After lots of time spent looking for a quality yoga therapy training I came across YogaMedics. I was impressed with their level of expertise and ability to offer a payment plan to make it financially feasible. The training was well-organized, thorough, and gave me details and information that I continue to turn to in my teaching. They have a wonderful group of trainers that present with an interactive, hands on, and engaging approach. Through the YogaMedics Yoga Therapy Training Program I’ve gained an understanding of both proper alignment and misalignment. I’ve learned how to observe, test and gently realign my own body as well as my clients and how to offer effective therapeutic exercises that address specific issues. They have fostered my enthusiasm and backed it with knowledge; I can’t wait to help others using the techniques I have learned. I cannot say enough about this program it has exceeded my expectations.
– Jessica McCrumb
YogaMedics RYT 200 Training is more than just another teacher training- it’s an eye-opening experience. This program not only helps you evolve as an individual, but also as a teacher, therapist, and yogi. With YogaMedics, you gain knowledge, experience, and an understanding of what you can do for people who are turning to yoga as a way to recover from something in their life. I truly believe that yoga is accessible to everyone and this program shows the true powers and benefits of yoga practice.
For 30 years I worked long stressful hours as a manager in corporate America. For the last 12 years of those, I started to take informal yoga classes at the local gym. I was lucky that this particular instructor knew very well of the importance of alignment and safety within the yoga poses. I soon realized that I looked forward to that hour. My hip and lower back pain started to decrease so I could sleep through the night, the strength in my upper body was increasing, tension in my shoulders and neck was subsiding, but most important, I found my breath. I could take that everywhere with me; knowing that I could go to it as often as needed. When I left my job 2.5 years ago, I knew I was going to do something else but I didn’t know what. I had always been interested in a 360 degree approach to well-being but I didn’t want to begin a minimum of four years of college to get there. Since I retired, my yoga practice moved from the gym to an occasional yoga studio. The more I experienced a variety of instructors, the more I knew that I wanted to expand my practice. After talking to several instructors about their training, YogaMedic’s was mentioned a couple of times. My favorite instructor graduated from there and what she said had the most meaning to me.
YogaMedic’s training focused on the therapeutic side of yoga. The teaching focused on anatomy, alignment, restorative healing and emotional wellness. I signed up for the program and with hesitation and excitement I went to my first of three modules. My experience has been amazing. Even without any medical background, I felt very comfortable in the class and with my classmates. Everyone is very helpful and the training is intense but fascinating. Much of the education is done at your own pace, in your own home, so it can easily be worked around your schedule. Although I’m not sure yet where I am going with this training, my mind is continuously being opened to the opportunities that will be available once I receive my certification. We are finally living in a time where the Western medical field is acknowledging and accepting that yoga has a wide range of therapeutic benefits. The opportunities will continue as mental illness continues to increase, seniors live longer and life continues on its hectic course. YogaMedic’s has and will provide me with the training to pursue those opportunities.
I became a serious yoga student three years ago, at 52 years of age. In my youth I was physically active, but had succumbed to a more sedentary lifestyle due to chronic medical issues, including Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients are told to work out in order to reduce the pain, but this is a double edged sword as working out causes more pain at the beginning of a physical fitness program. Prescription drugs caused me to gain 40 pounds, adding insult to injury, as when I was a young woman I prided myself in being able to maintain a slender weight. Membership to a gym helped me feel like I was doing something to fend off the Fibro symptoms, but something was missing.
Then I found a yoga studio near work and my life changed. Their Gentle yoga class showed me how to incorporate my mind and spirit into a gentle, physical workout. Without starting a diet I began to slowly drop weight. I looked and felt better. My stress level was reduced. I began to feel better about myself and my fellow man. I became interested in teaching yoga. I wanted to share the gift of yoga with others, so I began watching my yoga teachers to decide what style I liked. My Healthy Backs yoga teacher’s style of cuing was particularly attractive to me. Her classes were seamlessly put together, the cuing was amazing (I marveled that I could have my eyes closed during the entire class and follow her cues), and I felt genuinely cared for before, during, and after class. She (Lisa Lapham Shields) took her RYT 200 training through YogaMedics.
I chose YogaMedics for RYT 200 training because it is the only program I know of that was developed by a team of medical professionals that includes doctors, psychologists and physical therapists. My goal is to teach a safe yoga class, and I have gained the ability to not only teach yoga, but to also become a trained yoga therapist.
There are many reasons I enjoyed the RYT 200 training sessions. Seema Singh, YogaMedic’s director of training and education, facilitates each four day training session with intelligence, kindness, grace, and a sense of humor. She has the ability to make students look forward to what can feel like a long day. The time actually flies by, filled with a variety of instruction by many different teachers and guest speakers (including medical professionals and previous YogaMedics patients). Anatomy class was an absolute favorite, as Margie, a physical therapist with a funny bone, takes a dry subject and makes it interesting and full of laughter. There are three intensive training weekends, each separated by a few months. This allowed me to integrate and practice what I learned so that each time I went back to a training session I had a new sense of confidence and belief in my ability to teach a safe and inspiring yoga class.
During the YogaMedics RYT 200 training sessions I have developed discipline, a sense of confidence, and have found my area of expertise. I look forward to an ongoing relationship with YogaMedics as I continue to learn and grow.
