LEARN TO SHARE AUTHENTIC YOGA
from the ancient tradition to the modern world
Experience Total Immersion in Yogic Culture
The opportunity to teach is calling to you.
Are you ready to answer?
This is your moment.
The decision to become a qualified yoga teacher starts a journey of the mind, body, and spirit. It’s a path that lays itself at the feet of those who receive the calling, and it’s a calling of wisdom, love, and compassion.
You could go your entire life just practicing yoga for yourself–(you’re welcome to attend this training just to deepen your own practice and knowledge)–or, you could take your passion for the practice and share it with the world.
That’s an act of love.
This is your chance to learn the intricacies of the practice, from the ancient philosophy and history, to the details of our body’s natural alignment in asana, to the spiritual depths reached through meditation.
Whether you’re seeking a career change or simply an escape into yourself, this experience is sure to change your life forever. Join our 200hr Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training in the beautiful Niantic, Connecticut. Yogatrotter Academy is the only yoga school in CT approved for the MYCAA military spouse scholarship.
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COMMUTER TRAINING | WHAT TO EXPECT
Our intensive 200hr yoga teacher training will be held over four weeks, Monday-Friday, 7am-6:00pm, in our beautiful seaside home, the Niantic Yoga Studio.
Food and accommodation are not included, but we happen to be steps away from some of the best healthy cafes in the area, as well as the Niantic Inn for those who are traveling to study.
The Yoga Alliance requires 200 hours of training to be eligible for certification, and these four full weeks allow you to accomplish your dream of becoming a yoga teacher in as short a time-frame as possible through an intensive and immersive format, to fully align yourself with the yoga lifestyle while still making it home for dinner and the weekends. Your tuition covers the cost of all course materials.
Becoming a Teacher : What You’ll Learn
Asana (the poses) are only one of the 8 parts of Yoga. This training dives deep into all 8 limbs, so you’ll not only have a full understanding of how to teach an inspiring and anatomically safe class, but also profound hands-on experience with yoga philosophy, spirituality, and meditation, all while connecting deeply with traditional yogic culture.
ANATOMY & OUR BODIES IN ASANA
- Through this course, you’ll learn to listen to and understand your body on a deeper level, and to help your students connect with their own bodies in your asana class.
- The anatomy modules are taught in an easily digestible way so that the information can be internalized by all trainees, no matter your background, and will cover teaching not only the basics, but also specific injuries and how to modify your teaching for specific conditions, as taught by experts in the field.
- Your lead teacher, Megan, studies yoga therapy with Dr. Ganesh Mohan, and A.G. and Indra Mohan, India’s top yoga therapists in the direct lineage of Krishnamacharya. She also learned anatomy through the teachings of Leslie Kaminoff (the author of “Yoga Anatomy”) and emulates his “safety without strictness” style of alignment.
- We’ll start from the beginning by mastering the breath and the teaching of simple poses, and progress towards advanced asana like arm balances and inversions.
HOW TO TEACH TO ANY STUDENT
- Learn to share your love for yoga with others in a way that is safe and effective for their individual needs, whether they’re a total beginner or an advanced practitioner.
- You’ll learn how to sequence practices that allow your students to progress and improve, while holding space for them in your unique way.
- We’ll explore traditional hatha yoga as well as the more modern vinyasa style, so that you’ll be comfortable teaching multiple styles to many different kinds of students.
- You’ll learn effective cuing and word choice, hands-on adjustments, how to conduct a class, workshop, or retreat, as well as the business and ethics of being a yoga teacher.
- With small class sizes (under 20), you’ll have ample time to practice teaching to your fellow students, so you’ll come away with the confidence to start teaching classes immediately.
MEDITATION, MANTRA, & THE MIND
- According to the ancient tradition of yoga, the practice of asana was meant to prepare the body for meditation. This training has a strong focus on building a lasting meditation practice.
- We’ll spend one day of the training in total silence, as a silent meditation retreat to experience the power of meditation on our minds.
- Each evening’s lessons throughout the course will end with a different meditation technique, so that you can not only learn how to teach them, but also experience them for yourself to understand which type works best for your mind.
- You’ll learn ancient Vedic mantras and have the opportunity to chant them in a sacred cacao ceremony.
- We’ll explore the concept of chakras and movements of prana in the body, Ayurveda, and so much more.
