Yoga Teacher Training
STARTED SEPTEMBER 2024 – check back for new dates
What Makes our Training Different?
The goal of Lighthouse’s Hatha Yoga Teacher Trainings is to train quality teachers with an understanding of yoga philosophy, anatomy and asana.
Our small group focus allows us to set rigorous standards, which include plenty of time for practice teaching and one on one in-person mentorship.
Lighthouse teachers are among the most capable in the region, and we are committed to upholding this standard – you will come away from this training being able to teach yoga right away, if you want. We are so committed to that that all of our teacher trainees get added to our sub list right after graduation, if they want!
Our sessions are built around a busy family and work life – many sessions are online and recorded, and we work with you to make up weekends or sessions you might have to miss.
We are a diverse, inclusive community filled with supportive students and teachers well beyond the trainers.
No headstands required! We teach a lot more than just asana in this training, and encourage our trainees to teach what is in their practice and to the students that show up.
Lighthouse has a commitment to social and racial justice and incorporates those values into our teacher trainings.
Our program is registered with Yoga Alliance as an RYT-200 level program.
Lighthouse Yoga Center’s Hatha Yoga Teacher Training focuses on:
- Constructing and deconstructing fundamental asanas
- Understanding how to effectively communicate movement and Yoga practices to your students
- Physical anatomy
- Pranayama, a wide variety of meditation styles, and the energetic body
- Exploring other styles of Yoga, including Kundalini and Yin, and how they affect our teaching
- Intelligent sequencing and creative class planning
- Trauma informed teaching and pose modifications for all bodies
- Yoga philosophy and history, and how it informs our modern day practices
- Practice teaching and leaning how to find teaching opportunities
Our next RYT-200 Hatha Teacher Training starts in September 2024. The training will be co-led by Rebecca Henry and Tara Lemerise, and will be assisted by Machelle Lee, Brandel France DeBravo and Manju Sadrangani. The training meets over 6 months online and in-person at our Kennedy Street address. Follow the link below below for our syllabus, schedule and more! Email Rebecca at rebecca@lighthouseyogacenter.com with inquiries and to sign up!
Continuing Education
At Lighthouse, we are committed to the idea that you are never finished being a student of Yoga. With so many different areas to explore, from history, philosophy, texts, religion and spirituality, to anatomy, physiology, body acceptance and social justice, we are continuously adding workshops and workshop series for you, our students and teachers. Many of our teachers and guest teachers are able to offer continuing education credits through Yoga Alliance (YACEP) – check back here and our workshop page (and follow us on social media) for links to trainings that offer CEUs!
Coming up:
Ever wondered where Kundalini yoga comes from? Join us to explore the streams of Kashmiri Shaivite, Tibetan, Shakti, and Tantra traditions and how they mingled to inform Neo-Kundalini yoga practices across the globe. On our first day together, we will focus on the philosophical and spiritual foundations of our practice to expand our understanding of the energetic chakras and nadi channels of the body. We will understand how the ascetic practices of Patanjali differ from the Siddhi tantric practices of raja yoga, and how both these thought traditions inform our efforts to raise our consciousness. We will study the paths of jnana, karma, and bhakti yoga to grasp the spiritual underpinnings of yoga. On our second day together, we will delve into the process and ethics of teaching Kundalini yoga. We will study the important role seasons, diet, breathe, mental and psycho-social ecosystems play in how we hold space for ourselves and others in practice. We will reflect on the importance of teaching in an authentic, kind, trauma-informed way to avoid spiritual bypassing in our practice spaces. This workshop is an ideal primer for yoga enthusiasts as well as yoga teachers eager to place our practices in a safe, culturally appropriate, and respectful context. 13 YA CEUS
Register here!
