KALĀ TRAININGS
KALA YOGA 200 HOUR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
Artful Practice, Joyful Living
Meet our team!
KALĀ YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MISSION STATEMENT:
The Kalā Yoga Teacher Training seeks to illuminate the yogic teachings, elevate happiness, and develop curiosity and authenticity in one’s practice and teaching. We welcome applicants interested in becoming impactful yoga instructors into our Teacher Path. In our Elevate Path we also welcome those without teaching aspirations who wish achieve independence in their asana, breathwork and meditation practice, explore anatomy and alignment, understand the subtle body, and gain an appreciation for how we can apply ancient yogic teachings into our modern lives to attain greater levels of happiness.
Together we will study the Buddhist and classical Indian philosophical traditions of yoga and how we can translate this wisdom into modern life in order to develop a deeper and more compassionate understanding of ourselves, of others, and of our communities. Grounded in a holistic approach to the body, we will explore modern anatomy and how that guides us in using accessible and individualized alignment and movement practices. Learner centered and interactive, our program is designed to provide ample opportunities for trainees to develop their authentic voice and style in order to translate the yogic teachings into transformative experiences - be it in a yoga studio, at home, in the workplace, or in the broader community.
KALA YOGA CORE VALUES:
Community: Embodying kindness, compassion and generosity for self, others, the space we share and our larger world
Joy: Cultivating light-heartedness, happiness, enjoyment of life
Creativity: Promoting artful magic in designing a complete sensorial yoga experience
Inclusivity: Understanding the vast roots of yoga to honor it’s many lineages and to support the individualized path and a welcoming environment for all
Wisdom: Embracing one's lived experience to develop peace within, authenticity, and ability to share the teachings of yoga with others
TOPICS COVERED:
Historical overview of yoga, Buddhist and Indian yoga philosophy
Alignment principles
Anatomy and physiology
Pranayama and the subtle body
Koshas, kleshas, chakras, nadis, and prana vayus
Meditation in the Buddhist style
Chanting, mantras, and mudras
Intelligent sequencing
Strength and Conditioning module
Kala Creativity: Promoting Artful Magic in your Teaching
Consent based assisting
Restorative Yoga
Teaching prenatal student in a public vinyasa class
Ayurveda
Yoga environments & class management
Self study & practice
Developing an inclusive, confident and authentic voice
Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion in Yoga
The Business of Yoga & Ethics
Class Observations and In Class Private Assisting with fellow trainees
Ample opportunity for practice teaching in safe and trusted environment with fellow trainees which are observed by our lead teachers who offer feedback for growth
READING LISTS:
REQUIRED READING
Tibetan Book of Awakening by Tseten Lama Migmar
Awakening to the Noble Truth by Tseten Lama Migmar
The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom by Rick Hanson
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Functional Anatomy of Yoga: A Guide for Practitioners and Teachers by David Keil
Who Is Wellness For?: An Examination of Wellness Culture and Who It Leaves Behind by Fariha Roisin
One Simple Thing by Eddie Stern
SUGGESTED READING
Skill in Action (revised and expanded edition) by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
Radical Dharma by Jasmine Syedullah, Lama Rod Owens, and Angel Kyodo Williams
Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice by Mark Singleton
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
The Stories Behind the Poses by Dr. Raj Balkaran
Āyurveda: The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad
Relax and Renew by Judith Hanson Lasater, PH.D, PT
LEAD TRAINERS: Kate Sullivan, Pia Fiato, Jennie Epland, & Jenny Chao
ADDITIONAL KALA TRAINERS: Carly Lepore for strength training and Rashmi Umarji for creating inclusive yoga spaces and Sanskrit
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS: Khenpo Lama Migmar for Buddhist Dharma and Barbara Verrochi of The Shala Yoga for chanting and singing
SCHEDULE & HOURS: 9 WEEKENDS
In person alternating weekends between both studios and mornings on Zoom
Friday Nights 6 - 9pm or 7:45 - 9p
Saturdays 10:30am - 7:30pm
Sundays 10:30am - 6pm
Students on the Elevate Path are not required to attend the last two weekends and some Friday nights
2024:
Orientation: Thursday Oct 10, 6:30 - 8pm
October 18 - 20
November 15 - 17
December 6 - 8
2025:
January 10 - 12
January 24 - 26
February 21 - 23
March 7 - 9
April 4 - 6
April 25-27
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Regular yoga practice for at least 1 year.
