Specialist – Back & Hip Program

The Specialist – Back & Hip Program at Yoga Mandir Institute comprises two complementary components:

1. Specialist – Back & Hip Workshop

The workshop prepares practitioners to work safely and appropriately in ongoing classes, while also developing the skills to assess, gauge and modify their own asana practice for optimum health.

The workshop is conducted at Yoga Mandir every 2–3 years and is structured as an intensive weekend program comprising five sessions, from Friday evening through to Sunday afternoon.

The program is highly experiential. Participants work in small groups to explore and apply the material introduced through the online study resources, experiencing adjustments and modifications to practice and developing an understanding of how these can be adapted to individual needs and capacity.

2. Online Study Resources

A comprehensive range of student study resources has been developed to support the program. Students access these resources through Yoga Vidya, Yoga Mandir’s online study platform, and are required to review the audio-visual material prior to attending the workshop.

Access to the online study resources is available for one year from the date of enrolment. 

Key Elements of the Program

The Specialist – Back & Hip Program focuses on developing an informed, discerning and responsive approach to practice. Key elements include:

• Developing a practice that cultivates discernment and the ability to differentiate experience.
• Understanding the relationship between thought and pain.
• Cultivating dispassion and clarity in observation.
• Developing feedback systems that assist students to gauge their limits and respond appropriately.
• Applying Iyengar methodology when working with injuries.
• Developing a range of practice modifications that enable students to work according to their individual capacity.

Ethical Foundations

The Specialist – Back & Hip Program is underpinned by the Yamas and Niyamas, the first two disciplines of Astanga Yoga. These disciplines provide the foundation for ethical practice and inform the way practitioners approach themselves, their practice and their interactions with others.

Through the integration of study, observation and practical experience, the program supports practitioners to develop greater clarity, discernment and responsibility in working with the body, particularly in relation to the back and hips.