Being Yoga
Workshop Descriptions

Main conference fee does not include pre-conference intensives; see registration info page for fees.

Spiritual Activism: Using Intuition, Mysticism & the Yogic Journey to Cultivate Inner Awareness & Initiate Global Change (A01)
Seane Corn
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Off the Mat (YOM)
In this Vinyasa flow intensive we explore the three realms of consciousness—the physical/mental, the energetic/emotional, and the psychic/symbolic—as a pathway for self-investigation and the key to transcendence. We begin our journey with asana, meditation, reflection, prayer, and chakra exploration. We learn the self-confidence needed for intuitive work, how to use our body to create a relationship with Spirit, and how we can become of service through prayer. By reconnecting with our bodies, we gain emotional insight, explore our individual soul's purpose, and cultivate spiritual skills to assist each other, our students, and the planet. CE credit available.

Living Liberated (A02)
Sharon Gannon, David Life
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD), Asana & Pranayama (AP)
When kindness penetrates our every thought, word, and deed, when compassion for all others allows us to transcend otherness, we become one with all that is. "The liberated one," the Jivanmukta is liberated from separate existence. But how do we achieve that? This daylong intensive gives you the full liberation package: a Jivamukti bhakti-charged asana practice, meditation practice, self-reflection, scriptural study, music, and devotion. This is a practical workshop with just enough philosophy to trigger a deep investigation of the goal of yoga practices, and enough practice to verify the investigation. CE credit available.

Yoga for a Full Life (A03)
Ximena Gutiérrez
General Level
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Please note: This class will be taught in Spanish. What is yoga and how can it help to improve the quality of our lives? Why are there so many different styles and which is best for each of us? How can we find true rest and relaxation? This intensive, taught in Spanish, combines relaxation, breathing techniques, and a series of basic but challenging yoga postures designed to bring balance to the body and serenity to the mind. We also discuss developing a routine and how this ancient practice can help us cope with modern-day difficulties and lead us to a healthier body and a fuller life.

Yoga para una Vida Plena
Ximena Gutiérrez
Principiantes, intermedios y avanzados
Asanas, Pranayama, Charla y Meditación
¿Qué es el yoga y cómo puede mejorar la calidad de nuestras vidas? ¿Por qué hay tantos estilos de yoga y cuál es el que más me conviene? ¿De qué manera el yoga me puede ayudar a encontrar tranquilidad y equilibrio en mi vida? En este seminario de un día se combinarán ejercicios de relajación y respiración, posturas básicas y técnicas de meditación que nos permitirán expandir nuestras capacidades y lograr equilibrio y fortaleza en el cuerpo y en la mente. Como parte del seminario, se realizará una charla sobre cómo esta práctica milenaria nos puede ayudar a hacer frente y superar las dificultades y el estrés de la vida moderna y llevar una vida saludable, tranquila y plena. CE credit available.

Developing a Yoga Therapy Practice: From Concept to Sustainable Career (A04)
Matthew Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT (500), John Kepner, International Association of Yoga Therapists
Advanced/Teacher
Philosophy & Discussion (PD), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
The 21st century yoga therapist must support his or her students' needs, and acquire additional skills to engage physicians, clinicians, instructors, and administrators. In this intensive, we learn those additional skills, including communicating what yoga therapy is to others; coordinating student instruction with peers; making appropriate referrals; negotiating and securing contracts and commitments; generating and operating sustainable business plans and relationships; and effectively marketing and delivering services. CE credit available.

Principles of Sequencing & the Power of Adjustments (A05)
Jonny Kest
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Sequencing and adjustments are the high art of yoga teaching and have the potential to transform your teaching. Learn the dynamics of designing a flow and giving adjustments to achieve an array of desired outcomes. Like opening a lock, every sequence of postures, enhanced through individualized adjustments, is a key to the doorway of freedom for both you and your students. CE credit available.

Unlock the Unlimited Infinite Power Within Through Kundalini Yoga & Meditation (A06)
Gurushabd Singh Khalsa, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Experience your calm, intuitive, and magnificent Self through Kundalini Yoga, chanting, and meditation. Together, we focus on releasing childhood anger to renew our nervous system and build stamina, thereby freeing our energy. In this way, our heart stays open and we reach our mental richness and spiritual strength. CE credit available.

Living Purna Yoga™ (A07)
Aadil Palkhivala
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Asana reveals the first petals of the flower of yoga. With practice, the flower begins to bloom, but there is more to this flower than its physical form. Its delicious scent and inner radiance await discovery. Palkhivala teaches us how to integrate yogic philosophy with asana to reveal the inner radiance of yoga not only in our practice, but in our very self and the way we live our daily life. Please Note: Bring one block, one blanket, and one strap. CE credit available.

