Journey of Yoga
200hr Teacher Training
Deepen your practice or train to teach yoga.
Seeking to deepen your yoga practice? To learn more about the philosophy and increase your knowledge of poses? Or are you ready to share your passion for yoga with others through teaching? Whatever your goal, JOY Teacher Training will help you reach it.
Our training class is limited to 12 YTT students, one of the lowest ratios in Connecticut, ensuring your specific needs as a student are met. We are located in quaint little downtown Simsbury within walking distance to the rail trail, coffee shops and several restaurants. We find the history and philosophy of yoga fascinating, and you can’t learn it in a regular yoga class. Collectively, our Teacher Training Team has over 65 years of teaching and training experience.
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Maggie is the director of the teacher training program and the owner of Journey of Yoga. Since 2003, she has taught thousands of students in the Farmington Valley area, and she started training students how to teach yoga in 2012.
She is certified with Yoga Alliance through a 200-hour training in Embodyoga and a 500-hour teacher training in the lineage of Rod Stryker’s ParaYoga.
Maggie is also an Ayurveda Health Counselor; she completed her training at Himalayan Institute and is certified under NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association). In her former corporate life, she trained employees on a variety of topics, giving her a solid background in teaching adults. She infuses her teaching with humor, joy, expertise, and compassion, enabling her students to thrive and grow under her care.
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JoAnn attended her first yoga class 20 years ago and was hooked! Over the years she explored several different styles of yoga, taking classes from a variety of teachers. As she began to fully realize and appreciate the benefits of a yoga practice she was curious to explore further.
In 2015 JoAnn graduated from the 200 Yoga Teacher Training at Journey of Yoga under the guidance of Margaret Durbas. After teaching for 6 years, JoAnn elevated her teaching skills in 2021 having studied and completed the 300 Yoga Teacher Training with the Vesselify School of Yoga led by international teacher Amy Ippoliti.
JoAnn brings to her classes an alignment based approach to asana, movement with attention to breath and mindfulness as a path to whole body health and longevity. She is eager to share her practice and the life long benefits of yoga.
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Yoga has been a central part of Robin’s life for four decades. She began her journey with a motivation to expand her consciousness and improve her own health. Over the years Robin has had the good fortune to study with outstanding teachers from many traditions.
With clinical experience in outpatient physical therapy she brings her depth of knowledge of the body to all that she does as a yoga teacher and anatomy instructor. A self-proclaimed science nerd, Robin is always looking to learn more about how to use yoga to heal the body, promote healthy aging and make yoga accessible to all.
She is certified to teach Yoga for Osteoporosis and Arthritis and has been offering this to the community since 2018. Robin is forever grateful for the part that this ancient practice has played in her life and for the opportunity to share what she knows with others.
“I chose Journey of Yoga for YTT for one major reason: Maggie was going to be teaching this course of study! I had started taking classes with Maggie at Valley Yoga and got hooked on her style of teaching, her caring attitude and on Vinyasa! During YTT, I learned so much more about her and from her that confirmed I had made the right choice! Her Yoga, her Ayurveda, her openness, her listening and sharing make a huge difference in how one learns and how one feels. Other studios and options didn’t offer that. I am so glad I chose well!”
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training
Students seeking to become teachers, current teachers with or without previous training, and students who simply wish to enhance their practice and deepen their overall understanding of yoga will find this course comprehensive, inspiring, and life-changing. Our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) course provides students with a foundation for healthy, holistic, and joyful living.
This course will help you:
Deepen your own practice and stay present in your life with your asana and meditation practice.
Learn to use Ayurveda principles to keep yourself healthy and balanced.
Design & teach classes that combine an overall therapeutic focus with a safe sequencing of postures.
Integrate sound alignment principles and offer safe adjustments.
Provide modifications for beginning, injured, or intermediate level students.
Develop your own style and voice by accessing the teacher within you.
Market yourself effectively and get started as an instructor.
2024-2025 Teacher Training Dates
We typically meet once or twice a month with about three weekends in between to ensure enough time to absorb what you have learned, do homework and prepare for the following weekend. NOTE: DYP does not meet on Sundays.
September 6-8
October 11-13
November 1-3
November 22-24
December 13-15
January 17-19
February 7-9
March 7-9
Final Wrap-up Weekend: April 4-6
Graduation: Sunday, April 13
Himalayan Institute Trip
October 11-13, 2024
This trip provides you with opportunities for meditation, yoga, hiking, and healing treatments. Nourishing vegetarian and vegan food is available, as well as a coffee bar, and a book/retail shop. Expenses for the entire weekend are included in the YTT and DYP tuition, except for transportation.
What IS the Deepen Your Practice Track?
