In ancient times, yoga used to be taught one-on-one. Today, group yoga classes are a more common phenomenon. However, if we want to assist our students in the most efficient way in response to their specific needs, we need individual yoga or in another words yoga therapy.

In this four weeks course we build on a concept that each body and mind is unique. It is impermanent and can be moulded at any given time. It changes with time, disease or while adjusting to external conditions. If we want to improve health in a holistic way, we need to look closely at a few factors that the human existence is composed of: body, breath and its associate prana, different parts of the mind, the concept of soul and eternal happiness – in another words the concept of Pancha Kosha – five sheaths existence.

It is the birth right of every human being to feel healthy and fulfilled. You don’t have to change your partner, your house or the country of residence. You only need to change your attitude and restore the feeling of completion which is already within you but has been covered by layers of conscious or unconscious thoughts, impressions and experiences. In this sense yoga therapy doesn’t mean learning but rather “unlearning”.

This course deals with topics such as comprehensive yoga therapy, Panchakosha Tattwa (five sheaths existence), Adhi (distress), Vyadhi (disease), Svastha Vrittam (prevention according to Ayurveda), consultation, Vijnanopadesa (yogic counselling), basics of anatomy and physiology, rehabilitation and psychosomatic diseases. Besides the classical yoga techniques, you will acquire many special techniques from yoga therapy such as cyclic relaxation or prana channalizing. Part of the course is also a detailed study and practice of the cleansing techniques – Shatkriya.

Today, where almost everyone suffers of one or more chronic diseases is the individual approach of outmost significance. After completing this course you can either treat people in the form of individual consultation sessions or you can implement the teachings into your yoga classes. This training in yoga therapy is a foundation for any other form of therapy.

In this training you don’t learn to treat diseases but you work with your client individually in a unique way depending on many factors such as combination of diseases, working environment, family background etc.

The teaching and schedule will be in a traditional Indian Gurukula system which may be different from what you have experienced until now. All participants should be physically and mentally fit when joining the course in order to be able to feel and experience the wisdom of the ancient science of yoga.

Furthermore, we offer ongoing yoga therapy trainings such as Level 2 – Yoga Psychology and Yoga Therapy for Autoimmune Disorders and Level 3 – Yoga Therapy for Psychological Disorders.

All sessions are mandatory and the course shall not to be regarded as a personal vacation. If for any reason you won’t be able to attend a class, you have to inform one of the staff members.

During these 4 weeks you should set your personal likes and dislikes aside. You shall practice and live the concept of Kriya Yoga – Tapas, Ishwara Pranidhana, Swadhyaya – as it was described by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. This is also the essence of yoga therapy as a successful treatment method. Therefore your full commitment to the course is required. Your quality as a student and aspiring yoga therapist should be: 1. tapas = will power, 2. ishwara pranidhana = trust, 3. swadhyaya = self-analysis.

After having passed both practical and written exams successfully and having proven your abilities to become yoga therapy instructor during the whole course of training, you will be awarded a certificate bearing the title Yoga Therapy Instructor certified by both Arsha Yoga as well as Yoga Alliance International.

CURRICULUM (260 hrs)

Practice (118 hrs): therapeutic effects in asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, kriya

Theory (48 hrs): 4 paths of yoga in yoga therapy, pancha kosha tattwa (5 sheaths of human existence), adhi (distress), adhija vyadhi (psychosomatic disease)

Specific practices for Yoga therapy (48 hrs)

Special techniques for yoga therapy (24 hrs): cyclic relaxation, prana channalizing

Hormone Yoga Therapy (8hrs)

Anatomy and physiology according to functional anatomy by Paul Grilley (6 hrs)

Guest lectures (8 hrs): Ayurveda by dr. Prasad and Naturopathy by dr. Niveda

Self-study (80 hrs) non-contact hrs: karma yoga, revision

Daily schedule
5:30 AM	wake-up
6 AM to 6:45 AM	pranayama and meditation (self practice on Wednesday)
7:15 AM	tea
8:15 AM to 10 AM	asana class (self practice on Friday)
10:15 AM	brunch
12:30 – 1:15 PM	special techniques from the yoga therapy
2 to 4 PM (Friday off) 4 to 6 PM	theory practice
6:15 PM	dinner
7 PM	satsang (self practice on Tuesday)
9:30 PM	lights out

Staff teachers:

main Acharya: Harilalji (India)

course co-ordinator: Marie Meera Karanath (Czech Republic, India)

practical: Claudia Göttling (DE)