Tending the Fire: Creating a Transformative Living Yoga Practice (A08)
Shiva Rea, M.A.
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Drawing from Shiva Rea's 30-day Living Yoga Sadhana program, this inspirational intensive empowers us to create a holistic approach to yoga sadhana that connects directly to the evolutionary current of our life. Through journaling, discussion, and two multidimensional vinyasa yoga practices—the empowering and energizing morning vira sadhana and a heart opening bhakti sadhana—we learn to integrate the various parts of our practice and bring it into the world as our spiritual path. CE credit available.

Vinyasa, Yoga & Ayurveda: Principles of Deepening Practice (A10)
Rod Stryker
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
The energetic principles of asana, ayurveda, and the science of tantra are the basis for understanding how we (and our students) can get the maximum benefit from our yoga practice. In this intensive, we participate in two asana practices and learn theory that teaches us how to heighten the effect of our practice and teaching, and how to tailor each for specific needs. CE credit available.

Ashtanga Yoga: A Guided Tour (A11)
David Swenson
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
David Swenson guides us on an in-depth exploration of the dynamic system of Ashtanga Yoga, including sun salutations, pranayama, and its philosophy of the eight limbs of daily life. There is a lot of partner work in this fun-filled and energetic intensive, as well as plenty of laughter. Alternatives are given to allow students of all levels of yoga experience to attend. CE credit available.

Welcome From Omega
Matthew Sanford, Sri Dharma Mittra
Sri Dharma Mittra
Opening Chant & Shiva Namaskar Vinyasa Demonstration
Sri Dharma Mittra leads us in the chants of Om Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya, and the Divine Mantra for Purification, which produce the highest energy in the form of sound vibration, followed by a vinyasa demonstration, which he offers as a cosmic dance in humble reverence to the divine grace of the Lord Shiva.

Matthew Sanford
Keynote: Trusting Yoga Into the World
Matthew Sanford shares his unique story of trauma, paralysis, and the role yoga plays in his life. With honesty and clarity, he describes his efforts to transform our modern medical and rehabilitative practices, guided by his own experiences. He urges us to move our yoga practice off the mat and into the world for true transformation. "Connecting mind and body is not just a health strategy," he says. "It is a movement of consciousness that can change the world." CE credit available.

Sadhana
Gurushabd Singh Khalsa, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
General
Meditation & Contemplation (MC), Asana & Pranayama (AP)
A sadhana is a spiritual practice—with the goal of liberation and enlightenment—that often involves deep meditation, prayer, or yoga. Join us for sadhana during the hours known as the amrit vela, or the time of the nectar, when life around us is very still. It is a time of deep healing and inner contemplation. CE credit available.

Please Note: The following classes are double sessions and take place during sessions 1 & 2.

Mystic on the Mat (B11)
Seane Corn
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Off the Mat (YOM)
Through movement, breath, and prayer we can use our bodies to communicate with Spirit, transforming our practice into a sacred ritual aligning us with all that is divine. This challenging flow class prepares our body and mind for cocreating with the universe, healing the planet through prayer, and activating our subconscious to gain better understanding of ourselves and the world. Experience with sun salutations is required. CE credit available.

Yoga as an Antidote to Aging: Adapting Yoga for Seniors (B12)
Serpil Iszak, Frank Iszak
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
What is old age? Is there a panacea for aging? The founders of Silver Age Yoga teach us how to adapt yoga postures for senior students and use yoga as an antidote to aging. Their specifically created yoga, based on the principles of geriatric science, helps prevent and delay the onset of typical "old age diseases," such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and degenerative disc disease, with adapted versions of poses for students of all ability levels. CE credit available.

The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart & Spirit of the Yoga Sutras (B1A)
Nischala Joy Devi
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Many of us are drawn to yoga for its powerful health and strengthening benefits. It is now time to move beyond that and partake in the unfathomable sense of peace and emotional and spiritual enlightenment that yoga offers us. In this class for women only, we take a heart-centered, intuitive approach to reinterpreting Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and rediscovering our own inner wisdom. CE credit available.

Yoga & Yoga Therapy: Classical Models, Contemporary Practice & Modern Research (B1B)
Matthew Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT (500), John Kepner
Advanced/Teacher
Philosophy & Discussion (PD), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
Yoga is sometimes described as an evolving complementary and alternative medicine discipline, but as a therapy it is a confusing concept to both conventional health-care practitioners and experienced yoga practitioners. In this class, we receive an overview of the field, including many of the major yoga therapy approaches in the United States today. We also review a summary of modern research supporting the acceptance of yoga therapy by conventional biomedical fields. CE credit available.