If you know you don’t want to teach, then you might want to consider our 100-hour Deepen Your Practice (DYP) track. It will allow you to focus on and improve your own practice, deepen your understanding of yoga, enhance your health, and become more present in your life. The 100-hour program is offered on Friday nights and Saturdays and runs concurrently with the 200-hour YTT track. The DYP folks are included in our trip to Himalayan Institute for the entire weekend. Please note due to a limit on the class size, we may not have room for students who want to do the 100-hour DYP.
Teacher Training Curriculum
The following topics will be covered in the training:
Asana Techniques – Alignment Principles, Adjustments, Modifications, Meditation, Pranayama, Mantras, Bandhas
Yoga History and Philosophy – Sanskrit, Yamas & Niyamas, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Chakras, Kundalini
Anatomy and Physiology – Pathology and Injury
Teaching Methodology – Sequencing Classes, Lesson Planning, Assisting, Student Teaching
Introduction to Ayurveda – Determine your Dosha, Daily and Nutritional Practices for maintaining balance for each of the Doshas
Special Practices – Restorative Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, and Women’s Issues (pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause), Yoga Nidra, Home Practice, Virtual Classes on Zoom
Business of Yoga, Ethics of Teaching
Sample Teacher Training Weekend Schedule
The following is only a sample schedule, however the start and end times will remain consistent. NOTE: The 100-hour Deepen Your Practice training meets on Fridays and Saturdays only (except for the 3 day trip to Himalayan Institute)
Friday
5:30pm – Opening
6:00pm – Techniques
8:00pm – Meditation
8:30pm – Dismissal
Saturday
9:00am – Asana Practice
10:30am – Techniques
12:30pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Philosophy
3:00pm – Methodology
4:30pm – Ayurveda
5:30pm – Dismissal
Sunday
9:30am – Techniques
11:00am – Methodology
1:00pm – Lunch
2:00pm – Philosophy
3:30pm – Anatomy/Physiology
5:30pm – Dismissal
“I chose Journey of Yoga YTT because I love Maggie’s classes. I have done yoga for many years but never experienced a class as complete and fulfilling as hers. Her classes inspired me to take my practice to the next level. I considered several YTT programs locally, a couple in Southern Connecticut, and an immersion in Western Mass. I was eventually drawn back to Journey of Yoga. which allowed me to layer what I learned into my life gradually. It is a comprehensive program that has transformed my practice. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to train under an amazing and nurturing teacher with a small group of fellow students whom I now consider friends.”
YTT Certification Requirements
This 200-hour YTT is certified by Yoga Alliance. In order for you to get the most out of your training, the following is required:
Attend the entire program: 9 weekends.
Daily practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation.
Participate in a vinyasa asana class at least once a week at JOY.
Practice yama and niyama.
Write regularly in sadhana journal.
Create flashcards for learned asanas.
Be able to use props to modify poses.
Write several 1-2 page reports.
Write an evaluation of one yoga class you have attended between each session.
Read from required textbooks.
Observe four different yoga classes.
Assist a yoga teacher in three different classes.
After graduating, practice Seva (selfless service) by teaching five community service classes.
Journey of Yoga Training Tuition
200-hour Yoga Teaching Training
The investment for the 200-hour YTT course is $3400 plus CT sales tax. Tuition includes materials, books, all yoga classes taught by Maggie at JOY, and a 3-day weekend at the world-renowned Himalayan Institute.
5% Discount Option: Non-refundable deposit of $425.40 due with application plus $3009.71 paid with a check by December 1, 2023.
Payment Plan Option: Non-refundable deposit of $425.40 chedk due with application plus six payments of $531.75 due monthly on the 15th from December to May 2023.
Other Fees: For the duration of YTT, students may attend classes taught by Maggie at JOY for free. If you wish to attend a class taught by any other teacher at JOY, the fee is $10. Please note that at least 75% of the yoga classes must be in Studio for YTT students.
100-hour Deepen Your Practice
The investment for the 100-hour DYP course is $2200 plus CT sales tax. Tuition includes materials, books, all yoga classes taught by Maggie at JOY, and a 3-day weekend at the world-renowned Himalayan Institute.
5% Discount Option: Non-refundable deposit of $425.40 plus CT sales tax due with application plus $1797.32 paid with a check by December 1, 2023.
Payment Plan Option: Non-refundable deposit of $425.40 check due with application plus six payments of $319.05 due monthly on the 15th from December to May 2023.
Other Fees: For the duration of DYP, students may attend classes taught by Maggie at JOY for free. If you wish to attend a class taught by any other teacher at JOY, the fee is $10.
For any additional questions, please fill out the form below.
This is a great way to express your interest and get dates for our next teacher training info session.
It helps to know a bit about your yoga background and interest in either teaching or deepening your practice - we’re looking forward to getting to know you better!
“As the Lead Teacher Trainer, I ensure the atmosphere of our Yoga Teacher Training. It is defined by hard work, congeniality, serious practice, lightheartedness, introspection and fun. The result is tremendous growth in becoming a skilled teacher and the camaraderie of similar spirits with whom you experience this journey, often resulting in lifelong friendships.”