frequently asked questions

• What is a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training?

  This is an 8-month training that teaches students how to teach Yoga. For 11 weekends January through August 2024 we will meet at the Movement Columbia and Hampden gyms to practice Yoga, study, and share. We will take excursions, host ceremonies, and learn a diverse range of lineages and techniques from a variety of guest instructors to experience a full picture of what Yoga means and why we practice it.

• Who is this training for?

  Elena and Tipper’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training is designed for anyone interested in deepening their connection to Yoga, community, and self. If you have an interest in Yoga philosophy, history, movement (Asana and Yoga classes), meditation, spirituality, anatomy and physiology, or personal development you will find a home in our training.

• Do I need previous experience?

  Some previous experience with Yoga is recommended, but this is a foundational training. We will learn from the ground up and having people from different backgrounds will only enhance our group dynamic, so we encourage all to register. Regardless of your current Yoga practice you should be passionate about self-improvement, self-acceptance, learning more about Yoga, and the learning process.

• What are the training dates?

  The 8 month training is January-August 2024. We meet in 11 weekend sessions alternating meeting at Movement Hampden and Columbia. Our weekend training dates:

  • Hampden – January 5-7
  • Columbia – January 19-21
  • Hampden – February 2-4
  • Columbia – February 16-18
  • Hampden – March 1-3
  • Columbia – April 5-6
  • Hampden – May 3-5
  • Columbia – June 31-2
  • Hampden – July 5-7
  • Columbia – August 2-4
  • Hampden – August 16-18

  And our schedule during our weekend sessions:

  • 7pm-9:30pm Friday
  • 10am-6pm Saturdays when we meet at Movement Hampden
  • 12:30pm-6:30pm Saturdays when we meet at Movement Columbia
  • 11am-6pm Sundays

• What if I am traveling or if I have to miss a day?

  In order to graduate from our training and to register with the Yoga Alliance as an RYT 200 (a 200-hour training certified Registered Yoga Instructor) you need to complete 200 hours of training. We don’t recommend enrolling if you can’t attend all our training sessions. With that said, we recognize that life and plans and surprises happen. We have built into our training schedule the leeway to miss one weekend of training, 16.5 hours, and still fulfill the 200-hour requirement. If you miss more than 21 hours of training you will have to make up in-person hours at a $100/hour rate with Elena or Tipper by the end of 2024 to be eligible for graduation. If you miss more than 33 hours of training, two full weekends or more, you will not be eligible for graduation regardless of makeup hours. We recommend contacting us before signing up if you might miss any training sessions.

• What does a typical training weekend look like?

  Friday

  • 7pm-9:30pm Group activity/lecture/introduction to weekend theme.

  Hampden Saturdays

  • 10am-11:30am Asana practice
  • 11:30am-1:00pm Asana lab—small group breakdown and modifications of postures
  • 1:00pm-2:00pm Lunch break and independent study
  • 2:00pm-4:00pm Lecture, reading and discussion, studying
  • 4:00pm-6:00pm Practicum (learn to teach, practice teaching and leading) or other group work
  • Occasional Half or Full day excursions

  Columbia Saturdays

  • 12:30pm-1:30pm Asana Practice
  • 1:30pm-2:30pm Asana lab—small group breakdown and modifications of postures
  • 2:30pm-3:30pm Lunch break and independent study
  • 3:30pm-5:30pm Lecture, reading and discussion, studying
  • 5:30pm-6:30pm Practicum (learn to teach, practice teaching and leading) or other group work
  • Occasional Half or Full day excursions

  Sunday

  • 11:00am-12:30pm Gentle, Restorative, or a similar Yoga practice
  • 12:30-1:30pm Lunch break and independent study
  • 1:30pm-2:30pm Lecture, reading and discussion, studying
  • 2:30-4:30pm Guest Movement instructor workshop
  • 3:30-6:00pm Group consolidation/assimilation/weekend review.
  • Occasional Half or full day excursions.

• How much does the training cost?

  • Extra early enrollment one-time payment before July 31 $3,275.
  • Early enrollment one-time payment before October 15 $3,475.
  • One-time payment before January 5, 2024: $3,675.
  • Extra early enrollment $500 deposit before July 31 plus payment plan paid in full by January 5, 2024: $3,475.
  • Early enrollment $500 deposit before October 15 plus payment plan paid in full by January 5, 2024: $3,675
  • $500 deposit plus payment plan paid in full by January 5, 2024: $3,775.

  If you are interested in enrolling we encourage you to apply here. After we receive your application we will reach out with a link to a webpage to sign our enrollment agreement, take payment, and register you for the training.

