Aerial Yoga Teacher Training

Aerial yoga is a type of yoga in which students use a fabric hammock to practice yoga poses. Using the silk as a prop, students can get better support, a deeper stretch and the opportunity to safely enter inversions and other poses they might not ordinarily try in a regular yoga class. Although there are some similarities, aerial yoga is not the same as aerial silks and other aerial arts. Aerial yoga is grounded in traditional yoga principles and focuses on breath, mindful movement, and sensation, rather than artistry, performance, or circus tricks.

Led by our very own expert trainers–Katharine Scalora, E-RYT, Keri Straka, E-RYT, and Victoria Rojas, E-RYT & Reiki Master–this comprehensive aerial yoga teacher training will provide you with all the tools you need to instruct thoughtfully crafted aerial yoga classes for various levels of abilities, and to share the amazing benefits of this unique practice with your students.

Our aerial yoga teacher training emphasizes safety through a combination of clear and concise cueing, coupled with careful observation and continuous monitoring of your students throughout class. Each aerial yoga pose is broken down into easily manageable steps, including instructions for how to safely enter and exit the pose, correct misalignments, and incorporate modifications or advancements, as needed.

Once you’ve gained all this knowledge, you will put it into practice, by teaching actual aerial yoga beginners. This will help you solidify the practical skills you need, in order to guide a safe, strong, and mindful practice, while gradually testing your students’ limits and providing challenges that will enable them to discover abilities they never knew they had.

Graduates of our aerial yoga teacher training become particularly skilled at encouraging their students to challenge themselves physically and explore their boundaries safely, all while maintaining a focus on breath, alignment and sensation. Through our program, you will learn how to cultivate and impart both strength and mindfulness to your students. Our program will give you all the tools you need to guide your students through a rewarding journey that will make them feel not only accomplished and empowered, but refreshed and recharged.

Katharine Scalora
Co-Founder of Earth & Aerial Yoga, E-RYT 200, Aerial Yoga Instructor

Katharine is the co-founder and Managing Director of Earth & Aerial Yoga, and she is the visionary behind the Earth & Aerial Yoga Teacher Training program. Over the past decade, she has led thousands of traditional and aerial yoga classes, and, since 2018, she has trained and mentored dozens of aerial yoga instructors, 12 of whom currently teach at our studio.Katharine’s journey into yoga began in 1999 as a student, and her enthusiasm for the benefits of both traditional and aerial yoga has only deepened over the years, through continuous study and exploration of new ideas and research. She has made a lifelong commitment to learning and has studied yoga, biomechanics and strength training under notable figures in the field, including Jules Mitchell, Katherine Bruni-Young and Jacqui Bonwell. While she revels in guiding aerial yoga classes, her true passion lies in training others to become skilled aerial yoga instructors.Her teaching style is focused on providing a safe and mindful experience through precise cueing and careful observation, while simultaneously encouraging her students to embrace a sense of playfulness and curiosity. Katharine motivates you to push yourself both physically and mentally, ensuring that you’re well-equipped to deliver an exceptional experience to your future students. Under her expert guidance, you’ll have the opportunity to nurture your teaching skills throughout and beyond the formal training hours.

As the lead trainer, Katharine will be facilitating the majority of the training, focusing on poses, alignment, cueing, mechanics, teaching skills and much more.

Keri Straka
E-RYT 500, Aerial Yoga Instructor

Coming from a background in sculpture, with a Master of Fine Art in ceramics, Keri has been teaching yoga in the Greater Boston area since 2015. As an avid yogi and an enthusiastic life-long learner, Keri completed both her 200-hour yoga teacher training and her 500-hour certifications with Jacqui Bonwell. In addition, she is a certified Radiant Child Yoga Teacher (Level I&II), a Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, level II Reiki Healer, and Aerial Yoga instructor. Keri specializes in teaching all levels of vinyasa and aerial yoga classes that are centered on cultivating healthy and safe functional movement. With this foundation, practitioners in her classes create an awareness of how to shift stagnant patterns to create deeper physical harmony. Keri is motivated by curiosity, creativity and compassion for the individual human experience. Her classes are playful, lighthearted and accessible to all.

Keri is the facilitator of the Restorative Aerial Yoga portion of our teacher training. Drawing on her extensive background in restorative yoga traditions, which rely heavily on various props to support the body, Keri takes these principles from the mat and into the aerial yoga silk. Students will learn how to soften into shapes, focus on deep breathing and explore different modalities of meditation. They will also master a variety of techniques to gently guide their own future students from one pose to another, while fostering a deep sense of relaxation that yields a multitude of healing benefits.

