Tips for Creating a Successful Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Practice

Tips for Creating a Successful Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Practice

Yoga Therapy creates a personalized health program for your clients based on the Sister Sciences - Yoga and Ayurveda (or आयुर्वेद - Āyurveda in Sanskrit).

With an AYT (Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy) practice, you will be interacting with your clients on a deeply personal level to modify  their practice for specific goals and needs, and to support overall health and well-being. 

Here are a few tips for creating a successful Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy practice.

Complete your education 

Your journey into Ayurveda starts with getting to know yourself. As you discover the ancient principles of this holistic healing system, let your first client be yourself.  

The path to launching your own Yoga Therapy healing program starts with your education. You can start with a 100-hour advanced yoga teacher training program that trains you how to apply Ayurvedic techniques to a yoga practice. You can also look for smaller programs that apply towards more advanced Yoga Therapy Certification courses.  

Keep in mind, to become a C-IAYT through the International Association of Yoga Therapists, you must complete an 800+ hour course through an accredited school.

Pursuing the proper education will fully prepare you to integrate Yoga and Ayurveda for your community and clients. Be sure to check out Prema Yoga Institute’s 100-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Training if you are interested!

Outline your mission statement and decide on your specific focus

During your studies, did you find one aspect of Ayurveda fascinating? Or do you prefer to address all facets - asana, our relationship with food, lifestyle, pain management, or philosophy? Your driving force will form your mission statement, and from there, the basis of your business. 

Your mission statement succinctly summarizes your values and goals. Address your target audience, describe your offerings, and differentiate yourself from similar businesses. Mission statements may also include your purpose for serving your clients and how you plan on serving your neighbors. 

Clearly defining your business objectives creates the foundation of your business plan and lets your clients understand how you can help them. Be specific and transparent in your wording about your offerings, the limitations of your scope of practice, and emphasize the benefits of individualized care.  

Familiarize yourself with policies and best practices

While an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist has powerful skills to help a client's mental and physical health, there are rules about how you can phrase such interactions. For example, it must be clear that you are not practicing medicine.  This is critical, as a yoga professional never treats, diagnoses, heals or cures.

Familiarize yourself with laws of your state and learn best practices for advertising your Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy practice. Certain states may have more flexibility than others, so it is best to consult your local and state statutes for specific details. You may find some guidance on this topic from organizations like NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association).

Ensuring your AYT practice meets professional standards will allow you to better use your skills and serve your client’s needs.

Work with your community leaders 

Creating an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy program won't happen without the fellowship from other health care experts.

Spend time networking with holistic practitioners in your area for mentorship, brainstorming, and partnerships. Physical therapists, psychologists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, registered dieticians, and other health care providers all benefit from working together.

Referral networks are a fantastic way to support other business owners while helping your clients. 

Just as there is no singular solution for wellness, there is no distinct component for a successful business. It's a group effort, and your clients will benefit!  

Stay curious and keep learning to make your Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy practice a success!

We hope this overview has given you some insight and direction in how to make your Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy practice a success.

If you’re interested, we’d love to invite you to Prema Yoga Institute’s 100-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Training.

The Ayurvedic Yoga Training is now available online and teaches how to:

·        Use Ayurveda to apply the techniques of yoga in a precise and empowering way.

·        How to cultivate a healthy Ayurveda self-care routine

·        Teach seasonally for better care of your students

·        Refine sequencing for all levels of classes

·        Refine your yoga practice and teaching for private clients to specifically improve mind/body imbalances

·        And more (click here for details)

Additionally, The Ayurvedic Yoga Training counts 100 hours towards the PYI IAYT-accredited 850-hour Yoga Therapy Certification Program (additional prerequisites apply) and 100 hours towards the Pure Yoga 300 Yoga Certification.

Visit Prema Yoga Institute to learn more about our training, which is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022!

PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!

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10 Things To Do After Completing Your RYT-200 Yoga Teacher Training

10 Things To Do After Completing Your RYT-200 Yoga Teacher Training

The transition between yoga teacher training and "the real world" is part paperwork and planning, part promoting, and part dreaming and growing.

Whether you have recently completed your RYT200 Yoga Teacher Training or completed it years ago, you are likely wondering what you should do next. Should you start your yoga practice or pursue more advanced yoga teacher training?

Here are a 10 quick tips to get you thinking about what comes next after completing your RYT200 yoga teacher training.

1. Get organized

Getting organized is a good place to start. Organize your collection of notebooks, textbooks, and handouts. Gather your learning materials and sort them into related groups to streamline future referencing.

Group your business documents for easy reference. Your business documents start with your credentials and certificates. Expand your binder with registration information, insurance certificates, release forms, and teaching contracts as you collect them. Scan or take a picture and store them on your computer as well, for easy access.

