Space and Light Yoga studio is founded by the duo Lynn and Sumei. They have partnered with COMO Shambhala studio, and teach regular classes throughout the week. They teach as a pair, with one leading and the other adjusting. This is great for their students. When you go to their class it feels much more personal than most studios and you will leave class feeling more balanced since they ensure you are doing the poses properly. There are trial class prices for first timers, call the studio or visit the front desk for more info.
Lynn and Sumei hold one ytt200 per year. That can be a good thing (plenty of time to make arrangements), or a bad thing (no other options), depending on your schedule. The classes are held on the weekend - Friday, Saturday, Sunday - often including Monday evenings and full class on holidays. You must attend all class hours, so plan accordingly.
I am a bit partial to this studio, since I have been a student at COMO Shambhala for over a year now. I'm a big fan of their style, since all of the teachers there pay particular attention to alignment. It is on the pricier side, understandable given the studio's connection to the COMO brand. The studios are air conditioned, so if you are a fan of hot yoga this might not be for you. However, to learn to teach yoga it is worth considering this studio.
Before starting a YTT, be sure to know what you want out of it. Do you want a yoga bootcamp or do you want to eventually teach? Space and Light Yoga is a great option for those who want to teach. Lynn and Sumei have a background in teaching Anusara yoga, and their YTT focuses on the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment. Important to note: This is a Hatha yoga course, not an Anusara course.
In addition to extra focus on alignment, this YTT sets aside time to teach about the history of yoga. I found this very informative, and I appreciated learning about the roots of yoga and it's differences between modern and historical practice. Lynn and Sumei invite experts who research yoga history to come and talk about it. You are also assigned some reading to do at home, although they didn't expect everyone to have time to read the full book(s).
Every studio advertises teaching anatomy as part of their YTTs. Space and Light Yoga does the same. They require you to purchase the yoga anatomy books by Ray Long, a requirement that many yoga studios in Singapore have lately. The books are great, and while they weren't used a lot during the course they are worth having at home for reference. One thing that sets Lynn and Sumei apart from other studios in regards to anatomy: Lynn is a doctor. She really knows her stuff, and makes learning anatomy very fun. She even brings a real human skeleton to class, something she acquired during her medical studies.
Overall, this YTT was a great experience for me and I highly recommend it. The one thing that I would say is lacking would be the amount of time students spend teaching. The class is on the larger side, 20ppl, so there simply isn't enough time for each student to teach a whole lot. Becoming a teacher requires a lot of practice to become comfortable leading a class. In this YTT, you will need to take the initiative to practice at home. As long as you practice on your own time, you will graduate with enough confidence to go out and start your own classes. Everyone in our group graduated, so do not fear.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Excellent Alignment Education
Excellent Facility
Personal Attention
Great Yoga Materials
Large Class
Cons:
Only One Course Per Year
Limited Teaching Practice
Large Class
Unique Cues
To elaborate on the unique cues, this is related to the detailed nature of the alignment principles being taught. The cues go beyond simply moving, and go more into engagement. If you practice at the studio you might be familiar with some of the cues, but if you are going to be teaching at another studio most likely you will need to modify the cues to be simpler and introduce the more detailed cues slowly to your regular students. If it is for your own practice, the unique cues are excellent for having a safer practice.
To elaborate on the unique cues, this is related to the detailed nature of the alignment principles being taught. The cues go beyond simply moving, and go more into engagement. If you practice at the studio you might be familiar with some of the cues, but if you are going to be teaching at another studio most likely you will need to modify the cues to be simpler and introduce the more detailed cues slowly to your regular students. If it is for your own practice, the unique cues are excellent for having a safer practice.
Next intake:
10th April - 25th May 2020
Lynn and Sumei also offer a ytt300hr path. They do this differently from other studios, since their 300hr certificate is an accumulation of hours spent in their trainings or workshops. This is a good option if you have already gotten your ytt200 from a different studio and want to continue taking workshops. This is the route I am taking. I might get more into this in a different post, but basically if you want to work slowly towards your 500hr RYT this is an option available to you.
** note: Lynn and Sumei do try to work with the COMO studio after the ytt is complete to allow their students to teach one hour 'open level' classes. These classes are offered to COMO practitioners at a cheaper rate and give students the chance to apply their teaching skills in a real class. It is not guaranteed for every intake.
** note: Lynn and Sumei do try to work with the COMO studio after the ytt is complete to allow their students to teach one hour 'open level' classes. These classes are offered to COMO practitioners at a cheaper rate and give students the chance to apply their teaching skills in a real class. It is not guaranteed for every intake.
I hope that this information is useful for considering Space and Light Yoga's ytt200 course. To learn more, check out their website: http://www.spaceandlightyoga.com/about.php
Sincerely,
- Michelle Elaine
