Weekend Retreat: The Full Scope of Yoga

Spend a weekend exploring asana, meditation, and pranayama with Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee. Yoga has long been recognized as a spiritual and physical journey to experience life directly and be at peace. To further your journey, spend this weekend exploring asana, meditation, and pranayama with two of the nation’s most respected yoga teachers: Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee. We start with practices designed to slowly open the body, and then turn up the heat with asana. Finally, we cool down with restorative poses, pranayama, and meditation, leaving the body stretched, happy, and relaxed. Through our practice, we also enhance our natural physical rhythms while learning how to listen to our body. We explore practices to release tension and restlessness so we can be present in our life with vigor and a sense of calm. (Note that Omega will not be providing yoga mats so you must bring one with you.)

200Hr Yoga Teacher Training (Fall 2023)

Experience a FREE info session to get a taste of our 200Hr Yoga Teacher Training with Colleen and Rodney on Tuesday, August 29th at 7:30pm EST. Join us in person at the studio or via Zoom!

This program is currently OPEN for enrollment. The application process is as follows: Step 1) Register on our Union page and pay tuition. Please select to “Register for Zoom Session” even if you intend to participate in some (or all) of the sessions in person. Step 2) Complete this application form. Step 3) Once your tuition has been paid and your application form has been reviewed we will confirm official acceptance within 48 hours. Please contact us with any questions.

Yoga Shanti’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training is an opportunity to open a doorway into self-awareness of body, mind, and spirit! This hybrid training includes 3.5 months of direct study with Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee, with the option to participate entirely online, in-person, or a combination of both! This carefully curated program is designed to immerse you in the study of yoga, enriching and strengthening your personal practice, and preparing you to teach a set of safe Shanti-style sequences. The curriculum will include cultivating a daily home practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation with a focus on alignment, flow, and inquiry of the subtle. You will develop teaching skills including sequencing, seeing and understanding bodies, and manual adjusting. Your study will also include anatomy and philosophy. Plenty of individual attention and mentorship will be available for each student. This training has the potential to transform your life, and we hope that you will join us on this ever-unfolding journey.

Read Graduate Testimonials Frequently Asked Questions

Program Structure

The training comprises nine long-weekend immersions roughly every 2 weekends (see exact dates below). The group also meets for compulsory one-hour mentorship meetings on Tuesdays. Students are required to attend all sessions live for a minimum of 80% real-time participation. The entire program will also be recorded and available for on-demand replay so that students can bring themselves up to speed if there is an occasional scheduling conflict. These replays are also an invaluable resource for students during the entire program, allowing for the review of content during home study.

8 Weekend Sessions Over 3.5 Months:

September 29-October 1
October 20-22
November 3-5
November 17-19
December 1-3
December 15-17
January 5-7
January 19-21

Fridays: 6:00-8:00pm (EST)
Saturdays: 9:30am-5:00pm (EST)
Sundays: 9:30am-4:30pm (EST)

Weekly 1-hour Mentorship Calls:
Tuesdays at 7:00pm (EST). These occur weekly throughout the duration of the training program.

Additional Required Classes:
Students are also required to take at least one additional public Yoga Shanti class each week. This can be taken live or on-demand at any time within the same week. In addition, students must also take 5 Beginner Classes and complete 3 class observations during the program.

Reading List

Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Yoga for Life by Colleen Saidman
When Love Comes to Light by Richard Freeman
The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama by Richard Rosen
The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind by Richard Freeman
Also required: Subscription to Gaia Yoga Foundations for the duration of training.

Suggested Props for Home Practice

A Yoga Mat
2 Yoga Bricks (foam or cork)
3 Blankets
1 Yoga belt or strap
1 Sandbag (fill with 5 lb fish tank pebbles)

Technical Requirements

A reliable internet connection and computer/smart-phone with camera.
A location in your home that you can set up as a yoga practice space.
A setup so that instructors can review your practice virtually. Your space should be well lit so that you are clearly visible on screen. It is important that instructors are able to see your full practice space.
The WhatsApp mobile application
The Zoom application

Tuition

Tuition for this program is $3160 (for online, in-person or hybrid participation) and includes unlimited online yoga and a 17 in-person class pass to use during the course of the program. Several monthly payment plans are available during the registration process. Graduates of previous Yoga Shanti Teacher Trainings can participate in this training at a reduced tuition of $1960. Please email your graduation certificate to training@yogashanti.com to access this discount code.

Payment Plan Options

Various payment plans are available for a $45 admin fee and are outlined below. The initial installment is payable when you register and the follow-up payments occur automatically on the same day monthly thereafter. Note: Because tuition must be paid in full by the end of the program the longer-term plans become unavailable as the program start date draws nearer.

3 monthly installments of $1068
4 monthly installments of $801
5 monthly installments of $641
6 monthly installments of $534
3 monthly installments of $668 (previous grads only)
5 monthly installments of $401 (previous grads only)
Previous graduates should email training@yogashanti.com for a discount code.

