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Yoga Therapy Programs:
Frequently Asked Questions

The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy program is based on Structural Yoga Therapy, a system developed by Mukunda Stiles, as well as, a fusion of an Ayurvedic model and a Koshic model looking at the five aspects of the self (physical body, energetic body, conscious and unconscious mind and the bliss body) to assess clients. These are an integral part of the Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy Programs.

The Foundations Program is part of the Advanced Yoga Therapy Program. It is mostly online for those who want to become Yoga Therapists. The Foundations Program provides you with the basics and is a solid place to start. The residential part of the 875-Hour Advanced Program is a much higher standard certification. Mentoring is provided throughout both programs and beyond graduation.

It depends on where they live and how they choose to work. Many Yoga Therapists run programs at schools, hospitals, rehab centers, etc… The pay varies. In private practice, rates tend to be equivalent to other helping professions (Therapists, Massage Therapists, etc…)

The path toward becoming a C-IAYT begins with the Foundations Program, and continues with 8 weeklong retreat modules, currently all online, totalling over 500 hours (prior to the covid waiver below, 4 of them are held residentially in Claverack New York, with 4 online). Once a student completes 4 out of the 8 modules along with completion of the Foundations Program, they are eligible to begin their supervised 160-hour practicum delivered in your own community. This portion is mentored and progress is monitored. Both programs can be taken concurrently, at a pace that works for each individual. Completion of the Advanced Program, C-IAYT can take 2.5 years, however, some choose to move at a slower pace, depending on schedule and finances. Once students begin the Foundations Program, they have access to the advanced modules, should they have interest in specific topics for knowledge and development. Feel free to contact us for more information. You’re welcome to schedule a call with our Student Advisor at any time to talk about what your personal path might look like with this link.

*Covid Waiver Note:
The IAYT has extended their Covid waiver through the end of 2023. This means that if a student joins the Advanced Program before January 1, 2024, they will be able to complete the entire C-IAYT course online in 2.5 years. All residential components are being offered online only through this time. Please feel free to reach out to Sara Bowman at [email protected] with any questions regarding this shift in our program.

Foundations Program:
– Must be at least 18 years of age
– High school diploma or equivalent certificate
– Completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training or equivalent from any tradition. Others will be considered case by case.

Advanced Program:
– Must be at least 18 years of age
– High school diploma or equivalent
– 200-hour yoga teacher training certificate or equivalent (see our 200 hour TT/Foundations Program combination offering, if you do not have this)
– At least one year of personal practice
– At least one year minimum teaching experience

The home for our programs is a very user-friendly platform called Mighty Networks, which contains access to all of the elements of our programs. All of the video lessons, practices, and coursework information live here. The site also provides a private space for students to connect with others in the community and get in touch with teachers and mentors as needed. Our live Q&A schedule is accessible from the platform as well, making it a one stop accessible platform with easy access. We provide daily(!) live Q&A classes per week via Zoom during different parts of the day to accommodate different time zones and lifestyles. These live events are an important resource and invaluable piece of your education as students connect directly with founder and lead teacher Brandt, along with Teaching Assistants on a regular basis.

In the yoga world, there are two large membership organizations. The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) is an organization that accredits yoga therapy programs. Our Advanced Program is accredited by the IAYT. The Yoga Alliance is a membership organization for yoga teachers.

Absolutely. The Breathing Deeply Foundations program gives you the skills and support you need to practice yoga therapy. If you are certified by our school then you have taken the course and have demonstrated the capacity to provide yoga therapy. As of this writing, you may call yourself a Yoga Therapist in the all 50 U.S. states and in Canada.

The Advance Program certifies you as a C-IAYT. It demonstrates your capacity to work with clients with a more thorough knowledge base. The Advanced Program is currently the highest level of education for practicing yoga therapy.

One popular question our applicants ask is whether to take a 500-hour RYT (advanced teacher training) or seek a 875-hour IAYT yoga therapy certification. Click here to read our response.

The foundation program requires two clients. The minimum is six sessions/client (12 sessions total as a minimum). These practicum hours can be done in your area with anyone in need.

Most people take 18-24 months to complete. The fastest one would be able to fully complete our program is 15 months.

Each lesson varies in terms of the content and length. Most run anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes, sometimes looking like 30 minutes of lecture and another video/practice that is attached to this lecture material. These are self-paced, so you might schedule yourself to watch one per week or decide on a faster or slower pacing. One of Brandt’s superpowers (which is strongly executed in the foundations course, is his ability to distill ancient broad (sometimes complicated) information into real-life, clear and cohesive concepts.

So, you might decide to put an hour or two into it/week, (watch one lesson and do the corresponding coursework) or you may decide to spend more time on it. One more thing that might be useful is that the practices being taught will likely be woven into your personal practice, so that will take some awareness (and time).

Yes. We currently have several students in many places around the globe that will work as Yoga Therapists once they’re certified. Both levels of training and certification – Foundations and Advanced Programs – are used internationally. The IAYT is an association that accredits programs globally.

*Please see additional Covid waiver note below

The Foundations Program has 3 main components:

-50 pre-recorded video lessons that you can move through at your own pace. These include practices and coursework.

-Live online Q&A classes on Zoom. These are offered daily M-F at different times of the day to accommodate different schedules and time zones. We recommend attending one per week.

-Three live retreats. Please see our Retreats page here for further information and dates. The 3 retreats may be taken in any order for your convenience and are offered once per year. Pre-covid these were offered in both residential (weekend) and online (single day) formats. Currently, they are available in the online “remote” format only. See covid waiver note below. 

The Advanced Program can be taken concurrently with the Foundations Program, where students begin. In addition to the Foundations Program, the Advanced Program has two main additional components:

-8 weeklong retreat modules, currently all online, totaling over 500 hours (prior to the covid waiver below, 4 of them are held residentially in Claverack New York, with 4 online). These modules may also be taken in any order for your convenience. They are all offered over a 2 year timeline, four each year, on a rotating schedule. 

-A mentored Practicum with live Q&A sessions on Zoom twice each week for monitoring and support throughout your Practicum. Please find more information on our Advanced Program page here.

Feel free to contact us for more information. We would also welcome a conversation with one of our Student Advisors at any time to talk about what your personal path might look like. Schedule a call with this link.

*Covid Waiver Note:

The IAYT has extended their Covid waiver through the end of 2023. This means that if a student joins the Advanced Program before January 1, 2024, they will be able to complete the entire C-IAYT course online in 2.5 years. All residential components are being offered online only through this time. Please feel free to reach out to Sara Bowman at [email protected] with any questions regarding this shift in our program.

Want to Learn More? Check Out Our Information Session

Brandt talks about common questions applicants have about the Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy Program. Tune in to get the full program details.

Next Class Starts on April 16

Find out more now and begin your training. Then link up with your class cohort for discussion and community beginning. Get a jump start! The Advanced program includes the Foundations program plus additional content.