Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee doing Urban Zen
Being a yoga teacher might seem exciting, but the acquisition of a license to teach people to find their inner zen can actually be stressful.
To become a certified yoga teacher, an RYT 200 certification is required, which entails 200 hours of yoga instructor training. To earn the 200 hours, prospective teachers must take a yoga instructor class through a Certified Yoga School. Yoga Alliance is the organization that validates yoga schools, and it is dedicated to making sure that yoga schools maintain integrity.
One place to learn more about yoga is through Urban Zen yoga classes at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany. Urban Zen focuses on making the patient feel better through yoga, aromatherapy, reiki, breathing practices and guided meditation. Urban Zen yoga was created in part by the Urban Zen Foundation, which was founded by Donna Karan.
Urban Zen at Heit Center
The Urban Zen Foundation is meant to inspire change by connecting the mind and body. Along with medical professionals and Donna Karan, Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee – famous American yoga instructors – developed the Urban Zen Integrative Program.
“We train people (in Urban Zen) to see the body in its totality so that you realize that even though you may have a sickness, your whole being isn’t sick,” Colleen Saidman Yee says. “We give an equal amount of attention to every cell of the body. The restorative poses, breath work, essential oils and reiki brings much relief and human to human connection.”
In September 2018, the Heit Center held a special Urban Zen clinic for about 50 people to learn yoga with the Yees. The clinic was meant to help people learn about mindfulness and relax through yoga.
The Heit Center will be hosting a 200-hour yoga teacher training program from February to June 2019. The program will be led by the Yees.
For more information on registering for the 200HR Teacher Training program, please visit www.yogashanti.com or email loribowerhna@gmail.com.
Emily Chen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