YOGA HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, & SPIRITUALITY
- We’ll trace the history of yoga from samkhya philosophy, through the ancient Hindu texts, to the Indian tantric sages, to Sri T Krishnamacharya (the father of modern yoga) and his students who spread the teachings, to the practice as we know it today.
- Your lead instructor, Megan’s, specific area of expertise is in Hindu mythology as it relates to the asana, so you’ll learn the origins of the asana and the incredible stories of the gods that inspired the names of the poses, while experience yogic ceremonies to connect you deeper to the culture of the practice.
- With a deep emphasis on the roots of the practice, you’ll be sure to avoid culturally appropriating a practice that has ancient spiritual ties, so that you can share the teachings authentically with all audiences.
THE LOCATION : Niantic Yoga Studio
NIANTIC | A New England Sea-Side Harbor Town
Yogatrotter Academy’s home in New England is the adorable Niantic Yoga Studio in the quaint seaside town of Niantic, Connecticut. Right across the street from some of Niantic’s best cafes and beaches, our yoga studio is perfectly situated for morning meditation with the ocean, or a yummy vegan lunch break.
The studio is thoughtfully designed with multiple seating areas, massage room, and an expansive front porch to watch the comings and goings of Main Street Niantic. The space will quickly become your sacred home away from home during the training.
Our Sacred Space : What We Provide
COURSE MATERIALS
- Before the course, you’ll receive a .pdf version of the course manual. Physical copies can also be ordered free of charge.
- We’ll also inform you of mandatory pre-reading to prepare you for the experience, which will include additional books for your continued yoga education.
- We’ll provide all yoga mats, bolsters, and blocks (unless you’d like to bring your own) as well as any special materials like japa mala beads that you may need.
SACRED TEACHINGS
- The Yoga you’ll be practicing will stay as close to the source of Yoga’s 8-limbs (as defined by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) and the hatha/vinyasa tradition of Sri T Krishnamacharya as possible. This means that classes will go much deeper than just the asana poses. Our focus is on “chitta vritti nirodha,” the quieting of the mind’s fluctuations, to allow you to find deep and lasting peace within yourself.
- We strongly believe that not all of us learn our best just from listening to lectures, so you’ll get as much visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and hands-on in-the-moment learning experience as possible to help you retain the maximum amount of information possible.
CERTIFICATION
- This course is a registered 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program through the Yoga Alliance.
- Upon completion of all course requirements and successful evaluation of your final practicum, you will receive certification as a fully qualified teacher of both hatha yoga and vinyasa yoga flow styles, as well as a number of their off-shoots.
- Completion of this course also qualifies you to teach pranayama (breathwork) and yogic meditation.
- Because this is an immersive, one-month course, all classes must be attended with full participation.
Example of Daily Itinerary (Monday-Friday)
morning
7:00-9:00 AM ASANA, PRANAYAMA, & MEDITATION
9:00-10:00 AM BREAK FOR BREAKFAST
10:00-12:00 PM LESSON ABOUT THE ANATOMY OF SPECIFIC ASANA
mID-DAY
12:00-1:30 PM HOW TO CUE THOSE ASANA & PRACTICE TEACHING
1:30-2:30 PM BREAK FOR LUNCH
2:30-4:30 PM PHILOSOPHY LESSON & SATSANG
EVENING
4:30-5:30 PM AFTERNOON YOGA FLOW
5:30-6:00 PM MEDITATION LESSON & PRACTICE
6:00-SLEEP PM GO HOME, RELAX, & SLEEP
MEET YOUR TEACHERS
MEGAN MULRINE
Megan, the founder of Yogatrotter Academy, is a yoga instructor at the E-RYT 500+ level who has trained more than 1,000 yoga teachers in Bali, Hawaii, and the mainland USA in all levels of YTT, while immersing herself in thousands of hours of study in yogic philosophy and practice.
Originally introduced to yoga teaching through Father David Creegan at Villanova University in 2008, Megan’s teaching journey began with guiding breathwork and meditation in 2010, before starting a 200hr yoga teacher training at Oceanfront Yoga in Virginia Beach in 2013. Megan then spent more than three years in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, deepening her understanding of Buddhist philosophy and meditation practices while teaching yoga to Japanese locals, expats, and US Marines and families, and traveling regularly to Bali to complete both 200 and 500 hour yoga teacher trainings with Santosha Yoga Institute. During her time in Japan, Megan sought out study in Bali, Thailand, and Cambodia, seeking greater knowledge of eastern philosophies, and felt a deep past-life connection to Bali, the Island of the Gods, eventually moving there to lead trainings for a number of different yoga schools, including Santosha Yoga Institute, Full Circle Yoga School, and Escape Haven Retreats, while founding her own registered yoga school, Yogatrotter Academy.