  We have a budget set aside for scholarships to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our training as well as need-based scholarships. We encourage you to apply for a scholarship here. You will also need a Movement membership for the course of the training, paid separately. All payments are handled through Movement.

• What if I cannot complete the training? What is your refund policy?

  There will be no refunds for the training after January 12^th 2024 for any reason. Students who are not eligible to graduate from training due to missed hours, relocation, breach of our code of conduct, failing exams and/or make-up exams, or other life circumstances will not be eligible for a refund. Students not eligible to graduate will not be able to become a certified yoga instructor through the Yoga Alliance or through our training. If there is a possibility you will not be present and able to attend all of the training sessions ready to learn then we don’t recommend this training. This training is a one-time event and payment towards it cannot go to another Movement offering.

• Who are the instructors leading this training?

  Tipper and Elena are the primary instructors leading this training. Both Tipper and Elena are E-RYT 500 Yoga Alliance certified instructors, the highest possible designation from the Yoga Alliance.

  In addition to Tipper and Elena, you’ll experience 5-10 Movement guest instructors over the course of this training, more than almost any comparable training. Classes are subject to change, but we intend to offer classes in Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, Foundations, Alignment, Flow, Acro Yoga, and a number of specialized workshops including Inversions like headstands and handstands, arm balances, Thai massage, and more. This training does not follow one specific style or lineage of Yoga but is rather designed to familiarize students with most of the styles of Yoga they can expect to encounter.

• What kind of time commitment can I expect from this training? What sort of homework will there be?

  Beyond our 200-hour training commitment there is the additional commitment of homework, independent study, and attending 1 weekly Movement Yoga class for the duration of training. We recommend students budget about 3 hours per week and 17 hours per training weekend of committed time for the duration of the program, about 300 hours total for the training weekends and independent work.

• Will I be qualified to teach Yoga after this training? What is the Yoga Alliance?

  In order to graduate from this training, you need to complete our 200-hour requirement and need to pass our written and teaching exams. After successfully graduating from the training you will receive a certificate of graduation. We are a registered Yoga School through the Yoga Alliance, and after graduation you will also be eligible to register as a RYT-200 (200-hour trained Registered Yoga Teacher) through them. The Yoga Alliance is a nonprofit certifying organization that sets the 200-hour standard, the RYT-200 designation is the most common designation of Yoga instructor in the United States. You are qualified to teach Yoga in many studios and settings with a certificate of graduation and RYT-200 designation. Registration through the Yoga Alliance has a separate cost attached, currently a $50 application fee and $65 annual fee.

• Can I teach Yoga at Movement afterwards? What is that process?

  At Movement we pride ourselves on hiring the best Yoga instructors. Almost all Movement Yoga Instructors have at least 1-2 years of studio teaching experience before they begin teaching at Movement, and many of our instructors have been teaching for decades. Any graduate would need to apply for a yoga instructor job opening when posted, and as an equal opportunity employer Movement will not grant special preference over other applicants. Movement does not frequently hire Yoga instructors because there is little turnover, and applicants typically go through a group audition when there is hiring. Hired instructors typically begin as subs.

  Even though we don’t anticipate a direct path from graduating training to teaching at Movement, we are committed to supporting our graduates. We can help graduates find good placements for teaching their first classes such as schools and universities, small studios, athletic programs, and similar spaces. We are happy to share opportunities we know of such as informing graduates when Movement is hiring, writing letters of recommendation, and adding you to our internal network so you can share opportunities and stay connected with each other. Though it is challenging to get hired at Movement to teach Yoga, we believe this Yoga Teacher Training is the best preparation for anyone interested in teaching a Movement Yoga class.

• If I'm not interested in teaching, can I still take this training?

  Many people take Yoga Teacher Trainings without intending to teach Yoga classes. Yoga Teacher Training is valuable not only for learning how to lead Yoga, but also for the community experience and for deepening your own physical and mental knowledge. We believe you will come away from this experience with a deeper connection to yourself regardless of whether or not you intend to teach Yoga.

• Do I need to be healthy?

  Before training you should check with your doctor and ensure you don’t have any contraindications for general physical exertion or Yoga. You should be comfortable sitting for extended periods of time. You should be comfortable with back to back to back daily and occasionally twice daily Yoga practice or movement during the training weekends, knowing that you can modify any exercise-based practice to meet your body’s needs.

• I am interested! What’s next?

  Apply here for training and here for a scholarship! No payment is due at the time of your application. After applying we will reach out to send you our enrollment agreement and a link to register, pay, and reserve your spot in the training.