Instructors

Sat Dharam Kaur ND is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher trainer and instructor, author and naturopathic doctor practicing in Owen Sound, Ontario. She has been studying Kundalini Yoga with Yogi Bhajan since 1979 and has facilitated teacher training programs in Toronto and New Mexico. She has developed a breast health yoga training, designed to help educate women in breast cancer prevention through Kundalini Yoga and lifestyle change. She has also developed a yoga based addiction recovery program. A featured teacher at the Toronto Yoga Show in 2004, 2008, the Toronto Yoga Festival 2008 and at Khalsa Women’s Camp in New Mexico, she has written several best selling books: A Call to Women: The Healthy Breast Program and Workbook, The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Breast Cancer and The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women's Health.

Shabad Saroop Singh is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher trainer and co-founder and director of the Institute of Yoga and Meditation in Montreal, Quebec and an independent business owner. Since 1981, he has been studied in person with Yogi Bhajan. In his 20 years of teaching, he has consistently observed the power that yoga and meditation has in enhancing people’s happiness and fulfillment in life. He brings a rare warmth, humanity, wisdom and sense of humour to his teaching and considers it an honour to serve others and contribute to the upliftment of humanity through sharing the technology of Kundalini Yoga.

Schedule and Course Components

Please find the dates for your specific location in the Course Registration and Fees section.

1. Sadhana: 4:30 - 6:30 am early morning practice. Dates to be announced, 5 morning practices are required. Approximately 1 hour of yoga and postures plus 1 hour of beautiful, chanting meditations. Challenging and exquisite, it gives you victory and strength in your life.
2. Home Practice: 40-Days Meditation/Yoga Set A 40-day practice is an opportunity to break down outdated mental, emotional and physical patterns, replacing them with new, empowering ones.
3. Written Exam In class
4. Practicum: Practice teaching sessions Three shorter sessions in small groups and one full class for course evaluation. To master something, teach it!
5. Attend a minimum of 20 Kundalini Yoga classes Twenty classes must be completed with certified Kundalini Yoga instructors during the course and prior to certification. These classes are not covered in the course fee.
6. Home Study Reading course materials, some written homework.
7. Yogi Bhajan video lectures Several will be shown during class time.
8. Participate in one White Tantric Yoga course (one day) White Tantric is an exceptional experience, a full day meditation course that unloads the subconscious burden. Offered in Toronto in May 2009, and in cities around the world. One day courses generally cost from $110 to $150 US. Those registered for our Toronto teacher training will receive one complimentary White Tantric course. See www.whitetantricyoga.com
9. Graduation ceremony to be announced

 

Course Contents

Postures: Exercises for Strength and Healing

• How to avoid common errors - modifications for limited mobility and health, strength and flexibility; avoiding injury, e.g., to the neck and back; avoiding R.S.I. (repetitive strain injury) that can sometimes show up in wrists and knees.
• How to get maximum value from each posture - form and alignment precision to attain the full expression of each exercise.

 

The Power of the Word

• The science of sound - how to get the most value from chanting, understanding the mechanisms by which it works.
• The use of the word to heal, transform and uplift.
• Overview and experience of different forms of mantra meditations. Kundalini Yoga incorporates dozens of mantras, each with its own vibratory effect. Mantras can be used for very specific purposes. Some will enhance our magnetic field or balance the tattvas (elements); others can open the heart chakra or strengthen the navel centre. Specific mantras may develop courage or improve interpersonal communication.
• While we use postures, philosophy, breathing and relaxation, it is the scientific use of sound that most distinguishes Kundalini Yoga from other forms of yoga.

 

Yogic and Western Anatomy

• In this course, you will gain an understanding of how the respiratory, nervous, immune, musculo-skeletal, circulatory, endocrine, and digestive systems function and how they are influenced by the practice and teaching of yoga. In addition to traditional Western anatomy, you will learn about Yogic anatomy and the energy systems of the body, including the chakras, the nadis, the pranas and vayus, and the five koshas (yogic sheaths). We will also explore the relationship between Western anatomy (the physical body) and Yogic anatomy (the subtle body) through practical yoga exercises, breathing practices, and relaxation techniques.
• Learn the necessary anatomy for teaching yoga and understand how it works through the physical body. There will be a strong emphasis on many of the therapeutic aspects of Kundalini Yoga and meditation.
• You will learn how specific yoga exercises can rejuvenate the vital organs.
• A study of the Chakras and the Ten Bodies; Prana, Apana, the Nadis and Kundalini energies and how this subtle anatomy relates to and overlaps the physical body. 

 

History of Yoga

• A survey of its roots and current day applications.
• Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
• The historical stages and the development of yoga in general and Kundalini Yoga specifically.
• This section of study is particularly useful for both your own understanding and because students will ask you many questions about yoga and the more you know, the more you can serve.

 

Yoga Fundamentals

• This comprehensive introduction to fundamental yoga techniques gives you tools and concepts essential for a thriving personal practice. This covers:

1. physical practice of yoga asana
2. the basics of yogic breathing practice called pranayama
3. the practice of the three major locks called bandhas
4. the power of word and sound in yogic mantra practice
5. the use of hand and body positions to direct the flow of energy through directed use of mudras
6. the nature and purpose of meditation
7. the effects and practice of relaxation techniques

Yoga Philosophy & Lifestyle

• Yoga practice comes from a rich historical, philosophical and literary tradition that addresses and enriches all areas of life. In this educational module, you will learn about the psychology, philosophy and history of yoga, its literary and cultural heritage, and the basic concepts that underlie all yoga practices. From this basis, you will learn how to practically and effectively integrate the teachings of yoga into your life in interpersonal relationships, your personal health and hygiene habits, and your daily diet.

