200 Hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training - Tulum, Mexico

October 15-30, 2011
With Sharon Tessandori & Guest Teachers

Is this your time?

Imagine a lifestyle where you get to teach the passion you feel for yoga. People show up to the mat tired and stressed. You share your unique voice and teaching gift. At the end of class they roll up their mat with a spacious body and mind, connected on a soul level. And they pay you for it! .

People all over the world continue to wake up to the benefits of yoga and meditation. We continue to see the value of yoga represented in news print, magazines, local and national television shows. We’re all searching for something and someone to help remind us of who we truly are.

I really, really believe that the “something” is yoga.
And perhaps that “someone” is you?

Are you ready to come alive?

So many of us are just “getting by” everyday. We wake up and go to a job that we’re not passionate about where we spend one third of our day. Come home to cook, clean the house, help kids with homework, and hopefully find a little time to connect with a partner, family, and friends

We long for the day that we will have a fulfilling job, eat foods that fuel our body efficiently, appreciate and love our body, create experiences that bring happiness, and develop relationships that nourish us on a deeper level.

Many feel the urge to wake up and live a life filled with joy, gratitude and compassion. If only they could find the time. Or the will power to do so.

This is so much more than a 200 hour yoga teacher training!

I am inviting you along on a two week immersion of all things yoga. When I say yoga, I mean not only the postures but the full essence of yoga. You will practice, learn, and teach yoga, pranayama, and meditation. Those things are quite obvious.

But you’ll do even more. During these two weeks you will get to know yourself on a deep and intimate level. You will reaffirm who you are and what you want from life. You will leave with a plan that will support your body, mind and spirit back at home. You will feel nourished by the people around you and the splendor of nature in Tulum.

I believe that when you make the commitment to step away, step up, and serve in a way that feels authentic and aligned with who you are, “your people” will respond. They will be eager to learn from you. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson says, ““Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

What the planet needs now is people to lead and inspire others in their journey. As you evolve, you can help heal the planet.

Barefoot Works 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

2011 Curriculum Overview:

Asana (Posture)

• Focus on Hatha, Vinyasa & Yoga Therapy
• Adapting poses for individuals
• Variations of poses
• Use of yoga props
• The art of sequencing
• Physical and subtle body

History/Philosophy

• History of yoga
• Study of yoga sutras
• Major styles and schools of yoga
• Yoga “off the mat”
• Compassionate communication in class and in life
• Introduction to ayurveda (science/wisdom of life)

Teaching Methodology

• Assistant and adjusting
• Effective cueing
• Multi-tasking and demonstrating
• Developing confidence
• Working with private clients
• Working with people of all ages

Pranayama (breath work) and Meditation

• Use of pranayama during class
• Major meditation techniques
• Value of pranayama and meditation

The Business of Yoga

• Getting clear on your unique teaching gift
• How to build your teaching career.
• Fundamentals of marketing, branding, and advertising yourself and your classes.
• Creative business planning

Meet Your Teacher

Sharon is the happy owner of Barefoot Works. It only took her four years post graduate school to discover that her path must be one she forged for herself. A strong desire to live a creative, authentic life and a deep love of yoga inspired her to open Barefoot Works in 2004.

Sharon teaches group classes at the studio, directs the 200 hour yoga teacher training, leads national and international yoga retreats, and has a ball while growing Barefoot Works. She uses yoga as a catalyst to bring about a balanced life that's full of passion, compassion and joy. Sharon strives to find new ways of presenting yoga in a way that honors tradition but doing so in a lighthearted manner tailored to our modern lifestyle. She brings to her class an inspiring energy where she encourages students to find their own path. Sharon believes that the real power of yoga is when we can take what we learn on the mat and apply it in our daily lives where it really counts. When we can be flexible, strong, balanced, and compassionate off the mat, delicious and magical things are bound to happen.

Outside of yoga, Sharon can be found reading, journaling, taking pictures, sipping coffee, writing on her blog, dreaming of Mexico, and dancing wildly in the foyer of her home.

**You will also get to experience other guest teachers throughout the two week training.**

About Tulum

Tulum is on the southern edge of the Mayan Riviera, and feels like a lifetime away from Cancun. Yet only a direct flight away from major cities and a ninety minute ride from the Cancun airport, makes getting to Tulum extremely convenient. Tulum is famous for its pristine beaches, ruins overlooking the sea, and cenotes that are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and cave diving.

Yogis from around the globe are discovering Tulum Mexico as a destination for dancing with the divine. Tulum's white limestone beaches and sapphire blue Caribbean waters are perfect for letting go and living it up. The unhurried pace of this sacred area makes it a perfect spot for a yoga immersion. Each day here you will find yourself returning to a place of natural relaxation, inner stillness and wholeness.

