200-Hour Teacher Training Schedule
2021-2022 Hybrid 200 hour Schedule
September 15, 2021 - April 24, 2022
The program meets twice weekly, plus 3 Weekend Intensives. The training is primarily taught in-person, with some live virtual sessions as noted below on select Wednesdays. Trainees are also required to teach 3 Community Classes at Bloom as described below.
Weekly Schedule
Wednesdays 6 - 9pm (Mostly Virtual, 1/month In-Person)
Sundays 2 - 5pm (In-Person)
Weekend Intensives (In-Person)
Fridays 6 - 9pm, Saturdays & Sundays from 11am - 5pm
September 17 - 19
March 18 - 20
April 22 - 24
Community Class Teaching (In-Person)
Trainees will also teach 3 Community Yoga Classes on select Saturdays from 1:45 - 3pm or 4 - 5:15 pm.
Teaching dates to be scheduled by trainee.
Class Breaks
There will be no class on the following dates:
November 24 & 28
December 19 - January 4
April 10, 13, 17
About the Hybrid Program
Yoga is all about meeting the moment, and after almost 10 years of running teacher trainings we took a great leap into virtual learning in 2020. It was a huge success! Along the way, we learned there is a great deal to be gained from virtual instruction, and we also feel strongly that whenever possible, it's integral for teachers-in-training to have a substantial amount of in-person learning both to build community with their colleagues and also to have the trainer's expert eye on them for particular technique- and skill-oriented modules. We have therefore chosen a Hybrid model that retains all the best things about both virtual and in-person instruction.
Attendance Policies
Trainees are expected to attend all scheduled training sessions as detailed above. Trainees may miss one session without requiring a make-up, and will still be eligible to receive a certification. Any additional sessions missed must be made up hour-for-hour by watching the session recording and submitting a written response. The trainee may also schedule a private make-up session to receive a condensed version of missed content at a rate of $100/hour. Should the trainee miss more than 4 scheduled sessions, he/she may not be eligible to receive a certificate. Additional required participation outside the times listed above (for group work and observation of yoga classes) will be scheduled at the trainee's convenience.
"Bloom's 200 Hour Teacher Training program had a profound impact on my conception and practice of yoga - as well as on me personally. Our Trainers were immensely knowledgeable and exceptional teachers, sharing their curiosity and passion with their students. My experience in the program was an empowering one, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to transform their personal practice or their general knowledge of yoga, as a means to embark on a path of sharing yoga with others."
—Teacher Training Graduate
200-Hour Teacher Trainers
Sharon Wentz, Lead Trainer
E-RYT 500
Sharon discovered her love of yoga from her parents’ basement in the apple orchards of Washington as a teen. A competitive tennis player at the time, she was drawn to its challenging yet tranquil nature, and has had a regular practice ever since. In addition to her love of yoga and meditation, Sharon’s studies in neuropsychology, medical anthropology and anatomy, inspire her to teach from a holistic lens. Sharon graduated from Chicago’s Eight Limbs Yoga Center in 2004 (200 hrs), and The Temple of Kriya Yoga in 2006 (500 hrs). She has been teaching yoga at Bloom since 2005, and co-created Bloom’s Yoga Teacher Training with Kerry Maiorca in 2010. A Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga Teacher, Sharon’s style gathers intelligence from many schools of yoga and is non-dogmatic, accessible, and delightfully challenging.
Jessie Novak, Lead Trainer, Anatomy & Physiology Instructor
E-RYT 200, RPYT
Jessie Novak received her teaching certification from Bloom Yoga Studio in 2013 and 2014 respectively after performing, teaching dance and Pilates, choreographing, and practicing yoga in Chicago since 2002. While rehabilitating several common and not-so-common dancers' injuries, Jessie discovered the benefits of integrating yoga and Pilates into an overall strength and conditioning program. After retiring from the professional dance world, she obtained Pilates certification in 2009 from the Pilates Method Alliance. She loves observing the human body in motion from an analytical and postural perspective. She continues to seek out teachers and opportunities to further her knowledge of anatomy, bio-mechanics, and healthy, functional movement for people of all ages. Whether working with groups or individuals, Jessie is a passionate, engaged teacher, applying a holistic and functional approach, while using creative imagery with a love for anatomy and physiology. She believes movement, music, and breath benefit every body, every age, in every stage.
