with Tom Gillette, Shannah Greeen, Alyson McCann
and other Eyes of the World teachers
applications due Oct 11, 2008
1. Minimum one year of yoga practice. Minimum 6 Level One classes with Tom at Eyes of the World. Please be sure to tell Tom that you are interested in the Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training.
2. Applications due Oct 11, 2008. Better if you have it in sooner. Send in your application with a $100 nonrefundable deposit. If you are not accepted into the program, your check will be returned.
3. A handwritten statement of intention, with your application.
4. Interview with Tom if you are relatively new to Eyes of the World.
Julia Smith Feb 2005
Manya Rubenstein Feb 2005
- A dynamic, flowing practice with 75 challenging postures
In depth study of the techniques and principles of breath, alignment and movement
- Skills to sucessfully lead a Vinyasa Yoga class in the Eyes of the World style
- An emphasis on the study of language and metaphor
- An emphasis on interpersonal skills, communication and assisting
- Techniques for being absorbed while holding a posture
- Anatomy for yoga teachers. Tom is very in synch with the new wave of individualistic approach to alignment. At the end of the course, you will know by heart all the major muscles, their actions, fascial lines of pull and all the bones and specific information that yoga teachers need .
- You will recieve an especially strong training and experience of philosophical ideas underlying the yoga tradition. At the end of 150 hours, you will know by heart
- Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, Five Precepts and Eight Fold Path
- Patanjali Eight Limbs of Yoga, the yamas and the niyamas by heart, memorization and recitation of six yoga sutras, patterned from the tradition of Vyaas Houston and the American Sanskrit Institute
- We will study the Upanishads, the Dhammapada, the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and other selected texts
- Correct Sanskrit pronunciation of postures
- Instruction in pranayama and the bandhas
- Tom’s emphasis on the soft palate and recent brain research
- Meditation as the source for your creativity. Meditation as the aquifer for deepening your practice.
Apprenticeship with and mentoring of your classes by Tom Gillette and the Eyes of the World teachers.
In the old days, a teacher would select a few of his best students to carry on the work. They would undergo a closely supervised period of apprenticeship. Certification with Tom Gillette is unusual because as the director, he comes to your class and gives you gentle mentoring and support. This is something rare and does not happen in most teacher trainings. This method has the highest degree of integrity.
Kerstin Zettmar, Feb 2002
• Certification is awarded upon successful completion of Sections One, Two and Three.
• Section One: 150 hours Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training. Attendance at all weekends. No partial attendance. If unusual circumstances arise, please speak with Tom.
• Successful completion of the final exams. There will be 5 quizzes. The quizzzes will prepare you for finals. You will be given all the questions and all the answers. No surprises. You will be asked "Core" questions, for example what are the Yamas and the Niyamas, over and over again until you commit them to long term memory.. You will need a passing grade of 90% on the "Core" exam. You will need a 80% grade on the philosophy exam, an 80% on the anatomy exam and an 80% on the names of sanskrit postures exam. At the end, you will know your stuff better than most yoga teachers in the US today. You will feel confident about your knowledge.
• Three grades are given. "Retest" means you need to take that section again, "Pass" means you completed it successfully and "A+ Honors" for anyone who scores over 100 %. Extra credit questions are given. You are given all the answers ahead of time. Because you are tested and retested on the same questions over and over, it is not just short term memorization. You will know this material cold when it comes to the finals. This method of teaching, testing and retesting has proven itself in helping you develop a huge body of knowledge that you can access when you are teaching a yoga class.
• Completing a 300 word writing assignment and an oral presentation.
• Section Two: Experiential requirement. A minimum of 36 extra yoga classes with Tom
• Section Three: Successful completion of the Apprenticeship and Certification program. 50 hours. You are ready to be certified when Tom determines you are ready.
• What are the steps in the Apprenticeship and Certification Program?
• 1) Observing and Assisting Tom in a minimum of 8 classes.
• 2) Attendance is mandatory at all workshops. See dates. Of course, life happens and things come up and exceptions will have to be made. You must talk to Tom ahead of time to schedule an exemption. So much happens in every session, you won't want to miss a single class. You will fall behind and miss vital material that may not be covered again. So you must make a strong determination to attend every session.
• 3) Teaching a minimum of 6 classes somewhere in your area, at a local health club, YMCA and the like.
• 4) After you have taught a minimum of 6 classes somewhere and when you are ready, we will offer "community yoga classes" where you lead a class and Tom and one of the other Eyes of the World yoga teachers will come and mentor your class. This is when you try out your vinyasa skills. This is where your mentors can offer you very specific helpful guidance on your next steps as a yoga teacher. In 20 years, Tom has mentored and certified many hundreds of yoga teachers. This is a rare and invaluable opportunity.