About Cabanas La Luna

Cabanas La Luna will be your home for your training. Imagine that you washed ashore on a beautiful tropical island with a group of friends and you built yourself a cozy little settlement of colorful decorated, wooden houses right there on the beach.

La Luna is build like a tiny little village. Private, elegant, warm and friendly with a nice central gathering place where you can enjoy local fresh dishes. Like many of the eco chic establishments on Tulum’s “beach road”, Cabanas La Luna creates its own electricity and water supply. The are amazingly and beautifully self sufficient.

It was extremely important to me to make this training the best it could possibly be. Our days together will be filled to the brim with yoga goodness. I can so relate to those people that need their space, their alone time.

I went to great lengths to find a way to offer participants in this training a private room. A room to call your home on this beautiful beach where the sea meets the sand and the sand meets the jungle. This year we have Cabanas La Luna to ourselves. For 15 days this will be our home for this transformative training. Everyone will get a private room. Some will share a bath. All pricing is the same and on a first come first serve basis. Register early to get the best of the best!

Click here to view Cabanas La Luna website.

Now that you know more about the program and the location, is this you?

We believe that there is a “right” program for each of you interested in teaching yoga. Meaning that what we have to teach will be right for some, but not for all. Take a look at the following values and see if they fit you. Fitting doesn’t have to mean that you’ve perfected it, but it does mean that you are interested and open to it.

Personal growth. You have the desire to continue to grow, learn, and apply. I’m not so much concerned if you are a “yoga master”. Perfection of the poses does not lead to enlightenment or perfection in teaching. You should be knowledgeable about the basic yoga poses as I find it’s just way too much to start from scratch AND expect to learn how to teach.

Connection. You see yourself as a part of a greater good. You trust, believe, or at least suspect that we are all interwoven in some way even if you’re not exactly sure how.

Contribution. You sense the power that lies within the practice, philosophy, and psychology of yoga. You have a desire to make a difference in the lives of others by sharing yoga. I firmly believe that having more yoga teachers out in the world will lead to a happier and healthier planet.

Compassion. Embarking on the path of becoming a yoga teacher is a process. There will be intense, emotional, and challenging times. Our training days will be greatly fulfilling and grueling at times. Compassion for yourself (and those training alongside you) will be needed.

Frequently Asked (and thought) Questions

This is the place where I try to answer some of the questions running through your mind. I understand that embarking on the path of becoming a yoga teacher is a big decision. You are committing to leaving your home for two weeks; spend money, time, and energy with people you’ve never met before. I get a little panicky whenever I commit to things like this, so I’m assuming there is a little apprehension on your part.

So let me give you a few more details and hopefully reassure you:

What will a day in Tulum look like?

For our training, we will have a group of asanas (poses) in which we focus on each day. Breaking the poses down in this way really helps in the learning process. Here is a sample of a day focusing on standing poses:

6:30 – 7:00	Meditation
7:00 – 9:00	Yoga Practice
9:00 – 10:00	Breakfast
10:00 – 1:00	Posture Lab & Practice Teaching: Observing, cueing, assisting and practice teaching standing poses.
1:00 – 2:00	Lunch
2:00 – 3:00	Teaching Methodology
3:00 – 4:00	Subtle Anatomy
4:00 – 5:00	Yoga Philosophy
5:00 – 6:00	Pranayama & Meditation

Of course we’ll have some breaks throughout the day and there will be some flexibility with the schedule. Hopefully this gives you a general idea.

How proficient in yoga do I have to be to participate in the program?

We are more interested in your desire in wanting to learn something new than we are in seeing a perfected headstand. An advanced yogi is not one that can master all the complex poses, but bring to their mat joy, interest, desire, and willingness to learn. However, you should know that the training process is quite vigorous.

Our training days will span 12 hours over the day. This will not be 12 hours of asana. That would be so mean!

We will be immersing ourselves in this training in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We will utilize the outdoors for much of our training. Think walking meditation on the beach, journaling exercises in the jungle, and philosophy discussions by the pool. We will truly engage all five senses throughout our two weeks together.

How many participants do you accept into the training?

I am only accepting 12 students. It’s important that each student gets the amount of time and attention needed for something as important as yoga teacher training.

What is the typical age?

Students have ranged in age from 18-64 years of age.

What if I get there and don’t like anyone?