Join us for an afternoon exploration of deep, introspective rest. The ancient practice of yoga nidra (Nid rhymes with lid, Ra like the Egyptian sun god) is named for Nidra Devi, an ancient Vedic Goddess. Often described as yogic sleep, a yoga nidra practice allows us to explore the stages of being. We will begin with an exploration of different schools of spirituality approach the goals of a nidra practice, specifically the vedantic, samkhya and vajrayana traditions. We will focus on understanding the koshas(layers of being), and how nidra allows us to change patterns or sanskaras. We will touch upon the different types of brain waves, what they accomplish, as well as how ancient nidra practices have been adapted by programs like iRest to aid in the treatment of complex PTSD, anxiety, and addiction. After a short contemplative break, we will conclude with a yoga nidra practice to experience a nidra journey. This workshop is for nidra novices and enthusiasts alike, and requires no prior meditation or yoga experience. 3.5 YA CEUs
Register here!
Fondly known as “The 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight”, The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra or The Radiance Sutras provides us with an alternative to the philosophy and meditation practices in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Rather than suppress the turnings of the mind and deny our desires, this text invites us to access divinity in our embodiment as the key to finding lasting peace. It assures us that it is possible to find freedom from our sufferings via normal human experiences such as breathing, falling asleep and waking up, being in nature, and making love.
Join us to explore the beauty of these verses that encourage you to befriend the whole of your human experience as a pathway to enlightenment. 5 YA CEUs
Register here!
Retreats
Don’t you just want to get away? From time to time our studio, and teachers offer weekend and even week-long (or more!) yoga retreats to restful local retreat centers and sometimes even exotic locales!
NEW! JUST ANNOUNCED!
JUNE 9-14, 2025 – Join Rebecca and Manju in Prince Edward Island, Canada! SPACE IS LIMITED! Register here now!
Whether you are brand new to yoga, or a seasoned teacher looking to deepen your understanding of the spiritual and cultural underpinnings of yogic tradition, this retreat is an opportunity to feel the sand beneath your feet, the wind in your hair, and connect with your personal purpose.
Everyday Rebecca and Manju will guide us in centering our practice around the mythology of the divine feminine. We greet the day with a invigorating morning practice and meditation in a magical 80 foot yurt (or, weather permitting, on the beach). As we honor our bodies and elevate our personal values, we will conclude each day with a soothing restorative practices, reflection and ritual to harmonize our bodies, emotions and spirits. Our daily practices are a guided mix of flow, Hatha and tantric non-duality Himalayan traditions, complemented by Yin, Restorative and Nidra practices to support our meditations and reflections. We will integrate the mythology of the Hindu goddess into our nightly ritual, along with a special full moon pooja (blessing ceremony).
Our location and hosts!
Heather and Jarrod Gunn McQuillan, Nature Space Resort Center, St. Peter’s Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Prince Edward Island has always been a magical place. The setting for pioneering feminist classics like Anne of Green Gables, the biodiversity and partnership with nature make this magical location an ideal spot for our retreat. Our hosts Heather and Jarrod from the Nature Space Retreat center are long time stewards of Prince Edward Island. Nature Space, located on the beautiful North Shore area of eastern Prince Edward Island is family-run, family and pet friendly boutique resort. You are likely to meet their children helping around the resort and Finlay and Emma will be sure to introduce you to our chickens or help you find what you are looking for while enjoying the grounds.
The resort is nestled quietly on 16 acres of land directly on an ocean lagoon. This area boasts one of the most diverse ecosystems on the Island, and is identified as an IBA (Important Bird Area) by Nature Canada due to the diverse bird life found in the area. It is an area of historical significance with many important indigenous settlements and later was a key area for Acadian and British settlements when the Province was bustled with shipbuilding and fishing.
Their goal is to create spaces & experiences to allow our guests to immerse in nature and connect to the history and the flora and fauna on this land. There are a variety of activities and experiences that help you explore nature and the natural world. On our kayak tours you can explore the natural life and history of the lagoon with the unique ability to explore the diversity of flora and fauna while paddling through fresh, brackish and full salt water! They offer a couple of guided walks focused on forest bathing and as well as adventuring through the woods at night and learning about how our bodies adapt and what animals are out and about. Explore the local flavour of Prince Edward Island with some of our immersive culinary experiences – Jarrod is the past Oyster Biologist for the Province and loves to share his passion for oysters and seafood and will engage your tastebuds with the freshest seafood you can find, will share interesting and stories and also encourage you but get you involved to learn new skills.