Still have some questions? Let us answer them for you!
+ What if I need to miss a session?
You will only be permitted to miss up to 6 hours of live training and will be expected to watch the session recording and complete additional homework to ensure comprehension. For those of you who absolutely cannot miss work on Fridays, we will record the sessions and send them to you to watch that evening before Saturday’s sessions (this will not count towards your 6 hours). Any additional time missed will jeopardize your ability to graduate, cost you additional money to reimburse teachers for their time, or both.
All this to say, this is not a casual or self-paced teacher training. This is a highly interactive training that requires your full participation and presence in order to be successful. As the saying goes, you get out what you put in. Since we aren’t able to gather in person it’s critical that you are committed to full participation online.
We know this is a big commitment. But this level of participation and interaction is truly what sets The Abbey’s training apart from other online yoga trainings. We’ve found that the richest connections with each other and the material happens when we are all present and learning together.
+ What do I need for this training?
A yoga mat, two yoga blocks, one yoga strap, and a blanket or towel that can be folded to the width of a yoga mat and provide adequate support for sitting.
The following books:
- Prayer of Heart and Body: Meditation and Yoga As Christian Spiritual Practice by Tom Ryan
- Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
- The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction by Eugene Peterson
A strong internet connection that allows you to stream live video and audio without any interruption is required. Because we don’t have the luxury of being together in-person, it’s essential that we’re able to see and hear you clearly over Zoom.
An open mind, willing heart, teachable spirit, and a generous demeanor.
Yoga teacher training is one of THE most rewarding and challenging experiences. You’ll be stretched physically, emotionally, and mentally as you dive deep into your own beliefs and experiences while being introduced to teachings and philosophies that may be totally new to you. There will be moments where you want to throw in the towel from pure exhaustion, moments of boredom and impatience as you listen to a fellow trainee stumble through their practice teaching, moments of heart-racing anxiety as you get up to practice teach, and moments of deep connection and joy as you step into a deeper knowing of God’s abiding love in and around you.
It’s a roller coaster journey but reaching the end of it is immensely gratifying and life-changing!
+ Who will be leading this training?
The majority of the training will be led by Caroline Williams and Alison Cox. There will be a handful of guest teachers we bring in to share their expertise on certain topics.
Meet Caroline, the Founder of The Abbey
Caroline has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and has been teaching Jesus-centered yoga classes since 2015. With over 600 hours of training specializing in vinyasa and prenatal yoga, she leads classes that combine strong physical alignment with deep spiritual awareness. Caroline has taught in yoga studios and on retreats, but her main classroom is YouTube where she’s led hundreds of thousands of people around the world in Jesus-centered yoga classes.
Seeking to foster a deeper Christian yoga community online and support other Christian yoga teachers, she started The Abbey in 2018. The Abbey is an online yoga sanctuary that offers Christian yoga classes, meditation practices, devotional resources, advanced workshops, and Spiritual Direction.
Meet Alison, The Abbey’s Director of Training
Alison began her yoga practice over 10 years ago to find relief from chronic anxiety and neck pain which had developed over time from high-impact sports and injuries. Soon after her yoga journey started, she witnessed the effects of mental clarity, emotional ease, and the healing of physical pain in her body.
Alison has been teaching yoga since 2015 and has led classes in various studios, churches, and trauma recovery spaces across Dallas and Chicago. Her classes bring an awareness to personal alignment, encourage exploration into a healthy range of motion, mindful breathwork, and create space for The Holy Spirit to heal and transform. She is an RYT 500, E-RYT 200, YACEP, and has previously instructed in three teacher training programs.
Meet Jamie, our Anatomy & Physiology Instructor
Jamie Terry is an RYT 200 and a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist. She has been teaching yoga since 2015 and joined The Yoga Abbey community in 2020. Movement has been a part of her life from an early age through dance, martial arts, outdoor adventure sports, and long distance running.
Love for God, compassion for mental health, fascination with body and nature, and a desire to serve through teaching have led Jamie to this path of faithful, embodied stewardship through Yoga and Functional Movement. Her desire is that you would see more of God through body stewardship and learn how to move with more confidence and joy.
Meet Melissa, our Contemplative Prayer and Meditation Instructor
Following the threads of beauty and hospitality (her core values), Melissa Reed (RYT-200) has been led by the Spirit to serve in the world as a Spiritual Director – holding space for others to experience the beauty and hospitality of God’s love. She received her training through the Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction and has been serving as a Spiritual Director since 2017.
Continuing to pursue beauty and hospitality, also fueled by her 20+ year love of yoga, Melissa completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training through Yoga Six in 2018, followed by 25 hours with The Yoga Abbey in 2020. Melissa has gently guided yoga students in local classes, online, and in international retreats.
Meet Kelly, our Yoga History & Philosophy Instructor
Kelly McLellan (E-RYT 200, RYT 500) has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and teaching for almost as long! She attended the University of Florida where she studied psychology and the mind-body connection. She went on to receive a Masters in Health Science Education specializing in holistic health.
Kelly is the owner of Getting Still, creator of Sanctuary Studies, freelance yoga teacher-trainer, and faculty member at Montreat College where she teaches classes that blend the ancient practice of classical yoga with sacred Christian scriptures.
Her published works include The Postures of Prayer: A Christian Yoga Deck and Journeying through the Chakras with Christ.
+ Are you registered with the Yoga Alliance?
Yes!