Sat Nam and welcome to Spirit Rising Yoga Center & Spirit Rising Foundation's
KRI International Teacher Training information page.

This international certification course in Kundalini Yoga is designed for practitioners of all levels who want to learn and master the fundamental techniques of yoga, and also for those who wish to deepen their personal experience and knowledge of Kundalini Yoga. It is the next step in a lifetime of personal growth.

Level 1 - Aquarian Teacher: Foundation and Awakening

Level 2 - Aquarian Teacher: Transformation

Level 3 - Aquarian Teacher: Realization

We encourage you to learn how you can continue to answer the call of your soul, to become a certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher, deepen your practice, and expand your potential.

We look forward to your participation in the:

14th Annual 2012-2013
Kundalini Research Institute Kundalini Yoga
Teacher Training Certification Course
at Spirit Rising Yoga

Contact us now to schedule a no-obligations entrance interview, during which you can receive more details about the program: info@spiritrisingfoundation.org


To All the Wonderful Teachers at Spirit Rising,

I would like to thank you all for an amazing teacher training experience.  The comfort, love and acceptance that you provided was absolutely amazing.  I know that you are all doing what you were put on this earth to do and appreciate all that you do.  The program was a life changing event.  The teachers were extremely knowledgeable and professional.  You helped me to move obstacles I did not even realize were there to move forward with joy in this lifetime.  In addition, you gave me the tools to pick myself up whenever I fall.  I feel empowered and happy to help others empower themselves.  Kundalini yoga is the most powerful yogic technology I have ever experienced.  Your delivery of the methodology was very effective. I would HIGHLY recommend this program for anyone who is ready to move forward to a better understanding of who they truly are and a life full of joy.

Sat Nam,  Kim Kotel/Mukande Kaur 2010-2012

Connect, serve, excel. Make a difference!
For students and teachers of all levels

An immersion in conscious living and an opportunity to learn the teachings of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan and how to share them with others. This international certification course in Kundalini Yoga is designed for practitioners of all levels who want to learn and master the techniques of yoga, and also for those who wish to deepen their personal experience and knowledge of Kundalini Yoga.

"If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it.
If you want to master something, teach it."   ~ Yogi Bhajan

Creating a Community of Teachers

kytt pic5Participate in a life-transforming experience in a community of others who share your interests. Throughout the course, personal development and self-awareness are encouraged through meditation, essays, interactive group exercises and teaching practice to deepen self-knowledge and confidence and develop group skills. Students gain teaching skills first amongst their classmates and then through practicums under the supervision of experienced teachers.

You'll discover an exceptional group of like-minded individuals who will share this deep experience into the teachings. "Community happens" through all the yoga and meditation the group does together. Life-long relationships and deep bonds of trust form with peers that fulfill the longing of the soul for fellowship and spiritual community.

Gain the credentials and experience to teach others professionally.

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The program combines 180 classroom hours with 40 hours of home study and leads to professional certification by the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) and membership in the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers' Association (IKYTA). A one-year Associate Membership in IKYTA is included in the course.

Spirit Rising Yoga Center is a Yoga Alliance Certified 200 hour Yoga School. The classroom hours and home study hours total 220 hours, so graduates meet the requirements for registration by the Yoga Alliance at the RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) 200 hour level.

Course Requirements

Course Requirements include an application and entrance interview, attendance and participation in all class sessions, completion of all written and practice assignments, 5 Morning Group Sadhanas, 20 Kundalini Yoga classes taught by KRI certified teachers outside of Teacher Training (during the nine months of the program), a passing grade on the KRI written exam and satisfactory completion of the teaching practicum, course evaluations and exit interview.

What Our Graduate Teachers Have to Say

Some of our grads have been kind enough to offer a few words about their experience with Teacher Training at Spirit Rising Yoga..
Click here to read what past graduates have to say.

Course Schedule

This is a program which is designed to balance your work schedule and activities. It will give you an intensive experience of learning and practicing yoga while still being able to maintain your regular work schedule and personal activities.

This eight month course is centered around sessions meeting every 3rd weekend which combine yoga classes with classroom instruction, discussion, and teaching practicums. Each session focuses on a specific area of yoga practice, experience, and knowledge that is essential for every serious student and teacher of yoga. The course schedule allows time off for holidays, home study, completion of written assignments, and opportunities for processing and integrating the experiences of the training into everyday life.

Each month you will receive a detailed calender of the month's schedule of sessions, topics, home reading and practices.
See below for Course Schedule and Tuition information.

