Yoga Workshops

Yoga Events

Events are listed in chronological order below

*500hr YA denotes a module for our 500 hour teacher training. These events are open to all to attend. You do not need to be working towards a 500RYA certificate.

All events held at Asheville Yoga Center, 211 S. Liberty St., Asheville, NC 28801, unless otherwise noted. Call with any questions 828-254-0380

May 24, 2013 Begins
Live in Total Yoga!
230-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification Program
Meeting nine weekends, over 6 months
Asheville, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.

This program is our comprehensive training which runs over nine weekends, roughly one a month. The program generally spans about 7 full months. It is offered several times a year in a variety of South Eastern cities. This type of learning works best for those that likes to let it sink in, and with the ability to get away one weekend a month. You will have assignments to do during your breaks between weekends and time to integrate what you are learning.

Learn more and register here
June 1, 2013:
Down to Flow with Dana Flynn

10:00am - 12:30pm
All Levels Welcome
$40
Register and Pay

DTF: DOWN TO FLOW
Family, get ready to journey to an ecstatic level of Oneness, building the Lotus Flow with creative namaskars, fluid asanas, body mudras and creative arm balances.
The Super Sequencing is deep, fluid and intense, The music is powerful, vibrational and sacred. This is the Dance of your LIFE and a Doorway into where the Divine speaks.
See y’all on the Dance Floor!

LOTUS FLOW YOGA
Merging radically fluid asana and phat beats into a dynamic, devotional dance, Lotus Flow Yoga delivers a physical and spiritual high.

BIOGRAPHY
Recognized throughout the yoga community as a true “teacher’s teacher,” Dana Flynn brings an ecstatic expression of movement, music and community to her practice and her students, as the cofounder of Laughing Lotus Yoga Centers and Lotus Flow Yoga. The former stockbroker, restaurateur and MTV personality turned a life in the limelight into a spiritual transformation, studying with legendary yogis: Jivamukti’s Sharon Gannon in New York and master teacher Rodney Yee in California. Fiercely innovative and independent, Dana honors and knows well the ancient traditions and codified asana systems of the yogic practice. During her many years of study, she “wanted to explore what it meant to move like herself. That was my greatest longing.” Dana and Cofounder Jasmine Tarkeshi channeled over 6 years of organic movement experimentation into the creation of the Laughing Lotus Yoga Center and Lotus Flow Yoga. Lotus Flow Yoga, is infused with a dynamic Dervish-like energy of dance, song and joyous revelry. “It is fresh, inspired and alive.”

With studios located in Manhattan’s Flatiron District and in San Francisco’s Mission District, Laughing Lotus is now home to more than just a studio; it’s a diverse community of creative, spirited, and playful yogis; a school for teachers and where you’ll find Dana Flynn, the “Janis Joplin of Yoga.”

Dana has appeared in The New York Times, Yoga Journal and on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show.

Watch Dana Flynn Here!!!

Cancellation Fee: $15
June 7 - 9, 2013:
Yin Teacher Training with Shala Worsley
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$275

Friday 5:30-8:30pm
Saturday 9:00-12:00pm, 2:00-5:00pm
Sunday 8:00-12:00pm

Come unwind and dig deep into your connective tissue with incredible guided meditations by Shala. There will be three YIN classes, (Friday afternoon, Saturday afternoon, Sunday am) followed by lecture and student teaching.

More info here at the Yin Yoga Web page
June 8, 2013
The Poses of Ashtanga's Second Series with Lewis Rothlein

Saturday, June 8, 2013
Register and Pay $35
2:00-5:00pm

Familiarity with the Ashtanga Yoga System strongly recommended.
In this workshop we will go through every pose of Ashtanga’s Second Series in a fun, non-pressure environment. This series works the energetic areas of the body – hips, pelvis, and spine – and balances the nervous system, leaving you feeling wonderful. Modifications will be offered for every pose, and you will feel comfortable if you have practiced Ashtanga Yoga for six months or vinyasa yoga for a year. This will be a rare opportunity to experience this magnificent series in full.

Lewis Rothlein has taught Ashtanga Yoga for 18 years, having studied with his main teacher, David Swenson, as well as Manju Jois and David Williams. He is known for making Ashtanga accessible, safe, and easy to follow.

Cancellation Fee: $15
June 9, 2013
Shala's Seasonal Flow

All Levels Welcome
Sunday 1:00-3:30 pm
$35 Register and Pay

Each Season has its own personality, mood and energy which effects us on a very deep level. Come join me for reflection on how this seasonal change is resonating within ourselves and throughout our lives. Through our yoga practice, let’s synchronize our internal rhythms to match those of the Earth!

Seasonal Flow Yoga is a dynamic flow class for advanced beginners to intermediate practitioners who want to celebrate the change of seasons in their practice. The two-and-a-half-hour class will include asana, pranayama, and meditation practices and more.

