Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga Teacher Training Overview

A Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School

Since its release in 1994, Deepak Chopra’s book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success has improved the lives of millions around the world. Through seven easily understood principles, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success teaches that harmony, happiness, and abundance are available to anyone willing to embrace a consciousness-based approach to life.

Chopra Center co-founders, Drs. Deepak Chopra and David Simon have designed a daily yoga practice to help you unite body, mind, and spirit, bringing you into alignment with the magnificent rhythms of the cosmos.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga infuses your practice with spirit while bringing the seven laws into action each day. Every class plays a crucial role in yoga’s path to enlightenment while providing you with a wealth of meditation techniques, mantras, breathing exercises, and yoga poses.

"Any reason for practicing yoga is a good reason. Enhancing flexibility and releasing stress are as noble a purpose for performing yoga as the awakening of spirituality. This is the great gift of yoga – it serves and nourishes us at every level of our being and spontaneously contributes to greater well being in all domains of life. Yoga will help you discover gifts within yourself that have remained unopened since your childhood – gifts of peace, harmony, laughter, and love."
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga
by Drs. Deepak Chopra & David Simon

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga integrates 5,000-year-old Vedic wisdom and the yogic interpretations of Drs. Chopra and Simon. The program blends meditation, pranayama, yoga sutras, sun salutations, and asana development.

Whether you are new on the path of yoga and self-discovery, or you are hoping to deepen your knowledge about the ancient traditions, enrollment in the Yoga Alliance-compliant Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Teacher Training will take your understanding of the true principles of yoga and conscious living to the next level.

Yoga Certification Process

All applicants are required to fill out an application once enrolled, submit a one page essay on why you want to enroll in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, and participate in a telephone interview with a Chopra Center staff member. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels are all welcome.

Prerequisites for all applicants

  1. Attend a Primordial Sound Meditation class and practice daily meditation. Find an instructor in your area
  2. Read The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga book by Drs. Deepak Chopra & David Simon

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Teacher Training program is taught in the following stages:

Step 1

Upon payment and registration for the Teacher Training program you will receive a Home Study Kit that will include three books: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, and Perfect Health; your instructor manual, a CD for learning Sanskrit, practice teaching CDs, and all the recommended books for the training.

Step 2

Your next step is our Seduction of Spirit meditation retreat with Deepak Chopra and David Simon. In Seduction of Spirit, you will practice Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga each morning and evening, dine on Ayurvedic vegetarian lunches and meditate with Deepak and David
and more than 200 likeminded individuals. Seduction of Spirit will take place in San Diego, California in November.

Step 3

Attend Part A. Afterwards you will perform a two-month at-home study, review, and practice prior to attending Part B. During this two-month home study, teachers in training will need to participate in at least 50 hours of yoga practice, instruction, study, and research with the materials provided by The Chopra Center. The program director and other faculty members will be available during your two month at home study period via email and live teleconferences (approximately every two weeks).

Step 4

Attendance at both Journey Into Healing - Ayurvedic Immersion AND Part B, which is a six-day certification residential training program. These may be completed in any order. In 2007 these will take place in Carlsbad, CA.

Additional Requirements

In order to receive your Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga completion certificate and become registered with Yoga Alliance, you must complete a local CPR program and supply a copy of the certificate.

This program is a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour compliant program. The total amount of time spent in practice, study, and course prerequisites for SSLY will be approximately 280 hours.

Each day of residential Part A and Part B include light breakfast, daily lunches, course materials, yoga classes, meditation, asana practice, mantra study, yoga sutra instruction, Sanskrit study, chanting, anatomy classes and various discussions with Dr. Simon and other Chopra staff members. Upon graduating from the certification course, instructors will be authorized to use the titles: Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Instructor and Chopra Center Yoga Instructor.

 

Yoga Teacher Training Program FAQs

What if I am not very flexible, can I still become a yoga teacher?

We like to say that the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program is for every body. This Yoga Teacher Training program focuses on & what your body and mind can do in each moment. All levels, styles and body types are welcome.

What are the steps to become a certified yoga teacher?

Are there any additional requirements?

Yes.

  1. Due to the physical nature of yoga, we ask that all of our yoga teachers become certified in CPR and provide a copy of your certificate to us.
  2. These requirements can be met before, during, or after the residential part of the training, but must be completed in order to receive your Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga certificate.

After I have completed the prerequisites, when do I start the Yoga Teacher Training?

Yoga Teacher Training begins with the Part A, a six day preparatory residential training program several times a year. After Part A, you begin the at-home study portion of the Teacher Training program.

What is the home study portion of the training?