This is a legitimate question. I think most of us will agree that yogis are most often pretty cool people. Most yogis come to retreats and trainings with open hearts and open minds. I’ve participated in and led a number of trainings and while I might always have a little fear, I find that I get along great with the other participants and we end up having so much in common. In fact, I’ve met some of my greatest friends in yoga trainings.

At the same time, we all have “our thing”. You know the issue that we are always trying to work through. That’s fine. I have mine. You probably have yours. This is another reason that I keep the group small and went to extra efforts to find private rooms for most everyone. Space is good.

To help ease into the training we’ll have a few group phone calls and be hanging out online. So when you do meet in person, you’ll already feel like you know everyone. It will feel more like a reunion!

Training for two weeks and for twelve hour days, that sounds intense….maybe a little too intense for me.

Trainings of any sort can be fairly intense. And exhausting. I’ve taken this into consideration as I’ve planned for our two weeks. Each day of the training there will be free time every day in which you can nap in a hammock, walk the white sandy beach, sip on a tasty drink, or simply run away for alone time.

Each day there will also be a period of time in which we do some creative work that you can find your own space to ponder, plan, brainstorm, and write. There will be many soothing soulful places for you to choose from. These places will replenish your mind, body, and spirit daily.

Is there any work outside of the training that I will have to do?

Before we gather in Tulum there will be some reading and writing assignments as well as required yoga classes taken with a registered yoga teacher. These hours are included towards your 200 hours of training.

What do I bring?

Once you register, I’ll send you a detailed packing list of the things you’ll want to bring to Tulum. I’ve been there so many times now I like to think I’ve got the packing list mastered!

How do I get to Cabanas La Luna?

Cabanas La Luna is only ninety minutes from Cancun Airport. You can get there by bus, taxi, or shuttle. I’ll give you more details once you register.

Will I be qualified to teach yoga once I am finished with the training?

Yes! With 100% attendance and the successful completion of the program you will be ready to teach and share the joys of yoga. This program is a thorough, professional training for becoming a yoga teacher.

Costs & Payment Plans

Do you want to be at this yoga teacher training but aren’t sure how you can financially swing it? Perhaps a payment plan would help? It’s made the difference to me in being able to participate in programs myself, so I wanted to make this an option.

Students who sign up for the training can elect to pay in full or make four monthly payments.

BEFORE AUGUST 9	AFTER AUGUST 9
$3,500	$3,800
PAY $500 DEPOSIT HERE

What Happens Now?

Ready to embark on a life changing journey? Great! Here’s how it works…..

Step 1: Pay a $500 deposit.

Step 2: I’ll send you to an application.
Don’t worry; I just want to make sure that together we’ll be a good fit. We’ll be making a commitment and spending a lot of time together in Mexico. It will be wise for both of us to make sure we’ll work well together.

Step 3: I’ll schedule a 10-20 minute phone call to follow up with the application.
You can ask me some questions. I can ask you some questions. It will be helpful for me to get to know you, learn a little about your expectations, and the direction you’d like to go with your yoga career. If for some reason it turns out that we’re not a good fit, I’ll happily refund your $500 deposit. Since we’re only accepting eight people for this training, we want to be sure that it’s the right eight people.

Step 4: Payment
You can pay the tuition in full, or split it into four monthly automatic payments. The first payment will be due one month after your deposit is paid. If you have questions, let me know.

Step 5: The fun stuff!
This is where I send you all the information that you need and together we start getting ready for training!

Summary Yes I know there’s a lot of information here! Just in case I lost you somewhere, here are the most important details…. Who? Sharon Tessandori, owner/director of Barefoot Works Yoga & Guest Teachers What? A 200 hour yoga teacher training registered with Yoga Alliance Where? Cabanas La Luna at Tulum, Mexico When? October 15-30, 2011 – plus scheduled calls before and after the training How much? $3,50O for early registration. $3,800 afterwards. A $500 deposit is required and is deducted from the total. You receive the training, accommodations, a vegetarian breakfast daily, online training manual, and unlimited sun and sand. A few extra surprises will be included throughout the training. Last day to join: September 19th, 2011.

Cancellations? What if the unthinkable happens and you have to cancel?

• If you cancel one month prior and we have can fill your spot we’ll refund everything minus the deposit.
• If you cancel less than one month and we can fill your spot we’ll refund half of your money.
• If you cancel less than one month and we can’t fill your spot we can’t make any refunds.

I want to be as fair as I possibly can while honoring my own commitments as well as those to other teachers, students, and the contract I have with Cabanas La Luna.

I'm looking forward to sharing this transformative experience with you. If you have any questions, call me at 859.433.7787 or email barefootworks@hotmail.com.

Namaste,

Sharon

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