A Yoga and Pilates Studio in Hyattsville, Maryland
Douglas

Douglas Thompson, Owner of Yoga Space

 

My journey as a yoga teacher began back in 1995, after I had taken my very first yoga class. It spoke to me like nothing had ever done before. I knew right then and there, I wanted to share the joy of yoga with as many people as I could.

 I completed my teacher's training in 1996, at The Himalayan Institute in Honesdale Pennsylvania. The 7 fields of study that we needed to be proficient in were: 

  1. Asana (the yoga poses), 
  2. Pranayama (breathing techniques), 
  3. Teaching techniques, 
  4. Anatomy, 
  5. Philosophy, 
  6. Diet and Nutrition, and 
  7. Meditation.  

All-in-all, it took a year to go through. Once all the classes were complete, the journaling had been submitted, and all the written tests had been passed, the last requirement was to stand alone, before the board (two or three teachers, including one that you had studied under.) They would ask you questions about any of the 7 fields, ask you to demonstrate a pose that they chose, and ask you to teach a pose to them, also of their choosing. It was a scary event, but I passed.

 Forward to the present year. Almost 20 years have gone by, and each time I take a class, I still feel the joy I felt when I took my very first one. I still want to share the joy of yoga with as many people as I can.

I have shared yoga with cancer patients, people with other challenges such as Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cerebral Palsy. I have shared yoga with prenatal moms, moms with infants, senior citizens, beginners, and seasoned yogis.

And now I would like to share yoga with you. Please come join me in one of my classes. I would love to have you.

 Education and Certification

1991Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
California Coast University

 

1994Masters of Business Administration
California Coast University

 

1997Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher
Himalayan Institute, Honesdale, PA

 

1999Stress Management Theory and Practice
Integral Yoga, Yogaville, VA

 

2003Basic Certified Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner
Lotus Palm School, Montreal Canada

 

2009Intermediate Certification in Thai Yoga Massage
Lotus Palm School, Montreal Canada

 

2011Intermediate Thai Massage Certification
Thai Institute of Healing Arts, Arlington, VA

 

2012Peak Pilates Basic Mat Certification
Peak Pilates, Washington DC

 

Registered Experienced Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) through the Yoga
Alliance at the 200-hour level. (www.yogaalliance.org)

 

Associations (Past and Present):

International Association of Yoga Therapists

Himalayan Institute Teacher’s Association

Mid Atlantic Yoga Association
  Board member for 5 years
    Secretary 1998 – 2000
    President 2001 – 2003

Press:

 http://hyattsvillelife.com/my-two-cents-yoga-space-ten-years-of-business-in-hyattsville/

 

 

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