Yoga Foundations - Level 2

Established 2018

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LifesWork Yoga

Program Instances

Hybrid

Dates: TBD

200 hours • TBD

Led by

Kimberlyn Cahill

CYT-L3

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Purpose

It’s the process as much as the content!

Whether you are inspired to dive deeper into the study and practice of yoga or feel compelled to share this ancient practice with others as a teacher, Life’sWork Yoga Teacher Training is an enriching and transformational experience.

Training with Kimberlyn at Life’sWork Yoga is a growth journey of exploration, investigation and self-inquiry. Life’sWork Yoga Foundations is a guided experience to build confidence and competence while preparing you to be a Companion Guide for the practice of yoga for the modern practitioner. Life’sWork Yoga Teacher training is more than learning to be a Guide, it’s about becoming a better you in the way you show up for all life has to offer.

What to expect

Course Overview:

Application and integration of Yoga Philosophy into yoga practice, teaching and life. (Pancha Koshas, Transparent Alignment, Patanjali’s sutras & Patanjali’s Ashtanga (8-limbs), and Sankya/Ayurveda)
Application and integration of Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology of the three practices of yoga (asana, pranayama and meditation).
Overview and analysis of the culture and History of Yoga as both an ancient teaching and a modern practice.
Application and integration of Adult Learning Theory as a student of yoga and a teacher of adult practitioners.
Exploration and practice of effective Teaching Methodology, facilitation strategies, techniques and learning tools.
Overview and guidance into the Business of Yoga as a profitable, credible, professional practice with integrity and authenticity.

Styles & Disciplines Included:

30-hour Thera-Yoga Somatic Therapy
20-hour Meditation
20-hour Pranayam
10-hour Restorative/Yin Yoga
10-hour Vinyasa Flow Yoga
10-hour Adaptive/Chair Yoga
10-hour Ayurveda Lifestyle Basics

Yoga Philosophy
Anatomy & Physiology
Teaching Methodology
Yoga Lifestyle
DEI/Trauma Informed/Sensitivity Training
Developmental & Functional Movement Theory
Business Marketing

Style/Lineage

At Life’sWork Yoga & Wellness, Yoga is more than a physical practice. It is a whole-person practice for cultivating greater awareness, resilience, balance, and participation in life.

Our approach honors the traditional roots of Yoga while integrating contemporary understanding of movement, somatics, nervous-system regulation, functional anatomy, and therapeutic application. Rather than asking the body to conform to a particular posture or practice, we explore how Yoga can be adapted to support the individual body, mind, nervous system, circumstances, and goals.

Yoga at Life’sWork is accessible, individualized, experiential, and purposeful. We believe there is no single “right” way to practice a posture—and no single practice that is right for everyone. The practice becomes the teacher as we learn to listen, respond, adapt, and make conscious choices.

Our signature Breathe • Move • Rest framework reflects this philosophy:

Breathe — regulate, focus, sense, and connect with the present moment.
Move — develop mobility, stability, strength, coordination, and confidence.
Rest — integrate, recover, reflect, and cultivate the capacity to be rather than continually do.

Across these dimensions, students are invited to explore both EASE and EFFORT: finding appropriate challenge without unnecessary strain and developing the discernment to know when to soften, when to strengthen, and when to simply listen.

Life’sWork Yoga draws from traditional practices including asana, pranayama, meditation, relaxation, mantra, mudra, and Yoga philosophy, while incorporating contemporary somatic and therapeutic methodologies. The result is a practice that is both rooted and relevant—one that meets people where they are and helps them participate more fully in the lives they are living.

We don't teach people to do Yoga “perfectly.”

We teach people how to use Yoga intelligently, compassionately, and intentionally.

