200HR
TEACHER TRAINING
Our next training starts September 2024!
Become A Certified Yoga Teacher
This comprehensive training led by Jessica Demers will establish a foundation of yoga skills and produce qualified, inspiring yoga teachers who can draw on their practice and personal discipline in imparting the yoga experience to others. Not only will you become a Certified Yoga Teacher but you get 1/2 off all yoga and fitness classes at Body Karma Studio!
Dates
Saturday Class Hours 12:30pm to 6:30pm
Sunday Class Hours 10:30am to 4:30pm
-
September 14 & 15
-
October 12 & 13
-
November 9 & 10
-
January 11 & 12
-
February 8 & 9
-
March 8 & 9
-
April 12 & 13
-
May 10 & 11
-
June 14 & 15
-
July 12 & 13
-
August 9 & 10
Curriculum
Our comprehensive curriculum provides you with knowledge of a wide variety of yoga topics. Each topic is presented in a way for you to build on previously gained experiences as you move through the training. Helping you reach your goals with a fuller understanding of the big picture of yoga. In addition to the curriculum listed, each candidate is required to complete student teaching classes to assure confidence in teaching upon graduation.
Topics Include:
-
CPR & First Aid
-
Ancient Roots of Modern Yoga
-
Subtle Energy
-
Creating Space for Self Transformation
-
Techniques and Tools to Teach Yoga
-
Body Structure, Movement & Yoga Anatomy
-
Teaching Asanas
-
Teaching Pranayama
-
Teaching Meditation
-
Sequencing and Planning Classes
-
Specialized Teaching
-
The Yoga Profession
Why Choose Our Training
Body Karma Studio is dedicated to delivering all that yoga has to offer to our community. Our 200 hour training prepares you to share your passion for yoga. You too will empower people by supporting physical, mental and emotional health, facilitating authentic personal expression, building supportive communities, and inspiring positive action to contribute to others.
This course has been designed with working professionals in mind, meeting one weekend a month for a year it can fit into the busiest of schedules. This also gives you time to absorb the knowledge gained and practice skills reviewed in each session.
Additionally, we offer some additional perks found in little other training programs:
-
First aid (specialized in fitness related injuries) and CPR certification is provided in the first weekend of the training.
-
We provide student teaching opportunities to each candidate to build confidence in teaching.
-
Our curriculum contains a variety of subjects to provide you with a better understanding of the whole picture of yoga. This helps you to choose the path and style you prefer to share with your students.
-
Photo shoot at the end of the class so you will leave with professional headshots for your teaching bio.
-
This is a small group training so each participant receives personal attention and is able to craft a teaching style that is right for them.
-
Continued access to course instructors for questions and ideas even after graduation.
-
After spending a year finding your way as a yoga teacher and cheering on others, you will share a unique bond with those in your class and graduate with a whole new spiritual family.
-
Upon completion BKS hosts a graduation ceremony where you receive your certificate of completion. Graduates are welcome to invite family and friends who have supported you along the way.
-
All participants receive 50% off their yoga and fitness classes with BKS.
Cost
Tuition
Save $300 with our Early Bird Discount! The tuition is $3,300. This includes all books, manuals, journals, CPR, First Aid, headshot, certificate of completion, and a few other goodies along the way.
Payments
Payments can be made in installments. Payment plans can be personalized to fit your budget. The entire balance must be paid before your last class. All payments are non refundable.
Deposit
A non refundable $500 deposit is required upon the registration of this course.
Meet Jess
Hi, I am Jess, the course director and owner of Body Karma Studio. I started my personal yoga journey in my 20s and was blessed with the opportunity to share that passion with others by opening the studio in 2013.
Since then I have taught thousands of classes to tens of thousands of students. As a teacher, I love the creativity that yoga offers. It enables me to join various people on their path no matter their interest, ability level, previous injury or condition. As a student of yoga, I love that in one class I am able to move, stretch and strengthen my physical body with asanas and strengthen my mind with meditation, pranayama, mindfulness and even savasana.
Yoga teacher training classes hold a special place in my heart. It is amazing to watch the transformation as each student blossoms into a confident, capable, inspiring yoga teacher, finding their own style and niche along the way. I am humbled to share this journey with the amazing people who have graduated from our program.
I hope you too will consider sharing this journey with me.