Shala Worsley is a certified yoga instructor. She has been teaching Flow Yoga since 1998 and currently owns the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. She is one of Asheville’s most popular teachers, and currently teaches sold out classes at the Asheville Yoga Center.

Cancellation Fee $15
June 9 - 28, 2013
Total Yoga Immersion
Three week - 230 hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training Certification
Asheville, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.
More info and to register here
Begins June 11th, 2013
Alignment Based Yoga [Beginner]: Six Week Series with Joe Taft

All Levels Welcome
June 11 - July 16, 2013
Meets Tuesdays from 5:45 - 7:15pm
Register and Pay $75

We will start with a brief background of Hatha Yoga, begin learning the five Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara Yoga and work to understand how the practice of asanas (postures) can enhance your life and inform you to be happier and healthier. There will be plenty of time for Q&A during and after every class.

Joe Taft (RYT-500) is a Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. Joe interweaves into his classes Anusara’s life-affirming and heart-felt approach through myth, story-telling, tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered throughout his own life’s journey.

Cancellation Fee $20
June 14 - 16, 2013
Restorative Yoga with Stephanie Keach
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$290

Friday 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 - 11:30 am, 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Sunday 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

“When the body is fully supported, in a soothing and trusting environment, it will eagerly let go, releasing tensions and toxins. Restorative Yoga is also know as the yoga of Not-Doing. Come slow down and soothe away any disease with a series of postures using blankets, pillows and other props to restore balance, harmony, and happiness. Leave the weekend feeling refreshed and ten years lighter!”

Over 14 hours, with each session containing asana practice led by Stephanie Keach, lecture and student teaching.
* 3 part breath, ujjayi, and viloma pranayama will be practiced.
* physiology of stress and relaxation
* anatomy, including injuries, scar tissue and artificial parts
* how to sequence restorative postures
* how to integrate postures with breath work and guided imagery
* appropriate touching and adjustments
* all sessions include forward bending, backward bending, side bending (sequencing, breathing, props, adjusting).

More info and register at the Restorative Yoga Page
June 21 - 23, 2013
Beyond Basic Yoga Anatomy with David Keil
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$275 (Save $45 if you sign up by May 21, 2013)

Friday 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 - 11:00 am, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Sunday 9:00am - 12:00 pm

Beyond Basic Yoga Anatomy with David Keil is about understanding how the human anatomy functions and dysfunctions. To this end we must become aware of the postural patterns that we observe in our practice or in our student's practice. We are going way beyond just memorizing bones and muscles, instead come sharpen your ability to observe other people's anatomy to gain information about their practice. There will be tons of hands on adjustments and assists to practice for deepening asana experience based on the patterns you see in them.

More info and register at Anatomy Yoga Page
June 28 - 30, 2013
Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Shala Worsley
500hr YA - Tampa, FL

One of the most difficult things we can do in life is to live it fully - to be fully present - for ourselves and for the people we love and care about. So many times, at the end of the day, we say, “Where did the time go?” Years can go by in this manner. Your precious life is worth fully inhabiting. Learn how to become present for your life through the art of meditation.

In this intensive you will learn specific techniques that will help you slow down, embrace mindfulness, and enter the gentle bliss of the present moment.

You don’t have to be a teacher, nor even desire to become a teacher to attend this course. Your Yoga practice will reach new heights as you become more grounded and peaceful through this ancient practice.

More info online at www.Yogani.com
June 29, 2013
Inversions: De-mystified with Mado Hesselink

Saturday, June 29, 2013
2:00 - 4:30 pm
$30 Register and Pay
All Levels Welcome

For all levels of yoga students and teachers who wish to take on the challenge of inversions. Whether you love inversions or fear them, this workshop will increase your confidence doing, teaching, and assisting these powerful poses. You will work at your own pace, skill, and comfort level to break inversions down into their basic components and put them back together in ways that help your body make sense of them.

Learn:
How to strengthen your body and train your muscles to invert with ease.
How to safely assist others with inversions - even people of very different sizes.
Tricks for helping people kick up into handstand/forearm balance for the first time.
Strategies for dealing with fear and anxiety about inversions.
How to modify inversions for your specific body - and how to teach inversions to mixed level classes.

(Held at the Donation Studio: 239 S. Liberty St.)

Cancellation Fee $15
June 30, 2013
Partner Yoga With Michael and Stephanie Johnson

Sunday, June 30, 2013
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Register and Pay

Price:
$40 per couple
$20 for single

Join us for a unique opportunity to explore yoga with a partner. This afternoon will include clear instruction on popular partner poses, slowing down the breath together to make a heartfelt connection, implementing communication skills, building trust, letting go and above all...lots of fun! All levels of practitioners are welcome and no previous experience is required. Come single, with a friend or as a couple.

