2 Yoga Teacher Training Groups Starting in March 2024! For Yoga Students who are Dedicated to Iyengar Yoga: The Gold Standard of Yoga Systems. These New Teacher Training Groups Are By Invitation Only. Please Read The Information Below Carefully as to Qualifications for Acceptance

Welcome to the home page for Yoga Teacher Trainings, with Richard Schachtel, Director of The Center For Yoga of Seattle Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher

Richard Schachtel is Seattle's Most Experienced Yoga Teacher Trainer. he has been training yoga teachers since 1986

2 NEW
YOGA TEACHER
TRAINING GROUPS
FORMING

PART OF OUR NEW 2024
YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

GROUP A MEETS ON SUNDAYS
STARTING ON MARCH 2
4 SESSION FIRST COURSE

GROUP B MEETS ON SUNDAYS STARTING on MARCH 30
4 SESSION FIRST COURSE

We are starting a New Style of
YogaTeacher Training Program this Spring

Richard Schachtel is interested in training the next group of Future Yoga Teachers to teach at The Center For Yoga of Seattle
And Elsewhere in The Seattle Area and Western Washington.

The training will be in The Iyengar Tradition, Considered The Gold Standard of Yoga Systems

We Will Be Hiring From Within From These Groups of Students.

Please read the following carefully and Do Not email us, Nor call us, Nor stop by for more information. The qualifications, requirements are listed below. These are Invitation Only Goups

The format and the requirements are completely different from other teacher training courses we have given in the past. Richard has trained teachers since 1986.

The first thing to understand is that this is Not a Teacher Training Course which has a specific starting and ending date.

These are Invitation Only Yoga Teacher Training Groups where qualified Iyengar Yoga Students may be invited to join.
New Students may be admitted in March, May, September and other months in 2024 and 2025.

Those currently enrolled in a Weekly Course at The Center For Yoga of Seattle can talk in person to Richard After one of his classes to express interest and to find out about their readiness to be invited into one of the groups(more on this below).

These Teacher Training Groups are for those who currently attend a Regular Weekly Class with Richard either In-Studio or Online.

The Teacher Training Groups will meet Weekly with Richard in person during Several Months of the Year on Sundays in 2024 and in 2025.

Each single session will have different material or similar material taught in an entirely different manner.

In addition to being in a Regular Weekly Class with Richard admitted students must commit to practice regularly on their own at home. This is known as Home Yoga Practice or Personal Yoga Practice.

The path to becoming a qualified yoga teacher should be understandable and sensible to thoughtful students:
1. You attend regular weekly classes with a Senior Teacher.
This could be one, two, three or four classes per week.

2. At a certain point on the days you are not attending class, you do your own practice at home WITHOUT using audio or video classes to practice with.

3. You begin to suppplement your experience of Regular Weekly yoga classes with occasional weekend workshops .
These 2-3 hour or
2-5 day courses expand you horizons in learning more about the tradition, new sequences, other uses of props or modes of learning.

In these workshops you begin to have more experiences taking you beyond what we do in regular classes.

At the Center For Yoga of Seattle the 3 Biggest Events of the Year are the 5 Day Practice Weeks usually held in July or August and again in December, and the 26 week Pranayama Course Starting in April 2024

4.The Teacher Training Groups allow interested students to further refine their understanding of how to develop a practice and how the experoienced teacher works with different different body types and special needs to help the student to improve and practice intelligently.

Admitted students will learn more of the systematic and methodical Iyengar Yoga Method of teaching and student development.

You cannot learn what is taught here by just being in a regular weekly class.

Learning the Invaluable Art's of Demonstration, Instruction,
Observation
and Correction are taught here. Learning how to "See", and much, much more.

You need to be Open to Learning
and
Receptive to Feedback to be admitted into one off these groups.

There will be some academic work here that will be laid out at another time. Nothing to be anxious about.

5.The other important component to become a teacher is for the qualified student to learn to help out and assist in regular weekly courses.

To be an Assistant for a particular level, the student has to take that class as a student first.

In This New Program we encourage students to enroll In Addition to their Weekly Course where they are working at their particular level, to Enroll in The Friday Nite Slower Course.

Being in this Slower class first as a student, allows the trainee or future trainee to see and experience how an experienced teacher makes the yoga practice accessible to a wide variety of students often with special needs.

