This 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training will prepare you to introduce people to yoga with confidence. You’ll have a solid foundation in asana, and feel confident to guide people using breath awareness, pranayama, mantras, meditation and relaxation. Most of all you’ll have an understanding of what the Yoga path really is. Successfully graduated students are aware of their own unique presence, energy, message and teaching style. This program is registered with the American Yoga Alliance (YA), and meets the established standards. Completing our program will allow you to register with the Yoga Alliance as a RYT-200.

Course Curriculum

PRACTICE – Your practice is your foundation, your real teacher. In the training, you will commit to daily practicing asana, pranayama, and meditation. Your practice will allow you to experience the effects on your body and mind. What you experience, you will understand. What you understand, you will be able to share with others.

ASANA – You’ll practice asana, pranayama techniques, and different meditations 2-6 hours every day. Since a Parimukti training is demanding and challenging physically and mentally, we find it important to have a good balance between more dynamic physical practice and classes to restore and rejuvenate (yin, yoga nidra, restorative).

PRANAYAMA – A variation of different pranayama techniques is integrated into our your daily practice. Consequently, you will become familiar with key verbal instructions, function, benefits and contraindications of the most important pranayamas. At the end of the program you will have integrated these practices and, thus, will be able to incorporate pranayama into your teaching, as well.

MEDITATION – Meditation is a very important element of Parimukti trainings. In this 200 hours training you’ll develop an understanding of what meditation is and how it helps to gain insight into ourselves and our relationship with the world. You will be introduced to meditation techniques like silent sitting, movement meditations, heart meditations, and buddhist meditations. Also, every student can choose to have a day in silence. This day you will receive teachings and practices silently, allowing yourself to observe your beliefs and thoughts more closely.

MANTRA – You will be introduced to chanting mantras in a more classical setting (start/end of the class) as well as a more joyous setting in a kirtan evening. You will be chanting some of the most important mantras and understand by experience how sound can positively charge oneself and the environment.

ALIGNMENT – You will have a daily alignment class, in which you learn the most important asana postures addressing their alignment. These classes include Sanskrit and English names, key verbal cues, function of the postures, basic hands-on adjustments, benefits and contraindications. All types of asana are covered: standing, standing balancing, sitting poses (forward bends and twists) forward bends, supine, back bending, core awakening, arm balance and inversions.

PHYSICAL ANATOMY – Proper understanding of anatomy is crucial for a yoga (asana) teacher. During this course you will study the functional applied anatomy of the major joints (knee joint, hip joint, shoulder joint, and spine), fundamental bones and basic muscles throughout the course. This will help you to understand and identify differences in students and corresponding needs.

YOGIC ANATOMY – We will introduce you to different models of how the body is being perceived by the yoga tradition. Therefore we will discuss the chakras, nadis, kriyas, mudras, bandhas and koshas. This will help you to more fully understand the process and benefits of yoga.

YOGIC PHILOSOPHY – You will gain insight into the evolution of yoga from the vedic to these modern times. We guide you in how to apply yoga philosophy in your yoga practice, your teachings, and most importantly, in your everyday life. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with a particular focus on the 8 limbs of yoga, will be studied in depth.

ART OF TEACHING – Teaching is a great medium to learn about yourself and others. Therefore, you will be asked to work with the other students, in groups, on teaching assignments from the very beginning. Our teachers will give you practical tools and constructive feedback that will help you grow rapidly and confidently. The Art of Teaching classes are a great platform where you can integrate what you have learned in the alignment, anatomy and philosophy classes. Above all you will be invited and challenged to find your unique way of teaching a class.

Depth and understanding:

The focus of the second half of the training consists in a deep studying and understanding of the Yoga practice which we ultimately want to share. Deep understanding and awareness both enriches your own daily practice and will create a fertile soil for your own unique teaching foundations and ensure a successful and enriching process.

Practice your way to perfection:

Every morning will be dedicated to meditation, pranayama, and asana. The rest of the day we will study the asanas, pranayama, meditation, and chanting. We will also learn mantras from the Vedas, with a focus on their meaning, application, and proper pronunciation. During this training, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali will also be introduced as one of the pillars of Hatha yoga, and we will introduce the science of Ayurveda to understand more deeply how to lead a healthy life according to one’s dosha (bodily constitution)

Program Highlights:

With a meaningful theoretical and practical approach, the training features:

Daily practice of meditation, pranayama, and asana

Study of the asanas and their musculoskeletal alignment

Verbal and hands-on adjustments and their benefits and contraindications

Scientific background of the hands-on adjustments

Study of the Vedic and Upanishadic mantras

Chanting and meditation studies

Manjeet Mathur

Manjeet is born and brought up in India and has been travelling since seven years through the country seeking inspiration from different teachers. He has been a professional dancer, fitness enthusiast and intuitive since an early age. After a serious accident in the gym he suffered from a slipped disc. Through physiotherapy and stretching exercises, he was introduced to yoga and has been practising continuously since then.