Cancellation Fee: $15 per couple/ $10 for single
July 8 - 26, 2013
Total Yoga Immersion
Three week - 230 hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training Certification
Asheville, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.
More info and to register here
July 15 - August 2, 2013
Total Yoga Immersion
Three week - 230 hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training Certification
Carrboro, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.

More info and to register here
July 26 - 28, 2013
Yoga Sutras with Michael and Stephanie Johnson
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$260 (Save $45 if you sign up by June 26, 2013)

Friday, July 26, 2013, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, July 27, 2013, 9:00 - 12:00 pm, 2:00-6:00pm
Sunday, July 28, 2013, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm

In this course we will review The Yoga Sutra written by Sri Patanjali around 200AD. This classical text serves as the philosophical basis for all yoga traditions. We will integrate the teachings into a modern yoga and meditation practice, and demonstrate how you can teach them in your yoga classes. The weekend will include asana, meditation and discourse.

More info and Register at Yoga Sutras Web page
Begins July 30, 2013
Alignment Based Yoga [Level TBD]: Six Week Series with Joe Taft

All Levels Welcome
July 30 - Sept. 3, 2013
Meets Tuesdays from 5:45 - 7:15pm
Register and Pay $75

We will start with a brief background of Hatha Yoga, begin learning the five Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara Yoga and work to understand how the practice of asanas (postures) can enhance your life and inform you to be happier and healthier. There will be plenty of time for Q&A during and after every class.

Joe Taft (RYT-500) is a Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. Joe interweaves into his classes Anusara’s life-affirming and heart-felt approach through myth, story-telling, tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered throughout his own life’s journey.

Cancellation Fee $20
August 2-4, 2013
Children's Yoga Teacher Training and Certification with
Jane Anne Tager
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$365 (Save $70 if you sign up by July 2, 2013)

Friday 9:00-12:00pm, 2:00 - 5:00 pm, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday 9:30-11:30 am, 1:00 - 4:30 pm,) 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Sunday 9:00 am - 12:15 pm, 12:45 - 2:30 pm

This training is interactive and educational. In addition to incorporating fun in teaching children's yoga, we will also interweave the deeper spiritual side of yoga. (Yoga Alliance hours available upon request).

More info and register at the Children Yoga Page
August 5 - 23, 2013
Total Yoga Immersion
Three week - 230 hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training Certification
Asheville, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.
More info and to register here
August 9 - 11, 2013
Therapeutics Yoga with Cora Wen
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

All Levels Welcome
500hr YA credit
$385 (Save $70 if you sign up by July 1, 2013)

Friday, 9:30am - 12:30pm, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Saturday, 9:00am - 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Sunday, 9:00am - 12:00pm

Learn Therapeutic Yoga! Emphasis is on alignment and anatomy to explore safe ways to work in poses. Modules interweave or stand alone as workshop. Each Module focuses on anatomy and vital organs, with energy meridians and their effect on body, mind and spirit. Learn how freedom in the body can help access subtle energy. Discover stories, legends and myths that infuse your practice with creativity and Fun! This teaching approach sharpens skills of concentration, deepens understanding of functional anatomy and strengthens access to powerful feelings and emotions.

* physiology of stress and relaxation
* restorative yoga poses and theory
* anatomy from the yogic perspective
* effect of posture on acupuncture meridians
* benefits and contraindications of each posture
* implications of scar tissue and adhesions
* sequencing guidelines for poses
* integrating postures with breath work and guided imagery
* incorporating hands-on healing techniques
* supporting healing in students or clients

More info and register at the Therapeutics Page
August 23 - 24, 2013
Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band: Kirtan and Bhakti On
the Mat Workshop

Kirtan Concert
Friday, Aug 23, 2013
7:00pm - - 9:30pm
$15 advance/$20 at the door Register and Pay

New Orleans' mantra musicians Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band are a critically acclaimed kirtan trio appreciated equally for the spiritual depth and dynamic musicality of their sound. The band's new album Devaloka has been released by Nettwerk/Nutone Records, home of Sarah McLaughlin, Barenaked Ladies, and renowned chant artists Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das, and more. Their innovative approach to chant music transcends genres— shades of rock, jazz, funk, choral, Indian, Irish, Middle Eastern, and folk styles merge effortlessly with the magic of the mantras. The soul of New Orleans meets the spirit of India.

