The Complete Practice: Yoga Commons Hatha-Raja Level 1 Yoga Teacher Training

Established 2026

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Yoga Commons

10560 Main St, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA

Fairfax, VA

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Purpose

This program aims to prepare dedicated yoga practitioners to deepen their personal practice and teach safe, skillful, and thoughtful yoga classes rooted in classical Hatha and Raja Yoga, expressed through the embodied traditions of Ashtanga Yoga and Dharma Yoga.

What to expect

This Level I Teacher Training unfolds over 12 in-person weekend modules, offering a structured and immersive learning environment that balances study, practice, and teaching experience. Students can expect a steady rhythm of lectures, asana labs, teaching labs, and facilitated discussions and activities designed to support both personal practice and teaching readiness.

The curriculum emphasizes classical Hatha and Raja Yoga as lived practices. Asana is taught as a foundation for breath regulation, concentration, and meditation, with sustained attention to safety, functional anatomy, and adaptability for different bodies. Throughout the training, students engage in pranayama, meditation, chanting, and deep relaxation practices, alongside guided study of the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.

Students learn to both practice and teach two distinct yet complementary sequences. One is a modified version of the Ashtanga Primary Series, offering a structured, breath-led approach that cultivates strength, resilience, consistency, and discipline. The second is inspired by the Dharma Yoga II sequence, emphasizing devotion, compassion, receptivity, and a more spacious relationship to form. Together, these sequences provide students with embodied experience of two lineages that balance effort and surrender within practice.

Teaching skills are developed progressively through supervised teaching labs and practicums. Students learn to sequence intelligently, offer clear verbal cues, observe students, and teach with ethical awareness and respect for scope of practice. By the conclusion of the program, students will have established a grounded personal sadhana and the confidence to teach thoughtful, responsible yoga classes in real-world settings.

Style/Lineage

The Yoga Commons Hatha-Raja Level I Teacher Training is rooted in the classical Hatha and Raja Yoga traditions and shaped primarily by the lineages of Ashtanga Yoga and Dharma Yoga. The training reflects the long-term practice and study of co-founders and lead teachers, Jen Armistead and Michelle Nguyen, whose teaching is informed by sustained mentorship and lived engagement within these traditions.

The Ashtanga Yoga influence draws from the lineage of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, emphasizing steady, breath-led practice, disciplined sequencing, and the cultivation of clarity through consistency and commitment. Dharma Yoga is transmitted through the teachings of Sri Dharma Mittra, whose emphasis on compassion, inclusivity, devotion, and selfless service extends practice beyond form and into daily life.

Rather than treating Hatha and Raja Yoga as separate pursuits, this training honors their traditional relationship: physical practice as a foundation for concentration, meditation, ethical inquiry, and self-realization. Students are guided to experience yoga as a complete path that includes ethical living, asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting, study, and service.

This program honors lineage while encouraging discernment and integrity, supporting students in developing a sustainable personal and teaching practice that is both rooted and responsive to contemporary life.

Additional Information

Applicants should have a consistent yoga practice and a genuine interest in deepening both personal practice and understanding of yoga beyond postural work. This training is best suited for students who are willing to commit to regular practice, study, and self-inquiry throughout the duration of the program.

In addition to attending all weekend modules, students are required to maintain an ongoing personal practice, including Mysore-style and group-led Ashtanga and Dharma Yoga classes, as well as regular pranayama and meditation sessions. Trainees must also observe and reflect on yoga classes taught by Yoga Commons teachers, complete assigned readings from the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, and submit written reflections on the readings and the impact of yogic principles, especially the yamas and niyamas, on their life.

Teaching experience is an integral component of the training. Each student is required to complete two supervised teaching practicums: one class taught to peers within the training container and one community class taught at Yoga Commons. Students also participate in teaching labs, peer feedback, and faculty-led evaluations throughout the program.

As part of the tradition of yoga as service, students are expected to complete their choice of karma yoga activities (volunteering, community service) during the training period. Full attendance is required for all scheduled training weekends.