Guest lecturers:

yoga anatomy and physiology: Dr. Babitha (ayurveda MBBS)

Puja and Homa (vedic ritual): priest Krishnakumar

Ayurveda: Dr. Prasad (Sunethri Ayurveda Hospital, Thrissur)

Naturopathy: Dr. Nivetha (Surya Naturopathy hospital, Tamil Nadu)

STAFF teachers:

Acharya Harilalji:

was born in 1970 and comes from a traditional family in Kerala, South India. He was born and brought up in a traditional Indian environment with agriculture, Ayurveda, Vedanta and Yoga. After attaining the title ‘Yogacharya’, he lived and taught yoga in Sivananda ashram in Kerala, Delhi and the Himalayas. Later he studied and practiced yoga therapy at sVYASA -the university for yoga- in Karnataka and completed a full time diploma course with an ‘A’ grade. The subject of his thesis was ‘Integrated approach of yoga therapy for psychosomatic diseases’. Curious to experience the western culture, which was the background of most of his students in India, he came to Germany for the first time in the spring of 2001 and has been visiting Europe ever since. He gives seminars and courses on Yoga Therapy, yoga psychology and yoga philosophy in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Germany as well as individual yoga therapy. He is also Yoga acharya /Therapist in Nangelil Ayurveda Medical College near Ernakulam in South India. Harilalji is currently studying under his guru Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha.

Marie Meera Karanath:

was born in 1980 in the Czech Republic. Besides her translation and interpreting studies, Meera completed her two years yoga teachers` training course in 2006 and one year yoga therapy instructors’ course in 2008. After gaining experience for three years as a yoga teacher in Germany she continues her teaching practice at Arsha Yoga. She is one of the teachers and the course coordinator of Arsha Yoga, at the moment also a full time mother. Her main passion is yin yoga, individual yoga therapy, kirtan, mantra chanting and vedic meditation. “You can learn something from everyone, especially your enemy. The qualities you see in people reflect your own personality. Living in a different country teaches you to set your ego aside, to reassess your social and cultural background, to come out of the cocoon and become a butterfly. My daugther, Gayatri, is the greatest teacher in this regard.”

Claudia Göttling:

Claudia was born in 1978 in Germany. She has been practicing yoga since 2000. In 2009 she did her 2 yrs yoga teacher’s training at Yoga Vidya in Germany. In 2012 she did yoga therapy training under the conduct of Harilalji. Ever since she has been assisting during his yoga therapy trainings in India as well as in Germany. Claudia’s blog on yoga:

Recommended texts:

1. Yoga Vasishta

2. Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha from the Bihar School of Yoga

3. Bhagavad Gita interpreted by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

4. Course manual – will be distributed at the beginning of the course

ARRIVAL: arrive at the latest on January 24th by 4 pm. You can arrive 1 or 2 days in advance to settle in or recover from jet lag.

DEPARTURE: the course finishes on February 22nd evening. Plan your departure for February 23rd or 24th.

The closest international airport is Cochin which is 1,5 – 2 hrs drive from our centre. An airport transfer can be arranged upon request for approximately 2.200 INR. The closest railway station is Thrissur that is 1 hr drive from our centre. A taxi pick-up can be arranged upon request for approximately 900 INR.

PREREQUISITES:

• 200-hrs yoga teacher’s training of any tradition (basic yoga philosophy must be included)
• min. 2 years teaching experience
• sound mental and physical health
• proficiency in English (spoken and written)

Investment

The price of the retreat differs according to the type of accommodation. Accommodation will be assigned on a first come first serve basis.

There are 2 types of accommodation:

• 2 double rooms with shared bathroom (sleeps 4) or 3 deluxe safari tents (sleeps 6)  1950 euro
• Deluxe suite (sleeps 2) with attached bathroom and Seaview, balcony and kitchenette  2200 euro                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The prices above include food and accommodation, both trips (silent boating on the backwaters and visit to the nearest town Thrissur including shopping for Indian clothes), goddess ceremony and all yoga programs for the whole 7 days of the retreat. You will need only pocket money for souvenirs or food outside the ashram.

Payment and registration:

For registration kindly fill out the google form https://forms.gle/3ypTg4BZMvEX6V2a9  After filling the form you will receive the deposit payment information from us. In the case of any unprecedented event or the worsening of the Covid situation, you may transfer the deposit of 200 EUR to any future course by Arsha Yoga.

If for any reason you will quit the course before its due completion, no right for compensation shall apply.