Grounded in both the Ignatian and Yoga traditions, our Ignatian Yoga Teachers are an integral part of the Ignatian Yoga Community. The Teacher Formation Program (IYTFP) is a six-month online program that prepares yoga teachers to be able to offer Ignatian Yoga classes and workshops within their own communities.
IYTFP is designed for individuals who have a foundational understanding of Ignatian Spirituality, and who have already completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. This training is registered with the Yoga Alliance for 50 hours of CE credits.
Each month, you will work through a module at your own pace. Each module consists of videos, audio files, and supplemental readings. After making your way through the content of each module, you will be asked to write a personal reflection, engage with the reflections of other participants, and join the cohort in a monthly Integration Call. All of this is designed to deepen and personalize your experience with the content. This work will take approximately 10 hours a month, for a total of 60 hours.
In addition to the content above, you are expected to commit to 30 minutes of personal practice each day.
The six modules are:
MODULE 1: Seeing Ignatius Through Yogic Eyes
MODULE 2: A Charism of Dialogue
MODULE 3: Root Texts
MODULE 4: Yoga as Contemplative Education
MODULE 5: Teaching Yoga as Community Building
MODULE 6: The Cardoner Experience: Putting the Pieces Together
Due to the depth of these traditions, it is outside the scope of the IYTFP to provide introductions to either of them. The IYTFP is most appropriate for those who already have a working knowledge and personal practice in both traditions. As such, the following are considered prerequisites to acceptance into the IYTFP:
Ignatian Spirituality
- Ignatian-based formation
- Examples may include:
- worked in a Jesuit institution for at least one year
- completed more than one multi-day Ignatian retreat
- former Jesuit Volunteer
- completed Ignatian-based Spiritual Direction training
- Examples may include:
- Received spiritual direction for at least three months
Yoga
- Completed a 200hr certified teacher training
- Include copy of certificate in IYTFP application
- In order to teach yoga you must have completed an RYT 200 in the past ten years.
- One year of Yoga teaching experience
- Return signed copy of IY Ethical Conduct Agreement
Preferences:
- Completion of Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
- 30-day or 19th Annotation
- Guided by an Ignatian-trained Spiritual Director
- Attended at least one IY in-person Event (Retreat, class, workshop)
- Minimum of 5 years of Yoga practice
The Ignatian Yoga Teacher Formation Program will run from January – June, 2021. Each month there will be online modules, supplemental readings, personal reflection and practice, and live monthly integration calls.
The monthly integration calls will take place on Zoom. These two-hour calls will be on the following Saturday mornings beginning at 8:00am PT/11:00am ET:
- January 16
- February 13
- March 13
- April 10
- May 8
- May 29
In addition to the program fee, there are five required textbooks that you will need to purchase from the bookseller of your choice:
- Understanding the Spiritual Exercises by Michael Ivens, SJ
- An Ignatian Spirituality Reader by George W. Traub, SJ
- Exploring the Ignatian Examen by Howard Gray, SJ (the audio version is available for free on Hoopla)
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda
- The Heart of Yoga by T. K. Desikachar
- The Path of the Yoga Sutras by Nicolai Bachman (the audio version is available for free on Hoopla)
Program Fee:
Community Rate (discounted): $1250
Sustainer Rate (pays for yourself): $1500
Supporter Rate (pays for yourself and supports our community rate): $1750
Additional scholarships are available. Please email programs@ignatianyoga.com to inquire.
Thank You for your interest in the Ignatian Yoga Teacher Formation Program! Please fill out the application by December 15, 2020 to be considered for the program beginning in January 2021.
The application consists of two parts: short answer questions and a Spiritual Autobiography. Before you begin filling out the application, please have your Spiritual Autobiography completed and ready to upload. You will not be able to save the application and return to it another time; it must be completed in a single session. We apologize for the inconvenience.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Please be prepared to answer the following questions:
- Briefly describe your experience with Ignatian Spirituality.
- Briefly describe your experience with Yoga.
- How do your personal identities and lived experiences inform your approach to teaching and the support and care you provide to others?
- What about being an Ignatian Yoga instructor draws you to this ministry? To which community do you hope to bring Ignatian Yoga?
SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY:
Please write a short spiritual autobiography (2-5 pages). Your spiritual autobiography is a reflection on your own life journey, with a particular emphasis on how the Divine has been present within it and naming what has drawn you into a deeper understanding of life, love, and God.
Some questions you may want to consider are:
- What are the events and relationships that have shaped your self-understanding, your worldview, your inner landscape and your source of meaning?
- What are the practices that sustain you spiritually?
- What role has Ignatian Spirituality and/or Yoga played in your story?
- What patterns and themes emerge within your spiritual journey?
- Given all of your experiences, relationships, and abilities, how do you discern what’s being asked of you?
- As you go through this exercise, what are you being invited to pay attention to?
Use these questions to guide your reflection only in as much as they are helpful. Overall, this exercise is for you to identify powerful experiences that have shaped you and what is compelling you to live into your vocation. If you are needing additional ideas on how to approach writing your Spiritual Autobiography, we offer three different methods here.