You learn many important and creative ways of using props.

To become an assistant in one of our weekly classes you must
1.be taking a regular weekly class with Richard

2.Be Admitted to One
of our Teacher Training Groups

3.Be Practicing on your own

4. having taken the course first that you want to assist in

5.Be given Approval to Assist from Richard

6.You also must be committed to Iyengar Yoga which means you are not studying or practicing other methods of yoga. We don't want students who are not fully committed to Iyengar Yoga to be in This New Training.

Students committed to Iyengar Yoga Only.

This means not just for Assisting but for Being Admitted to one of the groups.

Please don't email or call us about assisting in classes OR Joining One of The Groups.

Richard will talk to you after class provided. you are enrolled for the January/February Session.

You can talk to Richard about assisting in person, if you are in one of the Teacher Training Groups.

WHAT ARE THE TEACHER TRAINING GROUPS?

These groups are Invitation Only Groups for those who study regularly with Richard either in person or Online.

For those in a regular weekly course, you can talk to Richard about your interest in possibly being in one of the groups after your class.

Do Not Email Us or Call Us About The Program. Richard will be happy to talk to those in a regular weekly course,
not drop-in students, nor those who are not currently enrolled in a weekly course.

THE 2 GROUPS

Group A
is the more experienced group composed of students who have been attending regular weekly classes for a longer period of time with Richard and have a stronger practice.

They have a more mature understanding of Iyengar Yoga and are more ready to be in a group with similarly committed students.

Group B is for those with less experience in regular classes with Richard but still have potential to eventually be in Group A.

These NewTeacher Training Groups are NOT like common yoga teacher couses where you might meet for a set and arbitrary number of hours. Those courses often admit students who are not qualified to be in a teacher training and are not at the level of quality and depth as a training in Iyengar Yoga taught by a Senior Iyengar Teacher.

For this New Method of Training Teachers only students with Iyengar Yoga qualifications will be admitted.

If you study and practice other methods of yoga this type of training is not for you and you should not asked to be admitted.

To teach Yoga successfully, the trainee needs in simple language a lot of training and feedback, and even more training and more feedback.

Yoga in America is in a pathetic place where unqualified teachers are giving teacher training courses to unqualified students in methods of yoga that are just not effective.
The result is that the field is a mess. The quality is extremely low.

In each session of both teacher training groups, we will work to understand the subject and the practice in a deeper way than in a regular class.

Usually several poses will be studied and practiced in more depth with the end result being that participants will understand why and how we practice the poses in different ways for different reasons, skill level and conditions.

Over time the participants skill levels in practice and observation skills will improve

AGAIN PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL, CALL US, OR STOP BY THE CENTER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOU MIGHT BE ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM

You must be a currently enrolled student in our program in a weekly class either in person or online.

If you are in one of our courses in the January and February Session, You can talk to Richard After Class about your Qualifications for being admitted to one of the groups and if he feels you are ready to join either group.

You must be admitted to join one of the groups.

Please keep in mind the Groups are Fluid and being in Group
A for March Session does not Guarantee that you will be admitted in May session in Group A.

We may move students to a different group as time goes on.

Of course some students may still may not be ready to continue to be in a teacher training group and may not be allowed to continue membership in the group for a period of time.

The group membership will evolve over time with more experienced and better qualified students will shift to Group A and the students who have less development will be in Group B.

The Groups will be ongoing. We may change the format in the future but for now and the key word is NOW, this is how we will begin to train those who are interested in starting this path in a more directed, personal and involved way.

No Certification will be awarded.
You will not be an Iyengar Yoga Teacher.
This Onoing Training may help you to become eventually be ready to Pass Iyengar Yoga Assessment to become a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher
.For Every 40 Hours of Weekend Teacher Training a Certificate will be issued announcing that you have completed those 40 Hours of Yoga Teacher Training.
These 40 hours cannot be used for Yoga Alliance Registry.

