We are blessed to be living in a time when more and more people are exploring new ways of being that are more in tune with the inner self, the environment, and the universe. One of these options, yoga, is proliferating. Many people choose to deepen their practice or share the benefits of yoga with others through teacher training courses. With so many courses, you may have difficulty choosing the one that is most appropriate for you. While I won’t venture to tell you that, I will give you the five top reasons I studied at the College of Purna Yoga and why I have opened a Vancouver campus.
- “Purna” means “whole” or “complete,” and the training covers all aspects of yoga: asana and pranayama, applied philosophy, nutrition and lifestyle, and meditation. Instead of simply teaching you to lead asana, the college helps you answer the seminal questions of life: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
- Most yoga works with prana, or life force, which is an excellent beginning point. Purna Yoga moves us deeper, into soul force. The college teaches specific techniques to connect with the wisdom, love and power of the soul so that the student transforms integrally. It stands to reason that if you want to live your soul’s purpose, you must learn to communicate with your soul, and the college shows you how.
- The college creates mastery through clear, concise and detailed instruction. If you want to be a master, you must master the basics, and the college will help you. For example, for each posture you study, you will learn the most important safety point, the three most important alignment details, and the three most important actions. Nothing in the college is vague, which is very important in a field that contains so many subtleties.
- You never outgrow the college! You can continue your 200-hour experience with a 500 hour and 2000 hour certification. You can also deepen your study through continuing intensives, therapeutics courses, and ongoing classes. The college is a very deep well.
- Each faculty member is personally approved by the college founders and, in addition to having a minimum of 2000 hours of training, is taught how to teach teachers. Teaching teachers is very different from teaching a class and requires additional, specific training. Faculty members are chosen not just for their teaching skill, but also for their ability to embody the precepts of a yogic lifestyle.
With campuses in Washington, Hawaii, Georgia, North Carolina, London, Helsinki and now Vancouver (and shortly in Edmonton), the College of Purna Yoga is an internationally established and recognized training. For more information about the Director of the College of Purna Yoga, Vancouver visit http://bradwaites.ca/.