Core competencies

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

Practice Skills	Practice foundational asana according to the set sequences taught in the curriculum with consistent breath coordination, appropriate pacing, and intelligent modifications responsive to individual conditions Practice foundational meditation techniques from the curriculum with consistency and the ability to describe observed effects on attention, reactivity, and mental clarity Describe the purpose and significance of om, mantra, and the opening and closing of yoga practice through informed participation in chanting and ritual elements of practice, and reflecting an understanding of their role Practice foundational pranayama techniques from the curriculum using correct posture and appropriate breath ratios
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Apply anatomical and biomechanical principles as they relate to yoga postures and transitions taught in the curriculum through informed verbal cueing, appropriate modifications, and sequencing choices that support safe and effective movement Create yoga class sequences informed by anatomical and biomechanical principles that progressively prepare muscles and joints, include appropriate counterposing, and allow for integration through cool-down and closing postures Explain how joints, muscles, and breath mechanics function during yoga postures using accurate movement terminology and clear functional relationships
Yoga History & Theory	Explain the historical context and lineages represented in the curriculum including the development and transmission of ashtanga vinyasa yoga and dharma yoga Describe the significance of the yoga sutras and the bhagavad gita within the yoga tradition including their relevance to ethical living, sadhana, and spiritual practice Explain the overarching aim of yoga and the role of hatha-raja yoga including how these practices and concepts relate to sadhana, and self-realization in the context of modern life
Teaching Skills	Teach foundational meditation techniques from the curriculum using clear language, effective pacing, appropriate use of silence, and guidance that supports safety and accessibility Teach a complete 60–75 minute yoga class including asana, pranayama, and meditation based on ashtanga vinyasa or dharma yoga sequences and practices taught in the curriculum, that are appropriate for a general population Apply asana assists and adjusts from the curriculum safely and with consent, informed by anatomical understanding and individual student needs Teach foundational pranayama techniques from the curriculum using clear cues for posture, mudra, breath count and ratios, with appropriate pacing, and awareness of contraindications Demonstrate skillful verbal and embodied instruction of asana through clear cueing of breath, accurate use of sanskrit and english pose names, appropriate demonstration, and anatomically informed language
Lifestyle & Ethics	Apply yogic principles to daily life and personal practice through reflective awareness of the yamas and niyamas Apply ethical conduct and appropriate boundaries within a teaching context including consent, responsibility, and awareness of scope of practice
Business Skills	Describe requirements and pathways for teaching yoga professionally including legal considerations, insurance requirements, and scope of practice across different teaching contexts (e.g., studios, gyms, private settings) Create foundational professional materials for entering the yoga teaching field including a yoga teacher resume and professional bio appropriate for a level 1 teacher

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

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

The Yoga Commons Hatha–Raja Level I Yoga Teacher Training uses a holistic, competency-based evaluation approach designed to assess embodied practice, teaching skill, applied knowledge, and ethical awareness. Assessment is ongoing and multi-modal rather than reliant on a single written test. Students are evaluated through full attendance and active participation in all modules, continuous faculty observation during Mysore-style practice and led classes, and supervised teaching labs and practicums. Required personal practice in both Ashtanga Vinyasa and Dharma Yoga is documented through submitted practice logs, and trainees complete written class observations as well as reflective essays on the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and the yamas and niyamas. Each student also submits a complete 75-minute lineage-informed class sequence demonstrating intelligent sequencing and integration of pranayama and meditation. Students complete two supervised teaching experiences: one in-training practicum and one 75-minute community class, both evaluated by faculty for safety, clarity, lineage respect, adaptability, and professional presence. The training culminates in a comprehensive group-based oral exam assessing applied understanding across asana, pranayama, meditation, anatomy, sequencing, philosophy, ethics, and safe, consent-based teaching practices. Successful completion requires fulfillment of all attendance and coursework requirements, demonstrated competency across practice and teaching domains, and passing the final oral exam. Student progress and teaching readiness are tracked through an internal system that monitors participation, assignments, and teaching performance throughout the program.