Life changed for him when he found ‘his’ teacher guiding him through heart meditations and conscious breathwork. Since then, he has been sharing a wonderful combination of Hatha yoga, heart meditations, dance therapy and massage techniques.

He believes love and compassion are the only religion and life is a celebration of one’s own authentic self. He stresses the fact that even though each single session of his is transformational, the real yoga begins off the mat and in everyday life with our health, relationships, work and time alone. His motto: bring more love to each present moment through breath awareness and conscious actions.

Lydia Kumar

Lydia started with an interest in the mind, holistic living, and diet. She came to India in 2012, to learn about the traditional Indian approach to disease prevention, and to learn more about Yogic and Ayurvedic methods. Becoming fascinated with this path she has been living here ever since, learning more about Yoga and Ayurveda, and how the two are interwoven.

She went on to study Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Ajay Kumar, at Sthalam8 in Mysore, where she returns for ongoing studies. There she learnt the traditional vinyasa method, the art of adjustment and much more about alignment. Through this training she was also introduced to Sanskrit chanting, and to the deeper philosophies related to yoga. She found these areas particularly interesting, and uses these subjects to bring background knowledge to the physical aspects of yoga.

Lydia uses a combination of her ayurvedic and yogic understanding of mind-body connection, to help people use the physical practice to work on the psychological level of the self. She believes through deeper understanding and observation of the physical self, we can start to observe our patterns tendencies and learn to stabilize the mind.

During this training, you will be served a daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Saturday dinner and all meals on Sundays are excluded. This way you can explore all the nice restaurants in the area. Our meals are vegetarian, but we do serve eggs and dairy, no meat and no fish. Meals are a combination of Indian home cooked and occasionally a more Western style. Please feel free to buy your own snacks and food to add on to our meals. We provide student fridges to store your stuff. We provide the three meals and nothing in between, you can get some bananas or other snacks in case you get hungry in between.
Please inform Parimukti of any special diet needs and allergies so that we can cater to you accordingly.

Example of breakfast:
Porridge with fruits
Bread with boiled eggs and jam
Vegetable poha
Vegetable paratha

Example of lunch:
Vegetable curry
Dahl
Rice and/or chapati
Fresh salad with cucumber and tomato

Example of dinner:
Vegetable curry and rice
Pasta with vegetables

Dharamashala is a peaceful, serene, and majestic destination sought out by many travelers around the globe. It is located at the foothills of the Himalayas and is covered in dense forests, waterfalls, remote villages, and scenic mountains showcasing its breathtaking beauty to all. Dharamashala is home to the Dalai Lama and a wonderful place to explore the ancient traditions Tibetan culture and Buddhism. It exudes peacefulness and calmness allowing for a wonderful location for spiritual seekers and yoga enthusiats.

How to get to us:

The best way to reach our center is to fly into Dharamsala Gaggal Kangra Airport (DHM).

You can arrange a taxi from the airport to our center once you arrive. Most taxi drivers speak English and are used to working with tourist, so you can feel comfortable taking a taxi from the prepaid taxi stand. Use the address and directions as given above.

Pick up from the airport is available for an additional fee. Please inform us in a timely manner of your arrival date and time if you would like to arrange an airport pick up through us. Please inform us of any delay by email or by sending a Whatsapp message.

We do not facilitate pick-ups from anywhere else than the airport, so if you are travelling from within India please arrange your own transport to the center. Please remember if you take a taxi in India it is better to use an agency or pre-paid stands. All taxi drivers should have mobiles, so in case of emergency ask them to call us from their phone.