Victoria Rojas
E-RYT 500, Aerial Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master

Victoria is a seasoned yoga and aerial yoga instructor, a Reiki Master, and a graduate of the Earth & Aerial Yoga Teacher Training. Her expertise spans a wide spectrum of modalities, all deeply rooted in her unwavering enthusiasm for yoga and mindfulness. A dedicated learner, Victoria has formal training and holds certifications in a variety of specialized programs, including a 200-hour yoga teacher training in Ashtanga, Hatha, and Vinyasa practices from Sadhana Yoga School; a 300-hour yoga teacher training focusing on creative movement, inversions, and arm balances with Authentic Movements; aerial yoga teacher training at Earth & Aerial Yoga; chair yoga through Yoga Fit; as well as Reiki 1, Reiki 2, and Reiki Master attunements. Presently, Victoria is working towards her Warriors at Ease level 1 certification, which will further equip her to offer trauma-informed yoga to veterans and first responders—a testament to her dedication to fostering inclusivity and healing among diverse populations.Victoria’s true passion lies in self-exploration through yoga and meditation, coupled with her desire to heal others through Reiki. With more than 1,000 hours of instructional experience across a range of styles, including hot vinyasa, power, and restorative yoga, Victoria aspires to provide her students with the same mindfulness, confidence, and mind-body connection that she discovered as a teenager. Her classes and workshops are transformative experiences that underscore the synergy of movement and breath, and foster self-connection and bodily ease.

During this training, Victoria will integrate her extensive expertise to impart a range of valuable skills, including teaching effective centering techniques, leading guided meditations, and facilitating savasana.

Have you been taking aerial yoga classes for a while and loving it? Are you a yoga, fitness, gymnastics or dance instructor looking to add a unique skillset to your repertoire? Or are you an avid aerial yogi searching for ways to expand your existing yoga practice? The Earth & Aerial Yoga Teacher Training is for you!

NOTE: You must have access to an aerial yoga silk during the on-line portion of this training.

• How to cue up to 150 aerial yoga poses and transitions safely, effectively and concisely
• How to quickly identify and adjust common aerial yoga pose misalignments to maximize safety in group classes
• How to create aerial yoga sequences, including poses and transitions, that flow seamlessly
• How to teach full one-hour beginner, restorative, mixed-levels, and themed aerial yoga classes
• How to modify or advance aerial yoga poses for students of varying levels
• How to identify movements and active muscle groups in the body, including understanding the way tissues work in concert to achieve movement
• How to incorporate anatomical vocabulary, including directional and movement terms, major bones/bony landmarks and muscle groups into class direction
• How to lead a centering at beginning of class and savasana at the end
• How to develop your own style/voice for effective communication
• How to properly rig and maintain aerial yoga equipment
• The various benefits and contraindications for aerial yoga practice

Total of 50 hours.

• 40 Contact Hours, which can be counted towards your Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Requirements, as follows:
  • 16 hours virtual instruction, including 14 live and 2 pre-recorded content (locally-based students may attend all live sessions in person, if they choose)
  • 24 hours in-person 4-day weekend intensive
• 10 Non-Contact Hours (can be done in studio or virtually), which includes 10 hours of aerial yoga practice and observation
•  A comprehensive training manual, which include photographs and step-by-step descriptions of over 150 aerial yoga poses and transitions, as well as sample aerial yoga class sequences
• Opportunity to practice teach aerial yoga with real students in a real class environment

Upon successful completion of the Earth & Aerial Yoga Teacher Training program, an exciting opportunity awaits you – the chance to apply for a teaching position at our studio! To be considered for a paid teaching role, we have established a comprehensive pathway to ensure your competence in guiding students through their aerial yoga journey. This pathway includes the following steps:

1. Assist Aerial Yoga Classes: You will need to assist in a minimum of five aerial yoga classes or private group sessions. This hands-on experience will allow you to gain insights into class dynamics, student needs, and the overall flow of instruction.
2. Teach Under Supervision: As a next step, you will be required to teach one complete Aerial Yoga Essentials community class, while being directly supervised by the studio management, who will assess your readiness to independently lead classes.
3. Assessment and Further Preparation: After teaching your initial supervised class, the studio management will provide you with constructive feedback. If deemed necessary, you may be advised to assist an additional five classes and attend a minimum of five classes as a student. This additional exposure will contribute to your understanding of teaching techniques.
4. Re-evaluation: Upon accumulating additional experience through assisting and practice, you are welcome to return for re-evaluation when you feel prepared. We understand that everyone progresses at their own pace, and this flexibility allows you to present your abilities when you feel you are ready.
5. Independent Teaching: Once you have been assessed as ready to teach independently, you will teach a minimum of five Aerial Yoga Essentials community classes. This period will be integral to further honing your teaching skills.
6. Evaluation and Employment Consideration: Following your fifth independent class, our team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your teaching abilities. Based on this evaluation, we may extend an offer for a teaching position at Earth & Aerial Yoga.

It’s important to acknowledge that, while we’re dedicated to fostering a nurturing environment for growth, our ultimate commitment lies in upholding the exceptional quality of instruction that sets our studio apart. As a result, the management reserves the right to exercise discretion and make decisions regarding both employment and your progression through this process.

Early Bird Price: $999 (paid in full by Sept 15)
Price: $1,199

A nonrefundable deposit of $250 is due at the time of registration to secure your spot. The remaining balance is due two weeks prior to the start of training. All tuition fees are nonrefundable. If you need to cancel for any reason, you will have the option to apply your tuition towards a future Earth & Aerial Yoga Teacher Training or towards other services or retail in the studio. Session fees will be forfeited and will not be applicable towards future purchases if you cancel less than 2 weeks prior to the start of training.