TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM

Yoga Teacher Training Curriculum

Below is an outline of the highly popular Fred Busch 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training.  The Fred Busch program is one of the most comprehensive Yoga Instructor Programs in the world.

Yoga Teacher Training Curriculum

Introduction to Yoga and Yoga Philosophy –  
What is Yoga? What is Vinyasa?  What is Power Yoga? What is Kundalini Yoga?  How do the many different styles of Yoga relate to each other?  What is Hatha Yoga? What is the ultimate goal of Yoga? How does Meditation relate to Yoga? This workshop will begin to answer these questions and many more as we begin to look into the historical background of Yoga and Tantra and then relate it to the present day movement of Yoga in the United States and around the world.

Fred Busch’s Famous Raw Vegan Food Talk – Food 101
This is the Famous Fred Busch Food Talk and one of the most powerful lectures in the curriculum!  In the Yoga Teacher Training version of the food talk, Fred will take no prisoners as he presents his understanding of the subject of Food.  As the director of the School of Plant Nutrition, Fred offers a wealth of knowledge on the subject of food and how it relates to human wellbeing.  Welcoming all questions and all challenges, this workshop includes scientific discussions based on Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, and Electro-magnetics.  Learn about Vitamins, Minerals, Protein, Essential Fatty Acids, Enzymes, Probiotics, the Immune System and Lymph,, Energy levels, Detox, healing diseases and much more.  Fred will discuss how easy it is to be an unhealthy vegetarian and will explain the principles to eating with more intelligence and more respect for biological design. Fasten your seat belts and hold on as this is often considered the most powerful presentation of information ever witnessed.

Yoga Sutras of  Patanjali –  
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali were compiled about 2500 years ago are seen as one of the most important spiritual Scriptures in the world. Compiled and expressed by Patanjali in a Sutra form, designed to be hidden out in the open, the Sutras are the accumulation of Yogic and Tantric wisdom that explores the nature of Consciousness and our experience of Liberation called Kaivalya.. Each Yoga Sutra is ‘independently intelligent’ as explained by Paramahamsa NIthyananda, they each by themselves can deliver you from bondage into enlightenment, also known as Kaivalya, Nirvana, Bliss, Samadhi. In this workshop we will read many of the most important of the 196 Yoga Sutras with English translation and discuss.

Healing Sequences and Yoga Therapy
 – Fred Busch’s Healing Sequences for Yoga are one of the most unique and powerful aspects of the Teacher Training program.   Created by Fred Busch as a result of injuries stemming from Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the healing sequences offer a means to heal our injuries while still getting stronger everyday. , Most injuries start small and get worse over time due to aggravation and a not listening to our body. This is very common in Yoga teachers because most teachers don’t understand how the body can heal itself while still practicing daily yoga and never taking a day off. Most Yoga teachers give two pieces of bad advice to students with injuries.  They often suggest to either take a week off, or just keep going and push through it! The fact is that both of those approaches don’t work! This is why chronic injuries are common. The fact is that there exists a third option! ! The Fred Busch Healing Sequences offer the means to continue your practice, while becoming the most advanced Yogi of them all! And all this while healing yourself of whatever injury has been presented to you as gift to learn a lesson from.

Mastering Self-Practice
In learning to Self Practice, which means being able to practice by yourself without any teacher or video guiding. is the most valuable skill for a Yogi.  Yogis must be self-sufficient with their Sadhana and not need external anything to practice. Leaning fundamental principles will make you confident and doubt free, obstacles to a consistent Self-Practice. This fun workshop will explore and explain thoroughly the Fred Busch Power Yoga Opening Sequence and Sun Salutations A and B, so as to create complete understanding of the sequence, the alignment, the point of gaze, and the correct breathing and attitude. With this workshop you will be be able to practice Yoga anywhere and anytime you choose so that you never need to take a day off.

5 Koshas of Vedanta
 – The 5 Koshas are a map of the human being related to Adveita Vedanta coming from the Taittiriya Upanishad.  This Upanishad describes an energetic understanding of a person visualized as layers (Koshas) of more or less density of energy. These Koshas all have the name ‘maya’ as they are understood to be layers of Maya, the great dance and illusionary nature of the material universe.  Center of Your Being is described as Atman. And as this workshop will also explain “Atman is Brahman’.

