PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 22, 2012

New Hot Yoga Teachers No Longer Need To ‘Memorize’ Their Classes

Cutting edge adult learning technologies are now being used in a brand new Hot Yoga Teacher Training Program to help hot yoga teacher trainees to teach top-quality classes in just 4 weeks, without being required to ‘memorize’ instructions for a 90-minute yoga class.

Frustrated with Hot Yoga’s quality of class instructions and the teacher training programs that mandate that a 90-minute class must be 100% recited from memory, Gabrielle Raiz (the Hot Yoga Doctor) is running a new style of teacher training and workshops for students and teachers and aspiring teachers of hot yoga, which implement the latest in adult learning techniques.

“In 2008, I created an online forum specifically to help students from around the world improve their Hot Yoga practice. Every day since its inception we have been dealing with issues and injuries that occur because of the errors and ambiguities that arise from the recited Bikram and hot yoga scripts used in most hot yoga studios in the world. Testimony to the success of my approach, I have helped solve hundreds of hundreds of problems which for the most part have been easily addressed with a more appropriate and expert style of instruction“, Ms Raiz explains.

Gabrielle’s past Teacher Training Programs “The Hot Yoga Doctor Pro 200” and 500 hour programs easily exceed the requirements for a Yoga Alliance 200-hour and 500-hour accredited program, but is drawing far more attention due to its refusal to require new teachers to teach a yoga class to a ‘script’ or ‘dialog’.

“Not many people realize that the mass-marketing of certain Hot Yoga styles has had a negative effect on class instruction” Gabrielle continues. “In fact almost ALL classes rely on the teacher having memorized a rote-learned ‘dialog’ and in my opinion, this is depriving students from receiving quality instruction and attention.

“Even worse, students are unknowingly risking injury because their instructors are not properly informed of correct anatomical and physiological techniques. It’s my aim to reverse this and raise the level of instruction.”

Two successful programs have been held over four weeks in a purpose-built wellbeing retreat, nestled in the beautiful mountains of Alajuela in Costa Rica, overlooking coffee fields and the capitol, San Jose.

Graduates from the previous teacher training program were also on hand to provide mentoring and coaching as well as teaching hot yoga classes. “We’ve had some amazing success stories coming from past graduates” says Gabrielle, “with many of them not only finding work immediately, but also creating an instant following because of their level of instruction and attention to each individual student.”

Amongst many other things, students are taught the foundational skills of teaching as well as  expert facilitation skills along with non-violent communication skills. All of these are essential skills for teaching people with compassion, and to form a ‘harness’ for the knowledge of the body and how it needs to move and function in the poses.

Participants will learn how to express themselves uniquely, precisely and effectively, as well as how to deliver a high quality, inspiring and safe experience for their students, time after time. Perhaps the greatest gift is learning how to be 100% present with your yoga practice, either as a student or a teacher.

Gabrielle’s workshops and trainings are designed around innovative experiential exercises which help the trainees discover their own teaching identity while learning about the body’s profound physical connections and how they can use these to facilitate personal transformation in themselves and their students. Many students of yoga love the instruction because it helps them become better students even if they never want to teach. Thirst for more hot yoga knowledge seems to be a major aim of Bikram and Hot Yogis which seems to be fueled by the intense feelings of satisfaction that come from the practice.

Learning how to be the best student and teacher one can possibly be, is the Hot Yoga Doctor’s ultimate promise to everyone who is ready to embark on any of her trainings.

Gabrielle Raiz is also the author of the best-selling Hot Yoga Master Class manual, which has sold in more than fifty five countries; and is the creator of the world’s most popular hot yoga forum.

For more details about the Hot Yoga Doctor’s Teacher Training and media inquiries, please email media@hotyogadoctor.com

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