200-Hour Amara Teacher Training - 2023 beginning mid August
Now taking applications
Embark on a life-changing journey to deepen your practice and learn how to teach.
with Luna Pierson and Linda Lehovec
Elevate your love of yoga to the next level !
Our comprehensive cross-disciplinary program will introduce you to the transformational, multi-layered path of yoga. It will help you progress your personal practice, increase your confidence and encourage you to find your own unique voice. Yoga is evolving from an ancient practice to contemporary practice and our teacher training program celebrates and includes best practices from all major lineages of yoga.
Students will learn all the tools necessary to teach yoga safely. Study will include asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breath work), meditation, anatomy, basic Sanskrit, ethics, yoga history & philosophy, and an intro to Ayurveda. Our program is always evolving and improving, and is customized to meet the unique goals and needs of each training group.
We encourage our students to take as many classes at Amara as possible, so once tuition is paid in full we give complimentary memberships until training is complete.
Lead Trainers:
Luna Pierson - Teacher Training Director (E-RYT 500) began her yoga journey in 2009 here at Amara by helping her mother Kathryn Fitzgerald open the studio. She now lives and teaches yoga full time in Los Angeles, California and specializes in teaching the art of creative, intelligent, dynamic and safe sequencing. Luna studied with her mentor Kia Miller at Yoga Works in Santa Monica for both 200 and following 300 hour teacher training, and has completed additional Wanderlust teacher training. She has taught and is currently teaching at some of the best studios in LA, including Wanderlust Hollywood, Equinox LA, and Roam LA. She has also worked as a yoga consultant for HBO designing on camera classes and teaching the actors how to play yoga teachers and/or students in numerous television series. She brings with her a unique understanding and insight into the most innovative, transformative, fun and exciting ways to develop and teach yoga classes to every body.
Linda Lehovec Lead Teacher (E-RYT-500), Linda completed her 200-hour Hatha Yoga teacher training through the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago and her 300-hour teacher training through High Desert Yoga in Albuquerque. She began her yoga journey with in 2000 and spent over 20 years teaching dance and yoga in the Department of Dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, from which she recently retired. For the past 14 years Linda has been studying under Kim Schwartz who has greatly influenced her teaching methods. In her classes Linda focuses on understanding discreet poses deeply, cultivating each student’s self-awareness and understanding of their unique body. Using basic anatomy as a guide the focus of her yoga class is on developing useful organization and alignment, cultivating an inward sense of awareness, and deepening the awareness of the subtle musculature required in each pose. Linda teaches beginning and advanced workshops, group classes, and private yoga sessions specializing in safely addressing physical challenges.
Kim Green has been practicing yoga and meditation since the 1990s. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2021 at Amara Yoga & Arts, and regularly pursues continuing education courses to further develop her teaching skills and her understanding of the body, the mind, and the deep connection between them. She has a varied practice, teaching yoga for healthy connective tissues, self-myofascial release, yin, gentle, beginning, restorative, and slow flow style classes, as well as meditation. She has a particular interest in teaching yoga for bone health and osteoporosis, as well as yoga for hypermobility. Kim is a RYT-200 soon to be RYT-500, and a Certified Level II Reiki practitioner.
Jodi Adams has been practicing yoga since 1991. She completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2011 with a focus on anatomy, the subtle body, alignment, and adjustments, with inspiration from the lineages Iyengar and Tantric Yoga. Jodi is passionate about living life to its fullest, and knows that in order to do so, one must have good health in mind and body. After 8 years of living and learning about Ayurveda, she became certified as an Ayurveda Yoga Specialist through the Himalayan Institute in the Fall of 2019. Using the wisdom of Ayurveda and her many experiences in life, Jodi offers a practical and insightful approach to wellness and mindfulness practices. Her intention as a teacher is to guide you on your own journey to achieve strength, maintain balance, and unify the mind/body connection. Jodi enjoys teaching gentle and restorative style classes, as well as vinyasa flow classes with an emphasis on core work.
