and advancement in yoga. Later on in the course, we will practice the more classical pranayamas as well.
As we get deeper into it, we will then look at the bandhas and how to use them, and when. The bandhas are built upon all the things we worked on with breath and body earlier in the training. They cannot be done well or understood properly until the fundamentals are laid. This is more or less where the training ends, after the bandhas. I have found it is certainly enough for people just to get to this point. There is so much to do! The 2010 January course had a week of practice dedicated to experiencing elements of the chakras. Each day we explored a practice dedicated to a specific chakra (energy center)~ a very powerful way to end the training!
As far as philosophy goes, it will follow and support the development of the postures (asanas) and the breathing work as well as the essential ideas which are behind the yoga.. The philosophy will support what we are learning about the body, the energy, the mind and all the yoga techniques, in an integrated harmony. I structure the course so that all of the lessons support each other; every day we learn something new which is a continuation of what we have done previously and which will support what will be done later. This approach creates a very dynamic understanding and experience of yoga, due to the fact that yoga cannot be learned quickly. The only way yoga can be truly understood is by experiencing each step in turn.
These philosophy lessons will include Patanjali and aspects of Tantra, both of which are critical for the type of yoga that i am developing. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is the oldest book of yoga philosophy, upon which nearly every yoga is based. Tantra is the practical philosophy which is applied to both life and yoga. It gives a depth and clarity to all aspects of a seekers life and it provides a framework for us to view the yoga and its methods and aims. Common views of Tantra give it a largely sexual nature. We will discuss why this is, and how it fits into the larger practice of Tantra, but sexual techniques will not be taught. Sorry. We will, however, learn about the Tantric world-view and why it is so important to yogic exploration.
We will work also on how to teach yoga classes, practice doing so and understand more elements of what it is to teach yoga to others. This will include: how to structure a class, various methods and techniques to run a class, adjustments, safety issues, moral issues, etc. Largely, the Jungleyoga approach relies upon the actual experience of yoga to be our teachers. There is no substitute for personal experience of the practice. Knowledge is experience in yoga, and knowledge is power! The lecture section will support our understanding so that one can present yoga clearly and effectively to others.
The thing which is less emphasised in the training is the western style anatomy lessons. We will learn what is necessary for understanding the postures and breaths, but the anatomy lessons will not be comprehensive. We will look at the various systems and processes of the physical body to help us understand how and why the yoga works, but the focus of the course will be more of a classical nature.
Any deeper study of anatomy should be done by the student on their own time. Trying to teach anatomy deeply takes too much time, and there is so many other, more important, things to do. The best way to learn about the yogic body is to practice and know the asanas. There was no western style anatomy in the ancient yogas, and it is not so critical for our work.
Overall, what i am presenting is a wholistic understanding of yoga, from posture to philosophy. The lessons are integrated so that one can see how the parts fit together into a whole, and how to use each one to the greatest effect. We will see how asanas and postures support the breath and energetic body. We will see how those things support the mind and spirit. We will understand how to use the methods of yoga to create deep and lasting change of our bodies, energy, minds and emotions. The real focus of the course is to understand ourselves, what we need and how to use the yoga to create change within us. When we know these things personally, we can then help others to learn and transform.
The Basics of the Teacher Training Course
The course is designed to be a comprehensive look at what the basic and essential elements of yoga practice are. This is good for people who want to understand yoga better and/or those who want to be teachers. If we have a good grasp of the essential elements of yoga, then we can build upon a solid foundation. When one understand the fundamentals of practice, then each person can choose their own direction and areas of interest and study, and thus go deeper.
To me, personal growth is the most important part of the course. A person cannot learn to share yoga knowledge with others if they have not gone on their own personal journey. I leave the course very open so that students can explore their own interests and needs. This includes creative work with the postures (students change them according to their own needs) and many other possible directions a person can take. The course is designed to be very open and spacious so people can learn about what they are interested in and grow in the direction that their hearts lead them.
There are certain basics that i think it is essential to grasp so that practice can be both transformative and sustainable (i.e. safe).Of course, the physical body is the root of most Hatha yoga practice so we will look in depth at postures and alignments. The breath is the source of life, and we will look very deeply at the nature of the breath and how it works. Mind is also a critical piece of the puzzle, so we will study the mind so we can be masters of it and not slaves!
Behind the physical practice lies the philosophy and methodology of yoga. To know yoga better, we will look into the writings and literature of yoga, mainly through the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, as well as other texts. Our most important focus is on the philosophy of Tantra and how that guides both practice and life.
