These are the dates for the AIRYOGA 250-hour Teacher Training 2023:

• Module 1 – Friday, May 12, to Sunday, May 14, 2023
  
• Module 2 – Friday, May 26, to Monday, May 29, 2023 (Pentecost)
  
• Module 3 – Friday, June 23, to Sunday, June 25, 2023
  
• Module 4 (intensive week) – Monday, July 17, to Sunday, July 23, 2023
  
• Module 5 – Friday, August 18, to Sunday, August 20, 2023
  
• Module 6 – Friday, September 22, to Sunday, September 24, 2023
  
• Module 7 – Friday, October 20, to Sunday, October 22, 2023
  
• Module 8 (intensive week) – Monday, October 30, to Sunday, November 5, 2023

Class times:

• Fridays from about 8:00 am to 5:30 pm approx.
  
• Saturdays from about 8:00 am to 6:00 pm approx.
  
• Sundays from about 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
  
• Intensive weeks (Monday through Sunday) daily from about 8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Cost

The cost for the 250-hour Yoga Teacher Training 2023 is CHF 4’450.
The course fee includes extensive written course manual in the language it was originally written.
Not included is the cost for further reading material (recommended books).

Application

To apply for the 250-hour Teacher Training 2023 please use this Form (german only).

Closing date is on May 1, 2023.
Given the usually high demand, we recommend that you apply early!

For questions and other concerns please email to ausbildungen@airyoga.ch

Prerequisites for attending the Yoga Teacher Training:

This training is highly demanding on a physical and psychological level. The schedule requires participants to really immerse themselves in yoga. Applicants should be sincerely interested and ready to study intensively.
Furthermore are required:

• a regular yoga practice of a minimum of two years
• solid knowledge in both German and English (no translations are offered)
• good mental and physical health

Further terms:

• This training will be taught in English or German, depending on the teacher.
• The applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis.
• AIRYOGA/Stephen Thomas will decide who is admitted to the course after assessing the application. Candidates that are not already regular students with Stephen may be invited to a test class and a post class interview.
• The course requires a minimum of 15 participants to take place. It accepts a maximum of 28 participants (plus possibly persons making up missed hours from the previous course). Additional applicants will be put on the wait-list.
• In order to graduate, trainees are required to have attended a minimum of 200 classroom hours and passed a written exam in Philosophy, Anatomy, and Asana, as well as a practical exam. Graduates are entitled to register as ‘RYT 200’ with the American Yoga Alliance®.
• Notice on COVID: The official regulations and protective measures in force at the time of the training apply. Participants accept that – if necessary – parts of the TT course 2022 will have to be offered online or will have to be postponed.

Stephen Thomas (Director)

Asana, Pranayama, Teaching Methodology, Yoga-Philosophy

Stephen is an experienced Yoga teacher and practitioner. He leads Teacher Trainings, Workshops and Immersions across Asia and Europe. His teaching is deeply rooted in the traditional Yoga practices of Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. His philosophical background is influenced by studies in the Classical systems of Yoga Philosophy as well as Tibetan Buddhism and Tantra.

Stephen studies directly with O.P. Tiwari of Kaivalyadham, India – a living master in the science of Pranayama. He blends this with his ongoing studies in Asana, Nutrition, Ayurveda, Philosophy and the varied modern evolutions of Yoga.

Stephen teaches classes and workshops at AIRYOGA in Zurich, as well as a guest instructor throughout the world. He also dedicates energy each year to directing Teacher Intensive Trainings and ongoing education and works one-on-one with many students and teachers in his community.

For more info on Stephen and his work please check-out his webpage https://svarupa.com
Stephen teaches in English.

Claire Dalloz

Teaching Methodology

Claire has been learning and teaching yoga passionately for the past 25 years. It has brought her joy, balance, curiosity and above all kept her sane during the wonderful but often trying years of bringing up three little kids. Her main influences on the path have been from Glenn Ceresoli (Senior Iyengar Teacher), Bruno Dietziker (Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga), and more recently Stephen Thomas (Hatha Yoga), Doug Keller (Yoga Therapy) and Dr. Ravi Ravindra (philosophy and spirituality). Her teaching style is influenced by the Ashtanga Vinyasa and Iyengar Yoga Schools although over the years she has adopted her own way of teaching.
Claire regularly teaches on retreats both in Switzerland and abroad and offers immersion days and weekend trainings for teachers. 
Claire is:
•  Internationally certified Yoga Teacher at the 500 hour level (E-RYT500)
•  YACEP (Yoga Alliance Certified Education Provider)
•  Member of the Swiss Yoga Union and of the European Yoga Union
•  Co-owner of YogaTopia, Herrliberg, Switzerland
•  Trained Hypnotherapist and Medical Masseuse

Please also visit www.clairedalloz.ch
Claire teaches in English (with supplementary German where needed).

