200HR / 2024-25
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV
Yoga Teacher Training
October 2, 2024 –April 13, 2025
Includes one retreat-style weekend
Honoring Ancient Tradition in a Modern Context
A 200-hour Yoga Training Program to cultivate community, curiosity, adaptability, and engagement in the wider world. This Yoga Alliance recognized training will expand your definition of yoga and your awareness of daily living.
Early bird: Save $150 on tuition until June 1!
This 8-month course will surround you with community to support you as you consider the questions:
- Why is the ancient wisdom of yoga essential for human beings and how do we integrate this wisdom with the reality of this modern world?
- How can yoga teachers play an integral part in major transformation for this modern world?
- What does it mean for yoga to be accessible to all human bodies?
- How can we experience greater wholeness as we investigate our own unique body through deliberate and curious exploration?
- How can we support our nervous system so we can turn down the dial of intensity and division within ourselves and our communities?
You will be supported in deeply exploring the practice and philosophy of yoga among a community of peers.
Times:
- Wednesdays:
6pm – 8:30pm - Fridays:
6pm – 8:30pm - Saturdays:
9am – 7pm
Residential Retreat Weekends
- 5:30PM Friday – 2PM Sunday
Hours are subject to change.
- Online options for Wednesday & Friday Evenings
- Wednesdays: October 2, 2024 – April 9, 2025
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October 4 & 5, 2024 (Fri/Sat)
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November 8 & 9, 2024 (Fri/Sat)
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December 13 & 14, 2024 (Fri/Sat)
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January 10 & 11, 2025 (Fri/Sat)
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February 14 & 15, 2025 (Fri/Sat)
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March 14 – 16, 2025 (possible retreat weekend)
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April 11 & 12, 2025 (Fri/Sat)
Additional non-contact hours including 10 hour Seva Project
300HR CLASS OF 2024
CLASS OF 2018
CLASS OF 2019
CLASS OF 2020
In this training, you will learn:
- Fundamental yoga postures, exploring both historical context and modern adaptations for a wide range of practitioners to meet the needs of a variety of physical limitations.
- Anatomical and alignment principles of yoga postures, as well as contraindications of poses.
- Sequencing of yoga postures, to include a wide range of practitioners, practice styles for vigorous, moderate, or restorative paced practices, postural adaptations, and the use of props to support the overall practice.
- Applied anatomy to include the skeletal system, joints and types of joint movement, major muscles and types of muscular contractions, the digestive system, cardiovascular system, the endocrine system, and safe movement orientation as it pertains to balancing, stretching, and physical limitations.
- Nervous system awareness through stress response understanding, vagal theory, overall mind-body connection, and our ability to attune with greater health and wholeness through the study and practice of nervous system balancing practices.
- The respiratory system including the muscles that affect breathing, voluntary vs involuntary breath, and the practice of Pranayama to include its history and lineage.
- The historical context of the Yoga Sutras and the experiential practice of the 8 limbs of yoga, including Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathwork), Dhyana and Dharana (contemplation and meditation), and of Svadhyaya (self-study).
- A historical understanding of Hatha Yoga, Tantra, and Ayurveda, with definitions of key terms and a familiarity with the components of these practices and philosophies from which they come.
- Clear verbal cuing for teaching yoga postures, breathwork, and meditation
- Subtle body anatomy, discussed and explored experientially
- The use of hands-on assists in postures, effectively and appropriately.
- Discussions of assigned modern and ancient textual readings, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, and books by Donna Farhi, Matthew Sanford, Jivana Heyman, Judith Lasater, and others
- The ancient philosophy of yoga and considerations for its application in our modern world
- Ethics, best practices, and discussions of inclusivity, equity, and justice in the yoga classroom and the world at large
- Business practices and creating a guiding mission statement
- Trauma Sensitive practice
- How to build a personal practice and strengthen your commitment to your practice of yoga
- Engaging your authentic and powerful voice and teaching from your heart’s center
- The art and practice of service as a way of deepening connection and community
Students will receive a 200-hour certificate upon completion of the program.
Tuition
Early bird: Save $150 on tuition until June 1!
- $2,550 when paid in full – includes a $200 non-refundable deposit.
- $2,650 paid in 12 installments – includes a $200 non-refundable deposit.
Christa Mastrangelo Joyce
Christa Mastrangelo Joyce is E-RYT500 hour certified through Kim Manfredi. She holds more than 1000 additional hours of training through her studies with Sianna Sherman, Bernie Clark, Maria Garre, Shiva Rea, Desiree Rumbaugh, Tiffany Cruikshank, and Andrew McCaulay. Christa founded Jala Yoga in 2009. She has offered yoga trainings since 2012. Christa has a wide and diverse yoga background, including training in Ashtanga, Hatha, Ayruveda, Yin Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has a strong understanding of anatomy, especially regarding the nervous system, and incorporates her knowledge of breath work, meditation, and Yoga philosophy in her teachings. She brings her love of story and mythology to the practice. Christa strives to honor the ancient tradition of the practice within a modern context of the world today. She is especially interested in understanding the barriers to accessibility in the yoga practice, and she works to create classes that support adaptability, curiosity, and engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this program for?