4 Paths and The 8 Limbs (Ashtanga) of Yoga
 – 4 Paths of Yoga  are classically recognized in India as means to attain the ultimate experience called Samadhi or Kaivalya or Enlightenment. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga are the 4 Paths of Yoga which will be discussed. This deep Yoga Philosophy lecture will discuss the 4 Paths including how they differ and how they are the same. From the tradition of Raja Yoga we learn about the founder and great Sage Patanjali, the greatest Yoga master of all time.  Patanjali is the sage who compiled what became known as Yoga Sutras. Inside the Yoga Sutras, between Books 2 and 3, is found the section on Ashtanga Yoga, the Eight Limb Path. Misunderstood by many the Ashtanga Yoga system is description of how to attain enlightenment through 8 Steps or systems that all relate to meditation.

Mastering Standing Poses in Self Practice
 – This workshop is focusing on alignment rules and principles for the most common standing poses in Power and Vinyasa Yoga, as well as other Hatha Yogas.  Standing postures form the foundation for developing the strength in the legs and core as well as range of motion and open hips required to sit in meditation for long periods of time. There are many benefits to standing poses, however the benefits are even greater when the Asana is done with correct alignment. A good and aligned yoga pose creates powerful lines of energy in the body and the result is flow or prana that is powerful and healing.  We will discover in this workshop how many poses share the same alignment principles in expressing something called Universal Alignment and learn to do visualize the alignment best suited to your body and thus be able to analyze and correct yourself in Self-Practice.

Yoga Anatomy
 – Learning  the bones,  joints, and key muscles is essential for Yoga Teachers.   This introduction to Physical Anatomy as it relates to Yoga Asana is well suited to beginners in the subject as we take it from the very beginning.  In this workshop we learn the bones, classifications of joints, and the locations and attachment points for the most important muscles in the body. We relate this info to Yoga asana and alignment  demonstrating yoga poses that use the various muscles. This lecture also discusses the heart and circulation, fascia and the many reasons that we must exercise every day to maintain wellness.


Arm Balances and Intermediate Poses – 
To actually learn arm balances and be able to practice them without a wall,  one needs to understand which core muscles are truly responsible for creating the lift of the seeming ability to defy gravity. This lift generally comes from very specific muscles and they must be identified and trained.  Thus there are several important preparation poses required to practice hard before arm balancing becomes easy. We will then practice the inversion and arm balances in a structured and safe way to assure everyone understands exactly how to enter the poses intelligently without ego. Poses in this workshop will include: Peacock, Astavakrasana, Bhujapidasana, Peacock, Side Crow, Crow, Koundinyasana, Forearm Stand,  and everyone’s favorite: Handstand

Inversions Workshop
  – Ready to learn as much as you can about Headstand, Shoulderstand, and Backbends? This is the workshop for you! We will start with a comprehensive safety discussion about Headstand and Shoulderstand with relation to the cervical spine and thoroughly cover the contra-indications for Inversions. Then we will take those who are ready to experience and realize which muscles groups are  responsible for mastery of the inversions. Safety being the key and foundation to all teaching of challenging poses.

Energetic Systems
 – Learn about Human Energy Systems and the meaning of the words Prana, Aura, Nadis and more. Discover why these systems are so important for your physical, mental and spiritual health and practice meditation techniques to regulate and charge your energy field.  Appreciating the relationship between Prana, Pranayama, Ida, Pingala, Shushumna, Chakras and enlightenment this workshop will go deep.

Chakras
 – Chakras have made it into the collective consciousness and language even though few people understand what they are and fewer still have the technology to work with them.  Chakras are known to be vortices of energy drawing Prana into the Shushumna (Central Nervous System) and thus activating higher levels of consciousness. Chakras are best activated through very specific meditation practices that one should best learn from a Master.  Fred has learned these meditations from the greatest Masters possible like Sri Dharma Mittra.

