About This Course

Understanding how yoga poses are similar and different can equip you to both sequence and teach more clearly, safely, and effectively. In this course, you will see how yoga poses can be divided up into different "families," each of which share similar characteristics, benefits, risks, and teaching techniques. By understanding the particular characteristics of each family, you will deepen your understanding of asana and be able to guide your students more skillfully through their practices. 

This robust course contains detailed information to support practicing, sequencing, and teaching. You will be able to return to this course again and again to refine your teaching skills.


Note for CE Credits: If you are a current teacher taking this course for Yoga Alliance CE credits, you may submit for 8 hours: 6 hours of credit in Teaching Methodology and 2 hours of credit in Techniques, Training and Practice. 

Course Curriculum

212: Principles Of Teaching 2

  • 1
    WELCOME AND COURSE ORIENTATION
    • START HERE
    • HOW TO TAKE THIS COURSE
    • SYLLABUS
    • ABOUT YOUR FACULTY
    • COURSE MATERIALS
    • Q&A
  • 2
    LESSON ONE: FAMILIES OF POSES
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • FAMILIES OF POSES
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 3
    LESSON TWO: MEDITATION POSES
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • MEDITATION POSES AND JOURNAL REFLECTION #1
    • BENEFITS AND RISKS - DEBRIEF
    • EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #1
    • QUIZ: LESSON TWO
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 4
    LESSON THREE: SURYA NAMASKAR
    • LESSON OVERVIEW AND JOURNAL REFLECTION #2
    • SURYA NAMASKAR
    • PRACTICING SURYA NAMASKAR
    • VARIATIONS OF SURYA NAMASKAR AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #2
    • QUIZ: LESSON THREE
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 5
    LESSON FOUR: STANDING POSES
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • ALL STANDING POSES
    • NEUTRAL SYMMETRICAL POSES
    • NEUTRAL SYMMETRICAL: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #3
    • EXTERNALLY ROTATED POSES
    • EXTERNALLY ROTATED POSES: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #4
    • NEUTRAL ASYMMETRICAL POSES
    • NEUTRAL ASYMMETRICAL: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #5
    • NEUTRAL STANDING TWISTS
    • NEUTRAL STANDING TWISTS AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #6
    • QUIZ: LESSON FOUR
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 6
    LESSON FIVE: ACTIVE HIP OPENERS
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • ACTIVE HIP OPENERS
    • ACTIVE HIP OPENERS: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #7
    • QUIZ: LESSON FIVE
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 7
    LESSON SIX: HAND BALANCINGS
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • HAND BALANCINGS
    • HAND BALANCINGS: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #8
    • QUIZ: LESSON SIX
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 8
    LESSON SEVEN: INVERSIONS
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • INVERSIONS
    • INVERSIONS: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #9
    • QUIZ: LESSON SEVEN
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 9
    LESSON EIGHT: BACKBENDS
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • BACKBENDS
    • BACKBENDS: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #10
    • QUIZ: LESSON EIGHT
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 10
    LESSON NINE: SEATED POSES
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • SEATED POSES
    • SEATED POSES: EXEMPLAR POSES AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #11
    • QUIZ: LESSON NINE
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 11
    LESSON TEN: RECLINED POSES
    • LESSON OVERVIEW
    • RECLINED POSES
    • RECLINED POSES: EXEMPLAR POSE AND TEACHING ACTIVITY #12
    • QUIZ: LESSON NINE
    • LESSON SUMMARY
  • 12
    CONCLUSION
    • FINAL ASSESSMENT
    • ACADEMIC HONOR
    • CONCLUSIONS & OUTSIDE PRACTICE

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain the common benefits and risk factors for each family of poses: meditation poses, surya namaskar, standing poses, active hip openers, hand balancings, inversions, backbends, seated poses, and reclined poses.

  • Describe the key teaching and sequencing principles for each family of poses.

  • Effectively and safely teach one exemplar pose from each family of poses.

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Meet Your Instructor

  • Rachel Scott

    Senior Instructor

    Rachel Scott

    Rachel is a teacher trainer, mentor, and author based in Colorado. Practical and funny, she has a keen knack for breaking down complex topics into actionable skills. She loves inspiring her students to discover their voice and realize their passion and potential as yoga teachers. The Program Director for the YTT, she has also written five yoga books and shares her resources freely on you YouTube channel. Find out more at www.rachelyoga.com.