Teaching Pranayama: Essential Practices for Yoga Teachers

Teaching Pranayama: Essential Practices for Yoga Teachers is a yoga teacher training module at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is a ten-day, on-campus immersion in breathwork for teachers who want to deepen their knowledge of pranayama and teach it with more skill and confidence. Sam Chase and Michelle Dalbec lead it as Kripalu School faculty.

The training rests on the idea that breathwork awakens the life force and opens the door to profound meditation. It looks at the philosophy behind the techniques as well as the techniques themselves, and is designed to revitalize the physical and energetic bodies of the teachers who take it.

What to Expect

The module covers yogic and contemporary perspectives on prana and the physiology of subtle energy. Guided experiences show how pranayama can soothe and steady the mind. Practical anatomy and alignment are part of the work, along with Ayurvedic principles for both asana and pranayama.

Teaching skills are central. You learn contraindications and tools for working safely with students, and you build confidence through one-on-one peer sessions and evaluated practice teach sessions. The approach follows Kripalu's own teaching methodology, which integrates modifications and variations.

The days follow a steady rhythm. Opening day begins with check-in at 2:00 pm, a Kripalu Yoga class from 4:45 to 6:00, dinner, and a program session from 7:00 to 9:00 in the evening. On the days between, a program session runs from 6:30 to 8:00 am, followed by silent breakfast. Sessions continue from 9:30 to 11:45, after lunch from 2:00 to 6:00, and on Thursday evening from 7:00 to 9:00. Closing day has a morning session, silent breakfast, a final session from 9:30 to 11:45, and lunch before departure.

About Sam Chase

Sam Chase is a yoga teacher and a member of the Kripalu faculty who co-leads this training.

About Michelle Dalbec

Michelle Dalbec is a member of the Kripalu faculty and co-leads this module. She also teaches in Kripalu's 200-hour yoga teacher training and in programs such as The Kripalu Yoga Retreat.

The Setting

Kripalu sits in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Participants stay on campus in shared dormitory accommodations, with rooms ready by 4:00 pm. Luggage can be stored until your room is available. Check-out on the final day is at 10:00 am, and you may stay on campus and join workshops until 2:00 pm.

Three meals a day are included, with breakfasts taken in silence and lunch and dinner shared with the group. Access to the Kripalu grounds is part of the training.

Before You Go

This is an intermediate-level training taught in English. Participants need an established personal yoga practice and some teaching experience, along with one of the following:

- Current enrollment in the Kripalu School of Yoga 300-hour program
- Any 200-hour Yoga Alliance registered teacher training

An acceptance note from Kripalu Schools admissions is also required.

The training includes meals, access to the grounds and facilities, and a training manual. Lodging is arranged separately, and travel to Kripalu and personal incidentals are not covered. Kripalu offers limited scholarships and payment plans for most Schools programs, and applying early is recommended because funds are competitive. Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training is Yoga Alliance approved.