What is Yoga I.S.®?

Yoga I.S is a yoga studio and teacher training school designed to educate teachers and students alike in the practice of Yoga.  The creator of Yoga I.S., Lauren Eirk, has spent her life teaching and studying in the health, fitness, and yoga communities, learning from some of the top minds of our time.  Yoga I.S. came about through her journey, which included battling an eating disorder as a teen, over-exercising and sustaining many injuries while making a living as a group fitness instructor in college, and taking up yoga as a way to heal herself.

Lauren discovered that although yoga in itself is a tool to keep the body-mind strong and healthy, it can also be used incorrectly.  Lauren ended up having two knee surgeries that resulted from being adjusted in poses and trying to get her body into the positions required for the type of yoga she was practicing.  This lead her to begin an intense journey of studying anatomy and biomechanics, two topics that are not talked about in great depth in the yoga world.  Lauren had to learn how to heal herself through understanding how joints work, how muscles create tension, and how the nervous system and mind create the ultimate outcome of any exercise regimen. 

Throughout her travels teaching yoga, Lauren has asked people how yoga has changed their life.  It is interesting how everyone has a story.  People have said that when they started practicing yoga, their lives completely transformed. Some changed their career path, some altered their diet, some healed chronic and repetitive injuries, some became yoga teachers, some signifigantly lowered their stress levels and got off their medication, some gave up exercise regimens that were breaking them down, and some ended up diving into the practice of meditation.  Lauren realized how important it was to create a program for yoga practitioners, as well as health and fitness professionals to benefit from the methods handed down by the master teachers' methods. 

Yoga I.S. blends ancient teachings to explain the research of today's scientific world, with a comprehensive educational program about anatomy, neurophysiology, joint mechanics, resistance training, pranayama, biomechanical teaching methodology, evidence validating meditation as a form of stress management, student intake, the business of yoga, and ultimately how to help make Yoga IS graduates top in their field of expertise.

For those who are Yoga Practitioners : Maybe you have no interest in getting in front of a group or individual and teaching them yoga, but you have been practicing yoga for a while and want to learn more about it.  Your experiences as a yoga student will add so much to our training.  Going through this education will help you to get so much more out of your practice than you ever thought possible.  Ever wonder why we get tight? Why you can never seem to stretch those hamstrings?  Why you have been dealing with chronic injuries in your practice?  Have you found a teacher that can help you?  Yoga IS will help you get the answers you need to achieve the results you can expect from your body.  You will be able to filter out the teachers you want to take from and the kinds of practices you need for your body by filling your mind with the best information currently out there in the yoga world.  You never know! After you finish, you may find yourself on a brand new career path!

For those wanting to teach yoga as a profession: Yoga IS will help you learn the ins-and-outs of teaching to both indiviuals and groups.  You will be able to retain students long-term, as they will recognize your level of expertise and knowlege in helping them to achieve their life-long goals.  Doing what you love and being the best you can be is the key to happiness and great success.  You will walk away learning to THINK, not just learning any one method.  Be able to come of with hundreds of yoga routines and progressions for your students, with a plethora of tools in your toolbag to use.  You will stand out as one of the leading instructors at your studio, and be able to teach this great practice in many different settings.

For those who are group fitness instructors: this education will make you much better able to deal with a group dynamic. 

When someone walks into your class with a pre-existing injury or other health concern, your Yoga I.S. education will give you so many new exercises, cues, progressive routines, and methods than you ever thought possible.  You will have so many tools to add to your repertoire, and will be shown how to incorporate yoga into your classes to reach a wider variety of people, improve student retention, and be able to work in a variety of settings.

For personal trainers: you will now be able to know how your clients' bodies are being affected by their existing yoga practice, and be able to help them achieve positive results.  You will be able to directly apply the knowlege of anatomy, joint mechanics, neurophysiology and range of motion to your training sessions to create thousands of exercises, modifications, and cues.  After completing the Yoga IS education, you will see how the practice of yoga can be incorporated into your client sessions.  Think the best way to start an exercise program is to start walking?  Still practicing the sit and reach technique as a way to assess clients?  Yoga IS will progress your training in ways you never imagined.

For health professionals , such as physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, physicians, etc: You have patients that already come to you tellling you that they practice yoga.  May health professionals even prescribe yoga.  Have you taken the time to learn about it?  Yoga is the most healthy thing many of your patients could be doing, but when practicing yoga incorrectly with improper progression, it can lead to injury and stress, which can un-do what you are doing to help them.  This happens more than you realize.  Wouldn't it be great to be able to help your clients with alternative methods like yoga to retain patients and help them to greatly improve their health?  Yoga IS will give you new eyes for evaluating range of motion, biomechanics, anatomy, client intake, stress management, and exercise prescription by informing you about research and methods that go beyond what is required for your health career.  Be able to help a wider variety of people, get better results, and refine information required for your practice.   

Yoga I.S. is constantly growing.  Be a part of a family of thinkers that have the passion to continually educate themselves, being objective about information without having to follow protocol.  Be the best at what you do!