YTT 500-hour Program

Prerequisites

• A 200 hour Yoga Teacher training certificate from Mount Madonna Center OR
• A 200 hour Yoga Teacher training certificate from a Yoga Alliance approved school plus a required BRIDGE program which is offered annually in either February or March.

 

Our purpose

Out of respect to the ancient traditions of yoga and to our teacher, Baba Hari Dass, we offer the classical teachings as they have been handed down for centuries. Our hope is to inspire others towards practice and teaching in this timeless, rewarding tradition. The 500 hour level (300 additional hours after your 200 hour certificate) continues the teaching and practice principles that we began in the 200 hour program.

This 500 hour course is designed to encourage your personal practice as well as your skills in teaching by:

• Increasing your exposure to the philosophies and methods of yoga,
• Strengthening your personal practice through deeper understanding and reflection.
• Offering opportunities to teach in a supportive environment – both theory and practices (asana pranayama, and meditation)
• Creating a learning community of peers to study, inquire and explore
  

 

The Teachings

Yoga is a system designed to bring us to realization of our higher essence or deeper spiritual selves. It is also a holistic system for health and well-being. It is a vast science and has many aspects. In this course, students will have exposure to various paths including Bhakti (Devotional) Yoga; Sacred Sound and Mantra Yoga; Hatha Yoga; and, at the foundation, our underlying emphasis on Ashtanga Yoga, the eight limbed system elucidated in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Our core courses draw their theory from various scriptures including the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Siva Samhita and Gheranda Samhita. These source materials serve primarily as guides and supports for personal practice. The scriptures themselves declare that the wisdom of yoga is revealed and experienced best through regular practice.

The Teachers

Senior Teachers have been studying and practicing yoga for decades. All of our teaching faculty incorporate the words of our teacher, Baba Hari Dass, “Teach to Learn”. You will receive classes from over 20 Senior Teachers during the course of your studies as well as from other experienced instructors. See Teacher Bios.

Course Content

The focus of the weeklong intensive will be to 1) review the basics and 2) build scaffolding for further knowledge. After a group morning sadhana practice, you will learn intermediate pranayama practices. During the day and evenings, you will receive theory classes on Samkhya, The Yoga Sutras, Subtle Body, Ayurveda, Sanskrit and Sacred Sound, Tantra, Ritual and Bhakti Yoga, and Yoga Psychology.

Each afternoon includes several hours dedicated to asana, reinforcing the biomechanics and physiology of the core poses while exploring them within your own body.

The weekends will each have a particular focus:

• July 29-Aug 1, 2010 Asana - Building upon the biomechanical and Ayurvedic principles learned in the weeklong intensive, we will explore the elements of how to design a comprehensive class . We will delve deeper into the principles of sequencing and body assessment.
• October 21-24. 2010 The Yoga Sutras - We will explore this foundational scripture in depth through Sanskrit chanting, study of commentaries, experiential practice, and Vedic ritual. Our focus will be on understanding the eighth and most subtle limb of Ashtanga Yoga, superconscious trance or Samadhi.
• December 9-12, 2010 Meditation - Our exploration into the seventh limb of Ashtanga Yoga, Dhyana or meditation, will include practice, study of scripture, self reflection, and deep contemplation. Students will have the opportunity to discover which meditation practices best suit their individual nature, as well as learn how to teach meditation to a variety of students.
• February 3-6, 2011 Tantra and Ritual - During this 3 day intensive we will explore Tantra's mystical yet scientific approach to mind, energy, and matter. Students will practice traditional tantric methods including visualizations. mantras, asanas, breathing practices, meditation, and music.
• April 7- 10, 2011 Integration and Practice – As the culmination of the year long program, we will dynamically explore the teachings that were presented and interpret them through both tradition and our personal experience so they may resonate throughout our teaching.

 

Sample Schedule

A sample daily schedule for the weeklong intensive:

6:00  am	Wake-up
6:15 – 8:15	Practice (pranayama and meditation); instruction of new methods
8:20 – 9:00	Breakfast
9:30 – 11:30	Theory Class (Samkhya, Subtle Body, Ayurveda)
11:30 – 12:30	Asana Practice
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.	Asana (theory and experiential)
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.	Dinner
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.	Theory class (Introduction to Tantra, Yoga Sutras, Bhakti Yoga)

 

 

Program Details

This program is registered with the Yoga Alliance and provides 300 hours of study which layer upon your prior YTT 200 certification. When you satisfactorily meet the hourly requirements, you will receive a certificate of completion at the 500 hour level.

Of the 300 hours, 200 hours must be taken in residence at Mount Madonna Center (required dates* below),

The 200 hours are divided into:

• A weeklong intensive,
• Five long weekends (Thursday – Sunday).

 

The required dates* are:

1. April 30 - May 7, 2010 (weeklong)
2. July 29-Aug 1, 2010
3. October 21-24. 2010
4. December 9-12, 2010
5. February 3-6, 2011
6. April 7- 10, 2011
   

*NOTE: If you must miss a weekend module, you have up to one year to make it up.

• The balance of 100 hours are available at Mount Madonna Center through approved workshops, retreats and/or independent study projects arranged with the program coordinator at a separate cost. You must discuss your electives with the YTT 500 Yoga Program Director in advance.

Tuition and Fees

The tuition listed below is for the required program modules. Tuition for electives is on a course-by-course basis. Please note that all fees for Mount Madonna Center programs have one fee for tuition and additional fees for housing and meals.

TUITION $2160
plus
MEALS AND LODGING FEES

	Meals and Lodging*	Total Cost
Commuting	$759	$2,919
Own Tent or Vehicle	$1035	$3,195
Center Tent	$1196	$3,356
Dormitory	$1610	$3,770
Triple	$1817	$3,977
Double	$2024	$4,184
Double with Bath	$2277	$4,437
Single	$2668	$4,828
Single with Bath	$3174	$5,334
* Note: Meals and Lodging Fees may be paid in full in advance, or may be paid on a pay-as-you-go basis over the course of the program.

 

• Fees for electives are on a course-to-course basis. They are not included in the above tuition fees.
• Fees for MMC retreats and MMC Weekend Programs vary. Please refer to Mount Madonna Center Housing and Fees.
• Fees for retreats offered by rental groups, see their websites, as listed above under Weekend/Elective Programs.
• Independent Study. Tuition is $12 per independent study hour for first 25 hours and $10 per hour from 26-50 hours.

 

How to Apply

Email your interest to kamalesh@mountmadonna.org and fax a copy of your YTT200 certificate from a Registered Yoga School (Yoga Alliance approved) to 408-847-2683, attention Kamalesh. You are required to complete our bridge intensive as a pre-requisite from Feb. 18-21, 2010.

 

Deposit and Cancellation Policy

Deposit: $500 US is due with registration.

Cancellations:

• Prior to April 1st– the deposit less a $100 administrative fee is refundable
• April 1st or later– the deposit is forfeited.

 

Contact Information

Kamalesh – YTT500 coordinator
Phone: 408-842-1436
Email: kamalesh@mountmadonna.org
Mail: Mount Madonna Center
            Attention: Kamalesh
            445 Summit Road
            Watsonville, CA 95076