Frequently Asked Questions

200-hour Yoga Teacher Training

The cornerstone of the Dynamic Mindfulness method is a contemporary fusion of holistic asana flow and Buddhist mindfulness meditation. The approach to sequencing is a carefully crafted blend that incorporates:

  1. Focus on transitions and sequenced asana flow that supports healthy spine and joints, informed by biomechanics 
  2. Moving in a  tridimensional way, through waves and spirals rather than linearly  
  3. Balance of strength and mobility in physical practice 
  4. Dynamic repetition and ‘pulsations’ in an individual asana – balancing effort and ease  and working with the nervous system
  5. The idea that the practice should be individualized through variations and modifications of poses  and creative use of props
  6. Sun Salutation and its variations are a main sequencing frame
  7. Sufficient time to fully relax and/or sit in meditation at the end of the class 

Our mission is to provide a solid foundation in the theory and practice of Yoga and meditation in the context of the 21st century. 

The central perspective of Dynamic Mindfulness emerges from Buddhist philosophy, ethics and methodology, specifically the Chan school of Buddhism. From there we venture into comparative perspectives on Yoga. 

Once you understand this method, you will be able to experience and teach it in different environments.

Our yoga teacher training has been carefully crafted for a small group of max 15 trainees. You will be guided personally to overcome any obstacles you may encounter so you can receive EXACTLY what you need for moving forward on your yogic journey at this point in your life.

Once per month, you will receive 12-15 hours of video lectures and quizzes that you can watch at your own pace. Each month you also have a written assignment that is related to lectures and needs to be submitted by the end of each month.

Once per month we also have a 120 min live call (Saturdays at 10:00) and your attendance is required. Live calls consist of group exercises, discussions, and sharing, and Tatjana answers any questions you might have about the content.

Weekly online yoga classes with Tatjana are the space for your personal practice. You are required to attend 20 classes during the 7 months training. The recording of each class is available for 48 hours afterward.

The online part of the training consists of:

  • 15 hours of online training lectures per month
  • One 120 live calls per month
  • 3 live stream yoga classes per month

In the online section of the training, the community aspect is nurtured through live calls with group discussions.

We will also have a private online FB Group for discussion, questions, and sharing in between the live calls.

Yoga Alliance registered program requires a minimum of 20 hours of personal study time. However, between your homework, personal practice and study time, you will probably easily exceed this minimum requirement. Most trainees invest 50-60 additional hours out-of-training on average during a full course.

While Yoga Alliance requires 100% attendance to successfully complete your training and receive a Graduation Certificate, we understand that sometimes things come up. If you know in advance you will be unable to attend a session, “make-up” options are available. This requires additional scheduling and costs. The cost of a private session ranges from 60 – 90 EUR per hour.

Please note that you can miss a maximum of 18 training hours, and you will have one year from the last day of your program to complete your attendance requirements. If you miss more than 18 hours or do not complete your make up hours within one year, you will not receive a passing status and you will be required to pay in full to retake the training.

In the case of pregnancy or a serious injury, the missing sessions can be made up in the next yoga teacher training. Application for this extension needs to be filed minimum 14 days before the missed sessions occur. If the training is sold out or cancelled, you will need to wait for a future training with space available to complete your make up(s).

Absolutely. Our yoga teacher training intensive is for all serious yoga practitioners who want to deepen their practice and understanding of yoga, regardless of any plans to teach yoga or not. You can enroll in the program and see where the process takes you. Many of our past student report that this education has created more stability and grounding within their various other careers and has improved the overall quality of their life and work.

To apply  for our Yoga Teacher Training program, we ask you to do/have all of the following:

  • Review all program details and complete the application
  • Proficiency in English language that allows for reading, writing & speaking to a level of full comprehension
  • Physical ability that will allow you to participate. (Persons with severe medical conditions or physical impairments that may interfere with their safety and participation should carefully consider before they apply.)
  • Consistent yoga practice for at least 1 year
  • The ability to commit to the training and the transformational process it includes.

REMEMBER: You don’t need to be able to do all the fancy yoga poses before starting the training. In the course of the training, you will gain insightful awareness of your own practice: both an acceptance of its limits and the tools for its evolution..

* We highly suggest attending one Dynamic Mindfulness open class before signing up for the training. We want you to experience our style before committing to more.