Open mind and the ability to fully commit to the training schedule.
Desire to learn techniques that lead to greater overall health and happiness and to share these practices with others.
APPLICATION:
A complete application is required. If you do not qualify for the training your deposit/payment will be returned. If accepted, all deposits/payments are non-refundable.
TUITION DETAILS:
Option to pay in full OR in 7 monthly payments. Monthly payments will begin 1 month after registration with deposit. Tuition must be fully paid by end of training.
If selecting the payment plan, a non-refundable $500 deposit is required to secure your spot. Please email Kate@kalayogabk.com to confirm which path you are selecting.
Pricing includes an Unlimited Membership for duration of training = value of $1,365!
BIPOC & LGBTQ+ SCHOLARSHIPS:
In keeping with our Right Action Plan, we offer 2 scholarship spots at 30% off for BIPOC & LQBTQ+ applicants who demonstrate a financial need. UPDATE SCHOLARSHIP SPOTS ARE FULL FOR THIS COHORT
REQUIREMENTS:
Arrive to sessions with an open mind and your full attention.
Attend all sessions in person at Kalā. Zoom will be an option in the event of illness. Recordings will not be provided. See below for makeup policy.
8 Class observations and follow up meeting with mentor teacher
Take 40 classes at Kalā
Commit to a daily meditation practice
Organized note taking for all modules
Complete all written homework and required reading
MAKEUP, REFUND & COMMUNITY CLASS POLICIES:
All 200 hours must be completed in order to receive your certificate. In the event that you miss a session, make up sessions can be scheduled. For the purposes of a make up session, three hours of group instruction will equate to 1 hour of private make up session at the rate of $100/hour. Please inform us in advance if you will need to miss a session.
We cap our Teacher Training programs at 22 students to ensure that we can give you the individual attention you need.
All deposits and tuition fees are nonrefundable. If a trainee needs to withdraw from the program due to extenuating circumstances, they are eligible to apply their paid tuition to a future Kalā Yoga 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training.
All students will have an opportunity to teach Community Class on a rotating basis upon graduation given that they meet our basic teaching standards.
I cherished each and every weekend I spent at Kala for teacher training. Not only did the program offer a depth to the practice that I did not have the tools to explore previously, it also ignited my passion for teaching. Kate and Pia’s dynamic classroom space allows for room to learn, grow, and play together. Beyond the two lead trainers, the unique perspective that each additional teacher involved brings reinforced for me that yoga never has to look one specific way. I left the program with a supportive sangha, a wealth of knowledge about the practice, and confidence in my ability to share this knowledge with others through teaching.
Charlie Monsour
Choosing to do my teacher training at Kalā was the best choice I could have made for myself. The training was well-rounded, challenging, and fun! It helped me grow exponentially as a yoga/meditation practitioner, and led me to find my voice and confidence as a yoga teacher. I’ve found more strength and support in my cohort community than I could have ever imagined. Thank you, Kalā!
Hattie Simon
Kalā Yoga's 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training was a transformative journey that I feel so lucky to have experienced. Led by a team of instructors with wide-ranging knowledge and expertise, the training was rooted in tradition and prioritized individual growth, allowing everyone to get out of the training what they needed. Experiencing the training alongside a cohort of practitioners was incredibly valuable, and I still lean on the wisdom of my YTT community today. I am so grateful!