Beautiful Mind, Beautiful Body: Vinyasa Rasayana Yoga (B1C)
Jonny Kest
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
We are all in danger of becoming stuck, rigid, and dried up, both in our minds and bodies, due to the choices we make. But there is a remedy: rasayana, the path of rejuvenation, and vinyasa, the path of fluidity. "Rasa refers to life's juice and vinyasa means flow," Jonny Kest says. "Happiness and vitality appear in life only when our juices are abundant and flow freely." Come experience juicy vinyasa sequences of growth and transformation as we learn to let go and enhance the sweetness and flow of our life. Hands-on adjustments will be given. CE credit available.

Experience Your Own Strength With Kundalini Yoga & Meditation: Let the Spirit, Soul & Self Shine Like Sunshine (B1D)
Gurushabd Singh Khalsa, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Nothing in this world will make sense if you do not know your totality. In this class, we experience strength and balance that calm and open the heart, thereby making the impossible possible and bringing us into the power of self-healing and radiance. Our real power is beyond power; it is grace. Chant, dance, meditate, and receive the all-empowering blessings of a new consciousness. CE credit available.

Jivamukti Sequences: The Hot, the Hip & the Holy (B1E)
David Life
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Unique, fun, and upbeat sequencing distinctive of the Jivamukti Yoga method warms us up and keeps us cookin'. Inspired with spirit, set to great music, and a little wild, this sweaty asana class includes the following original Jivamukti sequences: take the seat of Isis, do the hippie twist, the blossoming lotus, moonrise, kundalini's descent, and picking up the step, among others. CE credit available.

The Belly Brain & the Cranial Brain (B1F)
Tias Little, M.A.
General Level
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
The belly is the seat of intuition in the body, but many of us hold nervous tension in our belly, which can cause stress in the digestive tract. Using back arches, twists, and forward bends, we compare the coils of the cranial brain and the coils of the intestines—both which ingest and process information—and we review the link between psychological stress and digestive disorders. CE credit available.

An Introduction to Yin Yoga (B1G)
Biff Mithoefer
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Through the use of long-held postures and the practice of quiet acceptance, Yin Yoga invites us to bring balance to our busy yang lifestyle. As we practice, we explore our feminine, compassionate, nonstriving, yin nature. We also learn the theory behind Yin Yoga and its benefits to our connective tissue, energetic body, and emotional body. CE credit available.

Dharma Mittra Yoga: Shiva Namaskara Vinyasa Levels I & II (B1H)
Sri Dharma Mittra
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
After 40 years of teaching, Sri Dharma Mittra has carefully selected yoga postures and mantra, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation techniques that are inspirational for students at all levels of yoga ability. The vinyasa, infused with the notion of yama (nonviolence), flows in a uniquely challenging and physically absorbing manner, designed to twist, stretch, strengthen, and tone all muscles, glands, and internal organs and gain full control of the body. CE credit available.

The Art of Breathing: Pranayama (B1J)
Joan White
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
In this early morning class, we explore basic pranayamas using both prone and seated postures. We learn to observe what is correct interaction between breath and mind and the actions of the breath and the actions of the diaphragm so that we do not disturb our nervous system. This correct practice of pranayama will allow us to move through the rest of our day with a quiet inner detachment. Please note: Bring 3 blankets and a belt. CE credit available.

The Art of Deep Relaxation & Meditation (B2A)
Sherri Baptiste
General
Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Meditation can increase physiological balance, clarity of mind, and awareness. Physicians, psychologists, and other professionals endorse meditation as a powerful tool for relieving stress, maintaining health, and promoting creativity and vitality. In this class, we learn sequencing to elicit the relaxation response, while building a base for deeper meditation. Together we warm up with gentle hip opening poses; learn seated and centering techniques; practice self-reflection, the art of relaxation, guided visualization, and silent meditation; and meditate with the use of sound. Please note: Bring a blanket, yoga strap, and two yoga blocks. CE credit available.

Exploring Yoga & Sacred Rhythms (B2B)
Maya Breuer, RYT
General
Chant, Chakra & Trance Dance (CCT), Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Soul is the essential part of our being. During this experiential class, we use pranayama, meditation, and yoga as sacred rhythm to explore why being conscious and aware of our soulful nature is important for authentic living, creating wellness, and having health, joy, and abundance. Leave your inhibitions at the door and discover your authentic nature and delightful prana bliss through yoga, dance, and spoken word. CE credit available.

A Pilgrimage: The Body as Sacred Location (B2C)
Kofi Busia
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
As a part of their spiritual journey, most religious traditions have a sacred location to which devotees are expected to walk at least once in their lives. To a hatha yogi, the body is that sacred location and asana is the act of pilgrimage that connects us to the divine. This class shows us how to use asana as a tool for understanding how to eliminate suffering and make the path of yoga spiritual and pleasurable. CE credit available.

Kundalini's Descent to Flying Crow (B2D)
Sharon Gannon
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Come and learn several asana sequences unique to the Jivamukti Yoga method. Postures include standing poses, balances, hip openers, forward bends, twists, backbends, and inversions. Please note: Bring a blanket. CE credit available.