Introduction to Raja Yoga – 
Raja Yoga is the Yoga of Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras.  This is also known as classical Yoga and actually to scholars is simply termed Yoga.  Yoga of Patanjali is the original Yoga and is related to the joining of two cosmic principals known as Purusha and Prakriti.  Raja Yoga also contains the Eight Limbs system known as Ashtanga Yoga. It is said that all Hatha Yoga is ultimately destined to lead the practitioner to Raja Yoga known as the Royal Path.

Introduction to Tantra  and Tantra Yoga
 – Many people have heard of the word Tantra but are not sure what it means.  Associations with sexuality are misunderstood at best and certainly incomplete.  This discussion aims to discuss the broad differences between Tantra Yoga and Patanjali Yoga.  Tantra Yoga has historically been divided into two streams known as the left handed path and right handed path, also known as Tantra Yoga as described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

How to Heal Severe Lower Back Pain
 – The entire sequence of Fred Busch Power Yoga can be adapted for people with moderate lower back pain to create a Healing Sequence that will alleviate the pain.  However for more severe cases of back pain a very specific formula is required. This workshop will describe a sequence created by Fred Busch, author of The Lower Back Bible.  The sequence given here to students and tested over 15 Years of professional experience.

Backbends and Selecting Best Backbends for Students – 
Spine and Back Bends and we will discuss how many students do backbends that are not very effective. In this detailed workshop on the nature of Back bending and front body opening, we will cover the many variation of backbends and why different versions are more suitable for different student types. Making sure your yoga practice is always serving you most effectively.

Contraindications and Safety in Yoga Teaching
 – Yoga poses can be very dangerous if practiced by the wrong person. The wrong pose practiced by the wrong person can create injuries or other damage. Yoga teaching is a huge responsibility as you take another persons health and wellbeing into your hands. This workshop will discuss that are called Contra-Indications to Yoga Poses. These are conditions and situations that certain yoga poses are better avoided. We will cover the main diseases and conditions in a basic overview of what is contra-indicated in different scenarios. This information is mandatory for good and safe Yoga Instruction.

Prana and Pranayama – 
Learn what is Prana and its relationship to Pranayama. Many Pranayamas are described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika the Pranayama practices are cleansing and healing. This workshop will cover almost all of the Pranayamas considered classical. Ujayi, Alternate Nostril Breathing, Sithali, Kabalabhati (Breath of Fire), Bastrika (Bellows) are all practiced in this very comprehensive introduction to the basics of Pranayama and the benefits they can incorporate into your life. Each pranayama will be explained and discussed, then demonstrated and practiced.

Introduction to Prenatal Yoga
 – Learning how to teach pregnant women safely is an invaluable skill but this workshop does not certify this skill.  Serving as a basic introduction to the needs of yoga students who are pregnant. Learn what poses are contraindicated and the reasons why prenatal yoga requires such proper training before teaching.  This introduction to Prenatal Yoga will inspire those interested to engage in a proper certification when the time is suitable.

Introduction to Restorative Yoga
 – Restorative Yoga is one of the most challenging styles of Yoga to teach.  Postures in Restorative Yoga are all supported and designed to be relaxing.  Poses are held for many minutes at a time. The teaching of Restorative Yoga requires knowing ways to effectively use props to create comfortable and sustainable environment. This workshop will cover theory about the benefits of Restorative Yoga in relation to healing and will then enjoy the experience of deep relaxation and renewal the comes from the healing and wonderful Restorative Yoga experience.

Yoga Nidra
 – Yoga Nidra has at least two expressions in Yoga.  One expression of Yoga Nidra is as a guided relaxation experience which is practiced as the teacher systematically guides the students to relax the parts of the body.  This style of Yoga Nidra is always guided as it requires the relinquishing of the mind to the guide. This type of Yoga Nidra is the ultimate restorative yoga pose. This Yoga Nidra is extremely beneficial and deeply restful and healing  We will discuss Yoga Nidra and then experience a 45 Minute Yoga The second use of the term Yoga Nidra comes from Patanjali’s Raja Yoga and is a self-guided state of magnetized stillness which forms the foundation for the rest of Ashtanga higher limbs.

Teaching Techniques – Communication
 – Many people are good practitioners but poor teachers as there is big difference between doing and expressing.  What is the most effective way to explain a Yoga pose to somebody safely? This workshop will describe the most important keys to safely explain how to enter and exit asanas. Learn to think creatively and be able to build your own safe, intelligent, and satisfying vinyasa sequences. We will discuss and answer questions about identifying the skills of a great teacher.