Greg Mytelka
I knew I picked the proper studio for my training because Kate and Pia are filled with an abundance of love and truly pay attention to each person who is enrolled in the program. From the first weeks of learning about the origins of Buddhism, dissecting Patanjali’s yoga sutras, to learning how to compose a sequence for a class, I also discovered parts of myself. The most important is to realize that teaching yoga is not a linear path. Each yoga teacher has their journey. For the first time, I am not judging myself alongside my peer's accomplishments. Instead, I am celebrating their accomplishments.
I expected to come out of yoga teacher training guns a blazing teaching classes left and right, but instead I came out of the experience with a sense of slowing down. I now appreciate each day for what it is, enjoy the simplicity of life, and know that I have been truly blessed with this knowledge that I can share for decades to come. If you are debating on doing the training, trust yourself and take the leap. You might fall in love with yourself and life again.
Chandler Kidd
TRAINERS
Kate Sullivan
Kate, E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP, is the owner of Kalā Yoga. She is a passionate, dedicated teacher who believes in life long learning and creating authentic relationships that facilitate growth. Through the use of Tibetan and Vinyasa Yoga inspired philosophy, breath work, meditation, and movement of the body, she considers it a great honor and joy to share the practices she has learned that help people become happier and feel more at ease in their body and mind. Trained in the Fluid Yoga style, Kate’s classes dynamically link the flowing nature of breath with mindful movement and creative sequencing. Her wish is for students to leave her classes feeling peaceful, powerful and full of bliss.
Kate's yoga and meditation training includes Fluid Yoga's 200 and 300-hour advanced teacher training, 200-hours with Yogaworks, children's yoga teacher training with Little Flower Yoga, Let Your Yoga Dance, and more. She is profoundly grateful for her heart teachers Kevan Gale and Betty Riaz as well as the many generous and talented teachers she’s trained with over the years. Kate is a former special educator and social worker, and finds great joy in continuing to teach and share the yogic teachings.
Pia Fiato
Pia is an E-RTY 500, YACEP yoga professional based out of NYC. She is holistically motivated, and her group classes are taught energetically, with an emphasis on tradition, anatomy, and alignment. She is passionate about her work, using movement as a tool for self-study, to seek a deeper understanding of humanity. Pia will forever be a humble student to the practice, her teachers, and is committed to health, healing and long-term well being.
In addition, Pia is a Thai Bodywork practitioner. This technique is an ancient system combining acupressure, Ayurveda, and assisted yoga postures which serves to open and stretch the body. Its method assists in improving body misalignments, athletic performance, as well as increasing flexibility and joint mobility. Pia’s goal in this work is not limited to its physical benefits, but also to aid in identifying root causes of mind/body trauma with intention to find a path of self awareness and healing.
Jennie Epland
Jennie Epland grew up in NYC and was quickly drawn to the stage to study the craft of acting and perform as much as possible. As an adult, she found Yoga and Pilates as a way to find physical alignment and freedom as well as mental and emotional balance. She studied various techniques of movement and performance (modern, ballet, clown, tap, jazz, stage combat, performance art) and loves to incorporate many modalities in her class including Qi gong, EFT, dance, mudras, yin, visualizations and pranayama, threading these into a sequence or a warm up for a well rounded experience. As an E-RYT 200, YACEP yoga instructor, a Pilates mat and reformer instructor as well as a Thai Bodywork practitioner and Aromatherapist, Jennie can share the joy of movement and mindfulness with her students. She is passionate about helping to create a space for them to find a deeper connection to themselves and their practice. Jennie did her Comprehensive Pilates Mat and Anatomy training at Kinected, her 200 hour Yoga training at Goodyoga, 175 hours of advanced modules at Laughing Lotus (Hands-on, Subtle Body, Prenatal, Sequencing, Alignment/Therapeutics), 50 hours with Katonah (Katonah style, Pranayama, Restorative), Level 1&2 Thai Massage with Lotus Palm at Integral Yoga Institute, Level 1 Reiki with Nathalie Jaspar, Pilates Mat Refresher with Lila Flow, Pilates Reformer Certification with East River Pilates and Aromatherapy training with Aromahead Institute.