Curriculum

Experiential, interactive coursework provides the participants with a solid groundwork in the theory and practice of the sacred science of Kundalini Yoga:

  • Yogic and Western anatomy
  • Yogic philosophy & the origin of Kundalini Yoga
  • The mind & meditation
  • Kundalini Yoga postures and kriyas
  • Mantra, mudra & sound, the Science of the Shabad Guru
  • Developing and maintaining a daily yogic practice
  • 3HO yogic lifestyle, vegetarian diet and Humanology, the Yogic technology of relationships
  • The evolution of yoga through the historical epochs
  • Structured teaching practice
  • An invaluable toolbox of the best Kundalini yoga sets, pranayams and meditations
  • The Code of Ethics of a Kundalini Yoga teacher
  • How to market your classes and present yourself professionally as a teacher
  • The role and identity of a Kundalini Yoga teacher

Mentor Program

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This unique program carefully matches each trainee with a mentor who is a graduate from a previous Kundalini Yoga teacher training program who supports and nurtures your progress. The mentors work with the trainee during the breaks to be an active part of the self-transformation assignments outside of class. We offer this program to build another layer of community and many graduates report that this feature greatly deepened their relationship with the teachings and their personal practice.

The White Tantric Yoga Course

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The White Tantric Yoga Course is an essential component of the KYTT certification course. Graduates have reported that experiencing White Tantric Yoga helped them grasp their unlimited potential for personal growth. This one-day meditation course is both challenging and uplifting. It rises us to the heights of our excellence and crystallizes our commitment to transformation. It is an experience unsurpassed for its power and ecstasy. White Tantric Yoga is practiced in pairs as a group meditation. You will sit facing a partner and follow instructions for meditation given on a video tape by the Mahan Tantric, Yogi Bhajan. Every course is facilitated, in person, by a representative of the Mahan Tantric. Attendance in this course is a requirement for certification.

About Kundalini Yoga and Yogi Bhajan

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Yogi Bhajan, Master of Kundalini Yoga, arrived in the United States in 1969 with a stated purpose: "I have come to create teachers, not to gather disciples." For over 30 years, he traveled internationally, teaching Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness and the 3HO lifestyle. He founded Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization, (3HO), based on his first principle: "Happiness is your birthright." Through the Aquarian Teacher Program thousands of people's lives have been transformed as they gained their teachers' certification in Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. IKYTA was formed in 1994 to further spread these priceless teachings through the united efforts of Kundalini Yoga teachers worldwide.

Kenny Velez /Guru Kar Singh Memorial Scholarship Fund

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Kenny Velez/Guru Kar Singh was a beloved friend and an extraordinary yoga teacher who taught with integrity, nobility and grace. His passion for gardening and organic cooking was exceeded only by his love for the many souls around him. He was deeply loved, known for his 'exuberant compassion' in putting others first as a trusted listener, provoking soul and nurturing friend. Guru Kar Singh lived as a yogi and inspired many students to excel in the face of difficulty.

Kenny was doubly committed to teacher training, participating first in KRI's Level 1 Teacher Training program in New York City, and then graduating from the Spirit Rising Yoga Teacher Training program in 2008. He was a dedicated teacher who made every effort to improve the lives of his students and people around him until his untimely passing in April, 2009.

To honor his legacy, Spirit Rising Foundation established the Kenny Velez/Guru Kar Singh Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2009. Contributions to this fund will assist aspiring Kundalini Yoga teachers participate in the Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Course by providing needed financial support in meeting its tuition costs.

To request an application for the
Kenny Velez/Guru Kar Singh Memorial Scholarship
for Level 1 Teacher Training 2011-2012,
email info@spiritrisingfoundation.org
or click here
to print an application form

Special Yoga Classes and Events

You'll also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular events, such as group meditations, workshops and classes with other yoga teachers and students. Optional yoga field trips are planned for those who want to deepen their practice, as well as special advanced classes and informal get-togethers.



The 2011-2012 Teacher Training Team

SSK
S.S. Shiva Singh Khalsa, E-RYT 500

Director of Spirit Rising Foundation of Illinois, Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainer.

Since 1971 he's taught and practiced with the guidance of Yogi Bhajan, who said of Shiva Singh, "You have always been an inspiration to me." Shiva Singh draws on a wealth of experience acquired through decades of spiritual practice, devotion and service. These are the foundation for his teaching. He will take you through the Mind and Meditation and the Fundamentals of Kundalini Yoga. He will share his experience of what it was like to have the Master's Touch with the stories of his teacher and of that inner journey as only one who has traveled it can know. Hew is known as a Jupiter Teacher, jovial, inspiring and uplifting.


