Expand your practice
While developing a new depth of skills for teaching others
This unique course will bring us back in time to the earliest expressions of the hatha yoga system of practice, exploring its rich history, philosophy and methodology. We will foster a deeper understanding of this vast and complex tradition, while discovering its original aims.
To accomplish this, we will delve into the practices of āsana (postures) and prānāyām (life force, breath expansion), as well as mudrā (hand gestures, seals), and chakra kriyā (purification and balancing of the spiritual centres).
All of the above-mentioned systems of practice were designed to prepare the yogī for meditation, which was always understood to be the principal way in which the knowledge of the true Self (ātman) can be reached. Our time together will explore all of these methodologies, so that we can expand both our own practice, while at the same time developing a new set of skills for teaching others.
Course objectives
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Course objectives 〰️
Foster a deep understanding of the vast and complex history of the traditional hatha yoga system
Discover the original aims of the traditional hatha yoga system
Āsanas: how they fit into the hatha yoga system as a whole
Prānayām practices: how they fit into the hatha yoga system as a whole
Learn to foster swa sādhana — ‘self-practice’, using traditional āsana and prānayām as the foundational basis
Explore the long history of Rāja Yoga, and how hatha yoga meditation practices emerge from it: the union of hatha and rāja yoga
Explore the esoteric physiology of Tantra and hatha yoga: nādis; bandhas; chakras; kundalini
Construct hatha yoga āsana sequences which incorporate all of the above
Learn how to teach the traditional āsana and prānayām practices, leading into meditation
Foster a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the history and methodology of kriyā yoga.
Learn how to teach a selection of kriyā yoga practices, that are both safe as well as applicable, for yoga students in our current modern setting
Develop a deeper and more confident understanding of the chakras
Create safe spaces for teaching about the chakras and how they can be applied to yoga practice in general
Develop a robust prānāyām practice, giving us a greater confidence in offering these practices to others
The details
Dates
Wednesday 29th – Friday 31st May 2024
08:30 – 16:30
Investment
The price for the course is £400
Yoga Hero teacher trainees and graduates get 20% off!
A payment plan is available.
Get updates about Traditional Hatha Yoga, Prānāyām & Chakra Kriyā
“Hali is an incredibly warm, generous & skilful teacher, with an amazing ability to convey information in a way that makes it accessible & relatable. The extent of her knowledge around yoga philosophy, Sanskrit & chanting is phenomenal, testament to her immersion in yoga throughout her life. The workshop time flew in & I was left only wanting more. I am very much looking forward to study with Hali again.”
-Ellie M
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The Vedas and Upanishads – yoga’s earliest scriptural roots
Key themes found in the Upanishads and how these relate to Hatha yoga
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A look at the history and origins of hatha yoga: aims, and main practices
Wonderful namaskar sequences, including:
Surya Namaskār
Sukhāsana Namaskār
Chandra Namaskār
Teaching principals of the main āsanas of traditional hatha yoga
What are bandhas, and how and when to use them
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Prānāyām – origin and aims
Meditation (rāja yoga) as a culmination of hatha yoga
And so, so much more!
Your course leader
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Your course leader 〰️
About Hali Schwartz:
I have been immersed in the world of yoga since I was a young girl. My very first yoga teacher was my mother. I have such a clear and distinct memory of being 8 years old and asking my mother: “What is Yoga?”
Her answer mystified me, being so young. She answered: “Yoga means ‘balance.’”
In those days I didn’t quite understand what that meant. At that time it had already been a few years that she had been studying and practicing yoga and meditation with great devotion. I went with her to all the classes and sessions she was taking with an Indian guru who was touring Canada and the US. It was the 1970’s and there was a growing group of people who were truly pioneers in exploring the world of yoga and finding out how its teachings can transform lives. Every day they would come to my house for their yoga meetings and I would sit and listen and laugh and absorb the energy of it, even though I didn’t really know what they were talking about.
Years later, in 1988 I traveled to India for the first time to the ash ram where my mother had decided to devote her life. I have traveled there every year since, delving into all aspects of the yoga tradition at the International Meditation Institute (I.M.I. ) in Kullu, in the North Western Himalayas where my mother still lives nearly 40 years later! It was at the institute that I was introduced to yoga philosophy in all its glory. I studied the Sanskrit language, several yoga and vedantic scriptures such as the Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (to name but a few) as well as chanting, meditation, hatha, kriya and restorative yoga.
In 1999 I started teaching yoga in Toronto, while continuing my studies in Ashtanga Yoga with the incomparable Ron Reid at the Downward Dog. In 2001, I began teaching yoga philosophy, Sanskrit, chanting and meditation in various teacher training programs around the city, and have trained hundreds of teachers since then at Yoga Space, Octopus Garden, IAM Yoga and Sananda Yoga. I love mentoring new teachers as well as introducing new students in the amazing benefits of this awesome tradition.
In 2002 I took my first group of yoga students with me to India, and have since lead several pilgrimage voyages to the Himalayas, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Varanasi, Rajasthan, New Delhi and Mumbai. I am so passionate about this subject. It is my life’s joy to share this knowledge and this practice with anyone and everyone who has the interest to dive into it!
“Hali has such an expansive wealth of knowledge and direct experience with the roots and traditions of yoga, the way in which she embodies this is so inspiring. In just the short time we had at the workshop, she brought such a fun and fresh perspective to deep and complex subjects. As a yoga teacher (and always student!) I left feeling like I’d just come across yoga for the first time again!”
-Anja P
Accreditation
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Accreditation 〰️
This training is certified and accredited by the Yoga Alliance Professionals. Holly Mcfee holds Trainer Pro TM status with the Yoga Alliance Professionals - the highest standard of training possible.
300 HOUR ADVANCED TRAINING
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300 HOUR ADVANCED TRAINING 〰️
This course forms part of Yoga Hero’s 300 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, along all other For Yoga Teachers courses.
How it works:
Each module can be booked and attended individually, or attend 300 hours for the full 300 hour accreditation.
Courses will be re-run in 2024 and beyond, and new courses may be added at any point. All courses and their associated assessments must be completed within four calendar years in order to gain the accreditation.
Your discount:
Book on to one of our 300 hour course modules, and receive 10% any and ALL future 300 hour course modules!
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Boring, but important. Please read our T&Cs here