To me, the most important element is experience of the yoga, not just talking about it! So we spend plenty of time trying out the ideas and methods for ourselves. Only in this way will we really understand the yoga. Mornings we will practice the methods that we will explore the concepts of in the afternoon.
The physical body is the primary tool in modern yoga, and it will be our primary tool as well. Since asana (posture) is our primary method of transformation, it is necessary to understand it thoroughly. There are many methods and approaches to the postures in yoga, and Jungleyoga is no exception. Certain areas we will focus on and other areas we will leave alone. Every system works like this, emphasizing what is important to its methods and neglecting other aspects.
What is most important to me is a basic understanding of the elements of a posture. If one knows what makes up a posture, then one can see any posture and understand how it works. We will spend a good deal of time breaking down the postures into their 3 Classifications, each with certain techniques of approach, performance and alignment.We will learn the basics of the spinal shapes, the directions of the limbs and the connection to the root.
When we bring the 3 Classifications together, we have all the essential elements of a posture, regardless of its simplicity or difficulty. Every asana can be understood through this way of approaching the postures. Once the postures are clear in our minds, we can teach and practice them easily and safely, and use them in the correct ways.
What is also critical in the practice is sequencing from posture to posture. Thus we must learn what the energetics of the postures are so that we can put them in the correct places in the practice. Each posture has an energetic intensity and direction (or flavor) and we must grasp this energy if we are to use the postures for what they are: tools for our transformation. When we understand the energetic intensity, then we learn how to sequence the postures (put them in the correct order) so that we are working in the best and most effective way we can. 
To me, the breath is the most important element in the yoga practice. The breath is the life force; it is the most influential force on body, energy, mind, emotions, health, attitude, perception, etc. Thus, we work very strongly to connect with the breath and use its natural power.
Basically, we try to purify the breath and its movements so that is purifies in turn the rest of our being. Why not go directly to the source instead of messing about with edges? Jungleyoga has a very effective method to approach the breath development. These are called the Swara Cycles.
Swara Cycles are breath-focused movement cycles. We use the movement of the physical body to build the breath cycles and thus the internal energy (prana), which is so important to good yoga practice. The beginning swara cycles are simple, and anyone can perform them. They are a wonderful teaching tool for helping students make good contact with the breath, no matter what a person's ability or experience is. Jungleyoga works with a number of basic cycles and then builds upon them to increase the intensity and power of the work. Even though they start simply, the cycles can be taken to nearly any level of difficulty that one desires. Once again, the emphasis is on understanding the tools that we have in front of us; then we can use these tools in whatever way we see fit.
We will also explore all of the basic Pranayama breaths including Ujjaii, Viloma, Kapalabatti, Kumbhakas and ratio breathing among others, largely in the context of the swara cycles.
In yoga, the mind is both a powerful tool and the greatest obstacle to our growth. Thus we will explore the mind in various ways, both in concept and in practice. The first hour of the morning will be dedicated to meditation techniques, breath and mantras. If is crucial to develop some sort of meditation/mantra practice and we will take time to do so. There are many methods and we will explore some of them so that students can try them and understand for themselves.
We will develop internal mantra practice, external mantras, mind concentration, sound meditation, energetic meditation, breath meditation and many other forms of yogic concentration work. We also do some Tai Chi on occasion, to give some variations on meditation techniques.
Much of the philosophy of yoga is dedicated to the workings of the mind (Patanjali), so afternoon class will also explore this side of yoga. Knowing philosophy helps us to understand the workings of the mind and consciousness.
In my personal experience, mantra has played a very powerful role. I have been taught many mantras by my teacher, Amargiri Nagababa of India. I love to pass on this knowledge to students of the training. We will learn various mantras over the course of the course and then put them together into various simple rituals with fire. This is a fun part of the course! Every few days we have an evening session of the training, and this is where we practice some rituals and mantras in a more classical style. Please keep in mind that the course uses mantras in Sanskrit, some of which are directed to energies which could be called 'dieties'. If this approach presents a big problem for you, you may look around for a different training!
Philosophy is a deep and interesting part of yoga study, as well as an essential element. The philosophy is not just ideas, but practical knowledge that we can apply to our journey of growth. Our most basic emphasis is on how we can put the philosophy into practice; this can be called 'practical philosophy'. . We will look at how the ideas of yoga work inside and behind what we do on the mat. Yoga is an experimental and experiential science! The primary focus will be on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and on the basics of Tantric practice.
We will look at the elements of mind and emotional bodies and how they work. We will study the obstacles to success and the methods of overcoming these obstacles. The mind and emotions are a huge area of investigation in yoga and essential to our own growth as people.
