Learn to design yoga classes that include every student
Learn to design yoga classes where all students can practice together in a way that honors and celebrates people of all ages, sizes, abilities, and experience levels.
Take a deep dive into how to adapt asana on the mat, chair, wall, and bed, as well as build the skills needed to lead an equitable and accessible yoga practice.
Learn at your own pace. The training combines live online and prerecorded sessions, you can complete the training and earn your certificate over the course of a year.
“Yoga begins with the ideal of ahimsa, or non-harm. It’s important that our teaching reflects this concept by making sure everyone is welcome and safe in our classes.”
– Jivana Heyman
Meet Your Lead Teacher
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
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Determine safe and appropriate variations of common asanas for a range of physical abilities (chair, mat, bed, and standing)
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Learn specific asanas for flexibility, strengthening and balance training
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Understand the purpose and implementation of props
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Acquire knowledge of common medical conditions
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Learn to create integrated Accessible Yoga classes where students of different abilities can practice together
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Explore the many ways that yoga can be adapted to suit students with disabilities, physical challenges, older adults, people with larger bodies, and more
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Learn how to make your classes trauma-informed
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Review the physical and psychosocial benefits of pranayama and meditation and how to make these practices accessible
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Learn how to apply the teachings of yoga philosophy in day-to-day life
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Explore techniques to build a strong community
UPCOMING COURSE DATES & TIMES:
Coming soon!
Join our interest list to be notified when the dates and details for our next cohort are announced and enrollments are open!
LIVE ONLINE CONTENT (via Zoom)
We'll meet live & online via Zoom for 2 x 2 hour sessions each week
(Our course consists of 13 x live training sessions total).
Trainees will also have access to live, online 1 hour Study Group sessions (additional to the hours outlined above, and held on various days / times to suit various time-zones and schedules). It is a requirement to attend at least 3 x Study Group sessions, or review the recordings.
Our live training schedule will include the following content:
Sample Live Content Overview
Week 1 & 2
- Orientation & Introduction to Accessible Yoga
- Integrated Accessible Yoga Chair / Mat Sample Practice
- Accessible Asana Workshop #1 (includes check-ins, centering practices, warm-ups)
- Chair Sun Salutation Practice Teaching
- Disability Culture & Communication
- Accessible Asana Workshops #2 & 3 (Sun Salutations, balancing postures, forward & backward bends)
- plus, attend 1 x Study Group
Sample Live Content Overview
Week 3 & 4
- One-on-One Teaching & Consent
- Bed Yoga
- Wheelchair Yoga
- Creating Queer & Trans Affirming Spaces
- Accessible Asana Workshops #4 & 5 (inversions & twists, Savasana & Yoga Nidra)
- Sample Accessible Asana Practice
- Integrated Chair / Mat Teaching & Group Practice
- Neurodiversity & Yoga
- Adapting Flow Sequences for Accessibility
- plus, attend 1 x Study Group
Sample Live Convent Overview
Week 5 & 6
- Making Breath Practices Accessible
- Designing Classes for Special Populations
- Embodying Belonging in Our Yoga Spaces
- Making Meditation Accessible
- Trauma Conscious Yoga
- Yoga for Larger Bodies
- Yoga Philosophy Q&A
- Service & Support
- plus, attend 1 x Study Group
PRE-RECORDED CONTENT
Upon enrollment trainees receive access to captioned pre-recorded lecture & practice videos on the following topics, along with their Accessible Yoga Training manual (PDF).
*We recommend making a start on the pre-recorded content before the live training sessions begin, however they can be reviewed any time within the 1 year that trainees have access via our online portal)
Introduction to Accessible Yoga with Jivana Heyman, including:
- What Is Accessible Yoga?
- Working with Older Adults
- Common Medical Conditions
Sample Classes with Jivana Heyman & Rodrigo Souza, including:
- 3 x Integrated Mat / Chair Accessible Yoga Practices
- Wall Practice for Balance
- Wheelchair Yoga Practice
The Science of Yoga with Ann Swanson, including:
- Science-Backed Benefits of Yoga
- Research on Safety
- Teaching Safely
Yoga Philosophy with Jivana Heyman & Anjali Rao, including:
- Four Paths of Yoga
- Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
- Bhagavad Gita
- What Even Is Yoga? (Yoga History & Culture)
Considerations for Mental Health & Trauma Informed Teaching, including:
- Trauma-Informed Yoga for Incarcerated Populations with Amma Fandiño
- Yoga for Mental Health, with the late Maria Kirsten (recorded live in January 2021)
Conscious Marketing with Tristan Katz
EQUITY PRICING EXPLAINED:
Upon registration, you’ll choose from one of three pricing tiers that best suits your financial means:
- Community Rate (supported by your peers)
- Sustainer Rate (covers your enrollment)
- Supporter Rate (covers your enrollment + supports your peers)
Need help clarifying which pricing tier is most appropriate for you? Please refer to this helpful graphic by Alexis J Cunningfolk.
Each pricing tier offers two ways to enroll:
- Single upfront payment
- Monthly payment plans, with equal installments charged upon registration and on the same date each month for the duration of your plan.
If the pricing options available are not financially accessible, please refer to the partial scholarship application information below.
INTENTION OF EQUITY PRICING STRUCTURE:
Our equity pricing structure and scholarship program was created to amplify training access for those who hold marginalized identities and those experiencing significant financial hardship.
If neither of those qualifications apply to you, please consider enrolling at the Supporter or Sustainer Rate, which supports the ability to offer Scholarships and a Community Rate to folks experiencing financial difficulties.
What our graduates are saying:
"There is so much valuable info in this 50 hour training, even more than I received in a 200 hour training. Not only did I grow as a teacher, but I grew in my own spiritual journey with yoga. I learned the value of creating a yoga space that includes everybody and meets students right where they are. Most importantly, I learned that even with my chronic illness, my value as a teacher has not been diminished. I highly recommend this training!"
– Rhonda, Accessible Yoga Training Graduate
"I recommend the Accessible Yoga Training Online because there is so much material, such a wealth of information that you will not find in any other training. This course has answered so many questions that I've had in teaching as to how to support and encourage students who struggle with a 'typical' yoga class to practice. For me, learning how to teach an integrated chair/mat class has been so important, to see how it can be done simply and beautifully. I feel very inspired by seeing people practice yoga together but doing their own variation based on what is best for their body."
– Jen, Accessible Yoga Training Graduate
"I'd like to recognize Jivana Heyman for inspiring me to seek beyond what I thought I knew about yoga and teaching yoga. I like to offer my students different variations for the poses during our practice to find the right way to suit the pose to their body, but the recent training I did with Accessible Yoga School was a real eye-opener in how to REALLY make my classes accessible to everybody and every body, and also to use yoga as a means for change and to build community. Thank you Jivana for putting together such an amazing course with so many wonderful, and often thought-provoking, guest speakers. I very highly recommend everyone to experience this training."
– John Chesebro, AY Training Graduate