DATES AND FEES FOR 2024 FOR THE TEACHER TRAINING GROUPS

GROUP A Session 1
Meets Sundays
4:00pm-6:30pm
March 3,10,17,24
Fee: $250
for the March session

Session 2
Meets again on Sundays
4:00pm-6:30pm
April 28, May 5,12, 19
Fee: $250

Session 4\Meets again on
Sundays
September 7,14,21,28
Fee: $250
for the September Session

Session 4
Meets Again
Sundays
4:00pm-6:30pm
November 2,9,16,30
Fee: $250 for the November Session

GROUP B
Session 1
Meets Sundays
4:00pm-6:30pm March 31,
April 7,14,21
Fee: $250 for the March/April Session

Session 2
Meets again Sundays
4:00pm-6:30pm
June 1,8,15,22
Fee: $250 for June Session

Session 3
Meets again Sundays
4:00pm-6:30pm
October 6,13,20,27

Fee: $250 for the October Session

Please Understand that we can write more about the program and we may in future emails but this is enough to give some direction for those interested in learning to teach a high quality yoga in the future.

In Sum, if you are enrolled in the January/ February Session you can talk to Richard in person about joining the Teacher Training Groups and your readiiness.

Of course not everyone will be admitted to start in March. Some will join later in the year or perhaps 2025.

Again,
Please no emails or phone calls about the program.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR THOSE WHO CURRENTLY TAKE WEEKLY CLASSES EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE
We will admit some students to become members of one of the In-studio in-person Teacher Training Groups
with one important caveat: You will be required to attend at least 10 hours each year of in person classes or workshops with Richard for example 2 days of a August or December Workshop. You need to make some extra effort to appear more in person than just the Sunday Teacher Training Sessions.

Richard Schachtel has been giving yoga teacher training courses in Seattle since 1986. He has trained hundreds of students in his specific teacher training courses. Richard today draws from his over 40 years of teaching in the Iyengar Tradition.

He is the most Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Iyengar Yoga Teacher Trainer in The Seattle Area.

Richard has made 23 one and two month study trips to India to work directly with BKS Iyengar, Geeta S. Iyengar, Prashant and Abhijata Iyengar at Their Institute In Pune since 1980.

Richard assisted in medical yoga classes for 20 years.THE BEST WAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT IYENGAR YOGA IS TO SIGN UP FOR A WEEKLY COURSE. SEE ON OUR HOME PAGE THE RED TAB THIS WEEKS SPECIALS. ON THE BOTTOM OF OUR HOME PAGE IS A TAB TO GET ON OUR MAILING LIST TO BE IN TOUCH WITH ALL THAT IS HAPPENING AT THE CENTER FOR YOGA OF SEATTLE BOTH IN-STUDIO AND ONLINE

Videos From Teacher Training Courses

Richard shows how to safely open the thoracicdorsal spine back arching over the tressler

Richard shows how to get started in supported bridge

Comments From Students who have taken our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Sophia

200hr Yoga teacher program was the best experience in this year. I met brave, strong and amazing peers and teachers through this program. I'll never forget this experience. I'll go on my yoga practice to the last breath.

Jiyul Kim
June 24, 2014

The comradery of the students was excellent. No competition was felt, rather each student supported and helped others daily. The primary instructor was generally kind and sympathetic towards students yet maintained the structure and pace of the intensive training. Sufficient rest was given and encouraged to maintain personal health during the program. I would recommend a longer course rather than so much to absorb in a short intensive training. However, the use of time was excellent.

Cristine Harvold
January 8, 2014

Iyengar's approach to yoga meets everyone at their level of practice. This training gave me the confidence to offer adjustments in any pose, by bringing the body into alignment which minimizes the potential for injuries.

Bonnie Chan
April 2, 2014

The month long course was hard, but to feel the accomplishment at the end of the training was worth it, I really enjoyed this training. I learned so much and had met some really great teachers. Our instructor knew his material and presented it in the short month I was enrolled. He has a lot of experience and is willing to teach it to anyone who is willing to learn.

Ethel Hogge
October 19. 2015

I appreciate the time spent on correct alignment and learning how to do the poses safely. Good intro to the depth and scope of yoga and instilled in me a desire to continue my studies.

Adrianne Bolach
Oct 17, 2014

The Center for Yoga of Seattle has a special passion for helping students reach their full potential, safely, and understanding the "why" of everything we did.

Kelley Bridges
Aug 26, 2014

The Center for Yoga of Seattle's 1 Year Weekend teacher training program covers considerable breadth of material without sacrificing depth. Of particular note is that this program gives you tools with which to work with individuals of greatly varying physical ability. A very enjoyable experience.

