Sattarka School of Yoga
Where curiosity, love, devotion, rigorous logic and sound inference drive the quest for Truth and progress on the path to peace with high quality training programs for yoga students and teachers at all stages on their journey.
“Among all the lights of yoga, sattarka has been determined to be the blazing sun by which one is liberated and liberates others.”
~Mālinīvijayottaratantra
What is Sattarka?
The word tarka means logic or reasoning. However, logic alone can be both valid and inaccurate. It can put us in a place of certainty that causes rigidity and resistance to possibility.
What differentiates tarka from sattarka is how love, devotion, curiosity, and an eye for wonder guide us in a quest for clarity and efficacy along the path to peace.
Level 2 Yoga Teacher Training
Similar to a 300-hour training /RYT-500 certification with Yoga Alliance, our Level 2 Yoga Teacher Training is accredited with American Yoga Council. After completion of this program you are eligible to register with American Yoga Council as being qualified to guide individuals and groups to develop and refine their own personal yoga and meditation practice and to be lead faculty for Level 1 (similar to 200-hour certification) and Practitioner trainings.
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Training Details
In-Person Meeting Schedule
Saturday 9/19/26
12:15-6:45 pm
Sunday 9/20/26
11 am-4:30 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Introductions and Program Overview
Practicum Class 1 & 2
Wisdom Traditions of India and The Four Pillars of Yoga Philosophy
Nītiśāstra: Understanding the Ethical Code of Yoga Philosophy, Study, and Teaching
Saturday 11/14/26
11:30 am-7 pm
Sunday 11/15/26
1-7 pm each day
Practicum Class 3
Comparative Anatomy with Machelle Lee
at Roots & River Yoga in Brunswick, MD
Saturday 11/21/26
12:15-4:15 pm
Sunday 11/22/26
11am-3:30 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 4
The Vayu
Anatomy of the Respiratory System
Rowing a Boat in the Sea: Prana and Pranayama
Sunday 12/13/26
12:15-4:15 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 5
Moving From Within: Somatic Principles and Practices to Support Yoga Practice and Teaching
Saturday 1/23/27
12:15-4:45 pm
Sunday 1/24/27
11 am-3:30 pm
Practicum Class 6 & 7
Reverse Engineering Postures
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Saturday 2/20/27
12:15-5:45 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 8
Vinyasa Krama and Hemicycle Sequencing
Friday 3/19/27
1-6 pm
Saturday 3/20/27
1-6 pm
Sunday 3/21/27
11 am-6 pm
Yoga Biomechanics with Jules Mitchell
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Saturday 4/3/27
12:15-6:45 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Saturday 4/17/27
12:15-6:45 pm
Sunday 4/18/27
11 am-4:30 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Classes 9 & 10
Yoga Poetry
Practicum Class 11 & 12
Sanskrit for Yoga Teachers
Bringing Philosophy into your Asana Classes
Saturday 5/1/27
12:15-6:45 pm
Sunday 5/2/27
11 am-4:30 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 13 & 14
Vishrāma Upādhyāya: Advanced Restorative Yoga Techniques (part 1)
Saturday 5/22/27
12:15-6:45 pm
Sunday 5/23/27
11 am-4:30 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 15 & 16
Vishrāma Upādhyāya: Advanced Restorative Yoga Techniques (part 2)
Saturday 6/12/27
12:15-6:45 pm
Sunday 6/13/27
11 am-4:30 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 17 & 18
Vishrāma Upādhyāya: Advanced Restorative Yoga Techniques (part 3)
Saturday 6/19/27
12:15-6:45 pm
at Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD
Practicum Class 19 & 20
Program Wrap-up
Graduation Ceremony
Online Live-Streaming Schedule
Exact dates and times of these modules are TBD. Real time attendance is optional. Deadlines for completing the material will be communicated at the first in-person meeting of the training.
October 2026
January 2027
February 2027
March 2027
April 2027
May 2027
You and the History of Yoga
Introduction to Reverse Engineering Postures
Introduction to Vinyasa Krama and Hemicycle Sequencing
Introduction to Yoga Poetry
Stories of Restorative Yoga Poses - Class 2
Stories of Restorative Yoga Poses - Class 3
Yoga Book Clubs
Book Clubs meet online Wednesdays 7:30-8:30 pm. Live-stream attendance is required unless arranged otherwise in advance. Books we read are subject to change based on experience of training participants. Contact Tara to discuss your unique circumstance if you cannot attend the following dates.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
translated by Brian Dana Akers
9/23/26
9/30/26
10/7/26
10/14/26
10/21/26
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
translated by Alistair Shearer
10/28/26
11/4/26
11/11/26
11/18/26
11/25/26
Bhagavad Gita
translated by Stephen Mitchell
1/6/27
1/13/27
1/20/27
1/27/27
2/3/27
The Radiance Sutras
by Lorin Roche
and
Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra
by Hareesh Christopher Wallis
2/17/27
2/24/27
3/3/27
3/10/27
7 Secrets of the Goddess
by Devdutt Pattanaik
3/24/27
3/31/27
4/7/27
4/14/27
4/28/27
5/5/27
5/12/27
5/19/27
Other Requirements
Trainees are required to take and document their participation in at least 30 classes before graduation with Tara Lemerise (or other approved teacher) in-person, via live-streamed or recording.
