Practice School of Yoga Therapy
*Please note, all students are required to have at least a 200-hour yoga teacher training certificate (or equivalent) in order to be considered eligible for our program. Tap here to learn more about Practice Yoga Austin's 200 Hour Teacher Training Program.
WHAT IS YOGA THERAPY?
Yoga therapy is a process of healing and wellness that is steeped in the wisdom scriptures of yoga.
It utilizes the time-honored best practices of yoga as related to wellness, wholeness, overcoming obstacles, and achieving liberation to equip individuals to take charge of their own lives.
The Practice School of Yoga Therapy’s approach to yoga therapy is grounded in the philosophical principles and practices of yoga, behavioral change, and western science.
Yoga therapists provide skillful assessment, therapeutic relationships, and daily personalized practices so individuals may not only reduce suffering in their lives but also to live their best life.
Yoga therapy may be provided as a solo therapeutic modality in many cases, and also as part of an interdisciplinary therapeutic team.
Who is yoga therapy for?
Yoga Teachers
Our program benefits teachers who are looking to expand their knowledge in order to alleviate suffering and improve the overall wellbeing of their clients and students.
Most yoga teachers have experienced the transformative power of yoga and are on a mission to share its benefits.
The reality of the modern yoga world makes it difficult to do that. Group classes can be a revolving door of students and the economics can leave teachers feeling burnt out and depleted.
Our yoga therapy program provides students with the knowledge necessary to stand in your own authority and provide lasting value for your clients.
Licensed Professionals
Our program is designed to help integrate yoga with other western modalities.
A significant portion of our student base is seeking a dual license. If you’re a yogi looking to integrate yogic tools into your existing practice, we can help.
Our student base includes a whole spectrum of yogis who currently practice other healing modalities. Anyone from a massage therapist seeking to help clients retrain functional movement patterns to a licensed clinical social worker looking to integrate somatic practices into their clients’ healing journey.
Our teaching staff has the expertise to guide you into a whole-human approach to healing.
PROGRAM DETAILS
The program is intentionally structured so Module 1 can serve independently as a 300-hour Yoga Alliance approved teacher training certification. This is a wonderful alternative to traditional 300-hour teacher training for students interested in pursuing a more therapeutic approach to yoga teaching or who are looking to integrate private sessions into their offering.
The next program start date for Module 1 is April 12, 2024.
Applications must be received by April 1, 2024 to be considered for the 2024 Yoga Therapy Program.
Module 1
300 Hours
Dates:
April 12-
December 8, 2024
Regular Price: $3,995
Early-Bird Price: $3,595
(On or before 12/21/2023)
Module 2
260 Hours
Dates:
To be announced
Module 3
260 Hours
Dates:
To be announced
Practicum
180 Hours
Dates:
To be announced
Payment Plans
Students are required to place a deposit for each Module to secure their spot in the course. After paying the deposit, students can choose to pay-in-full for the Module prior to the program start date or set up a monthly payment plan.
Module 1 is paid individually. After completion of Module 1, students can choose to enroll in Modules 2, 3, and the practicum at the same time and with a combined payment plan.
Note: All payment plans incur a $150 payment plan fee per module to cover the costs associated with our payment plan software.
Note: There is a book list containing required reading that accompanies this course. Students are required to purchase these books separately. The estimated cost of these materials is $325.
Before beginning the practicum, students will be required to obtain liability insurance in order to provide services as a Yoga Therapy Intern. We recommend BeYogi (est. $175/year).
Schedule Format
Our program was designed to include a combination of virtual hours and in-person learning hours. Currently, we are offering a hybrid program. Weeknight classes are offered virtually on zoom. Weekend classroom hours are offered both in-person and virtually on zoom.
Weekend Training Hours
Friday: 1pm – 6pm
Saturday: 9am – 5pm
Sunday: 8am – 4pm
Weekly Virtual Learning Hours
Tuesdays: 4pm-6pm
Weekend classes will meet approximately once per month. You can find a more detailed outline of the program dates here.