 

Foundations of Kundalini Yoga

• This provides hands-on training so you can build a strong personal practice. Students will explore the theory and practice of asanas (postures) and kriyas (yoga sets), as well as learning the basics of meditation and mudras.

 

Techniques of Kundalini Yoga

• This module develops the skills and techniques to become a skilled practitioner and teacher of yoga. Students will explore and practice the techniques of Kundalini Yoga as they apply to healing and humanology (the science of daily living), as well as the transformational role of the teacher in developing a successful yoga practice.

 

Teaching Methods of Kundalini Yoga

• The methodology of teaching yoga includes practical suggestions for teaching beginners, ethical guidelines for teachers, the language of teaching, student-oriented teaching techniques, curriculum development, and the role of a teacher. In addition to 18 hours of in-class lecture and practice, two outside hours are spent in developing a curriculum for your own teaching purposes. The emphasis of the module is learning and implementing practical methods that create a successful learning experience for yoga students.

 

Classroom Practice in Kundalini Yoga

• The classroom practice module develops an appreciation and understanding of yoga from a teacher’s perspective. You will attend 20 Kundalini yoga classes with a certified teacher and record your observations and experiences as you begin to develop your teaching skills. In addition, you will participate in five early morning Sadhana classes.
  Teaching Practicum in Kundalini Yoga
• The teaching practicums provide practical experience in instructing a yoga class. You will teach in small groups with fellow students under the supervision of a KRI Yoga Teacher Trainer. The teaching groups will give feedback to each other, and you receive a written evaluation about your teaching experience from a KRI Yoga Teacher Trainer. In addition, you will be given the opportunity to practice teaching skills with your fellow students in study groups. Finally, you will teach a public yoga class of your own time and choosing.

 

Kundalini Yoga: The Chakras

• We will examine the major and minor chakras (energetic centers) in the context of a yoga practice, with practical considerations given to the effects of various asanas, meditations, and yoga practices on specific chakras.

 

Kundalini Yoga: Ten Bodies

• We will discuss the concept and use of the ten yogic bodies (physical body, soul body, pranic body, subtle body, and radiant body, arc line, aura, and positive, negative and neutral mind) in practicing and teaching Kundalini Yoga.

 

White Tantric Yoga

• You will experience a cleansing meditation practice done in a group setting with a partner. For more information about White Tantric Yoga, contact 3HO directly at www.3ho.org or at www.whitetantricyoga.com

 

Highlights

• The cycles of the intellect
• The structure of a thought
• The use of meditation as a key to happiness and success
• How to make your mind your most powerful friend
• Teaching yoga to beginners
• Teaching in diverse environments
• Exploring the myths and misconceptions about Kundalini
• Experiencing sadhana
• Five stages of spiritual growth
• The eight limbs of yoga
• Yoga for pregnancy and exercises for men and women
• Breath and pranayam
• Yogic views on food and nutrition, with recipes
• Teacher’s code of ethics
• The importance of relaxation
• Healing circles, full moon meditations
• Teaching resources
  

Certification

To fulfill the requirements for KRI Level 1 Certification you must:

1. Attend all scheduled weekend sessions (for unavoidable absence, the teacher training team will decide how and if a student can make-up missed classes)
2. Do five Sadhanas
3. Attend one White Tantric Yoga course
4. Complete assigned 40-day yoga set/meditation
5. Have a passing grade on the written exam
6. Have satisfactory practicum presentation
7. Take 20 Kundalini Yoga classes during the duration of the teacher training program. (These classes are not covered in the teacher training fee.)
8. Become an associate member in IKYTA (International Kundalini Yoga Teacher’s Association) – the cost of your first year membership is included in the teacher training fee. This membership will help you become known as a teacher, network with other teachers and keep you up to date with the quarterly teacher’s newsletter “Kundalini Rising”)

Yogi Bhajan and Kundalini Yoga

Yogi Bhajan, Master of Kundalini Yoga arrived in the United States in 1969 with a stated purpose: “I have come to create teachers, not to gather disciples”. He then travelled internationally teaching Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness.

In 1969, Yogi Bhajan founded 3HO - the Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization, based on his first principle “Happiness is your birthright”. Through 3HO and the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI), Yogi Bhajan has trained thousands of Kundalini Yoga teachers. In 1994, 3HO founded the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association (IKYTA), to further spread these priceless teachings through the united efforts of Kundalini Yoga teachers worldwide. Yogi Bhajan passed away in October 2004, but leaves a legacy of teachings and inspired teachers to serve and uplift humanity through Kundalini Yoga.

What are IKYTA & KRI?

The International Association of Kundalini Yoga Teachers (IKYTA) is the professional organization of certified Kundalini Yoga Teachers. Members receive such benefits as education program opportunities, newsletters, product discounts, and listings in printed and web directories. The Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) administers the certification standards for Kundalini Yoga Teachers and is the review agency for materials, manuals, and other products developed to support the teachings of Kundalini Yoga. The Teacher Certification program is open both to yoga student ready to become teachers and those who wish to immerse themselves in the science of Kundalini Yoga as originally taught by Yogi Bhajan.

Course Locations, Registration and Fees

The Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training course is currently being offered in multiple locations. Please use the registration information that is specific to your location.