Critical yoga history & debrah minising the practice JANUARY 2025
THE COURSE
This course is focused on understanding critical yoga history and philosophy and applying that knowledge to teaching yoga.
WHATS INCLUDED?
10 hours of lectures with Bess Prescott stepping through critical yoga history
5 hours of lectures with Roshni Lakhani.
weekly practices for a debrahminised practice (including āsana and meditation)
10 live calls with Bess and Roshni throughout the five weeks of the live course.
Yoga Alliance certification for 50 CE hours of Advanced Teacher Training
WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?
Yoga teachers and practitioners who are curious about the history or yoga and interested in an ethical practice.
Yoga Alliance certified
All my trainings are certified with Yoga Alliance (US branch, recognised worldwide). You’ll be training under me (Bess Prescott) as the YACEP, and Bess Prescott Yoga (formerly Creature Yoga) as the school. All your past trainings with Creature Yoga will follow on to the new school with Yoga Alliance.
topics with Roshni Lakhani
WEEK 1 – The emergence of brahminical patriarchy: sanskrit, caste and migration
WEEK 2 – Entrenchment of brahminical patriarchy: caste and gender in sanskrit textual sources
WEEK 3 – Traditions beyond brahminical patriarchy: śramanic paths and the bhakti movement
WEEK 4 – Centring Dalit and Adivasi voices: activism, advocacy and the fight for caste abolition
WEEK 5 – Our praxis: debrahminising yoga: hindu nationalism, colonialism and debrahminisation
IMAGES
live calls, online
Friday mornings 6.30am February 14, 21, 28, and March 7 and 14
Tuesday evenings 6pm February 18, 25, 4, 11, 18.
GETTING STARTED
You are welcome to begin preparatory reading as soon as you sign up.
We will publish week #1 materials on February 12, and our first live call will be February 14. We will conclude with a last live call on March 18.
CAN’T ATTEND A LIVE CALL?
No problem, all calls will be recorded and uploaded to your training curriculum.
FAQS
Is this course certified?
Yes! All my courses are certified with Yoga Alliance (US branch, recognised worldwide). Once you successfully complete the training, you will receive your PDF certificate with the Yoga Alliance stamp.
How long can I access the course content for?
You will have access to the course for one year, with the option for continued access at AUD$50 every six months post completion.
What if I don't want to teach yoga?
No problem - I have plenty of students who do our teacher training just to learn more about yoga, and about themselves. If you do not want the Yoga Alliance certificate you do not have to submit the final teaching video.
How much work will the course involve?
The course workload depends on your completion goals. There are six modules, with about 35 hours of work per module. During the training I recommend you maintain a regular (3+ times a week) āsana practice, and a daily meditation and prāṇāyāma practice. You could complete the training intensively over six weeks. Time poor? Go slow and process the materials at your own pace over the course of a year, or purchase continued access and take even longer.
What about assessments?
There will be regular small quizzes throughout the course to test your understanding. At the end of the course, you will need to submit a short (2 page) essay (topic: yoga history) and complete your prac teaching assessment live over Zoom, or upload a video of you teaching. Upon submission, you will receive your 200hr certificate.
What time of the day will the practices be?
Live calls will be offered in a five week block twice a year. All live classes and calls will be recorded and available for you to practice or watch at a time of your choosing.
When are the live calls?
The next round of live calls with Bess will run from 16 June - 7 July every Monday at 6pm AEST, plus a fifth call for teaching assessments on 21 July at 6pm AEST. There's a gap of two weeks between the fourth and fifth calls to allow for exam preparation. There will be a new round of five live calls every six months, ongoing. Live call times and dates will be posted to your curriculum in advance. All live calls will be recorded in case you can't attend live.
