Sewall Level 1 Teacher Training

Established 2026

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Sewall House

1027 Crystal Rd, Island Falls, ME 04747, USA

Island Falls, ME

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Purpose

When it comes to yoga, and exercise in general, one size does not fit all. Whatever your practice, yoga has proven to have physical and mental health benefits at any age and stage of life. A routine that has been optimized for one individual may not work as successfully for another. That’s why when you book your Personal Yoga Retreat at Sewall House, we work with you at your level of experience and ability.

That’s not to say youmustfind a routine that is highly optimized specifically for you, but only that you should remember that you are unique and should be open to experimenting with different styles and poses until you — with the assistance of our expert instructors — find what works best for you.

What to expect

In addition to our usual Daily Yoga Retreat Schedule, the training will include:

Chakra Energy Systems: what each chakra is and how it applies to our physical, mental, and emotional bodies
Sun Salutations
Safe Sequencing
Balancing Poses
Use of Props
Various Forms of Yoga, including restorative, yin, vinyasa, kundalini, hatha
Special Considerations for Yoga Practice, such as Aging, Arthritis, Physical and Mental Medical conditions

Style/Lineage

Join us for your own personal growth or start your 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification

Additional Information

Core competencies

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

Teaching Skills	Apply the standard class format when sequencing a joint-freeing warm-up and sun salutations, arranging movements from simple to complex. Describe how a yama or niyama can be woven into asana cueing, explaining the connection between the ethical principle and the physical action. Explain how limited range of motion in an asana shows up visually, describing the postural signs a teacher should watch for to assess a student's range of motion. Apply contraindication guidelines when modifying a pose for a student with a known physical limitation, using safe and appropriate alternatives.
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Differentiate diaphragmatic breathing from chest breathing, examining the physiological effects each pattern has on the nervous system. Identify the major bones and joints of the spine and legs relevant to asana, naming each structure and its general location. Distinguish the qualities associated with each chakra, examining how imbalance in one center might present differently than imbalance in another. Use a dosha questionnaire to determine a person's constitutional tendencies, applying the results to suggest general lifestyle adjustments.
Business Skills	Compare two real outreach efforts for reaching potential students, examining what made one more effective at building sustained attendance. List several income pathways available to a working yoga teacher, naming the general category each pathway falls under. Describe how the placement of props, lighting, and entry points affects a student's experience of a teaching space, explaining the reasoning behind each principle.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Name the five yamas and five niyamas, identifying at least one daily-life example of each principle. Identify the core commitments contained in the teacher's oath, naming the responsibilities it asks a teacher to uphold. Assess your own adherence to the student guidelines throughout a class or gathering, justifying where you held them well and where you slipped. Identify common sources of energy drain in daily life, naming at least five examples relevant to your own circumstances.
Practice Skills	Explain the physiological effect kapalbhati pranayama has on the body, describing what happens during the rapid exhalation phase. List the major backbend, supine, prone, and seated poses in this area of practice, naming at least one example from each category. Explain how yoga nidra differs from ordinary rest, describing the state of awareness it aims to cultivate. Evaluate your own chanting practice for pronunciation, breath support, and steadiness, justifying which aspects are ready to teach and which need more work.
Yoga History & Theory	Formulate a personal reflection practice built around one limb of the eight-limbed path, designing a routine that deepens your engagement with that limb specifically. Apply the Gita's teaching on the secret of work to a task in your own life, using the principle of acting without attachment to the outcome. Explain how hatha yoga is described as a tool for self-discovery, discussing the relationship it draws between body, mind, and a deeper sense of self. Assess a full day of your own choices for their guna influence, justifying which choices moved you toward sattva and which pulled you toward rajas or tamas.

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

Students will be evaluated through a combination of oral/written submissions, solo projects, and direct observation

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Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Donna Davidge

Been teaching yoga and meditation since 1985 in New York City and opened Sewall house Yoga Retreat in northern Maine in 1997. Teaching various forms of yoga, both yin and yang based.

Www.sewallhouse.com

Island Falls, ME, US