Using a calendar is a handy way to map out your goals, due dates, and renewal dates. It's helpful to track your continuing education classes and plan for future training in a calendar system, as well. 

2. Optional: Register with Yoga Alliance

Although most employers do not require this step, some grads prefer to register with Yoga Alliance - an online registry. It’s nonprofit branch intends to represent the yoga community and provides guidelines for your new profession.  One perk is that you then have access to purchasing a liability insurance plan created for yoga teachers.  Joining IAYT also provides you access to a comparable plan.

Upon completion of your coursework, registration involves creating an online account and submitting your RYS 200 certificate. You will have the opportunity to publish a profile in the Yoga Alliance Directory as well. 

3. Secure insurance as a yoga teacher

Whether you teach independently or work with a studio, you will need liability insurance. Liability plans range from insurance for a sole proprietor to studio owner designations. There are dozens of agencies specializing in yoga teacher insurance plans; a quick search will give you local and national options. 

4. Start building your yoga C.V. 

It's a challenge to organize your yoga career, and there's no time like the present to get started! Formally outline your yoga teacher skills, experiences, and formal training along with your philosophy and parallel skills into a resume.

As your teaching experience grows, so will your C.V.  We strongly suggest volunteering at work, a community center, a religious institution, or even with friends to grow your C.V.

5. Create a vision for your teaching

It's often helpful to creatively focus on your teaching dreams instead of jumping into the deep end without a plan. Do you want to teach in studios, outdoors, with special communities, or as part of a community center? Do you want to teach something you haven’t quite mastered yet and require advanced yoga teacher training for?

Outline and follow your dreams! Reach out to organizations and businesses that align with your ideas to make it happen.  

6. Start teaching! 

Of course, this is easier said than done, but teaching is teaching, no matter the audience. Your friends and family make wonderful students as you look for a more formal setting in which to teach. Gyms and studios often have apprentice or mentor programs (even online), and volunteer opportunities are endless. 

7. Explore teaching yoga online

The popularity of social media platforms and the recent usage of remote learning has created endless teaching options. Video hosting sites like YouTube and social media platforms like Instagram offer "live" and "recorded" sharing options. Try your hand teaching there!  

Teleconferencing platforms allow you to have a more visual and interactive view of your students. These two-way platforms open the door for more effective communication and teaching.

8. Keep practicing on your own 

As a yoga teacher, you may find that your personal practice gets muddled as you transition into a teaching path. Dedicate time to being a student again, letting your desire to take notes, study, and formulate sequencing take a back seat. Seek out inspiration without sacrificing the self-care that your yoga mat provides.  Luckily, most studios offer a “teacher rate” for memberships – ask for a discount!

9. Plan your continuing education and advanced yoga teacher training

As you map out your yoga teaching dreams, note what resonates with you - what you enjoy learning, and what you enjoy teaching. For example, do you find yourself wanting to serve yoga students with diverse needs or perhaps learn how to modify your lessons for aging yoga students? These clues will guide you through the next level of continuing your yoga teacher training.

You might find that your passions about learning a specific topic go beyond a few continuing education classes and take you to another certification. You may decide that it would be valuable to pursue advanced RYT500 yoga teacher training.

10. Pursue 500-hour RYT certification

Pursuing advanced yoga teacher training with an RYT-300 certification will allow you to dive deeper into specialized methods of yoga. This allows you to carve out your niche as a yoga teacher and better serve your students.

Having the RYT-500 title is also a great way to improve your marketability as a yoga teacher. Students and studios will know that you take your craft seriously and have completed more advanced levels of study.  

Read our blog article “5 Reasons Every Yoga Teacher Should Pursue a 500-hour RYT Certification,” for a more in depth look into this topic.

Stay proactive after completing your RYT-200 yoga teacher training!

Congratulations on completing your RYT-200 yoga teacher training - that alone is a great accomplishment! Hopefully, these 10 tips gave you some ideas on what to do next.

While you’re here, we’d love to invite you to check out Prema Yoga Institute, which is longer limited to New York City and is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022. PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!

If you found this information useful, visit our Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List for similar content.

Exploring The Historical Connection Between Yoga and Ayurveda

Exploring The Historical Connection Between Yoga and Ayurveda

As you may know, the more you advance as a yoga teacher, the more opportunity you will have to explore the history of yoga. Exploring the rich history of yoga has great value as it will deepen your knowledge and improve your teaching ability as a yoga teacher.

In this blog, we will explore the origin, history, and commonalities between yoga and Ayurveda (or Āyurveda in IAST).