Testimonials:

I did my 200 hour Yoga TTC with Merel and Parimukti in April 2015 in Dharamkot, and I brought my 60-year-old mom along for the ride. It was quite the experience, both for me individually and for us to go through together. Mere is a wonderful teacher both because of her knowledge and passion (training with medical school and personal journey learning about yoga) but also because she is wonderful at reading the group mood and dynamics and introducing activities that are specifically tailored to what’s needed at the moment. As a result, we had a very special, close group of the TTC students, and it helped us all handle the challenges that come with such an in-depth and immersive experience. Dharamkot was a beautiful place to spend a month, and we got to experience great lectures at Tushita and even hear the Dalai Lama speak! Overall, it was an amazing month, and I’d highly recommend studying with Merel if you have the opportunity.
KATHERINE CONAWAY , MAY 2017

I really enjoyed the Yoga Therapy Online Course. It is so interesting to learn more in detail about the body and its different systems. Merel explains it all very clearly and detailed without it becoming too complicated or incomprehensible. Also, I loved the way she connects knowledge about the body with yoga and teaching yoga. The weekly homework assignments were a lot of fun and very interesting, they really brought me a lot of new insights. All in all, I would really recommend this course to anyone who would like to learn more about what happens inside the body in general and when practicing yoga.
MONI DE BOO , MAY 2017

Even though I didn’t train through “Parimukti” directly Merel you were one of the most integral instructors of the course… I had to write about you.

Taking yoga teacher training with Merel has been a profound experience. She is an exceptional teacher; her breadth of expertise in anatomy, physiology, asana and yogic philosophy is astounding. Merel has the rare ability not only to impart knowledge but truly teaches you how to teach others. Her sincere passion for yoga is both inspiring and infectious and I’m incredibly grateful to call her a mentor and friend.
JIL , MAY 2017

For the real experience of yoga I decided to visit its source – India. For the intensity of learning about yogic path I chose 500 hours TTC program.

It turned demanding to me but I know I was looking for it. it was my chance to know not only the poses and its structure but also therapeutic advantages of asana's and its history from the teachers . I haven’t seen a person controlling his body so well. I was watching it first as something not natural or magic but then I understood what yoga means when one dedicates himself for it. We had classes of correcting all poses what showed me asana's from their roots and made them available for people with different body shapes by using props. It also opened the doors of pranayama to me as I never try to use breathing in my life. However we spent almost three months together, I still have on my mind that I could learn more and more from this training.More dynamic yoga classes we had with Merel. I don’t want to be too personal but as a teacher she has this amazing voice that I easily follow as my body trusts and listens to her. I learnt how to compose vinyasa class in a right order, to find rhythm between the postures. I remeber very well yin yoga classes with her as something so totally relaxing and connecting with my body same time, sort of listening to the space where I live in, exploring it. What is more whole philosophic system of yoga was clearly presented to me where I could ask the most complex questions about consciousness, will as well as chakras and nervous system. I was pleased to see everyone sharing knowledge in individual approach, explaining till the matter was understood in clear and simple way always covered with smile. That’s how I started my yogic journey. These people impressed, inspired and motivated me. I carry on following yogic path remembering them as good example of what yoga is and what it brings into my life: peace, harmony, unity.
ADAM , MAY 2017

I completed the 200 hours yoga teacher training in October 2013 and it has changed my life! It was one of the most intense months of my life and there aren’t enough words to describe how much I learnt! Not only were all the classes of Asana, Philosophy, Anatomy, Methodology and Meditation very educational, they also inspired me greatly and I genuinely feel having done the course changed me positively and the other teachers have become my very close friends and I am extremely grateful that they shared their knowledge with me! I felt like everyone is a genius and knows everything you need to know about the human body; by using props and subtle adjustments they make a yoga pose a completely different experience. Merel is an incredible woman, her classes are absolutely wonderful and she has inspired me greatly to be the best yoga teacher I can be! She has a wealth of knowledge and the philosophy classes have broadened my mind even more! I recommend this TCC to everyone and want to thank all the teachers from the bottom of my heart!
NATALIE MONTOYA , MAY 2017

We traveled quite a long time (for us), before we got to Dharamkot to do the TTC with Merel and Parimukti. We almost cancelled the training as we did not want to continue our travels anymore. But we are so glad we did change our minds and took part on the TTC!

I did not imagine that four weeks of training can be that intensive and can convey how much transformative power Yoga can have for our personal lives. Merel and her team of very dedicated and lovely teachers approached the teaching on a very sensitive and personal way which makes it really special. Her sensitivity for feelings and moods of the group and her openness made space for spontaneous emotional expressions and gave the trust to be able to open our self more. Also I loved the flexible course program changes when there was for example an interesting talk in the Buddhist center Tushita, so the whole group went there and could enjoy some dharma talk. If you would like to do a TTC in a wonderful environment and powerful spiritual place like Dharamkot, I could not imagine a better place and a better Yogacenter like Parimukti.
THOMAS AND SABINE , MAY 2017

Actually I was looking for a yoga retreat or something that will get me down to earth, but for one month at least. All I found in the internet was way too luxurious retreats or ashrams where you seemed to be just a number. But I wanted to learn about yoga and feel yoga, live yoga and talk about yoga. So I found the parimukti homepage and it seemed perfect for me: personal, meditative, more visionary than a business. Merel replied to me in no time and gave me the opportunity to do karma yoga there as well, as I was afraid of not getting enough of yoga over there. Arriving there I found what I was looking for: a small bamboo shed close to the beach, my new home for the next month or so, a stunning sunset and merel playing her flute in the evening next door – I had the perfect first evening in Arambol, Goa.