Additional Information

Core competencies

By the end of this program, graduates will be able to…

Teaching Skills	Explain how each learning theory describes the process through which students acquire, construct, and integrate new knowledge by accurately identifying the key principles of each theory and illustrating how those principles influence teaching and learning. Evaluate personal teaching style against qualities of effective teaching and construct a personal teaching philosophy that articulates the kind of teacher one intends to become by identifying specific strengths, areas for growth, core values, and teaching practices that align with the desired teaching identity. Analyze how management of the physical environment supports a safe, accessible, and effective learning space by examining factors such as space, lighting, temperature, noise, equipment, organization, and accessibility and explaining their potential impact on student safety and learning. Design a complete class plan around a chosen theme, demonstrating intentional sequencing, appropriate transitions, pacing, and coherence throughout the student experience by connecting the theme to the class intention, sequence, language, and closing integration. Apply the intention, attention, and action framework to reflect on a practice class by identifying examples of each element in the teaching experience and evaluating how they influenced teaching decisions and student experience.
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Identify major bones, joints, and muscle groups of the musculoskeletal system and explain how their structure and function contribute to movement in yoga postures by accurately relating anatomical structures to specific movements and postural actions. Apply knowledge of the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems to explain how these systems interact with and respond to yoga practices by accurately describing relevant physiological responses and connecting them to specific practices. Develop a short yoga practice sequence designed to support nervous system regulation by selecting appropriate postures, breath practices, pacing, transitions, and a clear intention consistent with the stated regulatory goal.
Practice Skills	Practice leading a Sun Salutation sequence with breath coordinated to each movement by demonstrating accurate sequencing, appropriate breath-to-movement coordination, clear cueing, consistent pacing, and safe transitions. Differentiate restorative and yin practices from one another and from more vigorous styles of āsana by identifying differences in intention, physical approach, pacing, duration, and use of props, and applying appropriate props and modifications to support each practice. Design and teach a short prāṇāyāma sequence for restoration, energizing, or expanding breath awareness that is appropriate to a stated student need by selecting suitable techniques, sequencing them intentionally, providing clear instructions, and demonstrating appropriate safety considerations and modifications. Identify meditation techniques introduced in the training, including loving-kindness meditation and mindfulness, and determine which technique is most appropriate for a stated class intention by comparing their methods, attentional focus, and intended effects and justifying the selected technique.
Yoga History & Theory	Explain the purpose of the eight limbs as a framework for yoga practice and living, and apply their principles to specific choices and situations in daily life by accurately describing each limb and providing relevant examples of how its principles can guide personal decisions or behavior. Apply concepts of the koshas, vayus, bandhas, and chakras to explain how a yoga practice might address physical, mental, energetic, or emotional dimensions of experience by selecting relevant concepts and connecting them to specific practices or intended outcomes. Apply knowledge of Ayurvedic constitutions to address the needs of a stated dosha by identifying relevant qualities and tendencies, selecting appropriate yoga practices and lifestyle considerations, and explaining how the selected approaches support balance within the Ayurvedic framework. Analyze how Sāṃkhya philosophy compares and relates to modern worldviews by identifying key Sāṃkhya concepts, comparing them with relevant contemporary perspectives, and explaining significant similarities, differences, and points of tension between the two frameworks. Explain how yoga developed and changed as it moved from ancient India into modern Western contexts by identifying significant historical, cultural, and philosophical shifts and explaining their influence on contemporary yoga practice.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Analyze relationships between the traditional yamas and niyamas and professional ethics by identifying relevant ethical principles, comparing their application in teaching contexts, and explaining how a professional code of conduct supports safe, respectful, and trustworthy teaching. Analyze how unclear or inappropriate boundaries between teacher and student can create an unsafe learning environment by identifying potential boundary violations and examining their effects on trust, consent, power dynamics, student autonomy, and professional conduct. Identify the four pillars of wellness and explain how a teacher’s self-care and personal practice can influence their capacity to remain present, regulated, and supportive while teaching others by describing the relationship between personal well-being, teaching capacity, and the ability to effectively hold space for students.
Business Skills	Develop a personal plan for maintaining ongoing registration, certification, and insurance requirements as a working yoga teacher by identifying applicable requirements, renewal timelines, documentation, and specific actions needed to maintain compliance. Identify the three components of the marketing framework—purpose, audience, and niche—and explain how clarity in each supports effective marketing and communication of yoga classes by accurately defining each component and describing how they work together to shape messaging and outreach. Identify the key differences between teaching as a studio employee and as an independent contractor, and explain the professional, legal, administrative, and financial considerations associated with each arrangement by accurately comparing responsibilities, compensation structures, taxes, benefits, insurance, and administrative obligations.

AYC allows each school to state and evaluate the competencies each student acquires. Students rate how well the program delivered them.

Program Emphasis

Evaluation methods

Program evaluations

Oral Exam
Solo Project Or Presentation
Written Exam
Written Submission
Direct Observation
Graded Skill Demonstration

Safely and skillfully guide a 10-minute practice of joint lubrication from a landing pose as identified in the curriculum

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Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Kimberlyn Cahill

Customized, adaptive practice rooted in yoga philosophy and inspired by modern movement science to cultivate authentic alignment of body, mind, breath and community for real life. Breathe. Move. Rest.

lifesworkyoga.com

Frederick, MD, US