Nesanit Mitiku MD PHD

I had a great time during the summer intensive. Learned a lot of fine tuning skills and great methods to teach. I would highly recommend this program.

Shannon Slevin
Aug 06, 2015

The Center for Yoga Seattle as an Iyengar studio has the best alignment principles and is very good at making sure you can recognize if a person is doing a pose correctly and how to adequately use props to assist in their yoga experience.

Kiwani Allen
Sep 17, 2014

This school and my teacher hold a sacred place in my heart. I'm extremely thankful for the entire experience and the amount of knowledge I attained while in the school. This is my foundation and my roots to the beautiful path laid before me. Thank you, thank you for being such a special part of my journey! Namaste

Kasey Crutchfield
Jul 21, 2014

Richard is wise and talent teacher. I am so appreciated when a teacher spends a lot of time discussing alignment and the reason behind why we do certain sequence of poses. I enjoyed paying attention to his teaching style during the teacher training course.

Kwanruethai Patumrattanachote
Oct 01, 2015

Iyengar yoga tradition. This program is worth going to if you value detailed actions and communication from your instructors to get a deeper understanding of asana. Iyengar is alignment based and focuses on the foundation of the asana. In the Iyengar tradition you will also be introduced to the use of props to modify or deepen your asana. You will be instructed in the proper use of props as well. B.K.S. Iyengar pioneered this approach to make yoga for everyone. You will be teaching many different body types the knowledge is 2nd to none. After many many hours of practice the mind body awareness grows more aligned. Great intro. 200hr course!

Kendra Webber
Jun 17, 2015

[My impression of this trainig was] excellent! It deepened my own practice in addition to enlightening the fundamentals of teaching. while not ready for teaching from this course alone, I now have the skills and knowledge to prepare on my own. [What I liked most about the training was] the practice teaching. That was the most beneficial aspect.

Bob Runkle
Kennewick, Washington

I was challenged and informed. [The training] was well thought out and enjoyable—just what I was looking for. [I liked] having the opportunity to concentrate on yoga for five days with like-minded people and being exposed to other teachers and different levels of classes. I learned and ... grew from the experience. I will take valuable usable information and skills home with me.

Barbara Harris
Boise, Idaho

The training was excellent. The material was covered in-depth and presented with precision and clarity. The insights that Richard shared along the way were in valuable. His experience and expertise are shared in a very natural way through his teaching.

I really liked how Richard emphasized correctness while creating an environment that fostered confidence and exploration. Richard was very generous with his knowledge but careful not to overload trainees with too much at one time.

Natasha Borg
Lebanon, Oregon

You could see that Richard worked very hard to make his classes run smoothly with structure and enjoyed teaching. He flooded our minds with wonderful information that you can actually use out in the real yoga wold. Richard's techings were easy to follow and to the point. And it seems everyone felt very safe asking all kinds of questions. Overall, it was a workthwhile ezperience and I wish I had come sooner!

Angel Yim
Seattle

The Training was first class. I liked taking each subject/pose scientifically... I gained a lot more knowledge and depth of the poses. It will be a great asset to my students and my self. This Intensive further broadened my knowledge of how to present a better class and make yoga invigorating and fun. I'll be looking forward to the next Intensive.

David Luce
Dillingham, Alaska

Emma

The detail and thoroughness with which poses were explored was highly useful. The Training assisted in learning how to read bodies, perform adjustments/variations and to empower my students.

Kelly Green
Saskatchewan, Canada

The information presented was well-rounded in that it engaged all the different learning styles; visual, kinesthetic and auditory. Not only was there a wealth of information presented that is useful, I also found the opportunity to observe Richard enlightening — the mastery of his instrument, his mindful presence and teaching style that come to be even more valuable in helping me understand how to teach.

Kevin Pope
Logan, Utah

I thought the program was a well-balanced mix of watching, talking and doing. It was helpful for me to observe you do the poses, talk us through them, and then to have us do them. But it was especially helpful to observe other people in various stages of mastering the poses. I liked the parts of the classes where we discussed using props and modifying poses so that every student can have a feeling of 'doing the pose.' Overall I thought the training dynamic, positive and supportive.