Anusara Yoga®: Surfing the Waves of Grace (B2E)
Amy Ippoliti
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Take a ride on the transformational power of spirit in a wide variety of poses designed to introduce us to the powerful practice of Anusara Yoga. Merging the universal principles of alignment with life-affirming tantric philosophy, Anusara Yoga joyously invites us to surf the wave of the essential experience of our hearts. CE credit available.

Mandala Namaskar: The Healing Power of Circular Movement Within Yoga & Nature (B2F)
Shiva Rea, M.A.
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Leave your tightly structured world behind and experience the healing power of a mandala (sacred circle) within a namaskar (moving meditation vinyasa). We learn a mandala mudra meditation and visualization, and four of Shiva Rea's Mandala Namaskar salutation sequences, which unfold in an integrated circular flow for embodied wholeness, vitality, and creative resonance with nature. CE credit available.

Why Social Action? (B2G)
Andrew Schuch, MS, Jill Satterfield
General
Yoga Off the Mat (YOM)
By sharing the traditions that have had a profound impact on our own lives, such as yoga and meditation, with those who currently don't have access to them, we take social action. Join the founders of Vajra Yoga Social Action teacher training in a dialogue about their approach to social action and how to bring it to your own community. CE credit available.

Mudra: The Body as a Bridge to Heaven (B2H)
Rod Stryker
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Join Rod Stryker in this invigorating class of vinyasa, pranayama, meditation, and mudra. Mudra is a Sanskrit word that means "to move toward delight." It is, according to the ancient tradition of hatha yoga, the culmination of the physical practice of yoga. Integrating asana, pranayama, and bandha techniques, mudra exalts our body, mind, and soul. Please note: Two years of yoga practice is recommended. CE credit available.

Ashtanga Yoga: An Introduction (B2J)
David Swenson
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
In this class, we explore the building blocks of Ashtanga Yoga through the basic elements of breath, bandhas, and vinyasa. We begin with a short discussion, flow through an abbreviated sequence from the first series, and end with a guided deep relaxation. CE credit available.

Lunch on Saturday is included in main conference price. Choose from the options below.

Vegetarian Lunch

Vegan Lunch

Non-Vegetarian Lunch

Being Yoga: What Yoga Calls Us to Be
Mark Whitwell, Aadil Palkhivala, David Life, Seane Corn
What does it mean to be your yoga? How does this look in the world and how does it translate into your interaction with your community? Come join our lunchtime panel to bear witness to the experiences and convictions of these yogis as they share their vision of what yoga calls them, and us, to be in the world. There will be the opportunity for questions. CE credit available.

Please Note: The following classes are double sessions and take place during sessions 3 & 4.

Viniyoga Therapy: Progressive Therapeutic Self-Care for the Back, Hips & Neck (B31)
Gary Kraftsow, M.A., L.M.T.
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
We explore the biomechanics of the lower back, sacrum, and hips and the problems that affect them in the first half of this master class; in the second half, we explore the same for the upper back, neck, and shoulders. Using the successful National Institutes of Health-recognized Viniyoga protocol for back pain, we develop and practice several sequences designed to relieve stress and strengthen these important and vulnerable areas of our bodies. CE credit available.

The Mind & the Muscles in Purna Yoga™ (B32)
Aadil Palkhivala
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
The state of physical health always reflects the state of mental health with each part of our body telling a mental or emotional story. Deeper muscles are controlled by emotions, whereas surface muscles are controlled by actions. In this class, we learn how to use our mind to influence muscles and free up emotional blockages. Please note: Bring one block, one blanket, and one strap. CE credit available.

The Five Pillars of Traditional Hatha Yoga (B3A)
Ximena Gutiérrez
General Level
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Please note: This class will be taught in Spanish. For thousands of years, yoga practitioners have relied on the five pillars of hatha yoga to achieve maximum health and peace of mind. This Spanish-language seminar explores the five tenets of traditional yoga—relaxation, breathing, postures, diet, and mindfulness and meditation—and shows us how to use them to transform our bodies and improve the quality of our lives.

Los 5 Puntos del Hatha Yoga Tradicional
Ximena Gutiérrez
Principiantes, intermedios y avanzados
Asanas, Pranayama, Charla y Meditación
Por miles de años, el yoga ha sido una práctica de transformación integral. Los yogis han dependido de los cinco pilares de la práctica del hatha yoga para lograr un cuerpo saludable y una mente serena. En este seminario usted aprenderá a través de prácticas de respiración y relajación, una rutina de ejercicios adecuados, un pensamiento positivo y una dieta adecuada, cómo los cincos puntos del yoga tradicional son herramientas fundamentales para mejorar nuestra calidad de vida. CE credit available.