Bhakti On The Mat Workshop
Saturday, Aug 24, 2013
9:30am - 12:00pm
$20 advance/ $25 at the door Register and Pay

Bhakti Yoga can be a wonderful vehicle for infusing asana practice with more meaning, feeling, and inspiration - especially when we're feeling burnt out, dried up, or a lack of motivation. Deepen your connection to the spirit of life by merging the heart - opening practice which includes storytelling, poetry, kirtan chanting, graceful vinyasa sequences, and evocative music. Some experience with vinyasa yoga is recommended. Accompanied by the live grooves of The Wild Lotus Band (Alvin Young and Gwendolyn Colman).

Sign up for both in advance: $30 Register and Pay

Check out Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band Here!!!

Cancellation Fee: $5 for individual sessions, $10 for both
September 6 - 8, 2013
Yoga for Trauma: Immersion and Teacher Training
with Dana Moore and Annie Okerlin
500hr YA credit - Asheville

September 6 - 8, 2012
All Levels Welcome
500hr YA credit
$325 full attendance only Register and Pay

Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy: Studio Classes, Mental Health Settings, and for Military Personnel:
Whether having experienced trauma, or desiring to help others work through trauma with Yoga, this weekend is for you: Yoga Teachers, Mental Health Providers, First Responders (Police, Firemen, EMTS), Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, Prison Workers, Military, Hospital Workers. Certification offered.

Friday 5:30 - 8:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm, 2:00 - 5:00pm
Sunday 8:30 - 11:30am, 12:30 - 3:30pm

Dana Moore, LPCC, CADS, is a founding member of the Trauma Center Yoga Program and former faculty member of the Trauma Center Professional Training Institute. Dana co-teaches the Frontiers of Trauma Treatment retreat with Bessel van der Kolk MD at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and at the Esalen Institute. He integrates auricular acupuncture (NADA Protocol), MBSR, and Kripalu Yoga within the Internal Family Systems model of psychotherapy. Dana's graduate studies include theology at Yale University and psychology at Boston College. He maintains a trauma-focused psychotherapy practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico and provides professional training in the United States and abroad. www.journeywell.org

Annie Okerlin, RYT, is the owner of Yogani Studios, Tampa, Florida, and the president and founder of the Exalted Warrior Foundation (EWF). Since March of 2006, Annie and the EWF instructors have implemented an adaptive yoga program throughout major military medical and veterans' hospital facilities nationwide. Annie designed the program to support wounded populations, including amputees, burn victims, and those with orthopedic poly-trauma, traumatic brain and spinal-cord injuries, PTSD, and depression. She is currently pursuing certification as an iRest® teacher. www.exaltedwarrior.com

Cancellation Fee $75
September 8 - 26, 2013
Total Yoga Immersion
Three week - 230 hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training Certification
Asheville, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.
More info and to register here
Begins September 17th, 2013
Alignment Based Yoga [Level TBD]: Six Week Series with Joe Taft

All Levels Welcome
September 17 - October 22, 2013
Meets Tuesdays from 5:45 - 7:15pm
Register and Pay $75

We will start with a brief background of Hatha Yoga, begin learning the five Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara Yoga and work to understand how the practice of asanas (postures) can enhance your life and inform you to be happier and healthier. There will be plenty of time for Q&A during and after every class.

Joe Taft (RYT-500) is a Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. Joe interweaves into his classes Anusara’s life-affirming and heart-felt approach through myth, story-telling, tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered throughout his own life’s journey.

Cancellation Fee $20
September 20 - 22, 2013
LifeForce Yoga® To Manage Your Mood with Amy Weintraub
500hr YA elective credit - Asheville, NC
A Weekend with Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT 500
Author of Yoga for Depression
CEU’s Yoga Alliance
$245 for whole weekend Register and Pay
$45 for Friday night intro session Register and Pay
500hr YA elective credit through Asheville Yoga Center.
Friday, September 20, 2013, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, September 21, 2012, 8:30 am - 11:00 am and 1:30 - 5:00 pm
Sunday, September 22, 2012, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

This is an intro weekend. Although there will be pranayama, mantra, mudra and other practices that are not regularly taught in yoga classes, and might therefore be considered advanced, the program is accessible to all. It is not for teachers or advanced practitioners only. In fact, we usually get a large portion of beginners. This program is also for people who are struggling to manage their mood, not just for those who serve them.

For thousands of years, yogis have understood what current research in neurobiology and clinical observations are demonstrating—that working with a body and breath-based practice, we can manage our moods. LifeForce Yoga interweaves the power of an ancient discipline with current scientific findings to help you release what’s no longer serving you—without a story attached! In this inspiring workshop, you will learn and practice breathing exercises, easy postures, guided meditations, and other experiential yogic tools for managing your mood that are not often taught in regular yoga classes.

We’ll practice:
- Pranayama and kriya breathing techniques that regulate the emotions
- Meditations that lift the mood
- Creating Affirmation (sankalpa)
- LifeForce Yoga Bhavana (Imagery)
- LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation
- LifeForce Yoga Nidra
- Tones that regulate the emotions (mantras)
- Yoga asanas suitable for multilevel practitioners
You will leave this feeling refreshed, renewed, and excited about returning to your at-home or teaching practice with new tools to bring balance to the emotional and physical body.

