Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training
Formatrice
Claire Saunders (Principal teacher) Plus guest teachers.
Hello Everyone, Ashtanga Yoga is a great passion of mine. It has lead me from a life of chaos and drams to one of inner peace, calm and spontaneous joy.
After having spent nearly 5 years learning directly from Pattabhi Jois and 20 years with his grandson, Sharath-ji (in India), it is now with great pleasure that I wish to share with a select few students, the techniques and skills of teaching Asthanga Yoga.
At the time that my teachers were still living, it was not possible, anywhere in the world, to offer Ashtanga yoga teacher training courses. At that time, it was only possible to become a traditional Ashtanga yoga teacher by spending extended periods of time in India practising under the guidance of the then Guru. Then, after much practice and both inner and outer transformation, the Guru gave his blessing for a student to start teaching. Indeed, this is the method by which I obtained my Ashtanga yoga teaching qualification.
Added to this, I am a university professor (linguistics, academic writing, critical thinking and International Relations to name a few subjects) - and in this capacity, I created many course and subject curriculum.
So, this Ashtanga yoga teacher training that I am offering now, is a combination of my 2 lives - that of my heart and soul (Ashtanga Yoga) with the structure of my university teaching.
Prerequisites
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Minimum 1 year of daily Ashtanga yoga practice
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Can practice independently until minimum of Navasana
Your Commitment
This is a 2 year training.
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Each year will run from October to July and will include: A) 4 weeks face to face plus B) 5 Sunday morning online zoom sessions.
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Both years will be complete modules in and of themselves. The order of the years are not important. This means that it will be possible to start in either the first or the second year.
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The theme of the first year will be the vinyasa (and learning to count the vinyasa with the student being able to teach a counted led primary class by the end of the year). The main text for this first year will be the Bhagavad Gita.
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The theme for the second year will be alignment and adjustments. The text for the second year will be the Yoga Sutras.
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At the completion of both years, students will be rewarded with a certificate (yes, it will meet the minimum 200 hour yoga teacher training, but it will actually be more than 200 hours) and students names and contact details will be displayed on the Ashtanga Yoga Shala Provence website.
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Students who have successfully graduated from both years will have the opportunity to assist me (Claire Saunders) through a Mysore mentoring program.
Dates
FACE TO FACE
26 - 31 October 2026
28 Dec - 2 Jan 2026/27
19 - 24 April 2027
5 - 10 July 2027
HOURS
6H30 - 15h30 (Including breaks)
(Please note it is possible if you are unable to participate in one of these weeks to:
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Have class notes from the week you missed & you can come to another week when I am teaching – (for example, in India, Crete, Ardeche, Hawaii or Italy).
ZOOM
Sunday 29 November 2026
Sunday 24 January 2026
Sunday 21 March 2026
Sunday 13 June 2026
HOURS
9h00 - 12h00
Program
FACE TO FACE
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Postures, techniques, adjustments
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Yoga Philosophie, Mantra, Pranayama, Meditation
ZOOM
Sunday mornings
Online classes with Zoom
Led Primary class followed by discussion topic
DETAILED CONTENT (The full description will be given during the course).
Fees
Course fee: €2,700 per year
* Possible 40% Discount - see below for details*
A deposit of €600 is required upon registration to reserve your spot. This deposit is deducted from the total course fee but is non-refundable.
The balance of the course fee must be paid before the 31st December 2026. Payment plans are available upon request.
Please note
Once the course has begun, no refunds are possible.
However… your payment (deposit) remains valid for 2 years toward another course!
If prices change, we’ll adjust the amount accordingly
NOTE As this is the first time this course is being offered, there is the possibility of a 40% discount for students who would like to contribute an energetic exchange. For example:
- Note Taking
- Website Help
- Social Media
- Organisation/Administration
- Other ideas (I am open to suggestions)
Please email with suggestions of what you have to offer (AshtangaYogaShalaProvence@hotmail.com).
Accommodation
Students are responsible for their own accommodation.
For students with a car, very comfortable student accommodation is available 12 mins drive away from the shala for 40 euros per night. Please enquire for more details
Meals
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Breakfast - Students eat together - they can bring their own from home or eat at a local bakery
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Lunch - Students eat together - they can prepare something (vegetarian or vegan) to share or they can pay 15 euros each per lunch to have something vegetarian or vegan prepared for them.
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Dinner - Students prepare their own