Open Your Heart to the Subtle Voice Within Through Kundalini Yoga & Meditation (B3B)
Gurushabd Singh Khalsa, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
We are born to fulfill our destiny. When we realign with the subtle voice within, we realign with our destiny. Through Kundalini Yoga and meditation, "our body becomes a divination tool that is intrinsically receptive to hearing the Well of Divine Consciousness within," teaches Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. "Instead of ruminating on our life, we illuminate our life. Through asana, chanting, dancing, and meditation, along with the sound of the sacred Gong, we celebrate the fulfillment of our divine connection to Truth, Spirit, and Destiny." CE credit available.

Bird Balances (B3C)
David Life
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
When we assume the vibrational essence of another being, our compassion and awareness grows. Beginning with a vigorous Jivamukti vinyasa warm-up, we focus on several of the most potent bird arm balances, chosen for their ability to inspire compassion for the disappearance of species. Postures presented in detail include: bakasana (crane or crow), kukkutasana (rooster), garudasana (eagle), chakorasana (moon bird), tittibhasana (firefly), mayurasana (peacock), pincha mayurasana (the peacock's feather), and eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon). CE credit available.

Freeing the Bird of Prana (B3D)
Tias Little, M.A.
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
It is all too common for the front of the body to be compressed, causing the chest cavity to shorten and the ribs to collapse. To backbend, we must unveil the prana locked in our abdomen by freeing up the front of the body—particularly the link between the quadricep, psoas, and pectoral muscles. This class includes an abundance of work to safely prepare the spine and legs for backbends. CE credit available.

Ashtanga Awareness (B3E)
Kino MacGregor
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
This beginner's class offers us an inspirational, technical, and meditative approach to the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method. Ashtanga's unique mind-body-breath connection enables us to tap into a whole new paradigm for our yoga practice. Using fundamental tools to heighten sensory awareness, concentration, strength, flexibility, and well-being, we experience the potential of our body in motion and begin to integrate our innate physical intelligence. CE credit available.

Shiva Namaskar Vinyasa: The Stairway to Bliss With Yoga Nidra (B3F)
Sri Dharma Mittra
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Shiva Namaskar Vinyasa is a practice designed by Sri Dharma Mittra that embraces classical teachings with a contemporary need in mind. A long posture vinyasa practice, including headstands and followed by Yoga Nidra (psychic sleep or deep relaxation), it is the stairway to bliss that reintegrates the continuous flow of prana through the spinal column, as it emanates deep into all areas of the physical, metabolic, intuitive, and bliss body. CE credit available.

My Silent Teacher: Exploring Yoga With a Paralyzed Body (B3G)
Matthew Sanford
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD), Yoga Off the Mat (YOM)
At age 13, Matthew Sanford survived a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. This lecture and interactive discussion explores how his unique experience with the silence of paralysis has not been an obstacle for his yoga to overcome, but rather an essential teacher in his journey to integrate mind, body, and spirit. CE credit available.

Passion & Grace: The Art of Devotional Singing (B3H)
Jai Uttal, Daniel Paul
General
Chant, Chakra & Trance Dance (CCT)
Through the practice of kirtan—chanting the ecstatic songs of ancient India—we embark on a journey into the multicolored, many-roomed mansions of the heart. Using call-and-response singing and storytelling, recording artist Jai Uttal and tabla maestro and vocalist Daniel Paul invoke a space of prayer and heartfelt expression.

The Deep Dimensions of Yoga (B3J)
Mark Whitwell
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Yoga arose in ancient wisdom cultures with the nondual understanding that all experience cannot be separated from its universal source. In this class, Mark Whitwell takes us deep into yoga's roots to the shamanic past of the Upanishads, when yoga was practiced as a means of acknowledging and celebrating the very source of life. With this tantric understanding, we practice yoga as a whole body prayer. CE credit available.

Evolutional Flow: From the Ground Up (B3K)
Duncan Wong
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Yogic Arts™ integrates the core strength and joint conditioning elements of martial arts, the fluidity and purification of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and the healing touch of traditional Thai yoga massage. Learn how to approach a dynamic practice from the ground up from a master instructor. Duncan Wong teaches us to empower ourself and enlighten our basic vinyasas, complete with jumps and presses. CE credit available.

Chakra Journey (B4A)
Sherri Baptiste
General
Chant, Chakra & Trance Dance (CCT), Asana & Pranayama (AP)
The chakra system has been recognized as part of sacred yoga practices for thousands of years. In this hatha yoga session, we explore gentle postures designed and sequenced to awaken and balance the chakras, with visualization, meditation, and color breathing techniques taught for awakening subtle awareness. We gain a greater sense of the basic anatomy of these energy systems, learn tools for centering within our chakras, and integrate our body-mind-spirit in a way that brings the timeless yoga traditions to life. Please note: Bring a blanket, yoga strap, and two yoga blocks. CE credit available.