Jenny Chao
Jenny has been fascinated with the living human experience from a very young age. She recognized there was more to self-understanding than our eyes could see and our bodies could experience outwardly. She has curiously questioned the intangible that could only be felt in the deeper aspects of our lived experience for the bigger part of her life.
Jenny discovered the yoga practice as a teenager who was interested in meditation and has been engaged in continued self-inquiry ever since. As someone who has managed years of chronic pain, moved through various debilitating health conditions and struggled with depression in the past, Jenny realizes the gifts that yoga and meditation offer us in empowering oneself in our own healing process. As a guide and teacher for the practices of yoga, mindful movement, meditation, breathwork and sound, Jenny’s intention is to support others in innate self-connection to ignite deeper understanding and self-agency to one’s own living experience. She recognizes that these contemplative practices are great tools for navigating life so that it feels well-aligned, peaceful and fully embodied on all levels, widening a person’s capacity for compassion, groundedness and a holistic life; in addition to simply existing in this modern world. You are, after all, your own greatest teacher and the practice supports the innate connection and understanding to living authentically as you.
Jenny has been sharing mindful embodiment practices in the New York City metro area, as well as virtually online, to private clients, public groups, corporate companies and through special events for 10 years and has been a practicing student for over 2 decades. Jenny is a proud member of the New York Nike Well Collective Trainer team, is a teacher trainer (registered YACEP, E-RYT500) and holds thousands of hours of training in various movement and meditation modalities. She completed her Yoga Therapy certification this year and works to envision new environments where spiritual healing and connection can be engaged in our present day life.
Carly Lepore
Carly Lepore began practicing Yoga in order to complement her dance training. After graduating from NYU with a B.F.A. in Dance, Carly went on to complete her ERYT-200 hour and 100 hour traditional hot trainings with Yoga to the People. She also trained at Refine Method to teach HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) classes that emphasize functional movement. As a mover from a young age, Carly focuses on the structure of the body and the efficiency that is possible when using movement and breath. She loves being able to offer people the opportunity to develop a yoga practice that will ultimately help them in body, mind, and spirit. Carly will be graduating with an M.S. in Traditional Oriental Medicine in December, 2023 and will be going on to become a licensed acupuncturist. She’s excited to now be incorporating her Chinese Medicine training and a deeper understanding of the body into her classes. Carly uses her vast knowledge of and interest in the human body to create yoga and fitness classes that are challenging but fulfilling and even fun!
Rashmi Umarji
Rashmi’s relationship with yoga sprouted as a young child observing the femmes in her life seamlessly weave asanas into their daily lives: her mother, sitting in sukhasana with friends in the garden; her aunt greeting the sun every morning with surya namaskar; her grandmother, standing strong in tadasana as part of a community laughing club in India. The innateness with which yoga bloomed in her life called her to formalize her training as a RYT-200 teacher in 2019. A former teacher and licensed esthetician, teaching yoga felt like a natural extension to her passion for educating, for mental health advocacy, and the ways in which ritual, self-care, and beauty can be powerful tools for wellness.
This belief in yoga as ritual, ritual as self-care, and self-care as a powerful tool for evolution all inform Rashmi’s gentle and soft sequences. Her specialties include trauma-informed yoga, restorative yoga and yin yoga, where she pays careful attention to regulation of the nervous system, mindfulness, comfort, and curiosity to develop experiential non-judgement while cultivating a sense of inner peace and safety.
Rashmi received her master’s in social work in 2023, a perspective which she hopes to bring to teacher training that not only encourages therapeutic rest and holistic healing, but also a biopsychosocial-spiritual lens to community care, accessibility, diversity and ethical inclusion. Her undergraduate studies in American history and community governance & advocacy inform her practice foundationally. Yoga reaffirms to her that joy and contentment are states of being that historically and presently disenfranchised communities should have access to consistently.