Psychotherapists, health professionals, and yoga teachers will learn techniques they can use to help their clients focus, relax, and have greater access to their feelings.
Yoga Alliance CEU’s.

Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT 500, author of Yoga for Depression and founder and director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute,is a leader in the field of yoga and mental health. She offers professional trainings and workshops and speaks at medical and psychological conferences internationally. Amy’s evidence-based yoga protocol is featured on the award-winning DVD series LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues. And the LifeForce Yoga® CD series. www.yogafordepression.com.

Suggested for Practice: Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga (Broadway Books), LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues – level 1 & level 2 (DVD) LifeForce Yoga® CD Series. www.yogafordepression.com

Class Descriptions:
LifeForce Yoga to Manage Your Mood: Clearing the Space
Friday Evening, 7:30 to 9:30pm
Breathe your way through these challenging times. Learn 3 Yogic strategies to strengthen your emotional resilience. Based on ancient practices and current scientific findings, Amy will incorporate breath, sound, movement and visualization to help you meet and manage your mood.

LifeForce Yoga to Get You off the Couch!
Saturday
Learn an embodied practice to meet the lethargic or depressed mood. No matter what challenges you are facing now, Amy promises that you’ll leave with a lighter heart and a clearer mind or your money back! We’ll practice the LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation, a technique that incorporates mantra, mudra and breath to clear the central energy channel of the body. Then we’ll build to a stronger, more dynamic practice, energizing the body mind and spirit. We’ll end with a restorative practice of LifeForce Yoga Nidra.

LifeForce Yoga to Meet Anxiety
Sunday
Learn a practice that promotes a calm mind and an open heart. Evolution has favored an anxiety gene, and for many of us, it’s our default. Meet your monkey mind with an embodied practice and a meditation technique that gives the busy mind a bone.

On both days, experience the power of LifeForce Yoga Nidra, a form of meditative self-inquiry that, while relaxing the body, opens the mind to greater self-awareness, and the heart to love and acceptance of what is.

Poses will be accessible for all levels, including beginners. Please do not eat for two hours before the workshop begins.

Amy Weintraub's work is some of the most important in our world today for helping humanity understand more deeply the significance of the mind-body connection. Her insights are inspirational for yoga teachers and all readers. Her in-depth understanding of her subject is an important basis for personal, as well as societal transformation.
—Rama Jyoti Vernon, Founder, American Yoga College

Amy Weintraub’s Yoga for Depression offers us a powerful and comprehensive guidebook that provides the reader with a precise path for healing from depression. This book belongs in the hands of every person who experiences depression and in the library of every therapist who works with people suffering from depression.
—Richard C. Miller, PhD, author of Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga and founding editor of The International Journal of Yoga Therapy

"YOGA FOR DEPRESSION is a godsend: beautifully written, medically accurate, and very practical. I highly recommend it!" -- Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

"Weintraub has written…a sensitive, intelligent, painstaking exploration of the deeper psychospiritual issues that make up the complex experience of depression." -- Phil Catalfo, Yoga Journal

It is rare to find such a generous soul, willing to embrace all approaches to yoga, unbiased and yet having intelligent discernment and advice for those searching for help. Amy offers many guidelines and solutions through yoga, to both those who suffer from depression and to yoga teachers working with them.
—Angela Farmer, internationally known master Yoga teacher

Student Testimonials:

I learned lots of ways to reduce the anxiety and depression of my patients and myself. –Aviva Sinvany-Nubel, PhD, APN, CNSC, RN, psychotherapist, Bridgewater, N.J.

My life is already changed! I will use the tools I learned in my own practice and in my work. I feel safe and seen.—Susan Andrea Weiner, MA, teacher/expressive arts facilitator, El Cerrito, CA.

This workshop has changed so much—my self-image and my life. My own heart’s desire is 100% clear. I gained tools to help myself and others to live life fully.—Marcia Siegel, Yoga teacher, therapist, Carlsbad, CA.

My personal practice will change, as well as my yoga classes. I have a better understanding of yoga!—Andrea Gattuso, RYT, Yoga Teacher, Hackettstown, N.J.

I have gained a softer heart, more receptive mind, and tools to enrich both personal and professional aspects of my life. –Regina Trailweaver, LICSW, clinical social worker, Hancock, VT.

I gained tools for working with my own depression and with my clients’ depressions.—Robert Sgona, LCSW, RYT, psychotherapist, Yoga teacher, Camden, ME.

