Thanks for completing the Yoga Activist/District teacher training!

Post-Training Homework:

Complete and submit this form with supporting documents at any time. To turn in assignments we recommend emailing a digital copy to [email protected]. Please do not have more than one attachment in the email. You may also mail one complete package to Yoga District, ATTN: Teacher Training Program, 1910 14th Street NW, Washington DC 20009. Include a return envelope to your address with sufficient postage if you would like your materials returned to you. Please note that Yoga District is not responsible for lost mail packages. Partial assignments will not be accepted- all assignments must be turned in at the same time in the same package. Assignments can be handwritten or typed.

1.   Karma Section: Community Practices

☐ I have taught at least three free community classes. My class summaries are under Section 1 of the attached journal, numbered items 1-3 on pages __ through __. For each class, provide a written summary describing the class, students, etc. In your summary, please also include information about how you organized the classes, notes on your sequence and any challenges and breakthroughs you experienced. After the third class, please provide a written journal summary of your overall experience teaching these classes too. Yoga Activist classes count toward this requirement. Please note that at least three people must attend each class and the classes must be held at the same place with the same general community each time, as part of the goal of this assignment is to get students who attend your class to come back to your class. If one of your classes has fewer than three participants, you can’t count that class towards this requirement, so you will need to make arrangements to teach another class with the same community and make more effort to ensure that at least three people will return to the class. These classes cannot be held at Yoga District as your efforts to arrange the classes independently of a studio are an essential part of this requirement. Yoga District does not provide mat rentals for community classes. 

2.   Bhakti Section: Self Practice

☐ a. I practiced the same yoga asana sequence daily on my own for 15 (ideally 40) consecutive days and summarized my experience immediately after each practice in Section 2 of the attached journal, numbered items 4-18 on pages __ through __. For at least 15 (40 is recommended) consecutive days, practice a chosen set asana sequence of your choice. For the entire 15 days, you can choose to practice either the entire Dharma 1 series (this includes breathing, meditation, optional poses, and classical sun salutations), the entire Power series (this includes all optional series in the sequence), a different set sequence practiced by another yoga tradition with which you are very familiar (email [email protected] to explain if this is the case), or a class sequence you formulate and email to [email protected] for review in advance with subject “SEQUENCE FOR 15 DAYS”. This sequence would be practiced daily regardless of whether you also take a group class at a studio on any given day. Try to have your practice be at least 60 minutes. 

☐ b. I practiced the chanting, breathing, concentration and meditation sequence described below every day on my own for 15 consecutive days and summarized my experience immediately after each practice in Section 2 of the attached journal, numbered items 19-33 on pages __ through __. For at least 15 (40 is recommended) consecutive days beyond the training last day, practice the daily meditation/breathing sequence you did during the training:

– Five minutes of chanting (out loud or mentally)

– Five minutes of calming breath or alternate nostril breathing, starting and ending on the left nostril, left hand in jnana mudra, right hand in nastika mudra, pulling the locks during the retention (6:4:6 or 3:12:6).

– Kapalabhati breathing (rounds of 30, 60 and 90 (120 is optional) with a lock and breath retention and third-eye focus after each round, followed by a natural breath before the next round). This practice can go before or after calming breath / alternate nostril breathing.

– Five minutes of concentration focusing on the silent mantra practiced during training, coordinated with breath.

– Five minutes of “seedless meditation” with eyes slightly open and gaze reaching towards the tip of the nose.

☐ c. I kept a daily ahimsa log/journal daily for 15 consecutive days. In this log, you write what you will do that day in particular to practice ahimsa in thought, word and deed and also write what you will avoid that day in particular to practice ahimsa in thought, word and deed. Include this in your journal as numbers 34-49, pages ___ through __. Please share five things you’ll do and five things you’ll avoid. At the end of the day or the next morning, write some reflections on your efforts (not achievements, but efforts). Please ensure your ahimsa practice methods in thought, word and deed change daily depending on what you happen to be doing that day, so that the practice is always particularly relevant to your activities of that day. So for instance if you know you’ll be in a public place where there are a lot of people, it might be a good opportunity to practice silently calling everyone the name of a wise person you revere. Or if you know you have a work meeting, you could make a point to apply a concept of non-harming specifically to what you might encounter during that meeting. Please be much more specific than general practices like, “Today I will say nice things to people and I will avoid saying mean things.” 

3. Jnana Section: Readings and Retention

☐  a. I read/re-read the entire Sutras and Bhagavad Gita including the introduction, preface, etc.

☐  b. I read/re-read the entire Anatomy book and Yoga Adjustment books. 

☐ c. I read/re-read the entire Toolbox book.

☐ d. I read/re-read the injuries and modifications article and the article by Jasmine published in the Journal of Yoga Service or the YD blog. I am able to comfortably recite relevant parts of the modification guide from memory to advise students about modifications.

☐ e. I read/re-read the entire Teacher Training Workbook and all other material provided by the Teacher Training faculty either in person or via email.

☐ 6. I took the examination “closed book” within two hours and am providing both my original exam answers, followed by a self-corrected version of the exam, labeled as pages __ through __.  Take a closed book, take-home final examination by emailing [email protected] to immediately receive an auto-response email containing the exam questions — you must email your exam questions to yourself within two hours of receiving the auto-response email. After submitting your exam, correct your submitted answers with the aid of your notes, workbook, and textbooks. 

☐ 7. If I missed five minutes or longer at any time during the training dates or had my screen off during zoom sessions, I have completed make up procedures described below and included any makeup writings as page __ through __.  Please follow the following make-up procedures for any period of time greater than five minutes that you missed. All hours missed must be made up during another training session. Alternative/additional assignments may be considered in special circumstances. Please note this is completed on your honor and that we reserve the right to deny certification if any portion of missed sessions isn’t reported and made up, to uphold the integrity of the teachings, training program, and your commitments.

☐  8. I’ve attached my attendance record report for review along with my post-training assignments. By submitting my attendance record, I confirm I’ve completed the attendance requirements for training as outlined in #7 above. 

Additional assignments and activities will/may be assigned once we review your training homework packet. Make-up activities may include attending the same presentation you missed in a later Yoga District training, attending classes with the faculty members presenting during sessions you missed, or other activities we find essential to your ability to make up the content and contact hours missed. If you wish to make up for missed lectures by paying for the faculty member to privately repeat his/her presentation to you (approx $75/hr), please let us know so we can see if arrangements are possible.

MAKE-UP SESSION GUIDE

If you need to make up missed sessions or sessions in which you were unable to fully participate, below is quick guide to help you through the process. Just be sure to give us advance notice if you would like to attend a make-up session as this helps us confirm that the topics you need are still scheduled as planned and ensures group activities can be adjusted to include your participation.