Diversity Scholarship

Yoga Shanti is dedicated to making yoga accessible to as many people as possible and to increasing diversity in the yoga community. As part of our commitment to this endeavor, we have established The Yoga Shanti Diversity Scholarship to encourage and assist people from under-represented groups to join our training program. The scholarship application deadline for this training is midnight on August 31st, 2023.

Enrollment Process

The application process is as follows: Step 1) Register on our Union page and pay tuition. Please select to “Register for Zoom Session” even if you intend to participate in some (or all) of the sessions in person. Step 2) Complete this application form. Step 3) Once your tuition has been paid and your application form has been reviewed we will confirm official acceptance within 48 hours. Please contact us with any questions.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Students may withdraw from the training up until end-of-day on August 20th, 2023 for any reason for a refund of any tuition paid, less a completely non-refundable $300 administrative deposit. After August 20th, 2023 no refunds will be given. If the student must withdraw from the program after August 20th, 2023 then a potential arrangement to use the funds towards another training (in the event we schedule another) within one year from the student’s original application date might be made, but this must be decided upon and agreed in writing before dropping out of the program. Students on payment plans who withdraw are required to complete their tuition payments on the original schedule in order to be eligible to participate in another training within one year. In the event that we do not schedule another training, the entire sum will be non refundable. In the event that a student is refused continuation of the program at any time for any reason, there will be no refunds made and the student will be charged any remaining tuition balance.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Inversion Modifications

Sometimes practicing inversions is not going to happen for a myriad of reasons. We believe that these are important poses and should not be skipped. But, how can you teach them safely in a public class? Also, many will just never feel safe being upside down with the weight on their arms. We will show modifications and alternative poses that will give you the essential effects of each basic inversion. There is an internal journey that these inversions and their replacements will open the door to. Never be left out again in a class that includes inversions!

Submitting any questions relating the topic above by midnight on Saturday, June 25th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Janu Sirsasana

Iyengar says that if you understand Janu Sirsasana (one-legged seated forward bend) that you will understand the essence of all of the forward bends. What are the elements that make up this important pose? Where does it belong in sequences? We will break it down and make you fall even more in love with this crescent shaped, asymmetrical closed twist and forward bend. Come and open up the treasure chest of Janu Sirsasana.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, April 30th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Jalandhara Bandha

What is Jalandhara Bandha?
What is the architecture?
What is the action?
How do we prepare for it?
Why bother?

These are some of the questions that will guide our inquiry into Jalandhara Banha. Join us for this upcoming Gold session where together we illuminate and experience the power and subtlety of the valve at the base of the throat.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, March 19th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Peak Pose Sequencing (An Exploration for Teachers and Students)

1. How and why do you pick a peak pose?

2. What are you trying to learn from the peak pose?

3. What alignment points will set you up for accessibility to the peak pose and why?

4. What are the basic elements of the pose and which of those elements cause difficulty or lack of understanding?

5. What other poses are similar in shape and in action?

These are some of the questions that will guide our inquiry into “peak pose sequencing”. Join us as we play with different ways to break the yoga sequencing code by playing with the pieces of the asana puzzle. We will be architect, builder, interior designer, and occupant.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, February 19th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: What is Pranayama, the Fourth Limb of Ashtanga Yoga (the Eight-Limbed Path)?

Can pranayama be translated as breath control? What is the relationship between pranayama and Sutra 1.2, “Yogash Chitta Vritti Nirodaha,” which translates to “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”? Why is breath considered to be the bridge between the body and the mind and how do we work with it in asana practice? Should different pranayama practices be done at different times of the day or different times of our lives? How long and how often should one practice pranayama? These are some of the questions that will fuel our inquiry into Pranayama. We will do a practice that includes a few different types of breathwork and we will take the time to notice the effects of each one. You may think of it as a “breath sampler”. Join us for this experience and inquiry into one of the vital yoga practices. Your questions are encouraged.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, January 15th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Ganesh, Bhujapidansana, Mayurasana, and Kapalabati Breath

Ganesh: The Remover of Obstacles. Bhujapidansana and mayurasana will serve as our asana obstacles in this session. We will use them as a way to understand how our perspective and attitude about these arm balances can get in the way of our play and experimentation. Finding our path back to an open mind and our natural curiosity is our class topic for this Shanti Gold session. Kapalabati will be our breath focus to help clear the Nadis, providing an easy breath in the midst of challenge.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions by midnight on August 13th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

Advanced Practice Workshop

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Marichyasana 2, Viloma 2 and the Weaving of Opposites

The western chair has created physical, psychological and emotional blockages. Instead of squatting and sitting in cross-legged position, like for most of the history and evolution of the human body, we sit slouching in our good-intentioned, well-designed chairs. Separated from the ground with our legs dangling and our spines collapsing, the feelings of isolation and separation are inevitable. Working with Marichyasana 2 helps us to regain some of our innate connectivity. Join us for the investigation.

You will be led through an asana practice with a sequence leading you to the understanding of Marichyasana 2 (half squat, half lotus, forward bend and a bind). We will explore the energetics of Apana and Prana in both asana and pranayama. Viloma 2 (three part exhalation) will be taught as the perfect partner to this pose. Colleen and Rodney will discuss the weaving of opposites and answer questions. Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions by midnight on July 16th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.