FAQ
How proficient in yoga do I have to be to participate in the program?
We strongly recommend that applicants have at least one year of consistent asana practice. If you are newer to yoga, this would not necessarily disqualify you from being accepted into the program. However, if you have a regular yoga practice and are looking for a deeper understanding of the practice and history of yoga, its postures, alignment, the ability to create and convey a comprehensive, safe sequence to others, and capacity to teach in a soulful and imaginative way – this program will be a good fit.
Is a payment plan available for tuition?
Yes. Upon acceptance, we require a $500 non-refundable deposit. Two weeks prior to Soul School beginning, you will receive a link with your option to pay either:
1) A one time balance payoff
2) A 4-month payment plan
3) A 6-month payment plan
Do you offer scholarships or work-exchange programs?
• We offer scholarships dedicated for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as one small way we seek to contribute to the fight against systemic racism, and the hope to widen yoga’s diversity and representation. We have offered these scholarships for the last 7 years. Our hope is to support the training of more yoga teachers of color who feel inspired to share the many gifts and benefits of yoga with the community. This scholarship covers 40% discount of tuition ($1200) with the option of a monthly payment plan to pay the remaining balance.
Please indicate on the application if you would like to be considered for a BIPOC scholarship, as we have a limited number of them available.
If you are interested in making a donation to support our BIPOC scholarship fund, we welcome your support. Please email soulschool@wildlotusyoga.com.
• Several need-based work-trade scholarships (at a value of $500 each) are available for applicants who have tremendous financial need who would not be able to participate in Soul School otherwise, and are willing to exchange for reliably supporting us with work-trade tasks during our in-person weekends including set-up, cleaning, and breakdown. Please do not apply for this scholarship unless the funds received make the difference in you being able to participate in Soul School.
Are books and materials included in the price of the training? Are there other costs?
Students who are accepted into the training will receive a reading/listening/media list. The online Soul School teacher manual is included. The music and films can be streamed. Some ways of lowering costs include purchasing used books or getting books from your local library.
I am coming in from out of town. Does my tuition cover travel, lodging, food? What else do I need to know?
Our three in-person weekends begin at 9am on Friday morning.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we’ll gather from 9am-4pm with a lunch break in the middle of the day. (The first weekend there will also be a concert on Friday from 7-9pm) The weekends will wrap at 4pm on Sunday, except on the last weekend, we will have a celebration on Sunday early evening to celebrate your journey through Soul School, so you may wish to travel home on Monday instead of Sunday evening.
Travel, transportation, lodging, and food in New Orleans for our three immersion weekends are not included in tuition. There are many AirBnB’s, and Uber and Lyft drivers are plentiful in the city. It’s possible there may be local participants in Soul School who can offer support with lodging for the second and third weekends, which you can coordinate with the group.
When will my unlimited yoga classes begin?
As part of your tuition, you are eligible for unlimited yoga classes online both with Wild Lotus Yoga Studio and The Yoga Teacher’s Lab’s Yoga in the House. Your unlimited in-person and online classes will begin after our opening immersion weekend.
How much time should I expect to spend on homework?
Prepare for Soul School to be a big part of your day-to-day life during the course of the training. Homework will be between 5 to 10 hours per week, which may include reading, written assignments, meetings with small groups, and class observations. The homework is designed to support the material covered in class and help you integrate what is presented into your own practice and teaching. At the end of the program you will be given a take-home, open book final project to help you integrate and crystallize the content of the training. You’ll have a month to finish. If you wish to receive your Certificate of Completion for the course, you must complete all homework assignments.
Absentee Policy–
To get the most out of Soul School, it is important that you participate in as close to 100% of the training as possible. To receive the certification, each participant is required to attend 100% of all three in-person weekends in New Orleans (Friday, Saturday & Sunday 9am-4pm with evening sessions during our first weekend), and complete all the homework that is required to be viewed in our online Resource Library Curriculum, complete assignments required to be turned in, and finish the final project.
We ask that you attend as close to 100% of our online meetings as possible and know that you will benefit from fullest participation. Should you miss an occasional meeting due to an unforeseen schedule conflict, the meetings are recorded so you will be able to view the meeting later once it’s been posted on our website. But, in order to receive the certification, we ask that you not miss more than 3 ZOOM meetings, including satsangs. If there are extenuating circumstances related to your schedule, please check in with us, as we want to support your success and graduation from Soul School.
What is Yoga Alliance?
Yoga Alliance is an organization that was started in 1999 as a way to create nationally recognized standards for yoga teachers and yoga teacher trainings. Some yoga studios and fitness clubs across the country require their teachers to be registered with Yoga Alliance, either at the 200 or 500 hour level. Yoga Alliance registration, however, is not a legal requirement for teaching yoga. Currently, there are no legal certification requirements to be a yoga teacher.
If you complete all the certification requirements for Soul School, you will be given a certificate from us, and with that certificate you have the option to register with Yoga Alliance or not.
Will I be qualified to teach yoga once I complete the 200-Hour Teacher Training Program?
Yes, with the successful completion of all the requirements of the program, including contact hours, homework and final project, you will receive your Certificate of Completion evidencing your training at the 200-hour level through The Yoga Teacher’s Lab Soul School location. You may also register with the Yoga Alliance (www.yogaalliance.org) at the RYT-200 level. Graduates of the 200-hour program usually begin teaching in small studios, gyms, with private clientele (friends and family), etc. After completing Soul School, you will find the practice of teaching on a regular basis to be a great learning opportunity and another phase of your growth as a budding yoga teacher.
When will applications be available, and when are they due? What should I expect after I send in my application?
Applications are available now, through this link. We take applications on a first come first serve basis and read them as they come in. You will be notified within 7-10 days after submitting the application. Confirmed applicants will be given the info to submit a non-refundable deposit of $500 to ensure your enrollment in Soul School, and we’ll share information on payment plans with the first installment due 3 weeks before the program begins. We highly recommend not delaying the application process as we anticipate the program filling to capacity.
Are there refunds if I can’t finish the program?
There are no refunds once the program has started. If there is a medical reason or other complication that makes it too difficult for you to complete Soul School with your group, then we will offer you the option of doing the training at another time. All the materials will also still be available to you online, so you can still participate at your own pace.