200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Testimonials
On January 16th, 2009, I began my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) with Tony Riposo’s Infinite Light Yoga School. This journey has changed my life.
I had taken yoga classes and workshops with Tony for years, so I knew I could expect a thorough and experiential experience, but I had no idea how amazing, and how life changing the training would be. Tony assured us on our first night, that it’s almost impossible to practice yoga and not change and he cautioned us to expect some life altering events. I was excited and ready for change, but I now know that I could not have done it without the lifetime of experience that Tony has or the amazing amount of support that he provided.
I realize that schools that are registered with Yoga Alliance must meet their criteria, but Tony went beyond that criteria, giving us a truly well rounded and full understanding of yoga and all of its aspects – history, philosophy, anatomy, physiology – just to name a few. He taught in a way that kept us interested and engaged and he gave us an abundant amount of opportunity to practice teach, assuring that each of us will be ready when we step on our mats as teachers. Tony made himself available to us at every turn. We received emails detailing our classes and homework, the option to practice teach one on one with Tony and we had an open invitation to express any difficulties we may experience, or to share what was happening in our bodies, minds and spirits are we progressed. I wrote Tony often, to share what was happening in my meditation and he was always there to assist me – often with a phone call. I am encouraged by Tony’s love and enthusiasm for yoga, meditation, and pranayama, even after 20 years of practice and teaching. I have never had a teacher so vested in my learning, so earnest about the value of each class, so available to his students and so determined to share as much as possible.
An unexpected joy in the training for me was the bond I formed with my fellow yoga students. Walking in the studio, and feeling the warmth and delight in the room filled me with a sense of belonging that has stayed with me. I feel that I found my sisters and brothers in this training – and Tony fostered that feeling with his unwavering attentiveness.
I have changed in leaps and bounds, but always with the support and understanding of one who knows – an exceptional man, teacher, yogi and friend. I never dreamed my experience in yoga teacher training would be this fulfilling, and I could not have asked for more.
I am thankful that when my time came to pursue my dream, it was also the time that Tony pursued one of his, when he opened his school. I am honored that I was one of the students in Tony’s first class and I am anxious to share the Infinite Light that now shines within me.
Becky Young, YTT
I never could have imagined what I was missing in myself and the people in my life until I began learning yoga philosophy, yoga postures and meditation from Tony. Taking YTT with Tony has opened so many doors in me that have been closed for much if not all of my life. I have exercised since I was a teenager, taught group fitness classes and done one-on-one training but now I am learning and growing and really seeing things for the first time with this yoga training. I had always heard yoga teachers suggest, “go inward”. Now I get what that means.
Tony lives what he teaches and you would be hard pressed to find a more passionate, natural teacher of yoga. His spirit is truly energizing. Sharing this journey with other prospective teachers of all levels and backgrounds has been equally exciting. It is and has been a life changing experience that I cannot wait to share with others.
Erin, YTT
My Teacher, My Friend
Just as a parent cares for their young,
Our teacher cares for us and more - we are his children
The young need to be nurtured and guided,
While the older need to be re-directed ,
And Tony knows the guidance needed for each
The journey has its twists and turns,
Yet Master Tony leads us thru those winding trails,
His smile is contagious,
His heart is genuine,
His encouragement is relentless
So let there be no doubt,
That without his compassion,
The light would be so distant for me
He is unique in so many ways,
But one thing is for sure,
No one says it better than Tony
For he is so gifted and passionate about his work
Yet above all, his heart is a pure as a spring flower in bloom,
And that transcends into each of us
It is only because of Tony,
I am a better Yogi.
Jeff, YTT
Tony Riposo comes to the role of our teacher with a vast amount of knowledge, experience, and a passion for yoga; its philosophy and way of life. He is eager, enthusiastic, and dedicated wholeheartedly to this program and his students. Offered in weekend blocks, with two weeks between sessions, we are given the time to practice, experience, and absorb yoga into our lives; something I feel would be more challenging and less effective in the month long programs I looked into before making a commitment to this program. No matter where you are in your yoga practice, whether you hope to delve more deeply into your own practice, learn more about yoga in general, or have hopes and plans to teach yoga to others, if you are considering this yoga teacher training program, take that next step, sign up. Then get ready for an incredible experience. You will not be disappointed.
