For those interested in becoming a yoga teacher, enhancing a previous teacher training or simply expanding their own practice and knowledge. Everyone welcome, please enquire. Long distance learning is possible. Ongoing intake through April 2024. This will be the last cohort – please consider joining now.
Contact Tama Soble for information or to make a private phone or Zoom appointment, tama@estheryoga.com.
NEW! There is a non-academic option for those not intending to teach.
Toronto’s Esther Myers Yoga Studio’s 500 Hour Teacher Training Programme provides training for
Yoga practitioners interested in becoming yoga instructors
Instructors who already teach and wish to upgrade their skills
Experienced students looking to deepen their practice and understanding
Our Yoga Teacher Training Programme offers practice in the poses and techniques of yoga, with a solid grounding in the organic and anatomical principles that underlie them.
Yoga teaching at the Studio is inspired by the work of Vanda Scaravelli (1908-1999) and Esther Myers (1947-2004), and is based on three principles: breathing, grounding (our connection to the earth) and spinal elongation.
What Students say about the Yoga Teacher Training Programme
Our trainees and graduates have discovered
Learning to apply these principles brings greater clarity, simplicity and depth to yoga practice and teaching
A 16 month programme allows the time necessary to learn, practise and integrate the complex array of skills required to be a teacher of the highest standard
Our approach is deeply reflective and student centred
The confidence to respond to and instruct each student individually and well
We describe our approach as Thinking Body Yoga because it is based on an educational model that guides each practitioner toward an objective and subjective understanding of the body, the mind and their intrinsic connections.
For more information about Yoga Teacher Training in Toronto contact Tama Soble, tama@estheryoga.com, 416-944-0838.
Esther Myers Yoga Studio is a Registered Educational Institution. Students enrolled in the Teacher Training Programme will receive an official tuition fee receipt (T2202A) which can be used when filing your personal income tax.
Our minimum requirements for admission are as follows:
At least two years of yoga practice
Regular breathing/meditation practice
Regular asana/posture practice
Completed application form
Attendance at 4 classes (or the equivalent in workshops/intensives) at Esther Myers Yoga Studio with Monica Voss or Tama Soble. These classes provide you and the faculty with an opportunity to determine whether this course is the right fit for you.
Interview in person or online with a member of the Teacher Training faculty
The following is an outline of our Teacher Training course requirements.
Daily Practice:
Work up to a 15-20 minute breathing practice: 4 days/week.
Work up to a 45-60 minute posture practice: 4 days/week.
On-going classes:
A weekly personal class at your own level for a total of 100 hours.
A weekly beginner class as an intern in which you observe and analyze the progress of the students for a total of 100 hours.
All personal classes and internship classes must be taken at the Studio with Teacher Training faculty only (Monica Voss and/or Tama Soble). Please discuss the class schedule with the faculty before determining which classes to attend. You may begin attending classes upon acceptance into the Programme.
for further clarification email or phone the Studio
100% attendance required
The workshops and intensives include :
Postures and breathing practice
Experiential anatomy and spinal movement
Basic teaching techniques
Presentations and hands-on practice through supervised teaching
Teaching and discussion of the history, philosophy, and psychology of yoga studied in light of contemporary issues
Exploration of the body/mind/emotion connections and discussion of the psychology of teaching.
2 retreats over the course of the Programme. These retreats must be taken through Esther Myers Yoga Studio with faculty of the Teacher Training Programme and total at least 12 hours of yoga practice each. Please check the website or schedule for other retreat possibilities.
The value of the assignments is to prepare you for the workshops and help you to practise communicating your thoughts clearly and simply and in your own words. As you observe, reflect and express your thoughts, you will create a personal manual, with an assessment of your own learning and the development of your students.
For the faculty, the assignments are a window into your thought processes. They assist us in understanding your strengths and weaknesses and in planning workshops to address your needs.
The deadlines for all assignments coordinate with the workshops. With written permission, extensions are possible.
A research paper on an approved topic of your choice, 15 – 20 pages double spaced, is also required after the assignments are complete. This paper will be made up of first-hand research, evidence of the direct relevance of your topic to yoga teaching, and description of your own personal experience.
