Harvesting the Benefits | Teaching Yoga Effectively
Date: September 18-22, 2024
Location: Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort & Yosemite National Park
At Fall Equinox, we will harvest the fruits of our labor by integrating all that we have learned; sifting and winnowing best practices while integrating our knowledge to share with our communities back home. This program will focus on finding your voice and polishing your teaching skills to evolve from a good yoga instructor to a truly great and inspiring facilitator. Topics covered will include:
Effective sequencing & theming a yoga class
Verbal cueing & finding your voice
Ethics & consent-to-touch principles
Hands-on assisting & adjusting
Instructor demos & student teaching practicums
You will come away from this immersion with an extensive toolkit and the confidence to use it in a variety of teaching scenarios. Some prior Yoga experience is recommended; we will be building upon the knowledge learned in previous WildYoga programs.
*If you need a monthly payment plan, please click here to register.
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Wednesday
• 6-9pm: Welcome dinner, introductions, orientation to the program, and yoga asana practice
• Please note: Dinner is included on the first evening so you can arrive easefully without having to think about it! We find it is very connecting to share a meal together. It will be a simple and hearty dinner, and we will do our best to honor any dietary restrictions.
Thursday
• 7-8am: Morning practice
• 9am-12pm: Indoor sessions including theory and practice
• 6-9pm: Sunset hike and outdoor session
Friday
• 7-8am: Morning practice
• 9am-5pm: Outdoor field trip including theory and practice. We will likely break for lunch and some solo time from 12pm-2pm
Saturday
• 7-8am: Morning practice
• 9am-12pm: Indoor sessions including theory and practice
• 6-9pm: Sunset hike and outdoor session
Sunday
• 7-8am: Morning practice
• 9am-3pm: Outdoor field trip including theory and practice
• Please note: Lunch is included on this final day so we can share a casual meal and deepen the connections we’ve made organically.
Please note:
Balanced Rock will NOT provide regular meals for this program. There will be breaks in the detailed schedule for meals. You can eat at the June Bug Café; use the guest kitchen if you’re staying on-site; or bring your own meals.
All outdoor sessions will be weather-dependent. We will communicate the tentative schedule, including field trips and outdoor sessions before the program, and we will check in daily with the group throughout the program as any changes to the schedule arise.
We highly recommend you plan to attend this program in a fully immersive manner. If possible, try not to plan any meetings, calls etc for this precious period of time. There will be ample time in the schedule for you to take care of your personal needs, however we encourage you to arrive without any prior commitments for these days.
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This program will be based out of the Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort in Midpines, CA.
Our indoor classes will be held in the Yoga Studio, which is located off the Yosemite Health Spa. Our outdoor sessions will be held in a variety of special locations in and around Yosemite National Park. Please note the outdoor sessions will be weather dependent.
The Yosemite Bug hosts several amenities including their Health Spa, massage services, the June Bug Cafe, and hiking trails.
The town of Mariposa is located about 10 miles away. There is a grocery store and health food store, as well as a few cafes and restaurants to choose from.
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Lodging is not included in the program tuition, and you are responsible for securing your own accommodations for the duration of the program. However, our staff is happy to support in finding the right option for you. We have connections with local airbnbs and a range of lodging nearby that we can share.
If you’d like to stay onsite at the Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, you can receive a 10% discount on your lodging. Just mention that you are with the Balanced Rock Yoga Teacher Training when you make your reservation. We do suggest reserving well in advance of the program, as the accommodations can fill up.
Additionally, if you are interested in sharing a room at the Yosemite Bug with another program participant to make it more affordable, let us know via email to paula@balancdrock.org. While we can’t guarantee anything, we will do our best to put you in touch with other students to self-organize.
The Yosemite Bug offers great options including a shared dormitory, insulated tent cabins, and rooms with en-suite bathrooms.
• If you'd like a cozy, close-to-nature experience, choose the historic Yosemite style tent cabin. These are hard walled and insulated with heating/evaporative cooling, electricity for lighting and fans, screen doors, linens, and decks. There is a new shared tiled restroom complex with a sink bank, private shower and toilet stalls, and a laundromat. Some tent cabins are closer than others to the shared bathrooms.
• If you'd appreciate all the creature comforts, choose a room with en-suite bathroom. All rooms have forest views and decks with tables and chairs. These are not so rustic with fine linens, fine bath products, towels, showers, heating and air conditioning and wi-fi.
