Atmananda Yoga Sequence

07/23/11

Get Use to Fantastic

by Lali552

The Yoga Teacher Training at Atmananda was truly an experience in self-work and deepening my yoga practice! I took advantage of my 3-week vacation and feel like I can start practicing teaching on my friends and to people I love. The training was a good balance of physical asanas (learning a well balanced vinyasa flow for both beginners and advanced practice students), of the philosophy of yoga, and the anatomy of yoga. I know that this 21-day program has affirmed in me that I can teach and be confident. Of course with Yoga there will always be more learning and self-practice to do. This experience with great teachers and fellow students has planted the seeds for me to continue a disciplined and strong practice.

I have explored several Yoga studios in NYC and if you plan to do a training in the city, no other location will be as beautiful, as welcoming, and as peaceful as Atmananda. Also the Thursday and Friday evening flow classes make me fall in love with Yoga all over again! You leave the class feeling amazing, strong, elegant, relaxed, energized, like you've discovered your true self. Keep up the Fantastic work Atmananda!

07/11/11

Teacher Training Yoga Sequence

by Eva Maria Sofia

..an inspiring place with excellent teachers and friendly! We travelled from Greece and trust us... it's worth it!

06/23/11

Beautiful Community

by abenayoga

Atmananda is one of those rare places in New York that really feels like home. I first took a class with the owner Jhon T five years ago. Since then it has become my home base in the city. The studio has a diverse community, from the Indian Gurus who frequently hold teachings to an in-house Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturists.

I completed my 200 hour training at Atmananda and am now completing my 500 hour training as well. What inspired me to keep studying and practicing at the studio is that there is sense of dedication balanced with great knowledge. I have not been injured once in five years and now I feel confident that I know how to take care of my own students. Also, the training and the studio itself have a huge focus on self-development. This has been more than simply learning the asanas or learning to teach. The training program has helped me to develop my confidence and find my voice, something I hadn’t expected from a teacher training. It was a very powerful program and I recommend it to anyone who is open to doing some transformational work. Beautiful space, beautiful people.

06/23/11

Teacher Training

by tiffaniyoga

I just moved to NYC a few months ago...just in time for the coldest winter in history. Lucky me! When I first moved here I soon started looking for my new yoga home. I wanted a space that was friendly, chill and had teachers that had passion for yoga. I found this at Atmananda Yoga Sequence in Gramercy.

In 2008, I took my first certification for yoga in India. An the last 3 years have been traveling and a little afraid of other yoga classes I have taken in New York/US. Nothing I experienced in Yoga Classes in the US were anything close to what I learned in India.

Then I took a Level 3/4/5 class at Atmananda and fell in love with the sequence. Everything about the movement on the mat and proper alignment of the body made yoga fun. For the first time I was feeling good about going to class. An not thinking yoga was some kind of torture, I had to put myself through to get in shape and be fit.

Seeing the passion and knowledge of the teachers here has inspired me to take on this yoga thing once more and do my 500 hour at Atmananda.

12/12/10

Teacher Training Program---Lacking in Relevant Knowledge

by gold k

Many teacher trainees review the program fresh off of the "high" of their group immersion experience. Unfortunately, this emotional experience prevents them from forming an intelligent assessment of the program (I know this since it happened to me). It has been one year since I finished (and taught for a year), and my assessment now is much different.

This program is very weak in anatomy. It is just barely covered, and if you teach you WILL encounter all types of injuries. You will not have the knowledge of the physical body that you need to properly address these students. You will have to get this on your own (that means more time and more $$).

Also, this program does not sufficiently prepare teachers to teach beginners. You will have to learn this as you go. As everyone knows, it is quite easy to teach to a room full of yoga teachers. A different story with absolute beginners. We never spent time on how to safely modify poses, or the Sequence, for beginners. And when I began to teach, beginners comprised 100 percent of my clientele.

Which leads to the next problem: no mentorship or support system after you leave. Inevitably, there will be the need for continued learning and guidance. You will not find it here.

And finally, I was seriously injured during my experience. My injuries happened toward the very end of the training, and it took me four months to recover. Trainees are pushed too hard physically. The Sequence is a very physically rigorous and demanding practice, and not right for everyone. This is not really taken into consideration as students are pushed to their physical limit, and often dangerously past it. When I voiced my concern about some issues, I was told that I was wrong. Foolishly, I listened and paid the price with an injury.

Consider a teacher training program that is more well-rounded, that offers continued guidance, and that is not so much like a one-size-fits-all yogic boot camp. I feel that people preparing to part with a few thousand dollars should know these things before going in.