Are you interested in evolving your yoga practice? Do you have the desire to gain lifelong skills on how to better navigate the world of yoga? Are you hungry to make a real substantive difference in other people’s lives?
UW Recreations 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program provides the opportunity to step into a voyage of self-discovery, strengthen your physical body, amplify the power of your breath and learn key methodologies for guiding others in practice of yoga.
Steeped in the foundational principles of mindfulness, anatomy and physiology, as well as practical and digestible topics of yoga philosophy, our Registered Yoga Alliance training provides a deep dive into the exploration of not only teaching, but actually LIVING yoga as a lifestyle.
Core Curriculum
Yoga Alliance has implemented a new RYS 200 Standard which we follow:
- Take note that while we cover all of these categories we do not necessarily cover all information listed in this chart.
- Our curriculum also includes additional content such as conscious communication, listening skills, and self-development exercises (eye contact, compassion journey, sustaining postures, journaling prompts, etc.).
- These are lead in dyads, triads, and sometimes groups.
- The self-development portion is designed to strengthen your awareness muscle for your life off the mat and so you can better work with the skills and challenges that may arise as a guide of yoga.
- In this training it is our intent to make everyone feel welcome.
- We commit to making this a FUN program for people from all walks of life.
Faculty
Ashwini Sadekar
Ashwini’s journey into the world of yoga began in India as a child, where she practiced yoga asana and Surya namaskar under the guidance of a master teacher. Today, Ashwini is a celebrated yoga instructor, with a unique approach to teaching that combines her multidimensional background as an Electronics Engineer and realist painter.
After completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training from UW REC in 2019, and 500-hour yoga teacher training from Hrishikesh India, Ashwini leads the YTT program at UW REC. Her expertise in planning sessions that adhere to the Yoga Alliance curriculum guidelines has earned her a reputation as a highly effective teacher. With her teaching methodology that incorporates yoga philosophy, Sanskrit pronunciation, anatomy, breathwork techniques, posture labs, class, and sequence design, Ashwini makes learning yoga a fun and engaging experience for her students.
Ashwini specializes in the Himalayan Kundalini tradition of yoga and is also a certified prenatal and yin yoga instructor. Her students appreciate her humorous, poetic, and philosophical approach to teaching. Graduates of UW REC YTT have gone on to become successful yoga teachers at various locations, as Ashwini enjoys guiding them on the professional development side of yoga.
Besides yoga, Ashwini is also passionate about Bollywood dance fitness, which she incorporates into her classes. Her extensive experience guiding yoga classes both in-person and online, facilitating YTT, and conducting meditation and prenatal yoga workshops at UW have made her a respected and sought-after teacher.
Ashwini’s teachings go beyond physical asana practice and focus on nurturing a deeper mind-body-breath connection. Her classes incorporate posture alignment cues, dynamic fluid movements, nourishing breath exploration techniques, and deep guided meditations. Through her teachings, Ashwini aims to inspire her students to integrate their passions into a harmonious whole, much like the great polymath Leonardo da Vinci.
In addition to her yoga practice, Ashwini is also an accomplished visual artist, creating vivid paintings in her studio that reflect her passion for integrating art with the art of living. With her unique blend of creativity, logic, and spirituality, Ashwini continues to inspire and transform the lives of her students. Learn more at ashwinisadekar.com and ashwinisyoga.com
Winter & Summer Programs
Program Details
Summer Weekend Intensive 2024
Applications are now open! Applications will be reviewed, and admissions will go out May 2024.
Summer YTT Schedule
June 14th, 15th, 16th (Fri, Sat, Sun)
June 23rd, 30th
July 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
August 4th, 11th
August 16th, 17th, 18th (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Typical daily schedule:
- Starts at 8 AM
- 8-9 Yoga Class/Practice
- 9-9:30 breakfast break
- 9:30-12:30 AM session
- 12:30-1:15 lunch break
- 1:15-4:30 PM session
Winter Weekend Intensive 2024
Winter YTT is FULL- join waitlist here- Yoga Teacher Training – Winter 2024 – University of Washington | Recreation (IMA) (uw.edu)
Winter YTT Schedule
Typical daily schedule:
- Starts at 8 AM
- 8-9 Yoga Class/Practice
- 9-9:30 breakfast break
- 9:30-12:30 AM session
- 12:30-1:15 lunch break
- 1:15-4:30 PM session
Important
Payment is required up front. Refunds will not be granted.
Before the training begins there are 35-40 hours of pre-assignments that must be completed before day one.
While unexpected circumstance show up please DO NOT apply if you need to miss training days (especially the first 3 days). If you need to miss part of a day or even a whole day later in the training please indicate this on your application. You are allowed one day of absence from YTT. If you miss additional days, you will not be eligible to complete the course and receive your 200 certification.
This training is a serious time investment, please ensure it will not interfere with your academic, work, and/or personal life commitments.