Inside the Yoga Sutras (B4B)
Rev. Jaganath Carrera
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali speak with clarity and authority on the inner workings of consciousness, the purpose of creation, and on suffering and the means to transcend it. They offer a step-by-step method to break through all artificial notions of self and the universe to experience the unshakable peace that is our true nature. In this session, we go to the heart of this ancient wisdom to discover a clear and practical perspective on teachings that are as vital and relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. CE credit available.

Detoxify & Purify (B4C)
Sharon Gannon
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Hatha yoga is an ancient purification method. This class focuses on detoxifying the physical and energetic bodies through asanas and breathing techniques. Please note: Bring a blanket and belt. CE credit available.

Anusara Yoga®: You Were Born Free—Hip Opening Like Never Before (B4D)
Amy Ippoliti
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Learn to open your pelvic floor, the great reservoir of your freedom and creative energy. Traversing a wide array of hip openers and forward bends, our guides are the elegant universal principles of alignment and the tantric practice of radical affirmation. CE credit available.

Mind Matters Most: Meditation (B4E)
Jonny Kest
General
Meditation & Contemplation (MC), Asana & Pranayama (AP)
In meditation, we find our greatest edge and our greatest weapon, as there is nothing more powerful to bring to battle than a nonreactive mind. Learn the teachings of the highest form of yoga—meditation—and find its essential place in a hatha yoga practice. Please note: Come prepared for a hatha yoga practice. CE credit available.

Alignment in Transition: An Exploration for Teachers (B4F)
Cyndi Lee
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Cyndi Lee reveals "the secret toe movement," investigates the whereabouts of the shoulders in upward dog, uncovers "the romance of the pelvis," and shows us how to initiate all the transitional actions of vinyasa sequences for efficiency, maximum benefit, and ultimate grace. By experiencing asanas and transitions with equal attention, we become more aware of every moment of our life. CE credit available.

Living Yoga: Integrating Yoga Into Daily Life (B4G)
Jana Long, RYT
General
Yoga Off the Mat (YOM), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Yoga in the West primarily focuses on asana. We usually set aside a block of time to attend class or to practice at home. But how does yoga look in other parts of the world where it is interwoven into the mundane activities of day-to-day life? Together we explore living yoga and learn to create a yoga practice inspired and reflected in our daily routines. CE credit available.

Vinyasa Flow: The Creative Flow Within Yoga (B4H)
Shiva Rea, M.A.
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
In this class, we focus on how to awaken our intelligence and intuition, expand the range of motion in our body and mind, and befriend the unknown. Together we embrace the diversity within our yoga practice as a reflection of the creative vitality of life. CE credit available.

Are We Having Fun Yet? Backbends & Inversions (B4J)
Joan White
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
If you want to have some fun with inversions and backbends, this is the class for you. We explore chest and shoulder openers, variations in inversions and their relationship to variations in backbends, and a variety of other asanas sure to be fun and challenging. Please Note: Requirements for this class are: 5-minute headstand, handstand and elbow balance against the wall, and the ability to push up into a backbend. Please note: Bring 3 blankets and a belt. CE credit available.

Kirtan with Jai Uttal and Daniel Paul followed by Trance Dance with Shiva Rea: A Benefit for Trees of the Future
Jai Uttal, Shiva Rea, M.A., Daniel Paul
Jai Uttal and Daniel Paul begin the evening with the call-and-response chanting of kirtan, allowing us to open our heart and welcome our spirit. Then, we experience the latest spin in meditative and high-energy world music with a Trance Dance led by Shiva Rea, which is part of A Moving Activism Partnership with Trees for the Future called Dance for Life: Global Dance for 1,080,000 Trees. www.treesftf.org The event is free to conference attendees ($5 of your conference registration fee will be donated to Trees for the Future). Ticket pricing for non-attendees will be announced shortly.

Sadhana
Gurushabd Singh Khalsa, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
General
Meditation & Contemplation (MC), Asana & Pranayama (AP)
A sadhana is a spiritual practice—with the goal of liberation and enlightenment—that often involves deep meditation, prayer, or yoga. Join us for sadhana during the hours known as the amrit vela, or the time of the nectar, when life around us is very still. It is a time of deep healing and inner contemplation. CE credit available.

Please Note: The following classes are double sessions and take place during sessions 5 & 6.

Slow Burn (C51)
Jonny Kest
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
"Fast is slow, slow is fast," Jonny Kest says. Sometimes the key to getting somewhere faster is to slow down. In this double session, we slow down our breath and challenge our mind and body like never before. We discover a new edge and burn away unnecessary weight and tension, leaving us feeling light and free. CE credit available.