Please email paula@balancedrock.org if you need any support around lodging!
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Prior to the start of the module we will email you a detailed packing list.
We will have sanitized yoga mats and props on-site for participants to use, but please feel free to bring your own as you desire. Each student should have attire to practice yoga and also warm layers and proper footwear for guided outdoor activities. Please bring a journal and writing utensil, and a travel mug for warm beverages!
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All participants will be required to read and sign the Health & Safety Policy for Programs at registration.
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You may cancel your registration and receive a full refund minus a $50 registration fee 60 days or more before the start date of your course.
● Cancellation made less than 60 days prior to the program receives 50% refund on tuition.
● Cancellation made less than 30 days prior to the program receives no refund on tuition.
We encourage you to purchase trip insurance for your flights, accommodations, etc. We do understand that emergencies may arise, but as we are a small non-profit organization we are not able to make exceptions to this refund policy.
Balanced Rock reserves the right to cancel a course for force majeure or any other circumstances beyond our control such as state/county-advised health mandates, fire, flood, or trail closure. We also reserve the right to cancel any program if sign-ups are inadequate to make the trip economically feasible for us to operate. If this happens, we give a full refund of tuition. However, Balanced Rock Foundation is not responsible for additional expenses incurred by you in preparing for the trip (e.g., non-refundable air tickets, gear or medical expenses). You may consider purchasing additional trip insurance. Courses run rain or shine.
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Regular meals are not included in the program tuition. However we will have two special community meals... Balanced Rock will provide a welcome dinner the first evening, and a farewell lunch on the final afternoon so you can arrive and depart well-nourished.
The Yosemite Bug has a full-service restaurant, and a well-equipped Guest Kitchen. The small town of Mariposa is a ~10 minute drive away and has one large grocery store and one lovely health food store.
We are happy to advise on meal planning, and before the program begins, you can expect a Welcome Letter with a detailed schedule and more suggestions on how to best prepare.
Want to speak to a human being? Book a 15-min discovery call with one of our team members to ask questions and learn more about this program!
Prefer communicating via email? Send us a message with any questions you have about registration, curriculum, schedule or anything else you are wondering about!
About Your Facilitators
Nat Kendall is a San Francisco based yoga teacher, world music recording artist and devoted student of yoga. He shares his wisdom of the teachings in a heartfelt and grounded way that will easily awaken beginners and re-inspire long time practitioners. Instantly accessible and relevant to our modern times, the grace of Nat’s teachings pour through in tangible practices, tools, techniques and insights that are sure to enlighten your spiritual path and yogic journey.
"I'm indebted and at the feet of many teachers and the sacrifices they've made to share the teachings. And, I'm at the feet of the teachings themselves. It is by the grace of many, and something indescribable, that I've found my way home through the wisdom of Yoga. My mission is to share what has been shared with me, to share what has been awakened in me through the yogic traditions and gift you the sanctuary of the teachings that illuminate the path home."
For more, visit natkendall.com or follow Nat on IG: @natkendallyoga
Heather Sullivan has lived in the Yosemite area for 20 years. The steep granite valley walls, seasonal change of the river song, and community of animals and humans have deeply shaped her being and worldview. She co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of Balanced Rock. Using her skills of non-profit management and leadership, group facilitation, community building, mentorship, and program development, Heather holds the vision for Balanced Rock and leads the organization through its continued evolution. She delights in creating unique, powerful programs and supporting staff and instructors to shine their magic in the world. She is a gifted teacher and seasoned mountain guide at heart and makes sure to get in the field as an instructor each season.
Balanced Rock is Heather’s life work and blends her passions of yoga and mindfulness practices, creative writing, play, connecting community, creating transformative and healing experiences for individuals and groups, and emphasizing the importance of healthy local food.
She is 200hr E-RYT and 200hr CRYT certified with Yoga Alliance. Her latest joy and success is creating a Kid’s Yoga and Mindfulness Program for grades K-6 in the El Portal School System.
She is also a CMT in Shiatsu and Lomi Lomi massage, an Ayurvedic body worker and certified Birth Doula.
Other passions include river boarding, rock-climbing, skiing, mountain rambling, and music. She seeks new experiences and learnings with a child-like twinkling curiosity and hopes to share that joy and zest for life with others.
For more, visit yosemitehealingarts.c or follow Heather on IG: @he | FB @Heather Sullivan