Insight Wisdom Center - Level 1 Teacher Training

Established 2026

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Insight Wisdom Center

Program Instances

Hybrid

Dates: TBD

200 hours • TBD

Led by

Valerie Hesslink

CYT-L3

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Purpose

Program Overview

Our training is structured inmodular weekend intensives with a blend of in-person learning and asynchronous coursework. This allows you to move through the program in a way that is immersive, flexible, and grounded in real-world application.

You may complete modules individually or follow the full path toward your 200-hour certification. Module 1: Foundations is required for all other trainings except for the Aerial Yoga Level 1.

What to expect

Who This Training Is For

Mental health professionals seeking body-based tools
Yoga teachers wanting trauma-informed and clinically relevant skills
Practitioners interested in deepening their personal practice
Anyone drawn to integrating movement, mindfulness, and healing

What Makes This Program Different

Trauma-informed, clinically grounded approach
NBCC-approved continuing education (30 hours total)
Emphasis on real-world application, not just theory
Integration of yoga, neuroscience, and psychotherapy
Flexible, modular structure
Simple tools to apply immediately for yourself or your clients

Style/Lineage

At Insight Wisdom Center, we offer a uniquely integrative path to becoming a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), designed especially for those who want to bridge yoga, trauma-informed care, and mental health practice.

This program goes beyond traditional yoga teacher training. It weaves together movement, philosophy, neuroscience, and clinical insight, offering30 hours of NBCC-approved continuing education for mental health providers.

Whether you’re a clinician, yoga practitioner, or both, this training is designed to deepen your understanding of the body-mind connection and give you practical tools you can use immediately.

Additional Information

Core competencies

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

Teaching Skills	Construct an original sequence of five alignment cues for a foundational standing posture, ensuring each cue offers a choice and avoids judgment-based language. Design a short teaching segment for one posture that offers at least three adaptations, formulating cues that present each option without ranking or judgment. Practice guiding a partner through a short sequence that includes arrival, movement, and closing reflection, timing each section to fit within an agreed total duration. Develop a short breath-led movement sequence with built-in permission for extra breaths, constructing cues that explicitly invite students to move at their own rhythm.
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Distinguish between the mechanical description of diaphragmatic movement and the common phrase "belly breathing," examining why the phrase can be anatomically misleading. Examine the concept of stacking one joint over another, comparing situations where stacking is useful with situations where a different joint relationship may be more appropriate. Evaluate a set of spinal alignment cues for rigidity versus responsiveness, critiquing any language that treats one spinal position as universally correct. Examine the difference between joint restriction caused by bone-to-bone contact and restriction caused by muscular tightness, comparing how a teacher might respond to each. Formulate a class structure designed to guide participants toward a calmer autonomic state, developing pacing grounded in physiological principles. Design a sequence intended to support movement toward a ventral vagal state, formulating pacing and cues grounded in polyvagal principles. Formulate a personal breath practice intended to support nervous system regulation, developing pacing suited to a stated intention. Formulate a personal protocol for responding to a visibly activated student, developing steps that prioritize choice and grounding.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Formulate a short personal reflection connecting two niyamas to your own developing teaching practice, constructing at least one concrete example for each. Construct a short set of personal boundary guidelines for teacher-student interactions, formulating at least four specific commitments you intend to uphold. Evaluate your own use of Sanskrit terms and cultural references in teaching, justifying which uses feel respectful and which may need revision. Construct a set of guidelines for maintaining appropriate boundaries in one-on-one teaching situations, formulating at least three specific practices you will follow.
Practice Skills	Develop a short personal sequence using foundational postures explored in this module, constructing transitions that connect each posture smoothly. Construct a short personal breath awareness practice using an alternative anchor such as sound or touch, formulating instructions you could offer to a student who finds breath difficult to follow. Evaluate your own response to distraction during a personal meditation practice, justifying whether your response reflected the practice of noticing and returning. Construct a personal practice plan that includes a clear intention, method, and closing, formulating a realistic amount of time for each session.
Yoga History & Theory	Compare the role of posture within early yoga traditions with its role in contemporary studio settings, examining how the emphasis on physical postures has shifted over time. Compare the traditional purpose of the eight-limbed path with its use in secular or wellness settings today, examining what may be gained or lost in that shift. Examine how a translator's tradition or perspective might shape the meaning of a translated concept such as sthira-sukham, comparing two possible interpretations. Formulate a historically grounded explanation of prana suitable for a foundational class, constructing language that respects the traditional framework without reducing it to modern biomedical claims. Design a practice sequence organized around a chosen chakra, formulating a theme that draws on its traditional symbolism. Formulate a multi-week personal exploration of the chakra system, developing a rotation that addresses each center in turn.

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
Group Project Or Presentation

Students will be evaluated through a combination of oral/written exams, solo/group projects, and direct observations

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Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Valerie Hesslink

Full-time yoga therapist, educator, teacher & teacher trainer with an MS in Yoga Therapy. I specialize in accessible, adaptive, and Yin Yoga, using chairs, props, aerial, and aqua environments to help make yoga meaningful and available to more bodies and abilities.

valeriehesslink.yoga/

Madison, WI, US

Adjunct Faculty