Charlene, YTT
We learn something new from you with each and every word you share with
us. Like children leaving the safety of home, we act independent to make
you proud, but we feel safe knowing that we can always turn to you for
your insights, experience, and guidance. I know you have spent an endless amount time and effort to make this YTT work out so well, but because you are such an excellent teacher of yoga, you make it seem effortless, magical; it's like you sprinkled magic yoga dust on us and it happened - we are teaching yoga to others.
The experience you provided can not be described in words. Words would
be connected to other words, and fall short of explaining how you are
changing our world, one Infinite Light Yoga teacher at a time:) Words also can not convey how grateful I am to have found my way into your first class of YTT'ers.
YTT Student
I am filled with sadness because I will graduate from this program in four days. Although I am excited to be going out into the world to share my love and knowledge of yoga, I wish that I could continue attending my YTT weekends forever. When I walk into our studio/classroom and see my YTT family, it always feels like a homecoming. We are in an atmosphere with like-minded people, all excited and energized and open to learning, experiencing, sharing, giving and helping one another. Our training itself has become, for me, and I believe for every one of my classmates, a haven, a heaven, a wonderful “yoga bubble” of peace.
Tony has provided an incredible opportunity to learn about yoga history and philosophy as well as practical information about the practice and teaching of yoga. I am leaving this program knowing more than I anticipated—I learned not only how to teach meditation and yoga postures, but how to assist students, how the anatomy of the body works in the poses, and what might be happening in the mind during the pose. As Tony says, I have a tool bag full of yoga tools. From the required and optional texts, the extensive manual, and the lectures, e-mails and practice teaching opportunities, the entire program was thorough and offered from a place of love and passion for the practice. Tony opened up his heart and shared his 20 years of knowledge and practice and teaching experience with us, and he gave us every opportunity to experience yoga as students and teachers, to ask questions and practice teach.
I am proud to have been the first student to sign up for the Infinite Light Yoga Teacher Training, and I am confident of my knowledge, skills and abilities as I go out into the world to share and teach and guide others in this life-enhancing practice.
Dena DeFrees Beratta
"Infinite Light Yoga YTT came into my life just when I needed it the most. I was doing yoga previous to this training but it was just "fitness" yoga. There was no union between mind, body and spirit. I was always anxious, worrying and stressed which I believe attributed to health problems I experienced. Tony told us that you cannot hide from yourself in his training and classes, which I learned was very true. All of the mental, physical and spiritual issues that I had began to surface. Fortunately being in YTT I gained the tools needed to deal with these issues. It was scary having all of your "stuff" rise to the surface. I was in a safe and caring place in YTT so I let go of my fear and let the changes happen.
I am forever a changed person because of YTT. Not only did I find the tools I needed to be a good yoga teacher but I found something much more important: I found myself; a more balanced, peaceful, happy and healthy self. My journey on an enlightened path has just begun and I am so excited to see where it will take me personally and professional.
T Needle
Infinite Light Yoga YTT class 2010
Infinite Light Yoga teacher training was an amazing and transformational experience. Run under the guidance of Tony Riposo, who is quite simply an amazing teacher. Tony is more than willing to take the time out of his busy schedule to give extra help with practice teaching, helping with homework, or just lending an ear when needed. He has also remained a constant support to those who have graduated from the program earlier.
Going to his classes outside of the program was beneficial for me to see how he incorporated what we were learning in the classroom to an actual class. Having multiple teachers working together and being able to attend their classes helped me see how they were able to take what they learned in the program and still show up in the class with their own uniqueness’s. Seeing how they each grew since graduating the program and having them come in and facilitate with our practice teaching was helpful and they were able to give us great feedback from a teacher and former student prospective.
This training went beyond the 200-hour requirement and really took us deeper into the whole experience and level of our own personal practice as well. We will each be able to go out, teach a class, and feel fully prepared. Practice teaching every weekend was helpful to receive the wonderful feedback from others in a safe and secure environment.
As this experience ends I will miss our weekends together, but I look forward to the long journey ahead.