The course itself was intense but super interesting: besides the two asana classes per day, we had a philosophy and anatomy classes – my favorites, but a lot of information to process. Art of teaching, the yoga and meditation did a good round up of the course. We had classes from 7am to 7pm, 6 days a week for four weeks. The lunch breaks I used for a cold shower and a nap, after the day fell asleep right after dinner – or I skipped dinner and just had a massage at one of the many studios around for my muscles that weren’t used to the immense activation. I have never been a straight A student nor a person that would sit in the front row, but in this course I attended every single class – even if I was tired – and tried to to my best to go along with what was asked from the teachers

I trusted them as they promised us a life-changing experience if we just were open for it and gave it all. And here is the result: I never felt so good like during these four weeks and after the course.

To me, not coming from wellness industry or similar before, this was the perfect break-out that I needed. In my office job (that I quit before the course I was used to process a lot of information, but it was never about me. My body and soul were so happy for all the attention and I was glowing from the inside out. did not attend the course to become a yoga teacher, but to understand more about yoga, to feel and live yoga for at least a month and to calm down from all the stress back home in Vienna. Quitting my job and attending the Yoga Teacher Training as a perfect preparation for backpacking another 6 months were the best choices I did in a long time and I wish from my very heart that people will read this testimonial and be motivated by it, to do the same – just stand up and do something for yourself, your body, mind and soul.
SANDRA MIKSCHE , MAY 2017

Peaceful retreat in the jungle
PAOLO , JANUARY 2017

Beautiful place with nice people, good food.
MONIKA , MARCH 2018

Awesome place. Good ambiance and delicious food!
TEJASWINI

A nice place to hang out in the lap of nature. Also an awesome pool for a chilling swim. Very peaceful.
SAISH , JULY 2017

Jungle Dance Cafe, One of the best place where i have been. The World Mouth Harp festival set in the midst of this jungle paradise was just perfect. Lucie was very sweet and caring. Sailor is an old man with a young heart!
GUNJAN

Really enjoyed my teacher training and I have learned so much! What I really like is that you develop your own style of teaching. Loved it!
ROOS , MAY 2018

The school is operating very nicely. Classes are on schedule. Teachers are dynamic and bring passion and good vibes to each class. Very well run program and they deserve the high ratings.
CJ , MAY 2018

This yoga teacher training course has been an amazing experience. I've learned so much. Not only physically but emotionally as well. And it's kind of a therapy for me. I discovered parts of myself that I didn't know they were there before and i could recommend this course to anyone. And the teachers are great too. Thank you very much.
FREDERIQUE

I want to say thank you so much for this beautiful month. I really expected to find time for myself and I found, I feel my body well and also the knowledge during the course. It's really complete. Thank you very much
PAULINE

What can I say, You guys have been legends in your own way. The teaching has been so nice and all of you got a great energy.
DANIEL

First of all, I want to say thank you to all the great teachers. It was really an amazing month and I learned a lot. It was so tough physically and emotionally so you should be prepared before you go. You'll grow so much.
MEREL

I really really enjoyed their teaching. Both had different style but had good class with a really good energy. It's been a great experience so far. Every day is another discovery. The teachers are all very generous in their teaching and very open to discussions and to thousands of questions that we ask all the time and the social experience has also been amazing.
SAMANTHA

This joining was full of love. You can give love and you'll get loads of love. It was just so amazing. Such a great experience.
HAJNALKA

Professional inspiring and open heart ... Merel and her team are so dedicated authentic knowledgeable teachers guiding you on your path to grow. NAMASTE
AZUKA K.

I went straight from the "Class of Nov 2016" to teaching at an eco resort in Cambodia. The training gave me the know-how, tons of information and exposure to different styles to have confidence putting together and leading my own classes. Getting great feedback and feeling super grateful to all the people at Parimukti. Cheers!
ANASTASIA

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200 hr Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training

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