The Vedas

The Vedas are ancient religious texts that guided Hinduism centuries ago. Early teachings of the Vedas survived from mentor to student through oral storytelling. It wasn't until approximately 1500-500 BCE that the written Vedas came to be. 

The Vedas are organized into four individual Vedas, Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda. Each Veda is further explored in four subsections: 

·        Samhitas (mantras and benedictions) 

·        Aranyakas (texts about rituals) 

·        Brahmanas (discussion of rituals) 

·        Upanishads (meditation, philosophy, spiritual knowledge) 

From these ancient scriptures come yoga and Ayurveda.

The History of Yoga

While the Vedas are shruti (“the heard text”) yoga traditions appear later in The Bhagavad Gita as smriti (smṛti - “the remembered text”). The Bhagavad Gita (c. 200 BCE) recalls tales and conversations between Arjuna, a prince, and Krishna, his divine charioteer. The script defines yoga as: “balance, emotions, intellect, behaviors, and selfless actions.”  

Similarly, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra documents yogic truths based on oral traditions passed from gods to sages. This text appears sometime between 500 BCE and AD 400. 

The physical practice of asana as part of the yoga journey appears as early as the 11th century. The hatha yoga postures guide the nervous system into stillness, creating the foundation for meaningful meditation. 

Modern yoga is rooted in both ancient scriptures and the movement of hatha yoga.  

History of Ayurveda

Ayurveda as holistic medicine also grew in the time of the Vedas and is often dated as being about 5,000 years old. Medical knowledge passed from gods to sages to physicians and healers is documented in the Vedas, including much discussion about herbs and medicines.

Subsequent scripts describe Ayurveda as well. The Sushruta Samhita is another ancient text of medicine and surgery. Parts of this scholarly manuscript recommend exercise and study of the Vedas for healing. Ayurvedic practices survive the test of time, and as recently as 1970 were introduced into the Western world.  

Principles of Ayurveda

The universe underscores the principles of Ayurveda, which expresses in the five elements of vayu (air), jala (water), ākash (ether), prithvi (earth), and teja (fire).

The three doshas of Ayurveda - vāta, pitta, and kapha - characterize a human's energies.  

Vāta links to electrolytes, cellular balance, and elimination in the body. Vāta is associated with air and ether, with energy that resonates in the fall, and is described as flowing, dry, and light.  

Pitta connects with thermoregulation, optic nerve function, and hunger and thirst. Pitta associates with the hot summer and includes fire, heat, and liquid (although this “liquid” is often overtaken by pitta’s fire).  

Kapha associates with joints and anabolic body functions to build components of the human body. Spring is the time for Kapha energy, as it steadily awakens with softness and cold. 

Commonalities between Yoga and Ayurveda

Yoga and Ayurveda grew from the Vedas, based on centuries-old storytelling and knowledge. Their similarities and parallel paths overlap, and it is said that Ayurveda is the field of study and science, while Yoga applies the principles and teachings. 

They share the common denominator of seeking a balance between mental and physical health to improve life and prevent disease. Yoga and Ayurveda are holistic approaches to health via movement, diet, breathing, meditation, and rituals. 

Complementary factors and applying ancient teachings to modern-day practices

As a yoga teacher or yoga therapist, you can use this knowledge to address today's stressors with ancient teachings. Creating unique and appropriate yoga classes for students starts with understanding their doshas and any areas of imbalances. Pay attention to the season, the temperature, and any specific ailments a student may have.  

For strong Pitta types, create flows that are cool, gentle, and soothing. For strong Vāta students, focus on slow components of the practice while emphasizing pranayama (prāṇāyāma– IAST). For strong Kapha types, create vigor and energy with challenging exercise. An individualized approach allows the body to find freedom in the asana, creating an ideal meditative state.  

Pairing Ayurvedic principles with appropriate asana provides coping tools for mental health while supporting the body's physical health. Let the diagnostic features of Ayurveda work together with the therapeutic movement of Yoga!

Consider incorporating Ayurvedic principles into your yoga teaching with an accredited 100-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Training available online

Consider broadening your continuing education into the time-honored tradition of Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. The partnership of the two addresses the body, mind, and spirit holistically and appropriately. 

Ayurvedic guidelines can help you serve your students' current balance. Paired with Chakra theory to understand their bodies and Kosha theory to understand their minds, you will accurately recognize your students' needs. Apply specific asana in your classes to create the balances that each individual needs. Then your yoga guidance will be most effective and kind.  

If this interests you, consider enrolling in Prema Yoga Institute’s 100-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Training, which is now available 100% online. This accredited training can go towards a Yoga Alliance 300-hour Yoga Teacher Certificate.

Prema Yoga Institute, which is longer limited to New York City, is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022. PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!

If you found this information useful, visit our Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List for similar content.