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Santosha Online YTT Foundational Assignments Santosha Online YTT Foundational Assignments © Santosha Yoga Institute 1 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 1: Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now 1. From where does Tolle draw the title of his book (why would he name it The Power of Now)? 2. What are the ways in which Tolle believes people suffer spiritually? In what ways do individuals create their own pain? What does Tolle mean by the false-created self? 3. Were there moments in The Power of Now where you felt an "ah-ah!"? Did you experience a moment of revelation or major insight into your life? If so, what was it? If not. 4. What role do relationships play in Tolle's path to spiritual awakening? To what extent are they hindrances...or aids...or part of the goal? 5. How helpful do you find Tolle's book as it applies to your own life? 6. What guiding principles suggested, by Tolle would you bring into your daily life and why? The Power of Now is available from most major bookstores (second hand bookstores are a great place to look!) and you can purchase various editions online. Audiobook: http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-of-Now/dp/B00005AAPL Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment-ebook/dp/B002361MLA/ ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1395372566 Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808/ref=sr_1_1? s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395372566&sr=1-1&keywords=power+of+now © Santosha Yoga Institute 2 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 2: Additional Reading Assignment These assignments are based on the mandatory reading for our Online course. They will give you a strong foundation for safe and effective teaching, so it is important they are completed before you begin. Yoga Therapy - A.G. Mohan and Indra Mohan Read Chapter 2 (pages 15­60) and answer the following questions: 1. Why do we do Asana? 2. List and define the five categories that a balanced Asana practice should promote. 3. What are the four types of body positions? 4. What are the four guidelines for breath in Asana? 5. Practice your own movement with your breath being mindful of the four components of the breath: Inhalation, holding, exhalation, suspension. Create your own basic sequence in and out of the pose and record the breath. Be sure to include the four parts of breath and describe journal what you discover. Gary Kraftsow – Yoga for Wellness Read the following pages: A. Introduction to Breath (pages: 7­12) - Summarize the Chapter and explain how you will conceptualize the principles into your teaching. B. Principles of Adaptation (pages: 12­25) - Summarize each chapter. Apply the foundations of each chapter into a teaching situation. C. Upper back (pages 159­165). - Read and summarize. - If you have a student with a pronounced kyphosis (excess curvature) in their spine what safety principals will you apply in your teaching? D. Lower back (pages 168­175) - Read and summarize. - If you have a student with a very pronounced lordotic curvature in their spine what safety principals will you apply in your teaching? E. An introduction to Extension (pages 85­92) - Read, summarize and apply for teaching. AG Mohan – Yoga for Body, Breath and Mind A. Chapters 5 and 6 Read and summarize each section. Write points on how you would integrate the principles into your teachings. Present a list of questions for your senior teacher. B. The problem: Mind (page 5) - Read and summarize. © Santosha Yoga Institute 3 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 3: Anatomy Colouring Assignment Colour in the muscles and parts of the human body outlined below. The pages are available to print from the download button labeled “Anatomy Scans” in the Santosha Online Resource Center. Alternatively, if you own a copy of Kapit and Elson’s Anatomy Colouring Book you may colour in your book as per the pages outlined below (page numbers may differ depending on edition) Muscles • Deep Muscles of the Back and Posterior Neck (p49) • Thorax Muscles and posterior abdominal wall muscles (p50) • Muscles of scapular stabilization and movements of the scapula (p54) • Muscles of musculotendinous cuff (p55) • Movers of shoulder joint/movements of the humerus at the shoulder joint (p56) • Muscles of the gluteal region (p61) • Muscles of the posterior thigh (p62) • Muscles of the anterior thigh (p64) Bones/Joints • Bones/joints in review (p43) - *DO NOT complete Joints of the Lower Limb 1 - 12* • Bones/joints in review (p36 - *DO NOT complete Joints of the Upper Limb 1 - 13* • Male and female pelvis (p38) Physiology • Terms of position and directions (p2) • Cavities and linings (p7) • The generalized cell (p8) Essay question Briefly describe each system and its function (one page written summary) © Santosha Yoga Institute 4 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 4: Samkhya Philosophy Assignment