Cindy Yaple
Infinite Light Yoga YTT class 2010
I hadn’t met Tony or even been to an ILY class when I decided I wanted to teach yoga. My husband listened to me flip back and forth on whether I wanted to teach yoga or not and finally came to me and said, "Look! There's this guy in Syracuse that has a yoga teacher training. It's closer to home than the places you've been looking at and I think you should check him out." So I called Tony to ask about YTT 2010. He was so nice on the phone I couldn't wait to get to the class because I just had this feeling everything was falling into place. The second the Thursday night class was over, I knew Tony had something special to offer. His class was unlike any I had ever taken and with no hesitation I gave him my application.
For me, ILY's YTT was a life-changing experience. It was more than I could have asked for. Not only did I learn to teach yoga poses or how to put a class together, I learned about myself, my husband, and life. Tony warned us at the beginning of training we were going to change, and change I did. There were moments I was completely exhausted of learning and changing but the layers continually peeled away and I found myself. Layers of hurt and anger I pushed aside for years and years. It's crazy looking back at who I was in January and looking at myself now and realizing the differences. I'm still the same old me, only slower to anger, quicker to listen, more calm, and more loving of myself. Yoga is so much more than poses; yoga truly is about the union of body and mind. Something I never in my life experienced until now. And what a blessing to have someone like Tony guiding me along the way. Tony was there to answer questions or give insights on getting through whatever "issues in the tissues" came up. He was also willing to share his life experiences and his years of experience as a yoga teacher. I don't think I would have gotten that kind of support in any other training.
Graduation is in a week, and I know I will miss my YTT weekends. I have shared so much with my fellow class mates, who have become like family. I will miss the laughs, the cries and all the stories. The bonds I’ve made will forever shine. I am also confident with the tools I’ve acquired in this training to go out and share my love of yoga with others and I hope to inspire the change that is bound to come from being within oneself as a result of yoga.
Lorena Narruhn
Infinite Light Yoga YTT class 2010
My journey with Infinite Light Yoga began with a desire to change my life. Despite being in my 20’s my health was declining and stress was buried deep in my body. A week after being released from the hospital I called Tony Riposo and asked if he would accept me into the Infinite Light Yoga Teacher Training program. After speaking with Tony I knew I was on the brink of something big but had no idea the life altering transformation that lay ahead.
As our training began we were like kids on the first day of school. I can barely remember what it was like to view these fellow students as strangers because that changed within the first weekend. From our first practice teaching to our final presentations, the support offered was nothing short of beautiful. These friends saw me from a student faking confidence to a truly confident teacher. Not only did they support my progression in yoga but also in life. Many of us found that we could no longer live our lives surrounded by chaos when we had found serenity on the mat. Through changing careers, homes or situations we offered each other gentle support. It was an environment that not only allowed you to let your guard down but encouraged it.
The changes taking place in the realm of yoga can cross over into your everyday life, if you choose to let them. In our yogi Tony I found the perfect ally to guide me through these changes. I began this program with the short-sided goal of becoming physically healthy without realizing that I needed clarity within my mind first. Without mental stillness any physical health would have been superficial. Tony’s dedication to his own meditation practice and to living a simpler life was inspirational. His honesty and support were vital in bringing my awareness to new levels. Rather than living at odds with myself, my conscious and subconscious mind became focused on finding peace in all areas of my life. I was amazed at the changes. I found that I needed less noise, my diet improved and stress was no longer depleting me. I made major strides in finding all-around health through regular e-mails with Tony. The physical manifestations of issues I had been carrying around were addressed and released through his guidance. I know that I continue to reap the benefits of Tony’s years of experience in finding peace.
When I first contacted Tony regarding this training I told him that I knew what I wanted in life but had no idea how to get there. It is lucky for his students that Tony knows the way. If you are able to get beyond your ego and insecurities you can learn a lot about yourself and the changes that you need to make. Tony would often tell us that when the student was ready the teacher would appear. If you are ready, you can change your life. If you are not ready, you can still attend this fabulous training and become a confident and capable yoga instructor. You decide what you get out of the experience but either way you will benefit.
My husband and I both agree that this was the best money I have ever spent. I smile when I think of the transformation from the person I was in January to the YTT graduate that I am today. Once you know a better way to live you cannot feel satisfied with the old way. I am thankful to Tony for showing me the way and to my fellow 2010 students for sharing in the experience.
Kristin Helmer
Infinite Light Yoga YTT class 2010
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