School
The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.
- T.K.V Desikachar
The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.
- T.K.V Desikachar
Join us for the journey of a lifetime. Explore yoga philosophy and its relevance in the 21st century. Learn the fundamentals of asana (posture), pranayama (breathwork), and meditation. Develop tools for happiness in challenging times. Surround yourself with a supportive community.
Led by Heart of the Village Owner/Director Jo Kirsch, E-RYT 500, with Bob Speck, E-RYT 500, our 200 hour and 300 hour Heart of the Village Yoga School Courses are a transformative program for self growth.
Including:
Heart of the Village Yoga’s mission is to create and provide a safe, compassionate space to practice stillness and study yoga. Our vision is to empower people to learn, be, stretch, transform, heal, know, find peace, connect, and unify with themselves, one another, community, and the world around them through the journey of practicing yoga. Additionally to expose individuals to this life-long practice that can enlighten all lives, individually and collectively.
We are experiential learners and teachers. Our training will be as hands-on as possible given the current Covid pandemic. The majority of the Course will be in-person at Heart of the Village Yoga in Manchester, Vermont. Reading and writing assignments will foreshadow our zoom and in-person sessions.
Coming from a background in Astanga Yoga, our influences are also Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Bhakti and Tantra Yoga. We don’t limit our School or our Studio to one discipline of yoga, but offer an integrated approach where students can follow their own path.
Our School helps participants find and learn to express their inner and outer voice and nurture their truest self. Our non-dogmatic approach allows each individual to assimilate, integrate and foster their own relationship with the science of yoga. As the training progresses you will shed layers of conditioning, shoulds and should nots, and learn to access and trust your inner wisdom. You will learn to let go of what no longer serves you, and make room for what does.
We run our 200 Hour and 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Courses simultaneously. These accreditations are through Yoga Alliance, which offers a 200 Hour Credential and a 500 (200 + 300) Hour Credential. In order to attend our 300 Hour Course, applicants must already have a 200 Hour Certificate of Completion. Our combined student body therefore includes students with a range of experience enriching the experience for everyone. New students benefit from learning from their more advanced colleagues and more experienced teachers have the opportunity to teach their less experienced colleagues throughout the training.
Logistics:
Each Core Weekend will embrace multiple aspects of our curriculum including flow, yin and gentle yoga, teaching methodology, practice teaching, posture modifications and sequencing, philosophy, anatomy and physiology, meditation, breath work, nature focus, and chanting.
Required and recommended reading, and other assignments may require an additional 4-8 hours per month. Written study guides; group and mentored study will be included in program.
HOTV Yoga Classes are included in Tuition for the duration of the Course.
Next Dates TBA
Our 200 and 300 Hour Courses have a standard of excellence and are in compliance with the standards of the nationally recognized Yoga Alliance. Heart of the Village Yoga is a Registered Yoga School with Yoga Alliance. If you are interested in our 300 Hour Course, email Jo@heartofvillageyoga.com for more information.
Questions? Email.
What some of our graduates have to say:
“The 200 hour teacher training at Heart of the Village Yoga was a heart opening experience. I left the training feeling thoroughly grounded in yoga asana, philosophy, seva practice and bhakti practice. I would highly recommend this program to someone seeking a well rounded experience from loving and inspiring instructors.” – Dianna Scott, RYT 200
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“My life is now divided in two: who I was before Heart of the Village Yoga Teacher Training, and who I am after it. I had been treading water for some years, floating idly along, and this training set my life’s course. Understanding yoga at a level deeper than the asana helped me better understand myself. The philosophy of yoga, the 8-Limb path, and everything in between are valuable not just for life on the mat but for life out in the world. Bob and Jo are wonderful teachers – dedicated, passionate, curious, and incredibly knowledgeable. Even more than that, they are so inviting, holding space for the unique circumstances of each student’s life, which makes this journey that much richer.” – Nathalie Boyle, RYT 200
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“Jo and Bob provided one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I feel equipped with the tools, support, and confidence to start my yoga teaching career.” – Kelli Ettori, RYT 200
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“The biggest lesson that I’ve taken from this training is the power of practice, both in yoga and beyond. I was a little stuck when this training began, and it’s hard to express just how encouraging it’s been to feel myself progressing in my yoga practice. I feel that I now have the knowledge to address my problem areas over time, or at least to seek out the necessary resources. It’s reaffirming to know that there is always room to grow, and I’m working to apply that idea to other aspects of my life. This training has also made it clear to me that living a good life isn’t enough: it’s important to live a conscious life, and invest the effort necessary to earn the sweetness that life has to offer. Finally, the value of community has really become clear to me through this training, and that’s an area of my life that I’d really like to continue investing effort in—both on and off the mat. “ – Cherise Madigan, RYT 200
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“Before this teacher training yoga was just about the pose, and about looking perfect. Now I’ve grown to realize it’s so much more than that. Yoga is about being who you are and understanding that no matter where you are in your practice, it’s okay. Yoga is acceptance and understanding. Personally I think if everyone did a little yoga, the world would be a much better place.” – Lexi Smith, RYT 200
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“My experiences during training have opened my mind, my heart and my body to what following the path of yoga can do to enrich my life and the lives of those around me. The practice has allowed me to appreciate everything more. Whether it is finding ease in a difficult asana or seeing something new on a trail I have hiked a hundred times before. Or learning to really listen to people and be in the now during conversations. Or using the yoga sutras as I reminder that I alone have the control to choose the way I want to feel.” – Ray Kosach, RYT 200
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“I have found my voice through teaching. Ever since I took my first yoga class I have always wanted to sit in the cushion up front and be the one teaching. Through the training that love has deepened and I can wholeheartedly say I believe my passion is teaching. I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, maybe I will teach yoga or culinary arts or medicine. But I now know I love to teach.