Manuela Peverelli

Meditation, Asana

Manuela teaches yoga since 2008. Her attitude and approach towards life is influenced by taoist, vedic and Buddhist studies and practices. An education in Ayurvedic psychology at the European Ayurveda Academy in 2013 has enriched her background in Western psychiatric nursery. In addition, Manuela began to study Buddhist Psychotherapy in Germany in 2018, which also influences what she is sharing. 
Manuela’s teaching is dynamic and powerful, but at the same time a journey to the inner stillness as a refuge in this hectic and demanding world. For her, the techniques of Yoga are simply tools to create more harmony within the body and mind for recognizing the essence of the true Self. 
Since 2019, Manuela lives in the Metta Villa in the southwest of France, a quiet and nourishing space for retreats and inner transformation that she has co-founded with her partner Marc. 

For more information please visit www.mettavilla.fr
Manuela teaches in German.

Doug Keller

Yoga-Philosophie, Therapeutisches Yoga, Yoga Nidra

Doug came to teach Hatha Yoga by way of the yoga of meditation and years of academic study of philosophy, both eastern and western. He went to India in 1986 to practice yoga at Swami Muktananda’s ashram in Ganeshpuri and to offer his service. He spent a total of 7 years in the Ganeshpuri ashram, and 14 years of service overall in Siddha Yoga ashrams in the US and abroad, studying and practicing yoga, working in the kitchen and gardens, and teaching Hatha Yoga. It was during Doug Keller’s time in Ganeshpuri that he met John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga who, after his return to the states, enabled Doug to study under him and made him one of the first certified Anusara teachers. He has taught in the Anusara style for many years, but also studied other yoga traditions with unique teachers such as Aadil Palkhivala, John Schumacher, Kevin Gardiner, Erich Schiffman, Rodney Yee, Rod Stryker and others.

Doug is the author of a few books on Asana, Philosophy and Pranyama, and a two-volume work on Yoga as Therapy. He has been teaching workshops and in teacher trainings in the US, Europe and India. 
Please also check out www.doyoga.com
Doug teaches in English.

Christina Eggenschwiler

Anatomy and Physiology, Prevention

Christina has more than 12 years of teaching experience. As a lecturer for functional anatomy and physiology she is involved in various teacher training courses in Switzerland and abroad. She gained her professional knowledge during her training as a yoga teacher at Yoga Medicine, at Anatomy Trains in Motion, in spiral dynamics and in various specializations (CAS sports and movement therapy, Pilates, health promotion, injury prevention, pain therapy, etc.). With a Master’s degree in Sports Science she has a comprehensive understanding of movement. She imparts the theory with clarity and many application examples and the practice with exciting self-awareness techniques.

More about Christina: www.the-yugen.com.
Christina teaches in German.

Evelyn Hunger

Ayurveda Foundations

On one of her frequent travels to India, Evelyn came into contact first with yoga and then with Ayurveda. She was so fascinated from that point on, that she immersed herself with the philosophical system and its practice. Yoga teacher trainings and retreats with Stephen Thomas as her teacher and mentor for many years, but also inputs from other teachers, as well as her daily personal practice, help Evelyn gain a deeper perspective and understanding, that she constantly integrates in her daily life, which helps her have an honest, empathic and enjoyable relationship with life.
Evelyn trained to become a certified Ayurveda Specialist at the European Academy for Ayurveda, and supplemented her studies with an internship over several months at an Ayurvedic clinic in South India. The knowledge from her profession as an emergency care nurse is an important link to work in a holistic way. In addition, Evelyn is deeply inspired by the Mahamudra practice of Tibetan Buddhism, which shapes her yoga practice and brings her fulfillment and joy in her daily life. Phases of intensive practice are just as important to her as to experience her mind clearly and to open her heart anew in each encounter even in the hectic emergency care routine.

For more information please also see www.yogaayus.ch
Evelyn teaches in German.

Module 1: Foundations in Mind, Heart and Body Yogic Practice

April 12-14, 2024

In this module we will build a foundation from which to explore the practice methods that support participants on their personal path towards a deeper understanding and the cultivation of their inherent heart qualities.
In the theoretical part, we introduce the Buddhist teaching of the Four Noble Truth and the Eightfold Noble Path and discuss its meaning in the context of our modern life.
This module is the starting point of a journey. We get in touch with one another and start growing together as a group which opens up a sacred space arisen out of trust to support each individual on their personal journey.

Module 2 (Pentecost): The forces within us

May 17-20, 2024

This module is dedicated towards clarity of one’s individual motivation and intention for the practice. In contemplation and reflection, we move closer to what truly matters to us and what our heart longs for. We gently touch on individual tendencies and investigate how these shape the ways we look at ourselves and the world around us. Informed by a deeper understanding of the internal forces driving us, we encourage participants to connect to an intuitive and personal approach towards the manifestation of their vision.
To support us in this exploration, we introduce e.g. Kleshas as described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra as well as three levels of emotional experiences as described in Buddhism.  