The two-month home study, review and practice are to be completed between Part A and Part B of the residential trainings. During this two-month home study, teachers in training will need to participate in at least 50 hours of yoga practice, instruction, study and research with the materials provided by The Chopra Center. The SSLY Faculty members will be available during your two month at home study period via email and live teleconferences (approximately every two weeks).

What happens during Part B of the Teacher Training?

Written and oral testing. The final six day certification residential program is where all participants must display proficiency in all aspects of the curriculum including teaching the Seven Spiritual
Laws of Yoga classes.

What is included in Part A and Part B of the Teacher Trainings?

Chopra Center residential teacher training programs include light breakfast, daily lunches, course materials, yoga classes, meditation, asana practice, mantra study, yoga sutra instruction, Sanskrit study, chanting, anatomy classes and various discussions with Dr. Simon and other Chopra staff members. Upon graduating from the certification course, instructors will be authorized to use the titles The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Instructor and Chopra Center Certified Yoga Instructor.

Is this program Yoga Alliance Compliant?

We are a registered school with the Yoga Alliance. Our program is a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour compliant program. The total amount of time spent in practice, study, and course prerequisites for SSLY will be
approximately 280 hours.

How do I get more information?

Please contact us at any time!

Yoga Certification Dates & Tuition

Vancouver, BC, Canada
Preparatory Residential Training (Part A) - May 18-23, 2008
Certification Residential (Part B) - July 19-25, 2008

San Diego, California, Location TBA
Preparatory Residential Training (Part A) - August 10-15, 2008
Certification Residential (Part B) – October 11-17 2008

Tuition in the various required courses of the Teacher Training can be paid on an a la carte basis or in a discounted package.

Total Tuition Packages are available at a savings of $1875
Enrollment is limited. Registrants may secure their place with a 50% deposit. The remainder of the payment and total tuition is due 30 days prior to Seduction of Spirit attendance or Part A whichever comes first.

Required Courses and tuition for each (if done separately)

  1. Primordial Sound Meditation ($325 standard price)
  2. Seduction of Spirit ($2575 standard price)
  3. Journey into Healing ($1975 standard price)
  4. Part A Preparatory (6 day residential) and Part B Certification (6 day residential)($3575 standard price)

Package includes:

Books & Materials:

Lodging is not included. We have negotiated a special Chopra Center rate for our guests in all locations. We can also suggest other local accommodations. Call us for lodging suggestions that will suit your
needs.

Yoga Teacher Training Faculty

David Simon, M.D. is the co-founder and Medical Director of The Chopra Center at La Costa Resort and Spa. Since he began his association with Deepak Chopra, M.D. in the 1980's, Dr. Simon has
become one of the nation's foremost authorities on yoga, meditation, and the effective and appropriate use of holistic health care
practices.

His prolific program development, writing, and research have resulted in the training of thousands of yogis, nurses, practitioners, and educators in holistic healing approaches throughout the world. In his role as Medical Director, Dr. Simon is the driving force behind The Chopra Center's development, training and implementation of programs and seminars in yoga, meditation, mind-body medicine, emotional healing, and spirituality.

He is the co-author of the critically acclaimed book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, which he wrote with Dr. Chopra, and is the author of several wellness books including: Vital Energy: The 7 Keys to Invigorate Body, Mind and Soul; Return to Wholeness – Embracing Body, Mind and Spirit in the Face of Cancer; The Wisdom of Healing; and (co-authored with Deepak Chopra) The Chopra Center Herbal Guide; and the classic Grow Younger, Live Longer.

Claire DiabClaire Diab is founder of The American Yoga Academy and is an internationally renowned Yoga Therapist and Fitness Specialist with more than 18 years of experience. In addition, she is currently adjunct Professor of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. For more than 10 years, she has taught and designed yoga programs for Dr. Chopra at more than
ten Seduction of Spirit and Journey to the Boundless seminars, including those at Oxford University, England, Geneva, Switzerland and Goa, India. She lectures nationwide on "Zen & Yoga: The Art of
Living."

Claire-currently the Director of the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program- is also a certified Chopra Center instructor in Primordial Sound Meditation, and Seven Laws of Engaging Spirit in the Workplace.
Her teaching of Mind/Body Integration in the business environment has provided real-world solutions for corporations such as Dunn & Bradstreet, Honeywell, AT&T, MSNBC, CNBC and Exxon.

Yoga Teacher Training Testimonials

"We designed this program with our Certified Instructors in mind…those who directly connect their individuality with their universality on a daily basis. With their help we will heal and transform the world."
—Dr. David Simon

"Like imaginal cells in a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga instructors are peace cells in the emergence of a powerful and sacred global humanity."
—Dr. Deepak Chopra

"This yoga instructor certification is the final step to becoming a true yogi."
—Claire Diab

Call 888.736.6895