Our student body will be a diverse, virtual, global community of yogis with a wide range of experience. Participants will range from newer yoga practitioners to experienced teachers. Students with stiffness, challenges with yoga or meditation, injuries, and health issues are all welcome. If you are interested in a deeper understanding of yourself and your body, and if you want to develop tools that nourish your body, mind, and personal gifts, this training is for you and we encourage you to attend.

This training follows the Mazé Method of yoga education, a step-by-step approach to becoming a skillful, confident teacher. The curriculum combines detailed alignment knowledge and intelligent sequencing with vinyasa theory to provide you with sound skills for teaching safe and effective yoga classes. Your teachers have spent over 50 years collectively investigating nearly every style of yoga, its practices, and associated philosophies. Their knowledge, combined with their approach to experiential education, creates a learning environment that is rich and multi-faceted.

Students will learn to apply healthy critical thinking through an inquisitive approach to yoga studies. They’ll practice innovative teaching drills, gain clarity about how scientific principles substantiate training techniques, explore the deeper dimensions of yoga practice, and leave with a cutting-edge understanding of human movement and physiology. In all, students can expect to complete this training with new perspectives on yoga study, a greater understanding of biomechanical alignment principles, and expanded general knowledge.

We will study and deconstruct asana (yoga poses), pranayama(breathwork), meditation, yoga theory, yoga practice, yoga history and philosophy, basic Sanskrit, and ethics. Each day will be a treasure trove of learning about anatomy, kinesiology, applied biomechanics, and how to use this knowledge to optimize your yoga and movement practice and teaching.

In addition to the pre-recorded lessons and classes, Rocky or Noah will offer live sessions to conduct practicum, answer emerging collective questions and further clarify lessons as needed. Nichol Chase will offer another live support session each week where students can ask questions and receive help with training assignments. Upon completion and graduation, students may choose to register with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour RYT level.

Are there any prerequisites for this training? No prior teaching experience is required for this training, and though one year of yoga practice is recommended, the only prerequisites are: (1) Dedication, motivation, and self-directed studentship, (2) Enthusiasm about taking a deep, analytical, and experiential dive into the various aspects of yoga, (3) Willingness to participate in a group process, (4) Ability to give and receive relevant feedback, (5) An open mind, (6) A playful attitude.

Who is this training for? This training is for fervent students of yoga who want to inquire further into its practices, techniques, and methods. Ultimately, yoga is the study of self and human potential. Therefore this training is for those wanting to dive deeper into understanding themselves.

Who isn’t this training for? This training is not for you if you are looking for a course limited to yoga practice. Our method takes a critical thinking approach. We will not only practice yoga; we will study yoga. We will likewise encourage asking questions and exploring options in practice and learning. This training is not for you if you want concrete answers and cookie-cutter solutions. We embrace the notion that “It depends…” If these ideas don’t excite or stimulate you, this training may not be for you.

I don’t want to teach yoga. Is this Training still for me? Many people join our trainings with no intention of teaching, and if you are one of those people, you will not be alone. Our curriculum is designed to help those who wish to learn more about yoga and to increase their own knowledge and awareness and is offered to any dedicated yoga practitioner. While a main training objective is to prepare students to teach skillfully, the curriculum is also appropriate for students even if you don’t plan to teach. The training will ask you to engage in the process of learning to teach poses some of the time (so some pretense will sometimes be required), but much of the training is focused on providing you with information. Whether or not you desire to teach yoga, you will develop skills that can be applied to many areas of your life beyond yoga.

Am I required to attend any portion of the training LIVE or in REALTIME? Attendance at the office hours is optional. ALL office hour sessions will be recorded and made available to students if you can’t make it but wish to watch later. Additionally, your teachers will offer roughly 22 live teaching practice (practicum) sessions throughout the training with the vast majority offered in the ultimate weeks. Practicums are meant to maximize student learning and assist students who wish to practice teaching in small groups. In practicum sessions, teachers offer advice and provide limited feedback to help you hone your teaching skills and optimize your experience with two final assignments. If you wish to receive a school certificate, you must attend at least 3 (of approximately 22) practicums. Practicums require participation only—they are not graded or otherwise evaluated, so students needn’t worry. Again, mandatory practicum sessions will be available on approximately 22 multiple dates, at varying times to accommodate all time zones. You may opt to participate as much as you wish, or you may choose only 3 (of 22) times to join.

