Home Study Certification Courses? Aura Wellness Center, etc

Yoga Teacher Training
#7

David,

Check what is in the Yoga in a box, see if you think it is comprehensive and covers a lot?

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/ this is the place mentioned. If you look at products you can see what is contained in the Teachers Training box :

That is a LOT of material! Will it make you a Yoga Master or be as good as doing Teachers Training in person probably not, will it teach you a lot - YES!
Look at testimonials on the site hundreds (not made up) of people teaching Yoga after doing their home study courses.

#8

Yulaw,

‘‘2) DVD, Home training, distance learning, is at BEST a supplement for training with a real live teacher.’’

I’d agree but again for those who cannot afford thousands for courses, or taking the time off work, not to mention accomodation and travel costs; or who don’t even have any good Yoga teachers near them then it has to be considered as a viable option for them.

Check above link to see exactly what is in the Yoga in a Box home study course, in my opinion that is a LOT of material and very comprehensive. Training in person under a good Instructor is the best option no question or doing a Teachers Training course in that manner but for those that can’t or have no Yoga teachers near them, then home study is probably worth considering.

#9

Any company that engages in online yoga certification is running little more than a Yoga Teacher Puppy Mill. Their “yoga teachers” are going to graduate with yoga hip dysplasia and pass the same on to their students.

It’s shameful.

People that accept those as valid reasons not to become a yoga teacher are not yet ready to be yoga teachers. “Yoga In A Box” will not change that despite what your inexpensive piece of paper at the end of the course tells you.

#10

David,

If I do decide to do the Yoga Home Study course then teach , how about you and I have - Yoga Showdown? In person or posting videos. According to yourself - people can’t teach or shouldn’t be able to after doing it, nor can they reach a high level. I am high level athlete already very flexible and strong, learning Yoga won’t be that challenging physically to me but it will be learning the language, terminology, exact alignments and positions, etc.

You must have years of experience in Yoga, so in just a few months if I decide to do the home study course and get certified; I’d be more than happy to post videos of me doing your choice of sequences or poses, etc; and you post yours. Or in person.

#11

Home Study Lesson 1

[LEFT]There are eight limbs of yoga, only one of which is asana (yoga poses).

End of lesson (that’ll be $29.95)

Based upon today’s lesson, if you’re wanting to have a “yoga showdown” – while you’re doing a whole bunch of amazing looking poses, I could sit there breathing, potentially be experiencing yoga, and therefore, “win”.

With that said, I’m not interested. I’ve shared my (admittedly crass) opinion and that’s about as far as I want to take it. I do sincerely wish you all the best.
[/LEFT]

#12

[QUOTE=MindNinja;54817]David,

If I do decide to do the Yoga Home Study course then teach , how about you and I have - Yoga Showdown? In person or posting videos. According to yourself - people can’t teach or shouldn’t be able to after doing it, nor can they reach a high level. I am high level athlete already very flexible and strong, learning Yoga won’t be that challenging physically to me but it will be learning the language, terminology, exact alignments and positions, etc.

You must have years of experience in Yoga, so in just a few months if I decide to do the home study course and get certified; I’d be more than happy to post videos of me doing your choice of sequences or poses, etc; and you post yours. Or in person.[/QUOTE]

It is’nt something that can be learned in a weekend or even a few months.Just keep on practicing and learning is your best bet.The emphasis is on Practice.

If you want to post a video feel free.

#13

[QUOTE=MindNinja;54755]Yulaw,

‘‘2) DVD, Home training, distance learning, is at BEST a supplement for training with a real live teacher.’’

I’d agree but again for those who cannot afford thousands for courses, or taking the time off work, not to mention accomodation and travel costs; or who don’t even have any good Yoga teachers near them then it has to be considered as a viable option for them.

Check above link to see exactly what is in the Yoga in a Box home study course, in my opinion that is a LOT of material and very comprehensive. Training in person under a good Instructor is the best option no question or doing a Teachers Training course in that manner but for those that can’t or have no Yoga teachers near them, then home study is probably worth considering.[/QUOTE]

If you have little time or can’t afford thousands of courses then getting a couple of DVDs and training is an option but then training and getting certified is not the same thing. But no matter how many DVDs you watch or how many books you read you will still not get the same thing as you would get by studying with a good teacher. There are just too many postures and too many ways to do those postures incorrectly and to many ways to hurt yourself, or others, if you have never been shown those postures properly. I trained with a teacher briefly and thought I had it and I had little time or desire to continue going so I stopped, I later had a friend show me some more stuff but he was not a certified teacher. I later got DVDs and worked with those and thought I had it down, but to be honest some things just did not feel right. I then worked with another friend of mine that is very well trained and certified and she corrected many of my problems and taught me that if anything, I did not and I do not have it down. I have a lot to learn and I am now of the belief that you need a teacher right there with you if you truly want to understand yoga.

However I still do not see anything wrong with DVDs as a supplement to training with a teacher, they are just not a substitute for a real live teacher.