While in Bali, Megan has immersed herself into the study of Hindu philosophy and the ancient stories (puranas) as they relate to yoga, with the priestess Bunda Parvati (Mama Ati), as well as continuing her studies of Buddhist meditation with the healer Pak Merta Ada. She’s also had the opportunity to study in workshops with teachers such as Leslie Kaminoff of Yoga Anatomy and Mark Whitwell of the Heart of Yoga. Megan traveled to India in 2019 to learn kirtan and Vedic mantra chanting at the Krishna School of Music in Pushkar, and is currently working towards her certification in Yoga Therapy with Dr. Ganesh Mohan, and the elders of the Krishnamacharya lineage, A.G. and Indra Mohan, founders of yoga therapy as a tradition. Megan has also deeply studied the Bhagavad Gita through courses from Ram Dass at Naropa University and the Love Serve Remember Foundation, The Heart Sutra through David Nichtern at Dharma Moon, and Asana Mythology with BNS Iyengar.
Megan is known for weaving stories and music throughout her teaching to connect students to the tradition and culture of the practice, and ultimately, to their highest selves.
THIA MOANA
Thia Moana, our beloved philosophy teacher from Bali, is joining us in Niantic this summer!
Moana is an E-RYT 500 teacher trainer who has been guiding students through yoga teacher trainings and yoga retreats in Bali for more than ten years. Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Moana spends her time surfing, teaching yoga, and leading kirtan on Nusa Lembongan, a small white-sand island off the coast of Bali. The soul-level connection that she makes with students is often one of the most profound parts of the training.
A multi-instrument musician and singer, Moana’s expertise lies in mantra singing, meditation, movement, and hypnotherapy. Her voice frequently triggers deep spiritual experiences for students during savasana, and her sense of humor and lightness brings joy to every moment of the course.
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PRICING INFORMATION
IMMERSIVE 4-WEEK YTT
Our four-week, Monday-Friday, non-residential yoga teacher training in CT allows you to accomplish your dream of becoming a yoga teacher in an immersive format that has you home for dinner and the weekends, by accomplishing all 200hrs of Yoga Alliance required education in one month. At the end of the four weeks, you’ll be a fully certified yoga, pranayama, and meditation teacher (upon completion of all course requirements).
AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS
We never want money to be a barrier to yoga, so we offer a number of full and partial scholarships for any student in need throughout the year, as well as monthly payment plans. These are the three scholarship opportunities we currently offer:
1. NEEDS-BASED SCHOLARSHIP. If you are currently unable to afford the course, you can apply using this scholarship application form. You’ll be asked to demonstrate proof of current financial hardship, and your honest answers allow us to offer as many partial scholarships as possible.
2. SCHOLARSHIP FOR MONEY LOST DUE TO AN ONLINE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. We strongly believe that the art of teaching yoga CANNOT be fully expressed in an online format, and that those who receive 200hr certificates via online YTTs unfortunately miss out on the key in-person experience needed to become safe and confident instructors. We know that by allowing online YTTs, the Yoga Alliance created a necessary pathway during the pandemic for many to study yoga, and for that, we are grateful! But now, we’d like to help correct the imbalance that this has created in the yoga world. If you’ve completed an online 200hr YTT since 2020 and feel it did not adequately prepare you to teach yoga, you are eligible to receive a discount for our in-person YTT, for the full amount of money you spent on the online course.* Apply here.
*up to $2000
3. MILITARY SPOUSE SCHOLARSHIP. Yogatrotter Academy is the ONLY yoga school in Connecticut approved for the MYCAA military spouse scholarship, and one of only four approved yoga schools in the entire New England area. Megan started her yoga career as a marine corps spouse, and is honored to give back to this community, especially with our school’s proximity to Groton and New London naval submarine bases. Spouses of active duty service members E-1 to E-6, W-1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-3 may be eligible to do a yoga teacher training for FREE with MYCAA. Register and apply here.
UNSURE IF YOU’RE READY FOR A YTT?
We have a lot of thoughts on this! Read our blog post to help you decide.