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Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics
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Discuss the primary body systems, bony landmarks, joint types, connective tissue categories (fascia, ligaments, tendons, cartilage), spinal curves, muscle types, and planes of movement and identify the most common yoga-related injury sites and their anatomical basis.
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Explain how the skeletal, muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems interact during a yoga practice — describing the physiological changes produced by asana, pranayama, and meditation — and articulate how skeletal variation across students requires individualized alignment cues rather than a universal standard
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Apply anatomical knowledge when designing and teaching a yoga class such as grounding sequencing decisions, pose cues, and modification choices in an understanding of how the relevant bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissues respond to that level and type of movement.
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Discuss the primary components of the nervous system — including the central and peripheral nervous systems, the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the vagus nerve, and the hpa axis — and identify how each is engaged or affected by stress and yoga practice.
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Business Skills
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Explain the financial, legal, and ethical distinctions relevant to yoga teachers including the differences between contractor and employee status, the implications of ayc registration for professional credibility, and the ethical responsibilities specific to the intimacy and trust inherent in the teacher-student relationship
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Lifestyle & Ethics
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Discuss all ten yamas and niyamas — ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha, saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana - and their primary definitions and ethical principles
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Embody a specific yama or niyama in both personal daily life and teaching decisions demonstrating through observable behavior how these philosophical principles translate into the practical ethics of a yoga teacher's conduct inside and outside the studio
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Teaching Skills
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Guide a complete meditation experience for a yoga class — selecting an appropriate type for the context and student population — with a clear opening, sustained focus instruction, and a mindful return that leaves students grounded and present
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Demonstrate consistent application of safe teaching methodology in a live class including proactive modification offerings, consent-based assist language, appropriate scope-of-practice boundaries, clear injury awareness language, and real-time responsiveness to student feedback and physical signals
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Develop and teach a complete 60-minute align & flow class from an original sequence plan including a clear peak pose intention, anatomically appropriate warm-up, standing sequence, floor work, and savasana — meeting the transform curriculum's class structure and safety standards.
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Explain the principles of inclusive yoga instruction including modification strategies, prop applications (blocks, straps, blankets, bolsters, walls), assist and consent practices, and the best practices for welcoming students of all ages, body types, experience levels, and physical conditions
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Explain how offering multiple variations of an asana — rather than a single 'correct' expression — embodies ahimsa in teaching and supports the autonomy, safety, and empowerment of every student and articulate how cultivating awareness of individual diversity transforms the teacher-student relationship
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Teach a class that proactively integrates tiered options and props into every major pose — presenting modifications as equally valid expressions rather than remedial alternatives — using language that normalizes individual variation and honors the unique body, capacity, and journey each student brings
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Practice Skills
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Explain how sound vibration — through mantra, chanting, and conscious music curation — affects brainwave states, nervous system regulation, and the subtle body and articulate how setting a clear intention at the opening of a class creates a container that shapes the student's entire experience
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Yoga History & Theory
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Discuss the major periods of yoga's development — from vedic origins (2700 bce) through pre-classical, classical, post-classical, and modern eras — identifying the key texts, lineages, and figures associated with each period
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Discuss patanjali's eight limbs of yoga — yamas, niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi — along with the primary definition and function of each limb
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Explain the central teaching of the yoga sutras — that yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of consciousness (chitta vritti nirodha) — and articulate how the specific sutras provide a practical roadmap for navigating obstacles, sustaining practice, and progressing along the path
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Identify the seven major chakras — muladhara through sahasrara — including each chakra's sanskrit name, location, associated element, color, symbol, and specific practices for balancing each center, along with the three primary nadis (ida, pingala, sushumna) and their energetic qualities
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Describe the foundational principles of ayurveda — including the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth), the three doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) with their elemental composition, seasonal associations, physical and mental characteristics, signs of imbalance, and balancing approaches
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Integrate ayurvedic awareness into yoga teaching by making informed, accessible adjustments for students whose presenting energy or constitution suggests dosha imbalance — such as offering cooling breath and surrender-focused flow for pitta, or grounding and warming sequences for vata
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