Can I do this training at my own pace/on my own schedule? This training is constructed in a way that allows you as much freedom as we can offer you. We both invite you to learn at your pace and encourage you to set and maintain a time based routine for weekly learning. The TT consists of 10 “virtual weeks” and each “virtual week” consists of 4 “virtual days,” each of which runs between 5 and 6 hours. In reality, it’s just over 200 hours of lessons online; and you can break this up pretty much however you’d like. (See the Sample Syllabus for more on this.)

If you intend to meet TT graduation requirements, we strongly suggest keeping up with a suggested TT schedule of roughly 20 hours of learning per week. We are suggesting a TT schedule of M-TH 5 hours daily. However, you MAY schedule your learning to fit your needs and need not observe our suggestions. You MAY complete study and practice in your time zone. If you follow our suggestions, and schedule 4 chunks of 5-6 hour time periods every week to your learning then you will be able to take the training in exactly the format we envisioned. The content for each 5-6 hour training “day” is organized by category and broken up into 7-10 segments. You can complete the 5-6 hours for each “day” of the training in one continuous sitting on the same day if possible. However, if your schedule does not allow you to work in 5-6 hour chunks of time, there are many other ways you can engage with the material. For example, you can split it up into 3-4 hour chunks and spread learning out across all seven days of the week, etc. Ultimately, you will know what is going to work best with your schedule, but we do recommend that you make a plan ahead of time so you can stay on track!

Are the OPTIONAL ZOOM TIMES already known? The time of our office hours and live sessions will be published when we begin, in late January. Times will vary so everyone who wants to can can attend, and will be determined based upon student enrollment and geographical location. We will take students’ responses upon entrance (via an online survey) into account in connection with office hour timing. The times sessions occur will likely rotate; however, students can anticipate one weekday session and one weekend session per week.

What style(s) of yoga will I learn in this training? This training contains lessons for building skills and dexterity with several different styles of yoga and levels of classes depending on your desired student base and your personal interest. The Mazé Method is a combination hatha/vinyasa style. We teach alignment knowledge, intelligent sequencing skills, and vinyasa theory to provide you with a sound foundation to teach safe and effective yoga classes. You will complete this training prepared to teach a breadth of skillful alignment and vinyasa classes, with resources to weave in lessons on topics like breathing techniques (pranayama), chanting (mantra), and themes (based on yoga philosophy and other topics). In sum, we’ll help you develop your own unique voice and provide you with a solid foundation from which to use it.

Is this training suitable for all levels of physical ability? Yes! All bodies and levels are welcome, including people who have stiffness and injuries. Yoga is meant to meet the individual where they are, not the other way around. We will explore in great detail ways to modify, progress, and adapt the practice of yoga to be suitable for varied bodies and varied “levels” of fitness. “Good” yoga is not dependent upon any particular shape, age, size, or physical ability. “Good” teaching and learning depends only on your capacity to see, feel, perceive, inquire, communicate, understand, and to be accountable to what you know and open to those things that you don’t fully understand.

What are required texts I might have to read? The required texts are Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar, Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism by A.L. Basham, Skill in Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson, and Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminof. You are responsible for acquiring your own copy of each book. We will use these books as resources and make references to them throughout the training; however, you will not be required to read any of these in their entirety either before or during the training. Additionally, you will receive a list of suggested texts that you can read if you are interested. A much longer and more robust suggested reading list will be included in your training.

What differentiates this training from others? Often referred to as the “Ivy League of yoga,” our school is globally respected as one of the most comprehensive, professional, and innovative in its method of training teachers, and our teachers are known worldwide as “teachers’ teachers.” This combined with the production and technical value we offer makes for an unparalleled learning experience.

What is required to graduate from the Training with a Certificate recognized by Yoga Alliance? For successful completion of this training, between January and June of 2022 you will be required to watch all of the 235 hours of video lessons, participate in three mandatory “teaching practicums” (see optional timing discussion above), complete and turn in two required teaching assignments, attempt periodic competency quizzes, and pass a midterm as well as a final exam based upon the material presented in the lessons.

What if I don’t complete the training in the allotted time? Training requirements are in place so students may receive a certificate entitling them to register at the RYT 200 hour level with Yoga Alliance. If a student does not complete all required work within the required time frame, she/they/he may opt to continue in a subsequent training for a reduced fee in order to complete and receive the certificate. Alternatively, students may opt not to receive The Mazé Method’s certificate. Regardless of whether a student finishes in time, all students who enroll in this training may continue to engage with all training videos and written material indefinitely.