Yes. The main prerequisites are that you have practiced consistently for at least 12 months and that you wish to commit to the training and the transformational process it includes. Your will gain insightful awareness of your own practice: both an acceptance of its limits and the tools to evolve.

Please check with your physician first.  With your doctor’s permission and release, minor physical conditions can often serve as helpful tools to learn to work with students with similar issues.

Yes. There are two scholarship options available:

  1. A state-sponsored stipend of 500 EUR (Bildungprämie) is available for this training. Contact us first before applying for the stipend.
  2. We are pleased to offer one work-study scholarship of 300 Euros discount on the total tuition fee. The scholarship recipient will become the “In-class Assistant” during the training which involves administrative work, scheduling and more. To apply for the In-class assistant scholarship, please submit a short essay along with your application answering the following questions: Why do you need the scholarship? Why are you a good candidate? Applications for the scholarship are opened until August 1st, 2020. We’ll make our decision by August 15th.
  3.  A number of special scholarships available for teachers who have experienced systemic discrimination, violence and oppression of any kind. Tailored on individual bases.

A comprehensive Dynamic Mindfulness Teacher Training Manual is included. Additional books will be required for purchase. See Required Reading List.

Yes. There is a written exam that summarizes the content of the training as outlined in the training manual and a 30 min graduation class that you teach in person or via zoom in case you cannot travel to Berlin.

Yoga Alliance is a largest leading internationally-recognized non profit association in the world of yoga. Offering extensive educational and development opportunities, it currently provides the leading standard of yoga training and certification worldwide. A 200-Hour Yoga Alliance certified training requires a minimum of 180 contact hours and 200 total training and practice hours.

The Dynamic Mindfulness Yoga Teacher Training is recognized around the world as a 200 hour Yoga Alliance certified training. Upon receiving our Graduation Certificate, you can contact Yoga Alliance and go through accreditation. This accreditation is recognized throughout the world and will allow you to teach anywhere you wish.

300-hour Yoga Teacher Training

There is only so much that can really fit into a foundational 200-hour teacher training program. Our advanced training is for the teachers who wish to deepen their wisdom and knowledge and are serious about a career in teaching yoga.

The advanced program builds on your foundational education. It assumes you can lead people through a yoga class, and takes that to a whole new level by providing you with a deeper understanding of biomechanics, safe and innovative sequencing, and a breadth of knowledge about Buddhist psychology and meditation. You will leave this training confident in your ability to offer superior and inspiring yoga instruction

The curriculum is spread across 18 months and consists of 3 intensive training modules directed by Tatjana Mesar and other guest faculty; one intensive meditation retreat with Zarko Andricevic in Croatia; an apprenticeship module; a self-practice module; and a study module. Learn more…

Our yoga teacher training has been carefully crafted for a small group of max 15 trainees. You will be guided personally to overcome any obstacles you may encounter so you can receive EXACTLY what you need for moving forward on your yogic journey at this point in your life.

To apply  for our Yoga Teacher Training program, we ask you to do/have all of the following items:

  • A 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certificate.
  • Completed and signed application form.
  • Proficiency in English which allows for reading, writing & speaking at a level of full comprehension.
  • Physical vitality that allows you to participate. (Persons with severe medical conditions or physical impairments should carefully consider before applying for this training).
  • The ability to commit to the training and the transformational process it entails.

* We highly suggest attending one Dynamic Mindfulness open class before signing up for the training. We want you to experience our style before committing to more.

Yes! We invite you to explore the path of Dynamic Mindfulness.

If you have completed a 200-Hour training outside of our school, Bridge Program is a prerequisite to the Dynamic Mindfulness mentorship program and advanced yoga teacher training.

It consists of a series of online courses that you can complete at your own pace:

  • Introduction to Meditation ( six lectures, a total of 2 hours and 25 min)
  • Introduction to Buddhism ( four lectures, a total of 1 hour and 40 min)
  • Principles of Dynamic Mindfulness: Alignment and Sequencing ( four 40 min lecture)
  • Lexicon of Dynamic Mindfulness Poses (52 instructional videos)
  • Dynamic Mindfulness 200-Hour Training E-Manual (150 pages).

Click here for more info.

While Yoga Alliance requires 100% attendance to successfully complete your training and receive a Graduation Certificate, we understand that sometimes things come up.

