Progression of Teaching

March 21 – 23, 2025: in-person

Friday at our Berkeley location:

• 9 – 11:30 am:  This includes a public class + time afterwards to discuss the experience including thought process and practicing hands on adjustments.
• 1:30 – 3:45 pm :  Teacher education

Saturday:

1 – 5:30 pm:  Teacher Education at our Berkeley studio

Sunday:

9 – 10:30 pm on zoom:  This public class is included in our time together and will cover the themes of the weekend

2 – 4:30 pm:  Teacher Education at our Berkeley studio

Program theme:

Our weekend will explore the diversity and complexity of teaching skills required in order to truely help your students.  Teaching Iyengar Yoga requires you to help individual students while moving the entire classroom forward.  This requires knowledge of the asana you are teaching – their actions and phases – AND an easily accessible toolkit of modifications and corrections AND strong decision making skills regarding what you say and what you don’t say.

Over the three days, we will reflect on our own existing strengths and uncover the skills that ready for maturation as it relates to helping method.  Specifically, you will get more experience in the well-timed application of instruction, observation, correction and demonstration.

Progression of Teaching is open to anyone who is trained in the Iyengar method and seeks to share yoga with others.  You do not need to be a CIYT to participate.

When you register, you will receive an optional homework assignment.  This type of svadhaya is a central part of the Progression of Teaching weekend because it creates an auspicious beginning for the program,  gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you already know while developing new knowledge, and gives you time to connect with Heather.  Please register by Nov 1st so that you are able to complete the assignment.

“It is the duty of the teacher to know what to teach,

why to teach and how much to teach.” – BKS Iyengar

More about Progression of Teaching:

Progression of Teaching is a cornerstone of our teacher support, offering an opportunity for you to develop your personal sadhana and teaching skills. We offer support to teachers at any phase of their teaching and career exploration, gathering about 3 – 4 times a year.

Teaching yoga has become a very complex endeavor.  It can be so difficult to know what to teach, why to teach and how much to teach when you are teaching online, in-person or hybrid, with masks and without masks, across diverse venues including public classes in a studio, private lessons at home, corporate venues, college campuses and in community centers.  Our students have a huge diversity of urgent needs and interests.  That is why our time to come together is so valuable.  It is a time to be with your friends and colleagues and to learn from each other.

During our time together you will:

• Enhance your understanding of poses from Level 1 all the way to Level 3 syllabus.
• Develop confidence in sequencing these poses so that you can progress your own practice.
• Use the teaching skills at your level to convey the essence of Yoga.
• Dive deeper into the source materials.
• Get feedback on your own teaching.

Optional homework is given prior to each meeting.  This is your way to study the syllabi in a focused way and get feedback on both the required knowledge and theoretical aspects of Iyengar Yoga.  Doing the homework – and receiving personal feedback on it – is a central part of every Progression of Teaching gather.

Notes about the schedule:

In addition to the four sessions of the program,  there are two public classes offered during the weekend:  Friday 9 – 10:30 am Level 1-2 will be in-person as hybrid class & Sunday 9 – 10:45 am Level 3 asana classes will be on zoom.  These public classes illustrate the concepts being covered during the Progression of Teaching weekend.  They are important to attend, and are included in the weekend.

This weekend is appropriate for anyone who wants to make use of the potency of the Iyengar Yoga syllabi and practice these poses. It does not matter whether or not you plan to teach the poses or go up for assessment.

People who are traveling from far distances, here is more information about our location and favorite places to stay and eat.

Recordings:

This weekend will be mostly in person.  However, the public classes on Friday and Sunday am will have zoom components.  Every registrant will receive access to the recordings of the classes for the 30 days.

TUITION

$249 per person – Register by March 1 with promo code: EARLYPOG and save $25

Regular rate: $274 per person

Scholarships are available; email info@adelineyoga.com for details.

REGISTER NOW

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Heather Haxo Phillips is Director of Adeline Yoga and a certified Level 3 Iyengar yoga instructor (Senior Intermediate 1). Her additional certifications include: Certified Yoga Therapist (c-IAYT), Relax and Renew restorative yoga teacher and Yoga Alliance E-500 level instructor. She has specialized yoga therapy training which includes scoliosis, musculoskeletal injuries and pain management.  One of her asana-related specialties is women’s health. Heather has a deep commitment to the ancient teachings which includes mantra sadhana (chanting) and Sanskrit, pranayama and yoga philosophy.  You can expect to find aspects of this in all of Heather’s classes. Heather deepens her own practice by studying regularly with senior Iyengar teachers, Sanskrit and Vedic scholars, and the Iyengar family in Pune.

Heather is an active volunteer for the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States.  She currently serves as a member of the Assessment Committee and the DEIJ Committee, and as an assessor and mentor.  She is past President of the Board of Directors for the Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California.

ABOUT PROGRESSION OF TEACHING:

Progression of Teaching is open to anyone around the world who teaches yoga in the method given to us by the Iyengar family.  We gather together for weekends throughout the year. And then practice sequences and homework assignments will connect you to the source material, your colleagues and teachers in between our meeting sessions.

“Progression of Teaching” is a forum from which to build enduring relationships with peers and teachers to support our personal growth within the Iyengar lineage. Please join us from wherever in the world you live.

These sessions focus on:

• • Approaching poses that may be less familiar to you.
  • Tips for teaching online effectively using Zoom and other platforms.
  • Creating community during these uncertain times.
  • Practice teaching to build your skills and confidence working with a range of bodies and situations.
  • Sequencing for specific categories of poses.
  • Bringing yoga philosophy to life for yourself and your students.

What are the thorny poses you want to look at? Doubts to discuss? Bring your questions. Participants will get feedback on their teaching and gain confidence working with their students in a variety of situations.