But then maybe I am looking at this form the wrong perspective. Let me ask this;

What is your reason for wanting to get certified?

#14

Thank you for allowing different opinions. If you read the Aura site, they recommend having a teacher on the ground. If I can take 50 online courses for at the University of Oxford, why is Yoga so different? Every university has online and correspondence courses. Many have degree programs. Are they all bogus and looking for a quick buck?

Not saying in person is bad, but the year is 2011 and online education is taking off.

#15

[QUOTE=Kushvinder;58702]Why is Yoga so different? Every university has online and correspondence courses. Many have degree programs. Are they all bogus and looking for a quick buck?[/QUOTE]
Why is yoga so different? That’s the problem, until a practitioner is advanced enough, they might not know the answer to that question which is what these online certification courses prey upon: ignorance.

Would we certify a doctor online? Of course not. Would we certify a physical therapist online? Of course not. Would we certify a psychologist online? Of course not. All require human interaction. Yet a good yoga teacher plays each of roles in part, and more. And that’s not taking into account the importance of a master teacher evaluating the prospective student in person and countless other variables.

If you want to certify a history major online, I won’t say a word. If you want to certify a yoga teacher online, I’m going to call you out.

In my opinion, anyone certified by an online yoga certification program should be boycotted. Everyone should ask where their teachers are certified and if their only certification is online, they should find another teacher. That’s the best way to put these predatory yoga teacher training puppy mills out of business.

#16

Dear David,

Again, salutations to you for this wonderful forum. Thank you for your opinion. Why do you attack new ideas with such passion? Yoga is an open book with many new chapters to be written.

I’m very sorry to admit, I have only been practicing Bhakti and Hatha Yoga for only 39 years and I was born in Mumbai before moving to the States. Admittedly, you may be more qualified to offer your opinion of Patanjali’s eight limbs than I.

However, a Yoga teacher is not a medical doctor. Yoga teachers should not give medical advice at all. To do so would be harmful to our students. Yet, medical doctors do take online courses and many professionals do. This Aura Wellness Center offers training at their facility if somone desires to do so.

#17

Hi Kushvinder,

Please note I am not attacking you, just this idea. Please do not take any of my words personally.

[QUOTE=Kushvinder;58714] Why do you attack new ideas with such passion? Yoga is an open book with many new chapters to be written.[/QUOTE]
Because I know a terrible idea when I see it.

[QUOTE=Kushvinder;58714]However, a Yoga teacher is not a medical doctor. Yoga teachers should not give medical advice at all. To do so would be harmful to our students. Yet, medical doctors do take online courses and many professionals do. This Aura Wellness Center offers training at their facility if somone desires to do so.[/QUOTE]
No, a yoga teacher is not a medical doctor. But as this forum shows, countless people are asking for more holistic approaches to everything from erectile dysfunction to costochondritis. A yoga teacher needs to have an advanced understanding of anatomy, physiology, diet, and many other areas a medical doctor would be trained in. They need to do “rounds” and be shown student after student and asked, “What do you see?”

I’m fine with online training for some aspects of yoga. If it was done in conjunction with in person training, then I’d be fine with it. But to make that an OPTION and still call anyone who only did coursework online a teacher is working to ensure this beautiful novel devout yogis have been writing for thousands of years will be turning into a horror story.

#18

Dear David,

Thank you for your kind reply. I agree that teaching Yoga is an intricate art form. I trained for more than 20 years before considering the idea of teaching, but long apprenticeships seem to be a thing of the past. Now, there are teachers with 30 to 500 hours of training, which makes me think “when is one ready to teach?”

Today, many students who seek to teach, have been practicing for years or decades. Should they wait, like I did, for an appointment by his or her guru? Should they undergo a rite like: Pancha Samskara? Truly, for one to become a competent teacher, he or she must continue the journey of continuing education. If one studies for one thousand hours, but refuses to learn anything new about the art of teaching, then the teacher becomes stagnant.

With that said, I can remember when chiropractors were cursed by orthopedic doctors. Times are changing with education and technology. How long will it be before we have holographic gurus? I hope you are laughing, but my point is the combination of education and technology has changed most universities around the world.

Hari Om - My Friend

#19

Hi David,

This is interesting because I’m very familiar with Aura wellness center in downtown Attleboro. They have a great reputation locally, help local charities, teach yoga at homeless shelters during this economy, and help other yoga studios to stay afloat. Guest teachers from everywhere, including Rishikesh, drop in to say “hello,” visit, or take classes with Paul and Marie.

This thread seems like a horse was in the barn and left. Now that you know there is a horse, you want to call it out, shoot it in the legs, and pray for it to fail. You might want to visit with Paul to know he is the genuine article, he would never say a malicious word about you, and you might learn about ahimsa and satya. You’ve attacked without provocation without knowing what kind of people they really are.

Learning online isn’t going to hide in the closet. It’s what people do who are lucky enough to have a job and a family. God knows we aren’t all living independently wealthy lives where we can travel to India, forget our kids, and leave our jobs on hold.