Lucy Coloccia, Lead Trainer
E-RYT 200, RPYT
Originally hailing from the mountains of Colorado, Lucy began her yoga journey in 2004 when her best friend started using her as a guinea pig to practice for her yoga teacher-training program and she has been hooked ever since. Her consistent yoga practice over the years has helped transform her stress-filled lifestyle for the better which inspired her to become a teacher to share the gift of yoga with others.
As a yoga teacher, Lucy is inspired by many different styles of yoga and seeks to give her students the tools to create their own mind/body connection on the mat as well as in everyday life. Her classes are a restorative balance of alignment and flow imbued with heart, sweat, and breath. She received both her 200 hr and Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training certifications through Bloom Yoga Studio.
Kerry Maiorca, Lead Trainer
E-RYT 500, RPYT, Advanced Relax & Renew Trainer
Kerry founded Bloom back in 2004 to make yoga more welcoming and accessible to all. She co-created Bloom's 200hr Teacher Training program to help dedicated students explore the beauty of yoga beyond the poses so they could learn to share the practice they love. Kerry enjoys exploring the individual nature of yoga and encourages students to make the practice their own. Her down-to-earth teaching style emphasizes healthy alignment, gentle strengthening, mindfulness, and an exploration of conscious breath and movement. Whether teaching an active or gentle practice, Kerry prioritizes time for reflection, stillness, and rest. As a recovering past- and future-thinking junkie, she loves the way consistent yoga practice teaches us to live in the now so we may enjoy all of life's richness. Kerry has been teaching since 1998 and considers it an honor to mentor and support budding instructors in their own journeys towards teaching.
Francine Kelley, Yoga for Trauma Sensitivity module Instructor - LPC, SEP, and Yoga teacher
Francine was introduced to yoga as a pre-teen growing up in Jamaica (a most unusual occurrence in the early 1980s) and has been in love with yoga ever since. She was certified to teach yoga through the Temple of Kriya Yoga in 2004, and feels blessed to have studied with many wonderful teachers since then. In addition to teaching yoga, Francine also support clients and students in recovering from trauma and having a richer experience of life through the use of yoga, Somatic Experiencing® (body-centered psychotherapy), Reconnective Healing® and the Akashic Records. Francine’s classes encourage mindful, yet relaxed, self-awareness. It is her hope that while developing flexibility, strength and body awareness, students will also find the self-acceptance, peace and well-being that yoga can help us uncover. In addition to working with students and clients, Francine also enjoys reading, blogging, butterfly gardening and spending time with her most cherished spiritual teachers - her husband and two energetic children.
DuShaun Branch Pollard, Cultural Competency, Kids' Yoga, and Social Media Marketing Instructor - RYT 200, RCYT
DuShaun has been practicing for almost 13 years and fell in love with yoga because it allowed her to find peace of mind while moving her body. As a yoga student, DuShaun noticed that in the majority of her classes she was the only black and plus sized person in the room. This inspired her to become a practitioner to bring yoga to more people who looked like her.
DuShaun previously worked in higher education, and is currently a community organizer in North Lawndale, a community on the west side of Chicago. Because of her former and current work, DuShaun is focused on bringing yoga to historically marginalized communities, with a focus on black and brown youth, women, activists and organizers.. DuShaun is the Co-founder of a Black Brown and Breathing; an activation that happens monthly for Black and Brown women to come together, breathe, meditate and feel.
She believes people not only need rest and relaxation, but resistance; yoga is a powerful way to tap into the balance of ease and positive effort. DuShaun teaches through the lens of equity and trauma-informed, hosting classes in “non-traditional” settings all over the city. DuShaun is the founder of Sage Gawd Collective LLC, where she currently teaches classes via Zoom and also leads cultural competency workshops to Yoga students and studios.