Words do not do justice to all that I learned. This workshop changed my life! —Jen Nolan, Teacher, Cortland, NY
Following Amy’s path will certainly change mine and many lives. —Vici Williams, therapist, Newport, R.I.
September 27 - 29, 2013
Yoga and Ayurveda w/ James Bailey, 500hr YA

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$375 (Save $50 if you sign up by August 27, 2013)

Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 2:00 - 5:00pm
Saturday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 2:00 - 5:00pm
Sunday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Come learn the ins and outs of Ayurvedic Medicine, the sister school of yoga. We'll be introduced to the five elements, the doshas and how they tie into hatha vinyasa yoga. Each session combines lecture and application: (a mix of led asana, pranayama, and student teaching). Each led asana class taught by special guest: Shala Worsley.

More info and register at the Ayurveda Yoga Page
September 27 - November 2, 2013
500hr Teacher Training Immersion
Asheville, NC

This is an Intensive Yoga Alliance (YA) Registered 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification. Unlike all other 500-Hour programs, the entirety of this program is presented within a 4-week stretch. It is the fast track to 500-hour certification. For the first time ever, all of the modules or intensives of a typical 500-Hour training, have been intelligently and efficiently sequenced into one cohesive event.

More info and to register here
October 4, 2013 Begins
Live in Total Yoga!
230-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification Program
Meeting nine weekends, over 6 months
Asheville, NC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.

This program is our comprehensive training which runs over nine weekends, roughly one a month. The program generally spans about 7 full months. It is offered several times a year in a variety of South Eastern cities. This type of learning works best for those that likes to let it sink in, and with the ability to get away one weekend a month. You will have assignments to do during your breaks between weekends and time to integrate what you are learning.

Learn more and register here
October 5 - 6, 2013
Yoga Therapeutics with Ryan Conrad
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$120 for the full Weekend
$35 a session
Saturday, October 5, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm An Introduction to Standing Postures
Saturday, October 5, 2:00 - 5:00 pm Twists and Backbends
Sunday, October 6, 8:30 - 11:30 am Making Friends with Inversions
Sunday, October 6, 12:30pm - 3:30pm Pranayama and Restorative Practice

Join Ryan Conrad, yoga teacher and licensed Physical Therapist, for a weekend of alignment-based practice with asana, pranayama and meditation. Ryan's knowledge of yoga has been greatly influenced by his continued studies with several Senior Iyengar Instructors as well as other alignment based approaches. We will focus on the use of alignment techniques using yogic props and yogic philosophy to open up your practice in a safe and mindful manner. We will spend time looking at how to address common alignment issues seen in practitioners. This mindful approach can help to allow individuals to become more aware of their physical, mental, and energetic bodies and live with increased awareness and freedom.

More info and register at the Therapeutics Yoga Page
October 11 - 13, 2013
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika with Michael and Stephanie Johnson
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$260 (Save $45 if you sign up by September 11, 2013)

Friday, October 13, 2013, 6:00-9:00 pm
Saturday, October 14, 2013, 9:00-12:00 pm (break) 2:00-6:00pm, 7:30-9 Kirtan and Yoga Nidra (optional)
Sunday, October 15, 2013, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is one of the most widely known and authoritative texts on the practice of hatha yoga. It goes into much more detail about the practice of asanas, panoramas, mudras, bandhas and meditation than the Yoga Sutra. This ancient text is an essential and valuable resource for anyone practicing or teaching yoga. Rather than resisting the discoveries of modern science, in this workshop we welcome them, as they often validate what yogis and yoginis have discovered through direct experience.

More info and register at the Sutras Yoga Page
October 18 - 20, 2013
Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training and Certification with
Stephanie Keach
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$290 (Save $50 if you sign up by September 11, 2013)

Friday 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday, 8:30 - 12:00 pm, 2:00 - 6:00 pm
Sunday, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm

Are you a Yoga teacher, Yoga teacher in training, midwife, doula, body worker, pregnant or planning on getting pregnant? If so, then the Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training Intensive, may be for you. Take this weekend workshop, either to deepen your own practice and ability to help others or to expand your teaching knowledge.

Prenatal yoga helps prevent common discomforts of pregnancy while preparing the body for childbirth by stretching and strengthening the lower back, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and opening the hips and sacrum.

More info and register at the Prenatal Yoga Page
October 25 - 27, 2013
Senior Yoga Teacher Training and Immersion
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

All Levels Welcome
500 YA
$360 (Save $55 if you sign up by September 25, 2013)

Friday, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 - 6:00 pm
Saturday, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 2:00 - 6:30 pm
Sunday, 8:30 - 11:30 pm, 12:30 - 3:30 pm

Seniors 65 and older are the fastest growing population right now. These baby boomers are in desperate need of yoga and education to help them adapt to their older bodies, minds and spirits.