Module 3: Playfully approaching the individual practice

June 28-30, 2024

The third module is a playful exposition of and a deeper dive into the different orientations towards Asana, Pranayama/Kriyas, and Meditation in order to connect participants to an experiential understanding of the different approaches. Enriched by theoretical knowledge on Asana sequencing, different aspects of the meditation practice as well as approaches to classical Pranayama practice, this module gives Yogis concrete tools to keep up a purposeful practice at home.
Theoretically we will base this weekend on inspiration from e.g. the Krishnamaycharya traditions (Ashtanga, Iyengar), teachings from the Bhagavad Gita and the three turnings of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana).

Module 4: Awakening to wisdom

August 23-25, 2024

This module is dedicated to the teachings of natural wisdom that reaches beyond a conceptual mind. Letting body, mind and heart be our guides, there is the potential to discover that natural presence is always and already here and profound transformation can occur by resting in just simply being.
The Satipatthana Sutta, Heart Sutra and other Buddhist texts are introduced with the aim to broaden our understanding and encourage the inner exploration.

Module 5: Unleashing inherent heart qualities

September 13-15, 2024

The module’s focus is the traditions emphasizing and the practices cultivating heart qualities such as compassion, patience and kindness. Participants are guided to familiarize themselves with their inner landscape and find ways to move closer to inherent heart qualities that touch their life and the life of the people around them in a beautiful way.

To support us in this module’s dialogue and practice we draw inspiration from texts such as The Way of the Bodhisattva (Shantideva).

Module 6: Retreat at Casa Corvo

October 23-27, 2024

These days are an invitation to unplug, slow down, relax and integrate the practices and experiences of the past months. A long morning practice in silence, the surrounding nature and sharing this experience with a group of likeminded practitioners support us in further cultivating a gentle awareness. There will be enough time for walks, swimming, discovery trips into the surroundings.

Module 7: Working with difficult emotions

November 15-17, 2024

The seventh weekend focuses on working with difficult emotions. The practice offers a safe space to confront us with difficulties and with that, opens up the opportunity to learn and discover skillful means when encountering distress. Methods from Essential Psychotherapy (approach integrating psychotherapeutic work with Buddhist mind training) are introduced, which invite us to embrace healing and stimulate inner maturity through self-exploration.

Module 8: Re/vision

December 20-22, 2024

In this module the participants are encouraged to pause and reflect on the past weeks. How did my individual practice unfold? What creates resonance, what resistance? How do I connect to the motivation that keeps my practice steady? Does the practice lead me closer to my vision and heart wishes? Where do I want to go from here? How can I dedicate my life energy to the wellbeing of me and other beings?

Michael Hamilton

Growing up in apartheid South Africa led Michael to an early interest in the topic of individual and collective hardship and awakened within him the yearning to address and confront the challenges it brings.
In his youth it spurned him on to political activism and rebellion, sublimated through studies in art and literature, which additionally offered helpful glimpses into the human condition. The discovery of Buddhism in his twenties brought about dramatic life changes resulting in his departure from the west to the east and long years of studies in yoga and Buddhism in Asia. After discovering satipatthana meditation with its direct application of mindfulness to progressive stages of development, he started studies in short- and long-term retreat formats with Sayday U Vivekananda.
Currently Michael is undergoing a 3-year course in essential psychology, which combines skillful methods developed in psychology with the Buddhism teachings on wisdom, in order to better facilitate development and healing in individuals and small groups. He is deeply grateful to all those that have helped and guided him on his path, particularly Daido Roshi for his acts of kindness, Vivekanada and Baddhamanika for their endless patience, Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor for their insights into approaching practice, Doug Keller for therapeutic body awareness and Wolfgang Erhard and Lama Lhündrup for awakening the Bodhisattva spirit within.
Michael lives with his wife Sabine Glück in Ticino, Switzerland.
For more information please see www.michaelhamiltonyoga.com

Sabine Glück

Sabine is a Yoga and meditation practitioner and teacher and is co-directing the Center of Mindfulness in Zurich. She has practiced and studied avidly since 2010. Her love and commitment to spiritual practice influences her life and what she shares as a teacher.

Sabine honors her primary teachers of Hatha and Classical Yoga, Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor, Michael Hamilton and Doug Keller as well as U Vivekananda and Baddhamanika for their compassionate and wise guidance in meditation practice.
She holds an MA in Psychology from the University of Zurich and is a certified MBSR teacher (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction). Currently Sabine is absolving a 3-years training in Essential Psychotherapy, an approach integrating psychotherapeutic methods and Buddhist wisdom. 

Sabine lives in a remote valley in Ticino, Switzerland. She is regularly retreating for longer practice periods.