Our Grads Say
"To those of you interested but hesitating to sign up for Yoga Teacher Training, like I was, I would strongly urge you to do it. Sign up and do it!
Jess has an amazing ability to meet you were you are. She is so creative in how she helps you grasp the wealth of information, that in a what is a relatively short amount of time you learn so much.
Alumni had told me that this was life changing. I wasn’t sure about that, but now I would agree. It obviously changes your understanding of the practice and history of yoga, but it also builds confidence as well as changes your approach to life, all while forging great friendships with your fellow teachers. Again I say just do it!"
Paula Kinney, Class of 2020
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sign up?
Super simple! Fill out our short application so we can get to know you better. Then Jess will call or text you to set up an in person meeting to discuss the course details and your goals.
Then either at that meeting or shortly after you just have to sign our YTT agreement and put down the $500 deposit to save your spot!
What style of yoga does this training provide?
This training covers Hatha yoga, which encompasses many styles including gentle, power, vinyasa and more.
How proficient in yoga do I have to be to take this class?
While it is helpful to be fairly familiar with yoga you certainly do not have to be an Instagram model for this class. All students and teachers come to yoga with different levels of skill. As an instructor it is important to learn to guide students in a safe and nurturing practice even if there are poses you cannot do, and learning to do that is one of the many skills you will leave the course with.
Is homework required?
Yes there will be homework assignments each month. How much and the type of assignments vary depending on the unit that we are studying.
That said, always part of your homework is taking and journaling about a yoga class weekly. This is to help foster a healthy habit of yoga and self care, to keep you in the yoga mindset and to gain more yoga experience as we move through the course. Classes can be taken anywhere, you do not need to practice exclusively at BKS. However, YTT students do receive 50% off classes with us.
What if I don't want to teach?
If you don’t want to teach upon completion of the course that is no problem. Many people participate in YTT programs to simply deepen their understanding of yoga and never end up teaching.
What are the prerequisites for this class?
None. It is helpful to be somewhat familiar with yoga but there are no prerequisites for this course.
What if I miss a session?
While we encourage everyone to attend all sessions if possible, we understand that life comes up. Participants are allowed to miss 4 sessions throughout the course. In the event of an absence, the participant is responsible for course work studied during the class and must schedule time with an instructor to review or demonstrate skills at a rate of $40 per hour.
What is your cancellation or refund policy?
The $500 deposit is non refundable.
Participants may withdraw from the course by September 25, 2023 with no further balance due.
After September 25, 2023 all participants are responsible for the entire balance of the course, even if the participant does not complete the course.
Can I take this class with an injury or special condition?
Yes and no. First off you should always talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Now that said, all students and teachers come to yoga with different levels of skill. As an instructor it is important to learn to guide students in a safe and nurturing practice even if there are poses you cannot do, and learning to do that is one of the many skills you will leave the course with.
While there are many weekends that the course will include asana practices, participants are always welcome to change, modify or skip any asanas that do not work in their body. Just like any other asana practice at BKS.
Are you affiliated with Yoga Alliance?
While we believe our teacher training exceeds all standards established by Yoga Alliance, we have chosen not to affiliate with YA and do not register our training for one simple reason: while it may appear that Yoga Alliance is an accrediting agency, it is not, but is rather a voluntary registry; nothing more. In order to register a training with Yoga Alliance, a school submits their proposed curriculum and pays a fee. However, YA does not provide any oversight over their registered schools to ensure that the curriculum is adhered to and the standards are being met, nor do they provide any professional credentials for teachers. There is no such thing as a Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher or Yoga Alliance Certified School; Yoga Alliance provides a logo that Registered Schools and Registered Teachers may elect to use for marketing purposes.
In our opinion, the lack of oversight by Yoga Alliance and the illusion of an accrediting agency has adversely impacted the quality of trainings and allowed many students to graduate programs without the education necessary to teach safely or earn a living from teaching alone. If YA ever provides an instrument of oversight to guarantee that schools are fulfilling their commitments to their students, as well as an assessment tool to determine that certified teachers have the knowledge and ability required to teach yoga safely, we will reevaluate our position.
If you search the YA teacher directory for teachers in our area you will discover that the vast majority of working teachers in the region are not registered. We have offered our training since 2016 without Yoga Alliance affiliation, and 100% of our students who have sought teaching opportunities have found teaching positions in studios, hospitals, gyms, YMCA's, and schools.