Tanya Krishnamani began practicing yoga in 2011. Originally it was just for a physical practice, but soon she was drawn to the connection that yoga forms between the mind, body and breath. She finds the breath to be a powerful guide in her practice- a guide that stills her mind and allows her to be in the present moment. She uses this relationship to not only deepen and challenge her practice, but to also know when to let go, restore and ground. Finding this balance has brought energy, strength, and a lot of fun not only to her practice, but her daily life as well. Tanya strives to share this with others in her classes! Combining a full, centered practice with a healthy challenge, she encourages anyone and everyone to join her classes and find their strength! Falling, laughing, and fun are all apart of the experience she hopes to bring!
Our 200-hour teacher training is offered as a weekend program (August through April). Amara is a registered yoga school with Yoga Alliance, so that graduates of our 200-hour YTT programs may register for RYT-200 status, and current RYTs may use our continuing education programs for CEs with Yoga Alliance. For inquiries about any of our professional training programs, please email info@amarayoga.com.
2024- 200-Hour Teacher Training Program Schedule
Click here to download a application
Extended Format Weekend Schedule: August 24 - April 2025
*Dates and times are subject to change. We’ve taken care to schedule outside of major holidays.
12 full weekends, 8am to 5pm with a one hour lunch break each day.
Teacher Training Dates 2024 - 2025
August 17 & 18
September 14 & 15
October 5 & October 6
October 26 & 27
November 16 & 17
December 14 & 15
January 11 & 12
February 1 & 2
February 22 & 23
March 15 & 16
April 5 & 6
April 26 & 27
Prerequisite: At least one year of yoga practice
Program Fees: Extended format $3,250
Super Early Bird - $2,750 paid in full or payment plan set up by June 15th, 2023
Early Bird - $3,000 paid in full or payment plan set up by July 15, 2023
$3,250 after July 15th if space is available
A $500 deposit is due upon enrollment to hold your spot. Full payment is required a week before the start of the program unless a payment plan has been previously arranged. Complimentary classes comes with acceptance into the program starting when full payment is received, or starting on August 1st if you are on the payment plan so you can take as many regularly scheduled classes for free until the training ends! Monthly payment plans (10 months of $250 auto payments) are available on request and must be set up and started by July 15th, 2023.
Click Here to download an application
Questions? Email info@amarayoga.com
Reading List
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Satchinananda
The Heart of Yoga by Desikachar
The Key Muscles in Yoga by Ray Long
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness By Donna Farhi
Basic curriculum
Asana
Art of Creative Sequencing
Hands on Adjusting
Sanskrit names of postures
Pranayama
Meditation
Anatomy and Physiology
How to observe bodies
Use of props to modify or improve a posture
Origins and History of Yoga
Yogic Philosophy and Lifestyle
Finding your voice as a Yoga Teacher
The Business of Yoga
About the Training
Typical day: Each day will begin with a yoga practice which includes the postures that will be focused on later in the day. After the practice the day will consist of a mixture practice teaching and learning postures (alignment, benefits, contraindications, and adjustments), group assignments, discussion and lecture followed by a final meditation.
Writing assignments: Writing assignments will be given periodically and expected to be well thought-out and thorough. Length will vary.
Other assignments: Teachers will assign various out of class reading assignments. They will also assign various activities such as watching a video online or attending class.
Exams: Your completion of the program is contingent upon passing a comprehensive in-training final exam.
Observation and attending classes: Each student will be required to attend 10 classes, observe 10classes, and assist 3 classes at Amara during the training. The cost of these is included in the student's tuition.
Practice Teaching: Each student will be required to teach both at home and in the studio (to the other teachers in training) throughout the training. Students will pick a underserved population or group to teach a series of yoga classes for a Karma yoga project, and teach a practicum class to the whole group and lead trainers at the end of the training.
Amara Yoga & Arts Studio and Training Philosophy
Welcome to the world of Amara Yoga & Arts Teacher Training, where we embrace the fluidity and endless possibilities of yoga. Here, we challenge the notion of a perfect pose or a flawless yoga style. Just as life is in a constant state of change, growth, and transformation, so too is our practice.
