Dear aspiring Yoga teacher,

For years, pupils of Agama Yoga have asked for instruction in the subtleties of teaching our unique style of esoteric Yoga. These requests inspired our development of the current Teacher Training Course (TTC), created to help Agama share these genuine teachings in Tantric Yoga with a broader audience. In 2009 we will offer our fifth season of intensive, 12-week TTC courses, designed and taught by Agama founder and director Swami Vivekananda Saraswati with assistance from his senior teachers. Upon successful completion of this full-time program, graduates will not only be formally certified but also spiritually empowered to transmit these teachings to students around the world on behalf of Agama.

Interest in the TTC has grown tremendously over the past few years. To preserve the quality of the teachings, we now strictly limit each TTC to 20 students. Hopeful TTC participants should read through all sections of the TTC overview as it contains answers to many frequently asked questions as well as important information about the course guidelines. The application must be submitted for approval by email, alongside a program deposit and digital photo, in order to be considered. The approval process may take up to three weeks, so please plan accordingly.

Our goal through this intense and remarkable three-month course is to help our students become Yoga teachers with the aspiration and competence to bring these teachings to an ever widening scope of spiritual seekers worldwide. Please read through the following details of the course content before completing the Application for Admission. TTC Administration will contact a student with notification of receipt of his or her application materials and deposit within one week, and will inform the student of his or her acceptance to the course within three weeks of application submission.

Thank you for your interest in Agama Yoga!

The Agama Yoga Teacher Training Course provides:

• 500+ hours of course instruction and practicum training, including all the necessary components to qualify under international Yoga teaching standards (Yoga Alliance, International Yoga Federation certification)
• Instruction in asanas, pranayama, mudras, and bandhas according to the classical Yogic texts
• A 30+ hour program of anatomy and physiology, with a Yogic emphasis
• Pedagogical theory (an eight-part series) specifically pertaining to the art of teaching Yoga
• Exceptional teachings regarding the development of subtle energies and psychic protection, the importance and power of consecration, and other advanced esoteric information.

The course also includes a series of extraordinary commentary by Swami Vivekananda on the essence of Karma Yoga and teaching as revealed in the Bhagavad Gita, in addition to other exclusive lectures. You will also meet and learn from a network of experienced teachers, who will convey their teaching expertise to you through personal interviews as well as daily guided Hatha Yoga classes. Daily teaching workshops (weeks 5-12 of the program), critiqued by your peers and facilitated by a senior Agama teacher, will help build your confidence and competence as a teacher.

Finally, Agama is a registered member of Yoga Alliance and the International Yoga Federation (IYF) and our certificates are extended under this authority. With your Teacher Training Course certification comes not only the ability to teach one of the most profound Yoga systems in the world, but also the support of international recognition as you join the global teaching community.

To apply for the next TTC:

• Please carefully read the Criteria for Certification, Terms of Agreement, and Payment and Refund Information pages in this section before completing the Application for Admission. By checking the signature box on the application form, an applicant implies that he or she has read these sections and has agreed to abide by the course guidelines. Participants will have to sign these forms in person upon arrival.

• Although Agama does not require previous experience with Yoga, an applicant must be in good physical and psychological shape in order to participate fully in the Hatha Yoga sessions and to absorb the considerable amount of information presented.

• You must be able to read, speak, and comprehend English with a satisfactory degree of fluency. Agama is an international school with students from all over the world, and English is the language of instruction. Fluency means the ability to competently prepare a 30-minute lecture in English and to absorb university-level instruction adequately enough to prepare for theoretical exams.

• Please complete the application form and return it with a photo (maximum 100K) by email attachment to: ttc@agamayoga.com. An application must be accompanied by a PayPal deposit to Agama Yoga in the amount of €200 to be accepted for consideration. An applicant may make this deposit on our website. Choose either the Winter 2009 TTC or Summer 2009 TTC deposit pay button. Applications submitted without deposits will not be considered.

• Following approval, full payment for the balance of tuition will be required in advance, by two weeks prior to each TTC course start date. In 2009, these payment deadlines correspond to: 22 December, 2008, for the Winter TTC (start date 5 January, 2009) and 11 May, 2009, for the Summer TTC (start date 25 May). Full tuition payment will constitute reconfirmation of a participant’s place in the course. If the full tuition balance has not been paid by these payment deadlines, a participant’s position will be considered forfeited. Please pay special attention to these deadlines; reminders will not be sent out to accepted applicants. Forfeited places will be opened up to individuals on the waiting list.

We look forward to hearing from you and, ultimately, meeting you in our 2009 courses! Please feel welcome to contact us at the email address below with any questions that help you clarify issues, make your decisions, or plan your course arrangements

Many blessings to you and continued grace on the Yogic path

For more information:

Web: www.agamayoga.com
Email: ttc@agamayoga.com
Tel: (from outside Thailand): +66 892 330 217
Tel: (inside Thailand) 0892 330 217