Teaching Methods and Practice
Since this is a 'teacher training course' we will look at how to structure a class, how to approach students, how to teach the poses, and many other aspects of yoga teaching. Once again, what I try to do is to present a very open approach to the yoga. I am not trying to teach a 'style' but more a 'method'. I want people to develop their own interests and approaches using the knowledge we take from the courses. I try to give the tools of the yoga and students can then make whatever they want from these tools. Exactly what one teaches and how is a matter of personal preference and interest, the course will simply teach you how the yoga works; it is your job to apply it!
An Excerpt from the Jungleyoga Training Manual (written by Randall)
The Systems of Yoga
Yoga is a highly powerful and unique system of transformation. It is special because it unites a rich philosophy with methods of action and practice. Through the research of the ancient yogis, we have inherited knowledge (jnana) we can use for understanding our bodies, minds, hearts and souls. As a means to gain this knowledge they created systems and methods (tapas) we can use to gain this knowledge.
The human being, like the universe, is made up of an indivisible whole, but since trying to comprehend the limitless vastness of the universe is a daunting, mind-melting task, it’s helpful to take various parts in isolation and investigate them closely. In the larger sense, the categories are artificial, but knowledge of the individual parts can help in our understanding of the whole, and give us the knowledge we need to create transformation. It is certainly part of our mental nature to divide things into comprehensible parts; what we must remember is to do is to put them back together afterwards, as the various categories only serve us when they are used to bring us closer to an experience of the center.
Yoga philosophy is created for a very specific purpose: to bring us into svavidya, or self-knowledge. In the cosmological view of yoga, the indivisible limitless plays the host for the countless forms and energies which manifest to create the universe that we can see, feel and experience. Yogic philosophies group forms into categories to aid our understanding, the most fundamental of which is the two basic energies of the universe: purusha and prakriti. There are countless others, such as the three divisions of the mind, the five koshas, the six chakras, the nine gates of the senses, the 84,000 asanas and so on.
Breaking down different energies into their component parts enables us to look more closely at the role these energies play in our lives and how they influence us. This is essential work in the yogic journey of self-knowledge and self-discovery; once there is understanding and jnana, there is the power to create transformation. Most of us, for example, have very little idea of how the mind really works. However, if you look closely at the categories of the mind as given to us in yogic philosophy, we can begin to see how it functions differently according to which part of the mind is activated, and this can lead us to some understanding about the nature of our own minds. To know ourselves a little bit better is to have svavidya and naturally self-knowledge leads to harmony, connection and happiness.
There are countless different systems and categories employed in the vast world of yoga to achieve the overall goal of unity and connection, which is generally the same for all systems. Some methods employ a philosophy of Tantra or Vedanta or Samkya to the yoga. These yogas can be different types such as Hatha, Nada, Jnana, Karma or Bhakti yoga amongst others. These different yoga types can then employ different categories of practice such as asanas (postures), mantra (prayers), or seva (service); or philosophical concepts such as koshas (layers), mahabhutas (elements), doshas (qualities of matter), etc. There are many forms and concepts behind the practice and knowing something about them is very useful to your development. Which ones you explore depends on you and on the system of yoga that you are involved with.
One of the most useful categories for understanding the makeup of one’s own being is the system of the koshas - the five layers (or sheaths) of a being. The concept of the koshas has been in use for over 3,000 years, and has proven to be extremely helpful in comprehending the basic makeup of a person. Everything that we are, from the gross to the source, has its place in the system of the koshas.
So, despite the fact that there are so many categories of study and learning, the course will be a whole. I work hard to create a holistic practice where everything fits into everything else. Gradually we will see the unity and harmony amongst all the parts of the yoga. After all, yoga means 'unity'! By the end, we will understand how all of it works together to create a single, whole yoga that can be done and understood by anyone... they just need to open their minds and hearts!
Let it be known that the certificate is not guaranteed for the Training students. You must show that you have absorbed the lessons and are worthy of the certificate. One year, some students showed little respect for attendence or coming on time to the classes. If you miss enough classes, you will not graduate from the course. The disrespectful behavior was intolerable and it will not be repeated! Coming late is as good as not coming at all.
There are many temptations around for a person to indulge in. This is your choice, but you must stay concentrated on the course. The first year, one guy took too much acid and the next a guy got arrested at a bar. So try to behave yourself and be sensible. Don't worry, we all like to have fun!
One last point: there will be no sexual relations between students (unless you were doing it before the course). This type of behavior creates problems and unnecessary emotional complications which are better left for another time. You can do what you like outside the course, but do not sleep with the other students. We have had this problem also, and it made for no little discomfort during the classes. I am sure you are strong enough to control yourself.
If we can agree to these things, then we can have a smooth and fun course! See you then...
