More Than Poses: Why We Teach Karma - and other transformational subjects - in Our Yoga Teacher Training
- Prajnananda (Marcio da Rosa)
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
In this post:
Testimonials from our Foundation Teacher Training Students
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What we teach about karma in our Foundation Training
About Our Foundation Yoga Teacher Training Course
Our Foundation course is where everything begins.
It is designed to give students a strong, structured introduction to yoga — not only in terms of postures, breathwork, and sequencing, but also in understanding the deeper principles behind the practice.
Students develop:
confidence in teaching foundational classes
a clear understanding of alignment, breath, and safe practice
the ability to guide others with clarity and care
awareness of how yoga supports both physical and mental wellbeing
Alongside the practical skills, the Foundation course also introduces key yogic concepts such as awareness, responsibility, and conscious action — helping students begin their journey not only as teachers, but as more grounded and thoughtful individuals.
By the later stages of the course, students are already teaching full classes, building real experience in a supported and mentored environment.
About Our Integrative (Advanced & Therapy) Yoga Teacher Training Course
The Integrative course is where the practice deepens.
This level is designed for those who wish to move beyond foundations into a more refined, mature, and insightful understanding of yoga — both as a practice and as a way of living.
Students explore:
more advanced sequencing and teaching methodology
therapeutic applications of yoga
deeper study of pranayama and subtle practices
personal development and self-inquiry
the responsibility and presence required of a teacher
This stage of training is not only about becoming more skilled, but about developing seniority, depth, and authenticity.
It is where students begin to evolve into versatile, confident teachers, capable of adapting to different students and situations — while continuing their own inner growth.
At LoveYour.Studio and Yoga1, we are deeply happy to see how sincerely our students are taking in the material they study. Again and again, we witness that this training is not only about learning how to guide postures, but about learning how to live with more awareness, more responsibility, and more heart.
We are incredibly proud of our current students — Louise, Cathy, and Amy — whose commitment and openness to the process have been truly inspiring. Their reflections and testimonials show just how deeply they are engaging with the material, not only intellectually, but personally.
By month four of the training, they are already confidently teaching full classes, and as they move into month five, their journey continues to expand — not only in terms of yoga knowledge and teaching skills, but, most importantly, in their understanding of themselves.
This is what we value most in our training: not just producing teachers, but supporting genuine personal growth, self-awareness, and transformation.
This is what Louise shared on her learning
Learning about the yamas has been a significant part of my training so far. Particularly brahmacharya (wise use of energy, regulation of energy) will be a helpful focus for me so I can do my best as a student and then student teacher.
This module has been enlightening for me in its teachings about prana and energy. I have learnt a new perspective - as someone who feels energy acutely and is highly sensitive, and who is a reiki practitioner I have always been aware of universal energy or life-force. It is a new concept to me that there are two types of energy (Shakti/apana and shiva/prana). This makes a lot more sense to means helps me understand what I feel when I am working or feeling creative versus a more grounding, spiritual energy.
Now I have a a visualisation to balance myself.
This is what Cathy had to say about her learning
I am currently focusing on a Yama a month, weaving it into my daily life. These qualities will help be a empathetic and compassionate teacher. It allows you to be kinder to yourself. Its important to offer options to your students/ clients, to enable them to progress, challenge themselves, gain confidence or simply relax. I am planning a lesson looking at the postures as curve. Starting with breathing then gradually working upto peak postures then working my way down to meditation and relaxing.
This is what Amy reflected on her learning
In Module 3, I learned that Yoga Kriya is much more than just moving through postures. It’s a complete practice that brings together movement, breath, relaxation, and awareness.
Through the Five Yogic Principles, I understood how important it is to balance proper exercise (asana), breathing (pranayama), relaxation, and a calm, positive mindset. I started to see that a good sequence isn’t just about strong poses, it needs breath, grounding, and stillness too.
Creating my first ever sequence for my friends (10 sessions in total) was a big learning experience. I kept the movements basic so they were accessible, and over time I became more confident explaining the poses, giving cues, and making small adjustments. I realised that clear communication is more important than making a sequence complicated.
Our next Foundation and Advanced / Integrative Yoga Teacher Training courses begin on May 17th & 18th, led by Yogachariya Jnandev and Prajajnanda (AKA Marcio). We would love to welcome those who feel called not only to become better yoga teachers, but to become more grounded, conscious, and compassionate human beings.