Encounters With the Eternal: The Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita (C5A)
Rev. Jaganath Carrera
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Moments before battle, the prince Arjuna faces his biggest challenge. Seeing kinsmen arrayed against him, he loses heart and declares that he cannot fight. In the midst of his despondency, he turns to Krishna who removes his confusion and doubt and lays bare before him the essence of yoga. Just as Krishna guided Arjuna, we learn in this class how to let the Bhagavad Gita guide us to the peace we seek in the midst of our worldly responsibilities. CE credit available.

The Healing Path of Yoga (C5B)
Nischala Joy Devi
General
Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
The body, breath, heart, and mind are interconnected and enhance the flow of life force to our subtle body and our mind. When these forces are aligned, we experience healing and wholeness. When they are not, we experience a number of modern maladies. Through visualization, breathing practices, meditation, and classical and adapted yoga postures, Nischala Joy Devi shares her rich experience of the healing path of yoga. CE credit available.

Anusara Yoga®: Unlocking the Doors of Your Heart Through Shoulder Openers (C5C)
Amy Ippoliti
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Go deeper in every pose by finding the key to the doors of your heart: the shoulders. Experience new levels of freedom, bliss, and self-expression by learning healthy shoulder alignment and heart-opening artistry in a full spectrum of poses. CE credit available.

The Senior Challenge: Yoga for Longevity (C5D)
Serpil Iszak, Frank Iszak
Advanced/Teacher
Philosophy & Dicsussion (PD), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
Come learn about the birth and growing demand for Frank Iszak and Serpil Gole-Iszak's award-winning Silver Age Yoga classes for seniors. Through lecture and demonstration, we see how senior yoga classes allow students to feel respected and inspired to explore. Students will have the opportunity to participate. CE credit available.

Yoga Body, Buddha Mind (C5E)
Cyndi Lee
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Start your morning with a taste of shamatha—mindfulness meditation practice—that will leave you feeling stable, clear, and strong for the rest of the day. We learn to work with our mind using gentleness, precision, and letting go. Then we incorporate this approach into a 40-minute yoga practice that explores vinyasa as a more athletic form of walking meditation. CE credit available.

Karma, Ahimsa, Tapas & Diet (C5F)
David Life
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
In this lecture, we deepen our knowledge of the laws of karma to understand how our actions affect the lives of others. When our actions are virtuous and kind they will have good effects. If they are harmful, they will return harm. The yogi uses diet as another limb of evolutionary movement and a diet free from cruelty and harm is a virtuous diet. By applying tapas to the diet, the yogi performs important experiments with the relationship they have to the earth for sustenance, nurturing, and evolution.

Malasana: The Lost Art of Squatting (C5G)
Jana Long, RYT
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
This class focuses on malasana, or garland pose, and the postures and breathwork that support and enable us to squat. These postures stimulate the energies of the lower chakras to help ease gastrointestinal and uterine discomforts and our culture's growing dependence on laxatives and fiber-enhancing supplements. We also learn ayurvedic techniques for nurturing and detoxifying these areas of the body. CE credit available.

Twists: Unraveling the Vital Pulse (C5H)
Rod Stryker
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
The action of twisting rotates the outer body, freeing the neck, shoulders, hips, and internal organs from the limitations caused by patterns of movement. In this class, we go deeper into twisting with meditation and visualization practices to help unravel the deeper mysteries of opening ourselves to the vital pulse of the core. CE credit available.

Through Vinyasa Into Freedom (C5J)
Paul Toliuszis
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Using concise verbal instruction, breath awareness, metaphor, music, creative sequencing, silence, humor, and a continually uplifting message of nondualism, Paul Toliuszis leads us through vinyasa into a boundless sense of freedom. This signature organic flow class includes standing poses, hip and shoulder openers, arm balances, backbends, inversions, core strengthening poses, and "the top 10 yoga assists of all times," interwoven in a balanced and accessible way. CE credit available.

Evolutional Flow Yogic Arts™: Advanced Moves in Basic Format (C5K)
Duncan Wong
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Yogic Arts™ integrates the core strength and joint conditioning elements of martial arts, the fluidity and purification of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and the healing touch of traditional Thai yoga massage. In this class, we float from handstand to the ground and feel the fluid evolution of crow vinyasa, including jumps and presses. CE credit available.

The Power of Yoga: Postures for Serenity, Strength, Grace & Beauty (C6A)
Sherri Baptiste
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Sherri Baptiste skillfully guides us through a series of asanas coordinated with breath to strengthen the mind as well as the body, helping us to access and sustain mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Postures, including sun salutations, standing poses, gentle twists, and classic backbends, are held in accurate alignment, giving full range of motion to muscles, bones, and joints. Modifications for all postures are given as necessary. Please note: Bring a blanket, yoga strap, and two yoga blocks CE credit available.

