Yoga Therapy in Cancer and Chronic Illness: YCat Level 1

For Yoga teachers and health professionals

YCat training is for experienced Yoga teachers and health care professionals to learn how to work safely with people facing cancer, chronic illnesses, aging, and end of life. This ten-day intensive training of the Level 1 YCat curriculum is both knowledge-based and experiential.

Level 1 training offers 90 training hours and a certificate of attendance. The optional Level 2 Internship and Level 3 Retreat offer additional hours to add up to 300 hours. The 300-hour graduate-level certificate can be used toward the Integral Yoga 500-hour certification.

Many YCat Yoga therapists are working in medical settings around the country, including outpatient clinics, infusion centers, and inpatient units. Other YCat therapists become valuable team members in wellness centers, in Yoga studios, and private practices. The program provides medical and scientific rationales for each aspect of the curriculum and is research and evidence-based. Simultaneously, it is also rich in Swami Satchidananda’s interpretation of the Yoga Sutras concerning how the teachings of the sutras can help you and your clients gain control of the mind and the senses when dealing with pain and suffering, illness and disease, life and death, and daily moment-to-moment challenges.

The curriculum provides an understanding of concepts in teaching Yoga to people with cancer and chronic illness. It includes (but is not limited to): biology, physiology, pathophysiology of cancer, common chronic illnesses, rationales and adaptations of Yoga in medical settings, introduction to Yoga research, Yoga philosophy as it applies to illness and disease, pain and suffering, aging and end of life, and challenges of daily living. Pre-program preparation through reading and writing assignments and video are required.

More information can be found on the YCat website ycatyogaincancer.com or email ycat.sandra@yahoo.com.

Training Information

Prerequisites
Any 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Graduate or Licensed Healthcare Professional is welcome to attend. To receive the complete certification of the program, LHP’s need a 200-hour Yoga teacher training certificate.

Continuing Education (CE) Opportunities

• Yoga Alliance (YA): Approximately 90 contact hours.
  You can input your contact hours using your YA login information.
• Integral Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA) can provide you a CE certificate with your program’s total contact hours for a $10 fee (free for IYTA members.) For more information, email membership@iyta.org.
• Integral Yoga 300-hour: 90 hours towards RYT 500 designation
• Yoga Therapy: This is one of the elective modules to become certified as an Integral Yoga Therapist
• International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT): Approved Professional Development (APD) course eligible for IAYT 85 continuing education hours. (It is the students’ responsibility to request a certificate of completion and submit all required documents, hours, syllabus, etc. on the IAYT website.)

Testimonials

Susheela was extremely knowledgeable and drew from personal and professional experience to bring real meaning and understanding to this learning process… It was a pleasure to learn from her and spend time with her. — Pam Wilson

The YCAt curriculum is so needed in the world. Teaching breath, awareness and movement to those with cancer and chronic illness offers them a practical valuable tool they can use in their daily lives. The YCAT curriculum empowers people with cancer and chronic illnesses to participate in their own healing. As a yoga teacher, to facilitate this is very satisfying. — Karen DiGirolamo