Embodied Therapeutic Philosophy
• 32 Hours •
Eastern & Western Psychology
• 63 Hours •
Embodied Therapeutic Philosophy
• 32 Hours •
yoga therapy, addiction & Recovery
• 42 Hours •
Eastern philosophy & Subtle Body
• 53 Hours •
Essential applied yoga therapy
• 183 Hours •
Vihara
• 32 Hours •
Traumatic brain injury and resiliency
• 7 Hours •
Essential sciences for yoga therapy
• 103 Hours •
Yoga therapy tools & the subtle body
• 65 Hours •
Professional practice and ethics
• 49 Hours •
practicum & mentorship • 180 Hours •
Yoga Therapy interview and assessment
• 49 Hours •
Embodied Therapeutic Philosophy
• 32 Hours •
applied myofascial health
• 24 Hours •
academic mentoring & specialization
• 65 Hours •
program faculty
Emily Smith
M.Ed., CRC, CCM, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
All my life, I have been drawn to human services. I began working with individuals who had disabilities when I was 19 and became a rehabilitation counselor in 1992. I started my yoga practice in 1998. At the time, I had a little baby and a 5-year-old. I needed yoga to clear my head, help with stress, and offset the pain from training. I was working as a full-time rehabilitation counselor and became a yoga teacher. At this point, I was well aware of the pitfalls and gaps in traditional allopathic medicine. There was a pivotal time in my career when I was working with an incredible man as a counselor. I was at his side during his treatment. At this time, mind-body techniques were not even considered a valuable tool in medicine.
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Shanti Kelley
MSP., C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
I was born Shanti Nicole, my father being in seminary school and getting his Masters in world religions liked the word and the meaning. I guess it was all circumstance from there. I traveled a lot as a young person, saw a lot of things. By 15 I was inducted into the Suzuki Roshi method of Zen practice and studied under this austerity for many years. By the time a friend suggested I join her for a yoga class, I was 20 years old. I needed a change but didn't know it. Upon returning home I enrolled in yoga at the local Community College. This began the next 7 years of study with the most groovy and seasoned Yoga and Thai Chi master named Swami Budhaprem. After 4 years of practice and dedicated studentship, he gave me a certificate to teach in the Indra Devi system of Elemental Yoga. What I learned there, I still teach to this day.
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Jenny orona
C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
I hit the bottom of a pool at my birthday party in my late 20’s, I suffered from continuous numbness on my entire right side due to a reverse curve in my neck and compression in the lower lumbar area. For almost 10 years my back was in constant pain, no one could do anything for it other than put me into the hospital in traction and give me pain pills. Then I remember having this conversation with my dear friend who said “try Yoga”… of course I thought she had absolutely lost her mind, “Yoga” I replied what good is that going to do me, I don’t even understand that concept. I continued on with my life and with my pain. I remember one night just turning the wrong way, I knew there was no way that I was going to be upright the next day. So I woke up at 2 am in the morning got fully dressed, especially shoes cause I know that was going to be a problem, and spent the night sitting, laying, flailing about in the living room until I could call a cab to take me to my doctor's office. I had had enough.
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whitney o'baugh
C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
I had my first experience with yoga in the late 1990s. I was a student at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Theatre and Dance. While pursuing my BFA in dance, one of my professors began to introduce the principles of yoga as a means to combating the physical and emotional stress that we were under.
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Dr. Sandi Russom
PT, DPT, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
My introduction to yoga and meditation began during rehearsals for a play while I was completing my bachelor’s degree in theatre in 2002. We used movement and meditation techniques to build a deep bond among the cast members. To my surprise, I walked away from each rehearsal feeling light and calm and noticed over the months that my anxiety and associated symptoms had been relieved. After completing my degree, yoga became a more integral part of my daily life. I was attending bi-weekly classes at my local YMCA when I felt the call to deepen my study of yoga and share the practice with others. I soon moved to Austin and completed my Hatha Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Yoga in 2006.
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Dr. Mark Uridel
DPT, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
I began my yoga journey in 1985. I was an amateur runner and was very tight from 13 years of training 5-10 miles a day and competitive running. I took my first yoga class at the Town Lake YMCA with Peggy Kelly, an Iyengar teacher. I liked the slow stretching, the attention to detail, the mindfulness, and I sensed a spiritual dimension. I was hooked.
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Kat Scherer
PhD, MFT, C-IAYT
I am a faculty member of the Practice School of Yoga Therapy and a Psychologist in private practice. At the school, I teach about the intersection of yoga therapy and psychology, focusing on the role of psychology in yoga therapy. As a psychologist, I also teach classes on mindfulness, social-emotional development, neurobiology, and relational attachments in various settings including universities, professional conferences, community centers, and schools.
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