Training FAQs
Who is this training for?
Current UW Students, Faculty/Staff, +1 IMA Members/Spouses (space permitting), and UW Alumni (space permitting).
We believe in yoga for all, yoga practices are not based on flexibility or any kind of physical, spiritual or personal identity.
Yoga practices are a way for all to deepen your mind, body breath connection and share your unique gifts to encourage others for overall physical and emotional wellbeing. We welcome all aspiring applicants.
UW Seattle Students: You do not need to be enrolled in summer academic classes to attend our summer training. If you are graduating during spring you are still eligible for student pricing and access to the IMA in the summer (either by purchasing a membership for the summer or being given access during class days/times). This training does not count towards any academic credit.
UW Seattle Faculty/Staff: You do not need to be an IMA member, you will be given access to the IMA during class days/times.
UW Continuing Education, Bothell, or Tacoma Students: You would need to purchase a student IMA membership ($70 a quarter) for Winter/Spring or (Spring/Summer for the summer intensive) to be eligible for student pricing.
Qualifying +1 IMA members: You can receive +1 pricing and be given access to the building during class day/times.
UW Alumni
Seattle Community: You can apply to the training however keep in mind that UW Students, Faculty/Staff tend to receive priority.
How much yoga experience should I have?
Ideally 6 months of consistent practice (minimum 1x a week of in class, personal practice or video/audio classes) under your belt. This is a suggestion, but not a requirement.
What style of yoga will I be able to teach?
While our training is steeped in “vinyasa” methodology, all that means is being able to guide postures in a fluid and connected way. After the training you will be able to lead classes that range from gentle, moderate, to more dynamic and heated practices. Our training focuses on teaching to all-levels by weaving in clear posture options and learning how to utilize props to support.
What type of certification will I be eligible for?
UW Recreation is recognized by Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga School which means the program meets the standards of a 200-hour program. Most yoga studios, gyms, retreat centers, etc. will only hire yoga teachers that have done a Yoga Alliance accredited 200-hour training. You may choose to become an “RYT,” registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance after your training (although this is not mandatory to teach. You will learn much more about this in the Business of Yoga). This training qualifies you to teach domestically or overseas.
How much does it cost?
$600 for students.
$1,800 for non-students (faculty/staff, spouse/+1, space permitting).
$2,400 for UW Alumni (space permitting).
$3,000 for Seattle community (space permitting).
Payment is required up front. YTT is non-refundable once training has begun.
Can I receive financial assistance?
We do not have any financial assistance available.
Testimonials
“The UW Rec 200 hr. YTT program was honestly the best decision I made in 2022. It was a life-changing experience for me. All the teachers were so knowledgeable, supportive, and inclusive. They created a safe place for everyone to learn, discuss and express our true selves. The knowledge, tools, yoga family and even the confidence I received during the training will no doubt benefit me for the rest of my life. I am really grateful that I took the opportunity to do it.”
– Qi Duan, Master of Science in Information Management, University of Washington
“The UW Recreation Yoga Teacher Training emphasized a holistic methodology, considering the history of yoga, safety, meditation, postures, diversity, equity, and inclusion and so much more! The instructors, guest speakers, group exercises and curriculum felt very intentional and well planned. Throughout the three weeks, I felt like I was at a “retreat” where I could be in the moment with personal growth opportunities while appreciating my new skills and knowledge to carry me forward as a yoga instructor. I would highly recommend the UW Recreation Yoga Teacher Training Program!”
– Cindy Lopez, University of Washington Alumnus, ‘98
“As an overseas student, I’m really grateful that I signed up for this amazing program: it made my summer vacation so meaningful! Different from other yoga training, the Yoga Theories class at YTT taught me how to perform every movement safely during yoga practice. I learned to protect and control my body while performing beautiful yoga movements. My favorite part of the program was the outdoor yoga sessions we did by the lake: the sun, the breeze, and the noisy ducks made my yoga sessions so enjoyable. During the three Practice Teaching sessions in this program, I also gained a better understanding of myself from the advice given by my students. And this is a very supportive community that I’ve made some good friends here. Thanks to Danny and Ashwini for their help and guidance, I will continue to go far in the field of yoga meditation in the future.”
– Sophia Sun, Journalism major, University of Washington
“This training will change the way you look at how yoga [is] typically taught in the west. Reflecting on what body types and who is privileged in the yoga space, allows us to reimagine the way we teach. Reimagining is the first step to offering yoga that is more inclusive for all bodies, of all ages. No more sequences with endless cat-cows and upward dogs- I am inspired to be more creative with how I teach yoga for the vast majority of people for whom these poses make existing injuries worse.”
– Ramya Kuma, PhD Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
Contact Us
Fitness and Wellness Manager
206.543.1717
jpalmer8@uw.edu
Member Services
206.543.4590
recinfo@uw.edu