My hope is to take this love and teach yoga during college, maybe even before. Obviously I don’t know what the future will hold, but I do know the eight limb path has helped prepare me for the outside world. It has taught me to face everything with love and gratitude. I have a constant effort to be present and do everything mindfully and joyfully.
We have created a family together at heart of the village. I walk up the steps like I’m walking in to my living room. During everything, I have felt loved and accepted. Jo, thank you for encouraging me to take this training. I never would have been bold enough to do this without your constant encouragement. Pam, thank you for teaching us (and simplifying) all of the beautiful ways the body moves. Bob, thank you for teaching us the unique and interesting philosophies behind yoga. I am grateful for all of you and all of the experiences we had together. This has been a journey I will never forget.” – Charlotte Alexander, RYT 200
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“I came into this teacher training at a point in my life when I was in desperate need of a sense of belonging. I was looking to the external world to provide it to me. What came from this training was deep internal growth and healing. Though I can’t say I necessarily belong here physically in Vermont I know undoubtedly now that I belong here inside my heart, a place I had never looked. Yoga has given me this gift and it’s the yoga I learned, not the yoga I thought I knew coming in.” – Jamie Lombardo, RYT 200
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“At the time I took the Heart of the Village 300 hour teacher training, I had already been teaching yoga for many years. Since my original 200 hour teacher training, I had completed a few hundred additional hours of advanced yoga training; because these trainings were from many different organizations, they could not be put together towards the advanced level of Yoga Alliance certification. Nonetheless, I had basically decided against doing a 300 hour training because I enjoy an eclectic approach to learning and teaching, and was convinced that I might be a bit bored in an entire 300 hour program from one organization’s perspective. However, when I read about Heart of the Village’s program, I was intrigued. I am so glad I was! Jo and Bob do a fabulous job presenting yoga with the depth and breadth it deserves. The program explores the physical practice of yoga from a variety of approaches, vinyasa to yin to restorative. Beyond that, the training puts the physical practice of yoga within the wider context of yogic philosophy and practices, especially highlighting the bhakti and japa yoga traditions. Furthermore, the Heart of the Village training featured many special guest teachers to share their own expertise and knowledge. Finally, the Heart of the Village is a wonderful community, and the students in the teacher training greatly benefit from being a part of it. I would highly recommend the Heart of the Village program.” – Stephanie Jones, RYT 500
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“It is my absolute pleasure to recommend Heart of the Village Yoga for your teacher training whether you are a 200 hour candidate, a 300 hour candidate or combined, like me. I came to know Jo Kirsch and Bob Speck as the most wonderful teaching team. They are both incredibly hard working and their combined knowledge inspired everyone at both levels to intertwine learning, mentor each other, teach with confidence and share deeply in yoga philosophy and asana. The TT program is outstanding for anyone at any level, that is interested in delving deeper into the art and science of yoga with like minded wonderful people.” – Barbara Lowes, RYT 500, Reiki Master
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“I was so blessed to be a part of the Advanced Studies/Teacher Training program at HOTV! Jo and Bob have such a profound understanding of the yoga path. Their teaching of both the physical and esoteric aspects of the practice is clear and embodied. In addition, their inclusion of guest teachers to broaden the scope of the learning was a gift. Even though the primary asana sequence taught through the training is a vinyasa based practice, there was so much variety offered that everyone was able to find the practice that most suited them. The spiritual aspects were taught with both respect and curiosity, enabling a deep immersion. And no one takes themselves too seriously! But for me, possibly the most important aspect was the safety and support Jo and Bob create in the training and in the studio as a whole. During the course of the training, I experienced a deeply traumatic event. The compassion and care I received at the studio gave me the space to breathe and to begin to process my feelings. Their modeling of “taking it off the mat” helped me complete the program and find my way home.” – Dina Bronson, RYT 500
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“We are all seekers, but sometimes we don’t know what we are looking for. At least that was how it seemed for me when I began my 200 hour teacher training at Heart of the Village Yoga. This course gave me the tools needed to learn that what I was looking for was in my own mind and heart. I just needed a dedicated and enthusiastic “Yes!” to being open and trusting the journey I was already on.
Jo and Bob are the real deal, with a deep respect for yogic tradition and culture, and they don’t take shortcuts. Leading by example, they are the kind of teachers you need if you want to dive deep but they are also incredibly kind and supportive.
The 200 hour teacher training gave me the tools to understand myself more deeply, and the 300 hour training helped me to understanding that I am connected to everything and everyone. I am overcome daily with appreciation and gratitude at how beautiful and interesting life is. I rarely say anything with complete conviction but I will say this: My life has been completely changed by these 500 hours of teacher training and I am so grateful for it.” – Margaret McChesney, RYT 500
$48 for 4 Weeks of Unlimited Yoga for Vermont Resident New Students; Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica, December 2 to 9, 2023
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GIFT CARDS, Yoga Mats, Bolsters, yoga blocks; Dolly Moo Body Oil and Roll-on Scents; Logowear and more.