Peace

#20

[QUOTE=Faye;58841]This is interesting because I’m very familiar with Aura wellness center in downtown Attleboro.[/QUOTE]
They didn’t happen to ask you to respond, did they? Or did you just happen to find this thread? :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=Faye;58841]They have a great reputation locally, help local charities, teach yoga at homeless shelters during this economy, and help other yoga studios to stay afloat. Guest teachers from everywhere, including Rishikesh, drop in to say “hello,” visit, or take classes with Paul and Marie.[/QUOTE]
That’s absolutely wonderful that they do positive things in their community and give back and I commend them for that. My issue is that they run an online yoga certification program which is nothing short of a terrible idea, in my opinion.

[QUOTE=Faye;58841]This thread seems like a horse was in the barn and left. Now that you know there is a horse, you want to call it out, shoot it in the legs, and pray for it to fail. You might want to visit with Paul to know he is the genuine article, he would never say a malicious word about you, and you might learn about ahimsa and satya. You’ve attacked without provocation without knowing what kind of people they really are.[/QUOTE]
They’re the kind of people who would start an online yoga certification program.

[QUOTE=Faye;58841]Learning online isn’t going to hide in the closet. It’s what people do who are lucky enough to have a job and a family. God knows we aren’t all living independently wealthy lives where we can travel to India, forget our kids, and leave our jobs on hold. [/QUOTE]
Online certification is NOT the answer to this. We here in the west want everything NOW and EASY, neither of which a yoga teacher training should be. It’s shameful.

#21

That’s a good question, one that has been debated many times on this forum.

Why was so much importance put on lineage? Why did a yoga practitioner not become a teacher until their guru said they were a teacher? Were the masters of old worried about the erosion of the foundation of yoga? Did they forsee, “Yoga in a box” one day?

[QUOTE=Kushvinder;58736]My point is the combination of education and technology has changed most universities around the world[/QUOTE]
I don’t dispute that. But just because we CAN doesn’t mean we SHOULD. We must be discerning in our utilization of technology.

#22

Something just clicked for me. Online yoga certification programs may [B]be breaking the law[/B] in many states. I know of at least 14 states that regulate yoga schools. Many take their requirements from Yoga Alliance and some are even more stringent. Let’s look at Yoga Alliance’s 200 hour requirements: http://yogaalliance.org/content/200-hour-standards

180 of the 200 hours are required CONTACT hours. What do they define as a contact hour?

[B]Contact Hours A contact hour is a classroom hour in the physical presence of a faculty member.[/B] Contact hours in each category must be in a dedicated teacher training environment (into which others might occasionally be invited) rather than in classes intended for the general public. Of the required contact hours, a number are specified in the five educational categories. Remaining hours must be distributed among the five educational categories and can be taught by any faculty member.
If I’m correct and you live in one of those states and took an online yoga certification class, your certification may in fact not even be legally valid, much less ethically valid.

Hahahahahah. Oh boy, this could get interesting…

#23

Dear David,

There is something to this idea of shooting the horse and it is not Yogic. Do you have a YA card? The states do not want Yoga Alliance in the way. They want tax money. There seems to be a double standard here. The self-appointed online Yoga registry, which is not a government agency and is not recognized by any government anywhere has your complete approval.

This is the organization that created itself in 1999 and didn’t answer the phone because they thought the state of Virginia would call. They register people without seeing them teach a class. Please do diligent research before jumping to conclusions. Anyone can get a YA card without taking a test. Many of them are uncertified or their original diploma has expired. Think about it…

Hari Om

#24

Kushvinder,

Are you in any way affiliated with Aura Wellness?

As for Yoga Alliance, I don’t support them because [B]I feel their standards are far too lax.[/B]

But the fact is, many states base their laws upon Yoga Alliance standards. It doesn’t matter what we think of them if the law states we must adhere to their minimum standards.

[QUOTE=Kushvinder;58857]They register people without seeing them teach a class.[/QUOTE]
The horror. Just think if they certified people as yoga teachers without seeing them ever teach a class…

#25

Dear David,

No, I am impartial and not affiliated with the wellness center you discuss on this thread. I do know about YAs past inactions and finally acting in Texas. We can quote YA policy, but no government will let them have the driver’s seat. Since they trademark everything, they would want a cut of the state’s spoils. Online registering of Yoga teachers without taking an exam does not deserve a pass.

Hari Om

#26

I’m not quoting their policy to prove something good about YA so much as I’m stating that many states LAWFULLY REQUIRE that yoga teacher certification meet Yoga Alliance standards. If a school does not and certifies people in one of those states they are likely breaking the law and the student’s “certification” is probably not valid. I’m thinking of having my attorney look into this to find out for sure and then potentially take action based upon his findings.

[QUOTE=Kushvinder;58870]Online registering of Yoga teachers without taking an exam does not deserve a pass.[/QUOTE]
But online certification of yoga teachers without so much as ever meeting them in person, much less seeing them teach, does pass?