Two retreats are required over the course of the Programme. These retreats must be taken through Esther Myers Yoga Studio with faculty of the Teacher Training Programme and total at least 12 hours of asana and breathing practice each. Please check the website or schedule for other retreat possibilities.
Practice teaching in the Teacher Training workshops
Teach a minimum of 30 hours of yoga classes with a minimum of 3 students per class. Teaching one-on-one does not fulfill this requirement.
10 hours of community service – teaching yoga as a volunteer to a group in need. This can be part of your teaching requirement above, not in addition to it.
A minimum of one meeting is required per term with a faculty member. These meetings are set up so that we can discuss your questions and progress in the course. Informal meetings should take place on a regular basis with your internship teacher. You and/or your internship teacher may initiate a meeting anytime.
The faculty members assess each trainee on professionalism, including attitude toward learning and teaching, demeanour during internship classes, punctuality for all classes and workshops, and general appearance.
There is a subjective component in our assessment of your abilities. Certification is not given automatically. If the faculty has questions, doubts or concerns about a trainee’s competence, additional requirements may be set on a case by case basis.
PLEASE NOTE
Assignments are to be submitted prior to each workshop. Only complete assignments will be accepted. Your home practice log is part of each assignment.
There will be a progress assessment on a regular basis.
We are aware of time pressures. We want to work with you to help make the course work for you. If you have not completed the requirements within 16 months of your start date, you will have six months extra to finish the programme. All requirements must be completed by the end of the 6 month extension.
The Teacher Training faculty reserves the right to adjust these requirements and costs at any time. Reasonable notice will be given, and accommodation will be made, should changes result in hardship.
You will be given a certificate upon satisfactory completion of the academic course, signed by all faculty members. We do not provide any type of written document for partial completion of the Teacher Training Programme.
The 500 hour Teacher Training Programme will cost approximately $5,000.00 CDN. This figure covers the cost of 10 workshops, an unlimited class pass for 1 year, meetings, handouts and the review of your papers. The fees are paid in five instalments. Books are purchased separately.
Upon acceptance, a $1,000.00 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. This represents your first instalment.
Students enrolled in the Esther Myers Yoga Studio Teacher Training Programme will receive an official tuition fee receipt (T2202A) which can be used when filing your personal income tax. All fees for Teacher Training workshops, classes, and the yoga portion of Ontario retreats are included in the calculation.
Costs include • Unlimited classes at the Studio for 1 year • 10 day long Teacher Training Workshops • Administration/ Marking/ Handouts/ Meetings • HST
Costs do not include • Accommodation and meals on retreat
• Books
Workshops for teacher training students enrolled in the 2024 – 2025 Programme
Below are the required full day workshop dates for 2024/25. You will receive an email before each workshop confirming the exact times. Unless indicated, all workshops will be on Zoom.
Developing and Sustaining a Personal Practice – Sunday, July 28, 2024, with Monica Voss
From the Ground Up: How to Teach Beginners – Saturday, September 21, Sunday, September 22, 2024, with Tama Soble and Monica Voss
Yoga and Anatomy – Sunday, October 20, 2024, with Tama Soble
Empowering the Ageing Body – Saturday, November 16, Sunday, November 17, 2024, with Della Croteau, Helen Kohl, Tama Soble, Shari Stein and Monica Voss
Yoga for Anxiety and Depression – Sunday December 8, 2024, with Tama Soble
Introduction to Pranayama – Sunday, January 19, 2025, with Monica Voss
Lesson Planning and Practice Teaching – Sunday, February 2, 2025, with Monica Voss
Lesson Planning and Practice Teaching – Sunday, March 23, 2025, In Studio, with Tama Soble
Power of Touch – Saturday, April 26, 2025, In Studio, with Monica Voss
For over 45 years, Toronto’s Esther Myers Yoga Studio has provided yoga instruction and teacher training to students from a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. Deep heartfelt thanks to Esther Myers (1947-2004) for the intelligent compassionate path of enquiry she blazed for us all.