Come join us as we address such issues as Chair yoga, Deep Breathing, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, chronic pain, menopause, prostate health, depression, insomnia, joint replacement, parkinson's, MS, and more.

For more information and to Register visit Seniors Yoga Page
October 25 - 27, 2013
Bryan Kest Power Yoga Weekend Workshop

October 25-27, 2013

All Levels Welcome
$255 for entire weekend (no partial attendance) Register and Pay

Friday , 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Orientation to a Bryan Kest Power Yoga class.
This class is part lecture, part asana practice. Bryan starts by explaining the objective of Power Yoga, as well as the principles of the practice. We encourage students to attend this class because it is the foundation of theentire weekend.
One Hour Discussion/One Hour Yoga Class.

Saturday, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Power Yoga Class
A well-rounded flowing asana practice.

Saturday, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Long, Slow and Deep Stretch Class
A series of deep stretches that open the body, while challenging the mind.

Sunday, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Power Yoga class/Wrap Up

Bryan Kest has been practicing yoga for more than 30 years. He initially studied in Hawaii with David Williams, the first person to bring Ashtanga yoga to America. He then studied in India with K. Pattabhi Jois, the main proponent of Ashtanga yoga. Kest has been teaching yoga for 24 years. "My primary objective", says Kest, "besides turning more and more people on to a healthier, more peaceful lifestyle that continually challenges them to grow, is to teach a system of exercise that fully integrates the body, mind, and spirit.

Don't wait, this workshop will fill up fast!

Cancellation Fee: $75
Nov 1 - 3, 2013
Healing with Yoga Anatomy and the Breathing Body w/ Leslie Kaminoff
500hr YA - Asheville

All Levels Welcome
500hr YA Credit
270 (Save $40 if you sing up by October 1, 2013)

Friday 6:00pm- 8:30pm
Saturday 9:00 am - 12:00pm, 2:00 - 5:00pm
Sunday 1:00-3:30 pm

Leslie’s work has been evolving a rational — non-mystical — approach to Yoga and Yoga Therapy. Leslie uses the immediate reality of human anatomy as a starting point for exploring issues of support and release, stability and freedom, space and boundaries. This process clarifies and validates much traditional wisdom while exposing many long-standing misconceptions and myths. By relating fundamental yogic concepts to their anatomical origins, Leslie's approach resolves many doctrinal and philosophical differences between schools of Yoga.

More information at Anatomy page
Begins Nov 5th, 2013
Alignment Based Yoga [Level TBD]: Six Week Series with Joe Taft

All Levels Welcome
November 5 - December 11, 2013
Meets Tuesdays from 5:45 - 7:15pm
Register and Pay $75

We will start with a brief background of Hatha Yoga, begin learning the five Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara Yoga and work to understand how the practice of asanas (postures) can enhance your life and inform you to be happier and healthier. There will be plenty of time for Q&A during and after every class.

Joe Taft (RYT-500) is a Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. Joe interweaves into his classes Anusara’s life-affirming and heart-felt approach through myth, story-telling, tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered throughout his own life’s journey.

Cancellation Fee $20
November 8 - 10, 2013
The Bhagavad Gita with Michael Johnson

Registration and more details coming soon.

Michael Johnson ERYT-500 and Stephanie Johnson are staff teachers at the Yoga Studies Institute, as well as certified Jivamukti Teachers.
This is a weekend of the 500 Hour Classics of Yoga Teacher Training and Immersion. The weekend will be taught by Michael Johnson and is open to all. More details and registration are coming. Details on the Classics of Yoga Training can be found here
November 8 - 10, 2013 Begins
Live in Total Yoga!
230-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification Program
Meeting nine weekends, over 6 months
Columbia, SC

Our 230 hour program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately. We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast.

This program is our comprehensive training which runs over nine weekends, roughly one a month. The program generally spans about 7 full months. It is offered several times a year in a variety of South Eastern cities. This type of learning works best for those that likes to let it sink in, and with the ability to get away one weekend a month. You will have assignments to do during your breaks between weekends and time to integrate what you are learning.

Learn more and register here
Begins November 15, 2013
500 Hour Therapeutics Teacher Training
Yoga Alliance Approved
Asheville, NC

Are you craving a serious training in Yoga Therapy? Do you know how to adapt the practice for individual students’ needs? Are you comfortable in a one-to-one setting? What about group therapeutics? Maybe you have specific conditions in your own body that have yet to be addressed in a regular class-room setting? This training is designed to empower individuals in the deep understanding and healing of our mind, body and spirit.

Save up to $900 on this training if you register soon!!!