Will I be able to interact with my fellow students in community? Yes, at the start of the training you will get access to an online private “SLACK” community of students. You’ll be able to interact with your fellow teachers-in-training there. You will also be able to work with Noah, Rocky, Tracy and Nichol during the weekly scheduled sessions, should you choose to attend.

If something comes up, can I cancel for a refund? You may cancel ahead of time for credit. In exchange for our promise to keep our commitment to delivering a quality training, we require students to keep their promise to pay and attend. We limit attendance and use student tuition to cover the costs of program delivery and we rely on our students’ commitments. Because our organization must spend money prior to each of our programs and trainings in order to show up and deliver the product, we cannot issue refunds. Out of fairness to all students, we apply this no refund policy without exception. Notwithstanding our no refund policy, if you are unable to attend the training AND you let us know prior to training commencement, we will allow you to postpone your participation to any subsequent Awaken the Teacher Within Training at no additional fee. If the parties choose not to offer the training again, The Mazé Method is available to organize a completion plan for students wishing to extend. Again out of fairness, once the training has begun, we are not able to honor any student requests to postpone or forbear participation.

In this training, you will study and deconstruct asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breath work), meditation, applied anatomy, therapeutics, yoga theory & practice, yoga history & philosophy, basic Sanskrit, ethics & boundaries, and you will master the skills required to teach. With great precision and clarity, your trainer will cover the primary tools needed to teach yoga to others. In addition to studying the fundamental yoga postures, topics will include:

• How to improve your own yoga practice
• How to teach a yoga pose
• Actions and alignment
• Purpose and use of props
• Restorative poses
• Observing and understanding bodies
• The art of teaching
• When and how to modify yoga poses
• How or whether to touch students and when to use adjustments
• How to effectively sequence a class
• Introduction to meditation
• Functional anatomy and physiology
• Meaning behind asana systems
• History of Yoga – major schools and movements

What will I learn?

• How to develop and lead well-rounded yoga classes
• Fundamental and intermediate yoga postures
• Applied anatomy and kinesiology
• How to optimize your voice and vocal instrument
• How to advance your asana practice
• How to work with your challenges and limitations in yoga poses
• How to help your students modify poses to address challenges and limitations
• Methods for sequencing a class
• Yoga philosophy and mythology
• Yoga ethics and best practices
• Guidelines for establishing “codes of conduct”
• Considerations for inclusivity in yoga
• How to evolve as a yoga teacher, with transparency and grace

In addition to studying fundamental yoga postures, study topics will include:

• An in-depth look at yoga history and culture
• Experiential practices of postural yoga (asana), breathwork (pranayama), meditation (dharana/dhyana), contemplation and self-study (svadhyaya)
• How to theme, open, and close yoga classes
• How to create and teach vinyasa and alignment-based yoga classes
• Categories of asana including: standing poses, seated poses, twists, inversions, backbends, arm balances, and more
• Postural yoga styles and sequencing including: vinyasa yoga, alignment/hatha yoga, focus-pose classes, peak-pose classes, and restorative yoga classes
• Applied anatomy and alignment of yoga poses: knowing whatto do and how to do it
• How to regress (decrease difficulty) and progress (increase difficulty) of yoga poses and movement
• How to modify practice for injury or limited range of motion
• Yoga practice as a self-care technique
• The purpose of yoga props including how and when to use them
• How to deliver accurate and clear verbal instructions
• Observation skills
• Effective strategies to help your students achieve their best version of a pose
• Postural demonstration skills
• Effective and appropriate use of physical touch/hands-on adjustments
• Finding your authentic and powerful voice as a teacher
• Meditation, mantra, and mudra
• Symbolism, interpreting iconography, and conscious use of myth and metaphor
• The history of yoga—major schools and movements
• Comparative study of yoga philosophy—Vedic, Ascetical, Bhakti, and Tantra
• Origins and influences of modern yoga and modern postural yoga

And – included:

• A comprehensive (thousand plus page) digital manual
• Worksheets, templates, articles, learning resources and suggestions for further study to satisfy even the most voracious learner
• Homework assignments and quizzes to keep you on track
• Two final teaching assignments to ensure you are equipped and prepared to teach classes
• Access to live office hours and Q&As with Noah Mazé and Rocky Heron
• Access to homework and assignment oversight via sessions with Nichol Chase
• A community platform to engage with your fellow teachers in training and mentors

• 1 year of yoga practice recommended
• No prior teaching experience required
• Stiffness and injuries OK
• Willingness to participate in a group process
• Ability to give and receive feedback skillfully
• Dedication, motivation and self directed studentship