In our inclusive and diverse studio community, we warmly welcome Every Body. Regardless of age, shape, size, or fitness level, everyone is invited to embark on their yoga journey with us. Our staff embodies this inclusivity as well, celebrating a rich tapestry of styles, lineages, and teaching strengths. We recognize that each teacher brings their unique background, viewpoint, and way of teaching to the table, and we honor and embrace this diversity.
At Amara, we understand that students are drawn to the class types and teachers who are continually evolving and learning within their chosen styles. We encourage our teachers to grow, to explore, and to adapt their practices to meet the ever-evolving needs of their students. It is through this process that they create a truly unique and enriching experience.
We believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to yoga. Every teacher has their own perspective and methodology, which should be respected and honored. By engaging in open discussions about choices and viewpoints, our trainees come to understand that there is no absolute right way. Instead, they learn to explore various ideas and concepts, ultimately crafting their own path that resonates with them and their future students based on a solid foundation of safe and best practices.
Here at Amara, we honor the history and traditions of yoga, as well as the teachers who have come before us. We reject the notion of blindly following personality cults or idolizing a single "guru," style, or lineage of yoga. Instead, we encourage our teachers to cultivate their own creative expressions of different yoga styles, while still adhering to safe practices. We firmly believe that providing teachers with scripts or set sequences only leads to robotic, clone-like instructors, devoid of authenticity and personal connection.
Within our philosophy, we place great emphasis on the journey of imitation, integration, and innovation. We understand that as teachers, it is natural to begin by imitating the wisdom and techniques of others, as we absorb their knowledge. However, genuine growth occurs when we integrate these learnings with our own unique perspectives and experiences. Ultimately, our aim is to empower our teachers to innovate, to create something fresh and authentic that truly reflects their individuality and serves their students in the most profound and meaningful way possible.
At Amara, the fluidity of yoga intertwines with the boundless potential of creativity. Join us on a transformative journey that embraces diversity, respects individuality, and inspires the exploration of limitless possibilities.
What People Are Saying About Amara's Yoga Teacher Training Program
"I took the Amara teacher training course as I was turning 70. Yoga had been a part of my life in some form for some 50 years and I wanted to enrich my experience and knowledge, knowing that learning about yoga and practicing the yoga life has so much to offer each of us on so many levels. I never for a minute intended to teach, only deepen my knowledge.
The timing was so very valuable with the pandemic kicking in just as my class was graduating. In my household we took sheltering-in seriously. The concentrated yoga study did much to prepare me for that challenge. I went into the imposed limits with a balanced mind and spirit, a deepened physical confidence and a sense of peace in my heart.
You never know where life is going to lead you. Three women close to me had recently gone through extremes of personal crisis. One has a husband plagued with early on set Alzheimers, one lost her husband to a brave battle with cancer and one had suffered through the ordeal of a misdiagnosed broken leg and still endures limits and damage from that tangled mess.
We all gradually moved towards informally gathering for an at home yoga group. I am so grateful to be able to offer them a place of release and escape for about an hour. I lead them in restorative and yin yoga where they can get out of their head and treat their bodies to the surrender of that yoga practice. They have expressed being hopelessly blocked and stuck, mentally and physically, and that practicing yoga has helped them escape and release during that time, finding some peace and joy.
I am not at all surprised at their amazement and gratitude. I just knew I was giving them the most valuable gift I could possibly offer. I am honored and thankful to be able to help lighten their load and make a very real positive offering that I hope gently opens up a place for healing.
Due to the training in anatomy I feel able to provide a physically safe practice. From the study of the principles of yoga I can offer enlightenment and a rich creative practice especially designed for older women.
There are as many reasons to move forward and take the step into teacher training as there are people that are interested in pursuing the training. It is hard. It is a journey. But I say - - - Yoga is right. You know it is. Move forward with a smile. Why wait until you are 70?”
Jane Marriott - graduating class of 2020
Continuing Education at Amara
We offer workshops and trainings to help teachers continue to develop their practice and teaching skills. All of our workshops can be applied toward continuing education hours for Yoga Alliance.