Training Competencies
Practice Skills
Practice all asana, pranayama and meditation techniques on the syllabus with with purposeful body alignment and effective use of energy and effort. (Assessed by teacher observation.)
Teaching Skills
Assess your peers' yoga classes by providing feedback on the efficacy of incorporating their philosophical theme, use of cues/language, and sequence of postures/techniques taught. (Assessed by written submission)
Plan a 60-minute class organized around yoga philosophy theme that includes a 5-minute dharma talk, appropriate somatic drills and movement exercises as warm up for a pinnacle pose or asana sequence, as well as counter pose cool downs and a period of integration. (Assessed by written submission.)
Teach a 60-minute class organized around yoga philosophy theme based on your class plan using direct language cues that align with the yoga philosophical theme and communicate the action, energy, and intention of each posture, pranayama, and meditation technique in the class. (Assessed by graded skills demonstration.)
Apply the skills of prop set up in Restorative Yoga poses to support the downregulation of the nervous system based on your observation and feedback from your students. (Assessed by case study.)
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics
Describe the impact of yoga practices on the nervous system by accurately identifying the interaction of the nerves with the body's systems. (Assessed by written exam.)
Explain how human variation impacts asana practice by describing how an individual's unique skeleton and soft tissues impact the body's alignment in asana practice and offer appropriate variations and props to make each pose more accessible. (Assessed by case study.)
Identify the biomechanical components of the postures on the syllabus by describing the required actions of the joints and muscles. (Assessed by written exam.)
Apply somatic lessons and movement drills to the yoga postures on the syllabus to prepare the body to perform asana more effectively and easefully. (Assessed by solo project/presentation.)
Yoga Humanities: History/Philosophy/Subtle Body Theory
Describe the history and significance of the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, and the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra including main ideas, historical context, and application to modern yoga practices. (Assessed by written exam.)
Present ideas from the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, and other yoga source texts by incorporating these themes into yoga classes in dharma talks, cue/language, and sequences of yoga techniques. (Assessed by solo project/presentation.)
Apply Sanskrit accurately and accessibly with appropriate use of words/concepts, names of postures, pranayama, mantra, and meditation techniques. (Assessed by oral exam.)
Ethics & Business
Apply the ethical code of yoga to your role as a yoga teacher by identifying circumstances and situations where correct conduct is determined by the Yama as described in the Yoga Sutras, Yajnavalkya Smriti, the Śāṇḍilya and Vārāha Upanishads, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. (Assessed by written submission.)
Tuition
Upon acceptance to the program, a non-refundable $500 deposit is required to secure a space in the training.
Payment in full is due September 1, 2026 (unless a payment program has arranged in advance.)
$3,809 + $500 deposit
Excludes cost of books and fees for attending weekly classes
*Save $300 when you pay with cash or Venmo*
$3,509 + $500 deposit
Excludes cost of books and fees for attending weekly classes
Enroll with your deposit paid by August 1 and your books are included in the tuition price.
Perks
All trainees are eligible for:
-
50% discount on a TaraLemeriseYoga.com membership for the duration of the program
-
20% off series classes for the duration of the program
-
20% off shared accommodations in a room for 4 on Tara's Restorative Yoga weekend retreats in October 2026 and/or January 2027
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Teacher feature post on social media plus a permanent listing in the Sattarka School of Yoga Teacher Directory online after graduation
Payment Policies
If an applicant chooses to withdraw from the program after acceptance, but before the program starts, any payment made minus the deposit can be applied to a membership with Tara Lemerise Yoga (online studio only.) Membership start date must be within 6 months of payment date.
Sattarka School of Yoga reserves the right to cancel any training/program before it begins. In this unlikely case, all payments applicants have made (including deposits) will be refunded in full.
No refunds or credits will be provided after a training starts. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis for unexpected circumstance that make it impractical for the trainee to complete the program. (E.g. Illness, accident, death in the family, etc.)
I'm ready to apply!
Enter your email address to receive the link to the training application.
More About Us
Sattarka School of Yoga is dedicated to honoring the wisdom you have already accumulated and discovered in your practice as a student and teacher of yoga. We simultaneously maintain a commitment to the process of examining any limited patterns of thoughts and beliefs that keep us entrenched in our small self. Our studious approach to learning and practicing the art and science of yoga welcomes and values all approaches and lineages, enthusiastically celebrating whatever works, in support of all beings on the embodied path to peace.
Guiding Principles
The Philosophical Foundation:
The human experience is an ongoing play of co-creative interactions (leela) that provide infinite opportunities to witness the Truth of our essence (satchitananda). We are called to live and act in accordance with this Truth (dharma).
Yoga is:
The optimal state of compassionate (karuna) and conscious embodiment that honors basic essential goodness as Truth. This state occurs when the interdependent relationship between seemingly discordant things is made clear and discipline (abhyasa) is only ever in service of freedom (moksha.)
The Practices:
The method for creating the conditions of yoga are storytelling, posture practice, breath awareness and techniques, and meditation.