My favourite Butterfly Pose adjustments for Yin Yoga
Here are some of my favourite adjustments for Butterfly Pose in Yin Yoga.
Over 30 hours of learning content delivered over 29 modules all available on demand.
No time restrictions. Learn at your own pace with unlimited access to course material.
Join the discussion below each lecture to connect with Karina with any questions.
Downloadable 22 page Asana handbook covering all postures and alternatives.
The curriculum covers all aspects of the Yin Yoga practise including Chinese Medicine, Anatomy and Theory as well as practical elements such as Teaching Skills and Sequencing.
​
You'll learn how skeletal variation plays a massive role on our practise and how to use meridian theory in your Yin Yoga classes.
​
Most importantly, after this course you will feel more confident in approaching students in your classes who need assistance or alternative postures, as your teaching skill set will be broadened immensely.
​
Along the way there will be lightbulb moments as you gain a deeper understanding of your own skeletal variation and how that has been part of your yoga journey.
May this deep learning help you to find joy on the mat, and a sense of confidence in how you practice and hold space for others as they deepen their awareness of self, and strengthen their self-acceptance through the practice of Yin Yoga.
History of Yin Yoga, philosophical foundations and Yin tissues in the body.
We revisit the Yin class discussing target areas, alternatives and the 'why' behind the sequence.
Detailed look at the major joint complexes in the body and its role in the Yin practise.
Start each unit with a full length Yin class setting up the themes for the learning.
How this system of health approaches the body diagnostically.
Giving you practical skills to develop your language and to 'hold space' in the studio.
✓ Current Yoga teachers of all forms of yoga, who want to learn more about Yin Yoga with the intention of teaching it in the future.
✓ Current Yin Yoga instructors who want to deepen their Yin knowledge to improve their classes.
✓ Students of Yin Yoga who want to learn more about this healing practise, or who may want to teach it in the future.
Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Unit 5 | Unit 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yin Class | Yin Class | Yin Class | Yin Class | Yin Class | Yin Class |
What is Yin? What is Yang? | Breath as Water | Non-linear in the body | Pratyahara | Journey through the meridians | Leaning into support |
Yin Theory | Yin Theory | Yin Theory | Yin Theory | Yin Theory | Yin Theory |
Yin & Yang Philosophy | Target areas | How is Yin Yoga safe? | TCM & the energy body | The Meridians | The Meridians |
Anatomy | Anatomy | Anatomy | Anatomy | Anatomy | Anatomy |
Introduction to tissues | The spine | Pelvis & hips | The knee and ankle | The Shoulder | Elbow / wrist |
Posture Breakdown | Posture Breakdown | Posture Breakdown | Posture Breakdown | Posture Breakdown | Posture Breakdown |
What is Yin? What is Yang? | Breath as Water | Non-linear in the body | Pratyahara | Journey through the meridians | Leaning into support |
Teaching Skills | Teaching Skills | Teaching Skills | Teaching Skills | Teaching Skills | |
The role of the teacher | Approaching the student | Per/post natal | Mindfulness | Sequencing with meridians |
Upon enrolment, receive your handbook full of professional images of Yin Yoga postures featured in the course including: Dragon, Saddle, Melting Heart, Shoelace, Banana, Seal and more.
​
There are also multiple variations of each posture for (+) increasing or (-) decreasing sensation, managing injuries and options for propping.
The assumption here is that underneath all the soft tissues of the body, we have identical skeletons. This is simply untrue.
Whereas a functional approach to cueing in a yoga class re-examines the true intention of each yoga posture, (as in, what does the posture offer the body, or what does it do to the body), so that each person in their own unique physicality can find the alignment that works best for them.
We all have different variations in our bones. This is the primary reason that two people can have such a different felt-experience of the same yoga posture.
​
Throughout the training, we will systematically look at:
The major synovial joint complexes in the human body
Why and how a person’s bone shape will affect their yoga experience
Optional language and alternatives for students to explore their own body in a functional setting
​
By broadening your awareness of skeletal variation, you will gain a much deeper understanding of where more options are needed in your cueing, and why it is impossible for every yogi in a class to adhere to strict alignment-based cues for a yoga posture.
As facilitators of this practice, it is paramount that we understand the physiology, behaviour and needs of the yin tissues of the body.
This kind of anatomical content is often more advanced to include in a foundational yoga teacher training, but absolutely essential to understand if we are to provide a safe class for our students.
​
A really good example is understanding why the “rebound” in between Yin Yoga shapes is so important. If there is no rebound being included after a long-held yin practice, then the tissues do not receive a period of rest, which could make them more vulnerable to injury.
​
Throughout the Yin Theory modules, we will cover the physiology of the yin tissues of the body, as well as the history of Yin Yoga, the philosophical foundations, and the framework of how to hold space and approach the students when they need support and props.
Including taste, spirit, time and channel pairings for each organ system.
Explore which Yin Yoga postures explore specific Meridian Channels in the body.
Diagrams of location and pathways of the Meridian Channels in the body.
A complete set of concepts to use in your Yin Yoga classes that support specific Meridian Channels.
Understand how all the elements (fire, earth etc.) work with the organ systems of the body.
How to teach Chinese Medicine to your students and how to incorporate into your sequences.
In Teaching Skills we cover topics such as:
​
Setting up frameworks of two-way conversation in the yoga classroom
Expanding your vocabulary to find your “yin” language
How to provide consensual support when troubleshooting postures and props with students
What does it mean to hold space?
The intention of this training is to build up your confidence in the classroom so that when help is needed, you can approach your students with at least two or three ideas to workshop with them until they are comfortable.
As well as building on your awareness of providing a safe and inclusive space for yourself and your students.
Karina Smith is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Yoga Teacher, Teacher Trainer & Educator. She currently runs her own Chinese Medicine Clinic in Melbourne, Victoria Australia.
​
A career in contemporary dance led to the healing power of Yoga, which sowed the seed for her journey to Chinese Medicine.
Passionate about healing and the health of others, Karina brings her combined knowledge of acupuncture and herbal therapy together with her experience as a meditation, mindfulness, yoga and movement teacher to her patients and students alike.
She has studied extensively both internationally and in Australia including two respective 350hr Teacher Trainings (The Australian Yoga Academy and Shantarasa Institute, Gujurat India), and has been fortunate to be a student of both Bernie Clark and Paul Grilley.
​
As a teacher for more than a decade, Karina has taught Meditation, Vinyasa, Flow and of course Yin, and is currently a lecturer for The Australian Yoga Academy.
​