MAKE UP POLICY FOR INTENSIVE TRAINING MODULES

If you know in advance you will be unable to attend a session, “make-up” options are available. This requires additional scheduling and costs. The cost of a private session ranges from 70 – 100 EUR per hour.
Please note that you can miss a maximum of 28 training hours, and you will have one year from the last day of your program to complete your attendance requirements. If you miss more than 28 hours or do not complete your make up hours within one year, you will not receive a passing status and you will be required to pay in full to retake the training.

MAKE UP POLICY FOR APPRENTICESHIP ASSISTING

All assisting requirements must be completed to pass the apprenticeship module. Your assisting forms are to be turned into your mentor once you are finished.

• You have one month from the program end date to complete any assisting make ups. If you’re assisting requirements are not completed within one month of the program end date you will not pass the apprenticeship portion of the program (unless you have been granted an extension in advance).

• You can only reschedule up to 6 assists with your mentor. If you reschedule more than 6 classes you will not pass the apprenticeship portion of the program.

It is important to honor your commitment to both your mentor and the students of the class you are assisting. If you are going to miss a class, make sure to notify your mentor 24 hours in advance.

MAKE UP POLICY FOR APPRENTICESHIP MENTOR MEETINGS

• You must complete all mentor meeting requirements in order to pass the program. The maximum number of mentor meetings that you can miss and make up is two meetings. If you miss more than two mentor meetings, you will not pass the apprenticeship portion of the program.
• You must give your mentor 24 hours notice when you need to miss a mentor meeting
• The form of makeup you are given (private and/or assignment) will be at the discretion of your mentor and must be completed within one month of the program end date.

For those who do not pass the apprenticeship portion of the program, you will have the opportunity to complete a new apprenticeship at the then current cost of the apprenticeship portion of the program.

The Apprenticeship and the Intensive Training Modules must both be completed within two years of the initial start date. If they are not both completed within two years, you will be required to retake the full program at full price.

MAKE UP POLICY FOR INTENSIVE MEDITATION RETREAT

Intensive Meditation Retreat has to be attended in whole. Makeup options are not available.

Yes. There are two scholarship options available and a state-sponsored stipend.

Scholarships available:

  1. In-Training Assistant (ITA) position: 500 Euros discount on the total tuition fee. The ITA acts as an administrative assistant for the entire training group. She or he is tracking attendance hours and homework, notes or changes to the training materials or schedule, scheduling assisting and mentoring sessions, and facilitating communication throughout the training group.  One position available.
  2.  Yoga teacher in the studio: 200€ discount on the total tuition fee. The scholar recipients will teach one regular class for 3 months (13 regular weekly classes) at the Zen Yoga by Dynamic Mindfulness studio. Three positions available.

To apply for one or both of these scholarships, upon submitting your online application, please email us additionally a short essay answering the following questions:

  • Why do you need the scholarship?
  • Why are you a good candidate?

Applications for the scholarships are opened until January 1st, 2019. We’ll make our decision by January 15th.

A state-sponsored stipend of 500 EUR (Bildungprämie) is available for this training. Contact us first before applying for the stipend.

Our program combines the Buddhist principles of self-reliance, mindfulness meditation and yoga practice with the latest in scientific insights, biomechanical processes and embodied anatomy techniques, with an strong emphasis on meditation and in-depth study of the history of Yoga.

Our goal is to provide you with the highest quality of education while accommodating your busy schedule. Throughout all the training modules, you will practice teaching on a daily basis and work closely with your mentor and peers. In between the trainings you will work on case studies to further your teaching curriculum.

You will gain the skills to become a knowledgeable, inspiring teacher who can lead a positive transformation for your yoga community and around the world.

Yes. Your study and preparation outside of the training hours includes reading, personal practice and completion of a required research project. While a minimum of 50 hours is required in this module, most committed students exceed this significantly!

Once you have successfully completed all requirements for the training (100% Training Modules and Retreat attendance or completed make-ups, 100% completion of Apprenticeship module, 100% completion and passing grade on Research Project and final practical exam), you will receive our Advanced Graduation Certificate. With this certificate you can contact the Yoga Alliance organization and pay for 500 RYT accreditation. The accreditation is recognized internationally and will allow you to teach anywhere you wish.

Please note that 100 hours of logged teaching time are required by Yoga Alliance in conjunction with your 500-Hour certificate in order to register at the 500-Hour Level. More information about Yoga Alliance registration is available at www.yogaalliance.org.