Everyone who wants to engage in practices to enhance their overall wellness, including sleep and nutrition; for people who want to teach yoga; for counselors, school teachers, physical therapists, healthcare professionals, athletes, etc. wishing to enhance their current profession; for people looking to be more engaged in all walks of life, including as parents, community members, all those who wish to cultivate healing and unity in themselves and the world around them.
Is this program nationally accredited?
We are certified and accredited through the Yoga Alliance as both a 200- and 300-Hour Yoga School. By the completion of all requirements, you can choose to register yourself through the Yoga Alliance as a 200-Hour certified yoga teacher.
Am I too old? Too inflexible? Too injured? Too __________?
So often we’re conditioned to think that some part of us isn’t enough, that we must apologize for who we are. We’ve worked with humans of various genders, races, ages, religious affiliations, body types, people with chronic illness and injuries. It’s of the utmost importance to us to foster an environment in which you can show up just as you are and engage in practices that are suitable for your body.
Do I have to teach yoga when I’m finished?
Absolutely not. Many folks take the program with the intention of deepening their practice and to use the tools of yoga in other arenas. We’ve seen students take these practices into areas of counseling, physical therapy, healthcare, education, parenting, and athletics to name a few. And many times, folks who come into the program without the desire to teach, go on to teach because they’re inspired to share the work.
Will I be qualified to teach when I’m finished?
We give you a variety of tools throughout the program to make it possible for you to be qualified. Everyone learns and grows at a different pace. Many are ready to teach at the completion; however, some go on to cultivate additional skills before teaching.
Are there additional costs associated with the training?
Assigned books other than the manual are not included. Between 8-10 books (one per month and 2 anatomy texts) are assigned. These can often be purchased used through Amazon or Jala’s used book library. Our local bookstore offers these books at their student discount price as well.
When I decided at 39 to delve into a YTT, my dear friend recommended Jala Yoga. The studio is 4 hours away from my house. This didn’t stop me from taking her advice, registering and completing 2019 YTT. My time spent in the training was something of a personal awakening. I went from being who others expected me to be, to just being myself.The knowledge that Christa possesses is deep and wide. When I finished the program, I could have easily started all over again and learned something totally different.I am in awe of my personal growth, my ability to now teach others in the yoga asanas and breath-work, and the deep love that I can continue to cultivate for the practice and the teachings of yoga.
Jala Yoga’s 200-hour training exceeded my expectations. In the beginning of training, I wanted to learn more about the practice and science of yoga to include in my mental health counseling work with clients. I have now increased my trust in myself and my ability to tune into and hold space for others. Christa and her team of co-teachers led our Sangha through an extensive process of learning and experiencing Yoga and the yogic ways with grace, integrity, inquiry and the perseverance and grit to deliver it all during a pandemic, on-line while meeting all the marks. This is an experience I will always value.
Jala’s Yoga Teacher Training is a transformational experience that I recommend to all – even those who do not intend to teach. Christa prioritizes safety and alignment, while honoring the traditions of yoga. She creates community wherever she is. Additionally, she encourages necessary conversations such as yoga’s connection to social and racial justice. You may start the training with the intention of becoming teacher, but you’ll end the training a lifelong learner.
Christa’s knowledge, deep commitment, and love for the study and practice of yoga is truly inspirational and shines through in her desire to inspire others. I could not have asked for a better teacher to guide me through this journey and the further deepening of my own yoga practice.
Yoga Teacher Training through Jala Yoga is a unique experience like no other. Through these 8 months of learning and growth, I also experienced an amazing journey within. I feel like I was given enough information from my 8 months to last me a lifetime!
I am so grateful I “took the plunge” into yoga teacher training—graduating when I was 74 years old. Learning to do the asanas correctly was important, but equally important was learning the breathing, meditation, and the many layers of this discipline that have enriched my life. Christa is a very gifted teacher–possessing in-depth knowledge as well as a spirit filled with kindness and fun. I would encourage anyone considering this experience to give themself this gift.
The 200-hour Yoga teacher training vastly exceeded my expectations. Christa’s expertise in anatomy as well as philosophy is impressive and her reputation as a great teacher is well deserved. During the training, the challenges the coronavirus presented to myself and my family personally and financially might have had devastating consequences for my education (and mental health), but Christa helped me find a way to make it work. I felt personally acknowledged and have cultivated a strong student-teacher relationship. I would recommend this training to anyone who wants to pursue the Yogic path.
Christa is an amazing teacher and storyteller. Her ability to teach anatomy, Sanskrit, yoga philosophy and tell a mythological story amazes me. I went into teacher training concerned I wasn’t strong enough, my practice wasn’t as deep as I thought it should be, and wondering if I was ready. The in depth review of anatomy, the labs that dove deep into each pose with modifications and progressions, the lectures regarding the lineages of yoga and the sutras helped create a base of knowledge that makes me feel enlightened, confident and ready to teach. During a time in history that has felt turbulent, this training has been my savior. It has helped me feel embodied and grounded, more open hearted and confident.