For more information please visit out 500 Hour Therapeutics Page

November 15 - 17, 2013
Meditation and Yoga: Mindfulness Practices with Shala Worsley
500hr YA - Asheville

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$265 (Save $50 if you sing up by October 15, 2013)

Friday 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Saturday 9:00 am- 12:00 pm, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Sunday 9:30 am - 12:00pm
Optional: Sunday, 1:00 - 3:30 Shala Seasonal Flow - Pay and Register

One of the most difficult things we can do in life is to live it fully - to be fully present - for ourselves and for the people we love and care about. So many times, at the end of the day, we say, "Where did the time go?" Years can go by in this manner. Your precious life is worth fully inhabiting. Learn how to become present for your life through the art of meditation. In this three day intensive you will learn specific techniques that will help you slow down, embrace mindfulness, and enter the gentle bliss of the present moment.

You don’t have to be a teacher, nor even desire to become a teacher to attend this course. Your Yoga practice will reach new heights as you become more grounded and peaceful through this ancient practice.

More info and to register go here

November 17, 2013
Shala's Seasonal Flow

Sunday, 1:00-3:30 pm, $35
Register and Pay Now

Each Season has its own personality, mood and energy which effects us on a very deep level. Come join me for reflection on how this seasonal change is resonating within ourselves and throughout our lives. Through our yoga practice, let’s synchronize our internal rhythms to match those of the Earth!

Seasonal Flow Yoga is a dynamic flow class for advanced beginners to intermediate practitioners who want to celebrate the change of seasons in their practice. The two-and-a-half-hour class will include asana, pranayama, and meditation practices and more.

Shala Worsley is a certified yoga instructor. She has been teaching Flow Yoga since 1998 and currently owns the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. She is one of Asheville’s most popular teachers, and currently teaches sold out classes at the Asheville Yoga Center.

Cancellation Fee $15

November 23 - 24, 2013
Ashtanga Yoga Weekend with Kino MacGregor
Asheville, NC

All Levels Welcome
$185 for entire weekend Register and Pay

Kino MacGregor is one of a select group of people to receive the Certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga by its founder Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. The youngest woman to hold this title, she has completed the challenging Third Series and is now learning the Fourth Series.

She has devoting herself entirely to the study and teaching of Ashtanga yoga. At the age of 29, she received from Guruji the Certification to teach Ashtanga yoga and has since worked to pass on the inspiration to practice to countless others.

Schedule
Saturday 10 am - 12 pm
Ashtanga Yoga Full Primary Series
Surrender to the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method with careful emphasis on the traditional vinyasa method and have fun along the journey. Experience the integrity and purity of the Ashtanga Yoga practice and be prepared to sweat.

Saturday 2 - 4 pm
Arm Balances for Everyone
Break a sweat while learning to safely balance on your hands, have fun while challenging yourself and gain access to your own inner strength. The magic of the arm balance is demystified and made approachable so that every practitioner who is not afraid to put in the work can feel the beauty of flight. When done correctly arm balances can build self-esteem, increase energy flow and heal old injuries. Every student will leave with proven techniques to safely build the structural support necessary for stability in all strength based postures.

Sunday 10 am - 12 pm
Burn, Baby, Burn! Awakening the Karmic Fire
Known in Sanskrit as Agni, the fire of purification, the karmic fire ignited by dedicated yoga practice burns through bodily impurities, negative behavior patterns and painful emotions to reveal the true nature of your inner being. The success of the Ashtanga Yoga method hinges on your understanding of your own inner agni. More than just physical strength the development of agni transcends the physical and is a gateway to the spiritual. In this seminar you will delve deeply into the inner world to make contact with the illusive "bandhas" and discover your own true power. Through a careful, alignment-based approach to the essential postures of the Ashtanga Yoga method you will connect with this hidden power center and find a indestructible source of energy that infuses your entire practice and life with spiritual light.

Sunday 1 - 3 pm
Twist into Your Center
Deep twisting increases energy levels, cleanses the body and opens the mind to new levels of awareness. Find the perfect balance between activation and release in this new approach to twisting. Learn healthy technique to increase flexibility in your spine and shoulders while creating solid foundation in your pelvis. Use the core strength of the body to support the twisting and extension. You will have fun with many levels of twists and even use the twisting position to enter some challenging arm balances!

Cancellation Fee: $50

December 5 - 8, 2013
Advanced Yoga as Therapy with Doug Keller
500hr YA - Asheville, NC

500hr YA
All Levels Welcome
$425 (Save $75 if you sign up by November 1, 2013)

Thursday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 2:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Friday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 2:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Saturday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Sunday, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

This year’s advanced training will include a more in-depth treatment of body reading, as well as a more in-depth treatment of the hips, core strength, and the neck and shoulders. Some required reading will be provided in advance of the training, emailed to participants in the form of PDF documents. Moreover, a workbook will be provided that is specifically designed for the training, and will be of great use throughout.

More info and Register at Yoga Therapeutics

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