The Samkhya Philosophy The word Samkhya is composed of two words sam, meaning 'correct', 'proper' and 'discriminitive' and ‘khya meaning 'knowing.' So Samkhya encourages an aspirant to undertake a discriminative analysis of creation and thereby realize one's true nature. Samkhya is known as a dualistic philosophy because it gives equal weight to both realities: Purusha, the witnessing consciousness, and Prakriti, the root cause of creation, that is composed of the three gunas. Both Samkhya and yoga aim at reversing the process of awareness which at present is identified with the senses and the external objects. That awareness has to be dissociated from the objects and redirected internally to experience our spiritual nature. Task: Summarise the Samkhya theory in your own words. No more than 2 A4 pages in length. Good sources of information can be found from the following websites: http://www.swamij.com/prakriti-purusha-sankhya.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samkhya http://ignca.nic.in/ps_04013.htm © Santosha Yoga Institute 5 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 5: Santosha Breath + Movement Manual 1. Introduction Section A. Read the introduction section of the manual five times. Make sure you understand these concepts: - Dens Point - Asymmetrical Guiding Principle - Classifications of Asana - Bandhas - Pelvic Floor Stability and The Pelvic Floor Anatomy - Alignment of Feet - Neutral Spine - “Roll up” vs. the correct way to come to a Standing Position - Controversial Trikonasana B. Prepare a list of any questions based on your reading and send in to [email protected] 2. Breath Awareness Read and Practice: • How to Teach students to lay on the mat • Passive Observation • Resting Breath • Belly Breath • Chest to Abdomen Breath with location and feeling - inhale middle of chest sense of expansion , exhale lower abdomen slightly drawing back If not sure Skype sunny or ask questions asap J 3. Postures Read and Practice Teaching these poses/movements • All Prep Poses Breath + Movement Manual • Neutral Standing Position • Samasthiti • Uttanasana • Dandasana • Pachimottonasana • Simple seated twist • Bhujangasana • Supported shoulder Stand against the wall • Matysara • Savasana © Santosha Yoga Institute 6 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 5: Santosha Breath + Movement Manual cont. 4. Vinyasa Krama Sequences Compare both the Vinyasa Krama Manual and the Breath + Movement Manual for the below. What is the difference between what is noted in Vinyasa Krama Manual and the Breath + Movement Manual in relationship to the below sequences: • Utthita Trikonasana • Virabhadrasana 2 • Pachimottonasana • Uttanasana © Santosha Yoga Institute 7 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 6: Yoga Teacher Tune-up Toolkit – Q&A Watch the episodes in the Santosha Online Resource Center and answer the following questions. Episode 1.1 – Bhujangasana 1. Traditionally how are the legs and feet in this pose? What is the modification for those with lower lumbar issues? 2. Why do we lengthen from the top of the spine when entering this pose? 3. What is the correct position for the hands in this position? The elbows? 4. Where does the exhale originate from? 5. Where do we send the breath on the inhale? 6. Which breath do we move into the pose on? 7. On what breath do we come out? 8. What position do we put our head in when we have released out of the pose? What quality do we bring to this moment? Episode 1.2 – Progression from Bhujangasana 1. What are the desired qualities of the breath? 2. Why do we draw the chin down in this pose? 3. In the video Sunny mentions steadiness and stillness of the mind. The 2nd Yoga Sutra refers to this as “yoga chitta vritti nirodha.” What is the translation of this Sanskrit phrase? 4. Another important quality is “sthira sukham asanam” (Yoga Sutra 46) What is the translation of this phrase? Episode 2.1 1. What category of posture is Paschimottanasana? 2. Why do we use the word extension? What part of the body lengthens in this pose? 3. What is the purpose of sitting on a pillow? 4. What is the main inhibitor of the forward movement in the pelvic girdle in this pose? What can you do to counteract this in this pose? 5. Do we dorsi or planter flex our feet when we are in Dandasana to set up for this posture? Why? 6. Take yourself (or another!) through this posture using the correct breath. Write down your experience. © Santosha Yoga Institute 8 ONLINE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Assignment 6: Yoga Teacher Tune-up Toolkit – Q&A cont Episode 2.2 1. What are the “levers” you can add to Paschimottanasana? Name another pose which you can add “levers” to, to increase the intensity. 2. What can we do if we have less mobility in the hips to modify this posture? 3. Explain “dirgha” and “sukshma” 4. Take yourself (or another!) through this posture using the correct breath. Write down your experience.
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