Anita Mann
Norman, Oklahoma

The Training was very worthwhile, giving the aspiring teacher confidence, verbal skills, and helping to sharpen their eye to proper alignment in the asanas and ways the asanas can be taught and modified... I especially appreciated the openness and approachability of the instructor and his effort to get the students to think.

Ellen Scriven
Cataldo, Idaho

The Teacher Training Intensive was just what I needed. Richard did a wonderful job of stretching both my body and mind. He forced me to look at self-imposed limitations and challenged me to perfect each posture in the systematic Iyengar style. I appreciated Richard's experience and ability in looking at the class both collectively and individually, then going with the flow as each asana was introduced and worked on.

Tesla Starr Keehn
Custer, South Dakota

I was very impressed with the Training. I liked the way the poses were broken down to basics, with emphasis on how to adjust the beginning student, how to actually do the physical adjustments, and how to utilize props. I liked the fact that the course covered a little of everything — anatomy, asanas, props, certification, invocation, liability insurance, partner work issues, qualities of a good yoga teacher, working with challenging students, 'yoga manners' and rules to give to students, how to prepare an intro course, etc. I liked the half-day of partner work, where we had an opportunity to verbally practice teaching a couple of asanas. Richard, you are very personable and professional. You have a real sense of mindfulness about you — very focused, nothing wasted in your presentation. I enjoyed your Training very much. The whole group was great and I love Seattle. I'm starting a six-week intro course next week.

Rita Dungey
Minneapolis, Minnesota

A fantastic course that was very rewarding emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I felt great after the course was over. The week with Richard deepened my appreciation for my own practice of yoga. The intense focus of all of the components of the poses examined was enlightening. I learned how important it is to focus on proper form and the flow of energy that is inherent in each pose.

Gregg Cronn
Bellingham, Washington

Well conceived, clearly stated objectives, purposefully directed, thoughtfully presented and supported with lucid explanations. Richard's approach demonstrated an inspiring respect for his subject, his students and himself. As well, he was able to balance the seriousness of the occasion's intent with a relaxed and friendly openness. Very comfortable and beneficial. I liked the detail combined with depth and scope; had the overall feel of completeness as does well-scripted, -staged and -performed theatre.

Storie Mooser
Portland, Oregon

Excellent. From a teaching perspective I learned many ways to assist my clients express their greatest potential in the asanas. As a student I am deeply grateful for moving deeper in my own practice. One adjustment Richard gave me relieved tension I'd been feeling in my hip for a great while.

Dana Riffel
Wichita, Kansas

The Training was very comprehensive. I felt the vital information on helping raw beginners was very thorough. The methods of teaching a beginning posture surprised me. I had no idea working with props could be so beneficial. I thought the Training would be massively difficult, especially with the different levels attending. However, Richard addressed each and every one of our concerns without exclusions. I felt that working with the others was a very important interaction.

Jan Cillo
Olympia, Washington

Richard is very mentally organized; he would break each pose down, step by step. He was very forthcoming with information, hiding no aspect of his knowledge — hard-won, learned through experience.

Gail Wegodsky
Marietta, Georgia

I highly recommend the training. Richard's understanding and teaching of Iyengar Style Hatha Yoga was excellent. The course was presented in a detailed, clear and informative fashion. The atmosphere was very pleasant. I liked Richard's detailed analysis of each pose presented in the course. It proved helpful to understand the importance of detail, to grow not only in my personal practice, but also in becoming a competent yoga teacher.

Yveta Suchomel
RN
Polson, Montana

I found the Teacher Training course to be comprehensive, informative, and very valuable to my yoga career. I enjoyed the amount of time we spent on looking at how different people do the poses and the various problems there were with each student.

Shelly Myers
Naples, Florida

The Course II Teacher Training was very comprehensive and interesting. It fulfilled my expectations and was the perfect complement to the first Teacher Training I took last year. All of the major asanas were explained and demonstrated in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere and you made sure that everyone understood what was being taught. I have to admit that what impressed me the most, as it did last year, is the extensive use of so many props. I think that I am a better teacher now because I have refined my teaching by holding the asanas longer and paying more attention to the details. I have more confidence in my teaching skills because my students tell me I get better and better.

Anita Raynor
Homosassa, Florida

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