Alongside this, we are developing a dedicated personal development course, where students can go deeper into these teachings and actively work through them in their own lives. For those wishing to deepen their breathwork practice, we will also be offering a Pranayama course in September with my wonderful teacher, Yogacharini Deepika - and Prajajnanda.
Together, these pathways form a complete journey — from foundational learning to deeper personal transformation.
Karma: a practical yoga teaching for everyday life
The Sanskrit word karma simply means action. In yoga, karma includes not only what we do physically, but also what we say and how we think. This means karma operates through body, speech, and mind.
At a simple level, karma teaches that actions have consequences. The way we think, speak, choose, and behave influences our experience of life, our relationships, and our inner state. Some effects are immediate, while others take time to unfold. In this sense, karma is not mainly about punishment or reward, but about understanding that life is shaped by causes and conditions.
For a yoga student, this is important because yoga is not only what happens on the mat. It is also about how we live, how we respond, and how consciously we move through life.
What is karma?
In yogic understanding, karma includes every action we perform:
physical actions
speech
thoughts
emotional reactions
choices and habits
Even when we are not doing very much outwardly, the mind is still active. In that sense, karma is always happening. We are always participating in life through attention, thought, reaction, and behaviour.
This is why yoga places so much emphasis on awareness. The more conscious we become, the more choice we have in how we act.
Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga is the yoga of action.
It teaches us to do what needs to be done with sincerity, care, and awareness, while becoming less attached to outcomes. This does not mean we stop caring about results. It means we learn not to become completely disturbed, proud, fearful, or defeated by them.
A simple way to understand Karma Yoga is this:
Do your best, act with integrity, and let go of excessive attachment to the result.
This approach helps reduce anxiety, ego, and frustration. It also makes action clearer and more stable.
Why this matters in yoga
Many of our difficulties come not only from events themselves, but from the way we react to them. Likes, dislikes, fear, anger, and desire can easily influence our decisions. When we act unconsciously, we often repeat the same patterns.
Yoga helps us slow down enough to observe:
What am I doing?
Why am I doing it?
What is driving this choice?
Is this helping me grow, or repeating an old habit?
In this way, yoga supports more conscious karma.
Karma in everyday life
For a foundation student, karma can be understood very practically.
If we practise regularly, we gradually build strength, awareness, and steadiness.If we speak harshly, we affect relationships.If we constantly think in fearful or negative ways, we shape our inner world accordingly.If we act with care, patience, and discipline, these qualities begin to grow.
This is karma at work in daily life.
A yogic view
Yoga does not ask us to become passive. It asks us to become more conscious.
We may not control everything that happens in life, but we can influence how we meet it. We can develop better awareness, better choices, and more responsibility in action.
That is why karma is important on the yoga path: it reminds us that every thought, word, and action matters.
Why we include this in our Foundation Teacher Training
Our Foundation Yoga Teacher Training is not only about learning how to teach a class. It is about beginning the process of understanding yourself more honestly and living more consciously.
We want our teachers to have a good foundation not only in movement, breath, and sequencing, but also in values, awareness, and the inner work that makes yoga meaningful.
Because of this, our students study not only asana and pranayama, but also topics such as:
What yoga really is
How to become a better person as well as a better teacher
How thoughts, actions, and habits shape our life
How to teach with care, responsibility, and integrity
A place to belong, practise, and grow
When students join our training, they are not left alone after the course. They become part of our growing yoga family.
We are committed to helping our trainees gain real teaching experience. Students who train with us will have a place to begin developing their confidence and skills, and in exchange for that involvement, we provide free access to the studio. This means they are not only studying with us — they are practising with us, growing with us, and being mentored by us.
To us, that matters deeply.
We do not want to simply issue certificates. We want to help shape teachers who are supported, guided, and truly welcomed into a living yoga community.
Foundation and Integrative (Adavnced and Therapeutic) Courses: two levels of transformation
The Foundation course gives students the grounding they need to begin teaching and to begin the deeper inner work of yoga.
The Integrative / Advanced course goes further. It deepens these questions in a much more serious and transformative way. It is designed not only to expand knowledge, but to challenge patterns, refine understanding, and truly transform our existence in this world.
For those who feel ready, it becomes a path of profound personal development as much as professional training.
Join us
Our next Foundation and Integrative Yoga Teacher Training begins on May 17th & 18th.
If you feel called to make a real difference in your life, to study yoga in depth, to learn how to be both a good person and a great yoga teacher, and to be part of a mentored, supportive studio family, we would love to hear from you.
This is not just about learning postures.
It is about learning how to live, how to serve, and how to grow.
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