The Business of Yoga – Marketing and Teaching Private Yoga and Small Classes
As part of the professional side of the curriculum this workshop called The Business of Yoga describes all the keys to success as a professional Yoga teacher. From living the yoga path to understanding marketing in the modern age, this talk is essential for all future professional teachers. While group classes help build a teacher’s experience base and build reputation, most yoga teachers who do very well financially also have private clients. As a result learning the skills of teaching Private Yoga classes and very small groups is invaluable.  Being confident and resourceful in a home setting or office setting will be key. This workshop will shed light on how to teach privates and how to gain private yoga students.

Sanskrit Alphabet Pronunciation – 
Fred Busch is a direct student of Sanskrit Master Manorama, as a result of these studies Fred is able to offer basic training in pronunciation of the Sanskrit alphabet.  This is the only way to chant Mantras correctly and thus maximize their benefits on the human energetic system. Sanskrit is a divinely realized continuum of sound waves that are known to activate your Chakra system and levels of consciousness. The Alphabet is called Devanagari ‘Language of the Gods’ and is sacred and healing when pronounced correctly. This workshop will cover the basics to pronunciation of the 51 Letters of the Sanskrit Script.  Fred will cover the 5 Mouth Positions of Sanskrit and the different vowel sounds and consonants. Also described will be Anasvara and Visarga grammatical components of Sanskrit.

Mantras and Energy Healing  -
Energy can affect us positively or negatively.  Negative energy like radiation has a dissonant effect on the systems while harmonic frequencies are healing and positive.  Chanting Mantras is harmonic and healing positive side of sound waves and how they affect the cells of the body and the nervous system. This is a workshop designed to highlight the scientific and specific frequencies that are associated with your Chakras and help to balance and energize them. We will cover several of the most Sacred Mantras on Earth: Gayatri, Maha Mritunjaya, Bodhisatva, Mukti Mantra, and several others. We will focus on correct sanskrit pronunciation using the 5 mouth positions.

Teaching Techniques- The Psychology of Teaching and Special Skills
Just because you are good in your yoga practice does not make you a good teacher. Teaching is a different skill, which is one reason there is a difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga master. This workshop will analyze and explore what  skills that great teachers use to make their classes awesome. Use of music, tone of voice, timing of instructions, adjustments, demonstration, and so many other factors are at play in the creation of an amazing yoga class for students of all levels. This workshop will help you take your yoga teaching to the next level!

Meditation and Teaching Meditation – 
There are many different meditation traditions and all have immense value for those who practice.  The Meditation as prescribed by Patanjali is especially powerful. During the Fred Busch Yoga Teacher Training you will learn about meditation as taught by Patanjali, as well as Vedanfic and Tantric Meditation practices., why it is important and several meditation practices that you can do in your daily life.  Then students will practice teaching meditation to each other.  This workshop is one of the many that makes the Fred Busch curriculum so valuable.

Chair Yoga
 – Yoga is not only for people who are gifted with health and financial resources.  Yoga is for everyone! In fact Yoga is most valuable and rewarding when shared with students who did not have an easy time accessing the teachings.  Homes for the elderly and community centers in economically challenged neighborhoods represent two very important communities that are served by Yoga.  It is called Karma Yoga when we do outreach to make sure Yoga finds people who would not have otherwise known it.

 

Patanjali’s Definition of Yoga
 – In the beginning of the Yoga Sutras, Master Patanjali gives a very simple and yet profound definition of Yoga.  In these 4 Sanskrit words which will be translated and discussed in detail by Fred, Patanjali defines Yoga as the experience when the movements of the mind have been suspended.  This workshop describes why this way of understanding what is Yoga is applicable to these times as much as the time of Patanjali.
Understanding Ashtanga Yoga,  Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Power Yoga
Many students practice a form of Yoga that they call Ashtanga Yoga.  When studied deeper it is realized that what these students are really practicing is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.  Ashtanga Yoga is the 8 LImbs of Meditation to Samadhi as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Power Yoga have similarities and differences.  This workshop explores, compares and contrasts the differences.