Siri Bahadur Singh Khalsa

Awakening the Consciousness: Sound, Mantra & Naad

Siri Bahadur began practicing and teaching Kundalini Yoga in 1974.  A superb musician and expert on sound and mantra, he teaches at Yoga Yoga, in Austin, TX and other Teacher Training programs. He loves helping trainees create the intentions that lead to the experience of their energetic, graceful, Infinite, and Divine nature.


SKK
Shabad Kaur Khalsa, E-RYT 500, LMFT, LCPC

Co-director of Spirit Rising Foundation of Illinois and a KRI certified Kundalini Yoga teacher.

Her direct, devoted service to Yogi Bhajan results in her insightful transmission of yogic teachings for women, Humanology and ethics of the teacher/student relationship. Her creativity and radiant beauty inspires and uplifts all who come in contact with her. As she shares her love for the Master and creates a cozy, safe and nurturing place, she is a powerful Kundalini Yoga Teacher who will also bring out your "Keep Up!". She was recently described as "a hug".

SSK
Pritpal Kaur Khalsa, RYT

Postures: Form and Alignment for Kundalini Yoga Kriyas

Teacher of Kundalini Yoga and spiritual awareness for over 30 years. Her passion for assisting others on their road to excellence and fulfillment as well as her wealth of experience as a teacher, healer and mentor bring a depth of joy and wisdom to her teaching approach. This is her seventh training at Spirit Rising Yoga because she is so beloved by our grads.

Course Materials

Three excellent books are the primary texts for the KRI Level 1 Teacher Training Course. Participants will receive the Aquarian Teacher KRI Level 1 Teacher Training Textbook, an invaluable reference tool for learning and deepening one's knowledge about Kundalini Yoga. Each page takes you to new levels of understanding. The Aquarian Teacher KRI Level 1 Teacher Training Manual is a compendium of the most important Kriyas and meditations for a Kundalini Yoga teacher to have at their side while teaching. The Master's Touch is an inspiring and powerful volume of lectures and meditations given by Yogi Bhajan focusing specifically on the process of becoming a teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. You will also receive other materials that will assist in your course work.

Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Certification
at Spirit Rising Yoga 2011-2012 Course Schedule*

Saturday, October 8, 2011
10 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 9, 2011
8 am - 3 pm

Saturday, October 22, 2011
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, October 23, 2011
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, November 12, 2011
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, November 13, 2011
(Sadhana 4:30 - 6:45 am) **
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, December 3, 2011
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, December 4, 2011
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, December 10, 2011
10 am - 6:30 pm

Saturday, January 7, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, January 8, 2012
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, January 28, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, January 29, 2012
(Sadhana 4:30 - 6:45 am) **
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, February 18, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, February 19, 2012
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, March 10, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, March 11, 2012
(Sadhana 4:30 - 6:45 am)**
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, March 24, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, March 25, 2012
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, April 7, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, April 8, 2012
(Sadhana 4:30 - 6:45 am)**
8 am - 4 pm

White Tantric Yoga Course
Saturday, April 21, 2012

8 am - 6:30 pm

Saturday, May 5, 2012
10 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, May 6, 2012
(Sadhana 4:30 - 6:45 am) **
8 am - 4 pm

Saturday, May 19, 2012
8:30 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday, May 20, 2012
8 am - 4 pm

Graduation
Sunday, June 3, 2012

*All dates are subject to change. Participants will be given advance notice of any schedule changes
**Participants are required to attend 5 Group Morning Sadhanas during the course.

2011 - 2012 Course Tuition

Our course provides each Trainee with an unparalleled experience of the Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, which could be considered "priceless". Please refer to the Tuition Schedule below for details. We also offer a generous payment plan on a case by case basis, so please ask us about the terms that might make it easier for you to take the course at this time.

$ 3100* if paid in full by the starting date of the program, October 8th, 2011
$ 3300* if paid in regular installments (as specified in contract)
$ 2790* for full-time high school/college students with ID*

- Completed registration form and deposit of $600* (applicable to tuition) are due by September 10th, 2011 ($175 non-refundable).
- Tuition does NOT include registration for the White Tantric Yoga course or the cost of the required 20 yoga classes outside of KYTT.
- Refunds are determined on a case by case basis. See your contract for full details.

* A 3% processing charge is added to all credit card transactions.

The Course Facilitators and KRI Teacher Trainers reserve the right to grant KRI Certification based solely upon their discretion and evaluation of each student's readiness to be a Kundalini Yoga instructor. Evaluation will be based on the student's successful completion of the KRI Teacher Training course requirements as outlined in the course contract.