Abby Test, Feb 2005
What was powerful for me was "the way Tom weaved various elements - language, philosophy, asana, meditation without any of it feeling forced. I truly appreciated his open mind and ability to create a nuturing supportive environment in which to take risks and ask questions. I feel free to explore my practice and not have to teach or practice in a cookie cutter mold."
Garrett Foster, Kripalu weeklong
Begins Nov 1, 2008
Applications due no later than
Oct 11, 2008
Section 1 - 150-Hour In-Depth Yoga Training
• Section One: Vinaysa Yoga Teacher Training 14 Saturdays, 7 Sundays, 2 Thursday nights. Weekend hours Sat 12:30 - 9pm, Sun 11 - 4pm. other times as noted.
Nov 1 & 2, 2008 (Weekend #1, All Saints Day weekend)
Sat Nov 8, 12 - 2:30pm (Practice Teach, Anatomy workshop)
Nov 22 & 23 (Weekend #2)
Sat Dec 13 & 14 (Weekend #3)
Sat Dec 20 12:00 - 2:30pm (Practice Teach, Anatomy)
Sat, Jan 3, 12:00 - 9 pm (Saturday)
Thur Jan 22, 8:15 - 9:15pm (Review: Q & A)
Jan 24 & 25 (Weekend #4)
Sat, Jan 31 12:00 - 2:30pm (Practice Teach, Anatomy)
Thur Feb 12, 8:15 - 9:15pm (Review: Q & A)
Sun Feb 15, 11 - 4pm (Sunday)
Sat. Feb 21,12:30 - 9pm (Saturday)
Sat, Feb 28 12:00 - 2:30pm (Practice Teach, Anatomy)
Mar 14 & 15 (Weekend # 5)
Sat. Mar 28,12:30 - 9pm (Saturday)
April 4 & 5 (Weekend # 6,Core Exam and Philosophy Final)
Sat. Apr 11( Sanskrit and Anatomy exams)
Sat Apr 25 (closing fire ceremony) Apr 25 & 26 (backup weekend, reserve this time in case of snow day or unusual circumstances.)
Section three: Apprenticeship dates for 2009
TBA
Section Two - Experiential Training: Minimum total of 36 Yoga Classes at Eyes of the World, (50 hours) Participants wanting to go for certification are asked to attend as many Thursday 6pm class and Saturday 3pm class during the Teacher Training program as possible. The material in the teacher training will show up in class. It will help you apply the theory into practice. You will understand the material on a gut level. If you have taken many years of classes with Tom, you may receive partial credit. Please consult with Tom for details and any questions you have about this requirement.
Section Three - Apprenticeship: Certification Program $550 (50 additional hours)
Payment is due May 16, 2009.
2008-2009 Program
• Section One: Vinaysa Yoga Teacher Training 14 Saturdays, 7 Sundays, 2 Thursday nights
and a whole lotta fun. $1995. (150 hours.)
With your application, send in a $100 non refundable check. (If you are not accepted into the program, your check will be returned.)
Upon acceptance into the Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training program, the balance of $1895 is due no later than Nov 1, 2008. The Training will include the much coveted Eyes of the World Vinyasa Yoga Teaching Manual, a CD library of yogic scriptures, CDs and audio cassettes for practice. There will be additional costs (~$200) for books and reference manuals you will want for your yoga library.
Our preference is that you pay for the teacher training in full at the beginning of the program. (This means we don't have to admister a payment plan.) If paying for teacher training upfront is not workable for you, one option it to pay by credit card check. Every so often credit card companies issue checks that you can use. This is one way to put the program on a credit card and pay it off over time whenever it is convenient to you. They usually have a fee associated with these checks so do your homework and investigate.
Payment plans are available in some circumstances. Check with Tom first. If you choose the payment plan option, it will total $2080 for Part One. The payment schedule looks like this. $100 non-refundable application fee due Oct 11. If accepted into the program, a $780 deposit is due Nov 1, 2008. Then there are six more payments of $200 one payment due on these days: Nov 22, Dec 13, Jan 3, Jan 24, Feb 15, Mar 14.
Cancellation Policy
*A full refund minus the nonrefundable application fee, will be given up to Nov 1, 2008. After Nov 1, 2008, if unusual medical or family circumstances arise that prevent someone from continuing in the teacher training, a $880 deposit ($100 application fee and $780 on Nov 1) is forfeited and a refund prorated as if someone were on the payment plan option will be given. Only credit refunds given for the Apprenticeship Program.