Skill in Action: Perception in Asana (C6B)
Kofi Busia
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
The nervous system is a bridge between perception and reality; when disturbed (cittavrtti) both are affected. But the nervous system can also observe itself and bring about the unification of perception and reality. In this class, we explore postures that teach us how to be perceptive at all times while enjoying the reality of the moment. In particular, we focus on the spiritual and curative value of twists, which as mediators between front and back, right and left, internal and external, and action and inaction, help us to reconcile our opposites. CE credit available.

Detox Flow (C6C)
Seane Corn
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Environmental factors like water pollution, smog, pesticides, and toxic cleaning products—and stress in our relationships, work, and emotional life—are a toxic burden for our bodies, affecting our health, attitude, and peace of mind. In this challenging class, we practice a specifically choreographed routine designed to stimulate our vital organs and encourage the release of accumulated toxins. The practice includes sun salutations, a detoxifying standing pose sequence, breathing exercises, and meditation. CE credit available.

Chakra Purification Through Asana & Mantra (C6D)
Sharon Gannon
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Chant, Chakra & Trance Dance (CCT)
Each asana corresponds to a chakra and a mantra. Together we practice an asana series that activates the chakras from the root to the crown, while chanting bija mantras and focusing on the specific karmic causes that might be contributing to pain and stress in the body. Please note: Bring a blanket. CE credit available.

Yoga for Happiness (C6E)
Ximena Gutiérrez
General Level
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Please note: This class will be taught in Spanish. In Sanskrit, the word "namaste" means "the divine light in me salutes the divine light in you." This Spanish-language class explores how yoga can help us see ourselves in others, and turn compassion and respect into tools that solve our own problems. The best therapy in the world is love, and yoga is love in motion. Learn how developing a dynamic routine can unlock joy and fulfillment.

Yoga: La Llave de la Felicidad
Ximena Gutiérrez
Principiantes, intermedios y avanzados
Asanas, Pranayama, Charla y Meditación
Namaste en sánscrito significa "La luz divina en mí, saluda la luz divina en ti". En esta clase aprenderemos que visualizando en los demás una proyección de uno mismo en base a la compasión, la empatía y el respeto, muchos de los problemas y conflictos que nos agobian se aminoran y eventualmente desaparecen. La mejor terapia del mundo es el amor, y el yoga es amor en movimiento. Aprenda cómo desarrollando una rutina de prácticas de yoga puede abrir las puertas de la felicidad y disfrutar plenamente de la vida. CE credit available.

Patanjali's Keys to the Art of Personal Practice & Self-Transformation (C6F)
Gary Kraftsow, M.A., L.M.T.
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
In the second chapter of the Yoga Sutra lies Pantanjali's quintessential teachings on purification, illumination, and self-actualization. An understanding of these teachings empowers all sincere yoga practitioners to expand and deepen their personal practice. Unlock the secret to your own self-transformation in this lively lecture and discussion, which includes sutra chanting and meditation. CE credit available.

Kidney Chi (C6G)
Tias Little, M.A.
General Level
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
The kidney region can become restricted or locked, or the kidneys can become dehydrated as a result of muscular tension in the low back, fear, or holding on to emotions. In this class, we explore how the position of the kidneys supports the lungs while acting like huge aquifers, providing endurance and homeostasis to the entire body and facilitating the flow of prana. To balance our kidney chi, we practice a series of twists, forward bends, and supported backbends. CE credit available.

Strength: Yes, You Can! (C6H)
Kino MacGregor
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
If you think you'll never be able to lift up in yoga poses or if you want to take your lifting to a new level, this class is for you. Kino MacGregor explains the bandhas and core work in a way that is accessible to everyone. By using natural and scientific principles, like gravity, weight distribution, and mind-body connection, we gain a new understanding and experience of the potential for natural strength in our body. CE credit available.

Yin Yoga: The Path of Quiet Acceptance (C6J)
Biff Mithoefer
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Yin Yoga is a practice of quiet acceptance based on the ancient Taoist view of our natural path through life. In this class, we learn how the easy humility of the "watercourse way" can guide us into our own practice and toward the comfort of our true nature. We explore the physical, energetic, and emotional benefits of this practice as we experience the deep inner exploration that opens to us through the peaceful stillness of Yin Yoga. CE credit available.

Asana Backwards (C6K)
Matthew Sanford
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Typically, the study of asana relies on the repetitive, physical performance of yoga poses to eventually reveal their underlying depth. Matthew Sanford, a partially paralyzed yoga teacher in the Iyengar style, teaches us how to deepen our practice by approaching asana first as a subtle, energetic experience, and second as physical action. CE credit available.

Meditation Arising (C6L)
Mark Whitwell
General
Meditation & Contemplation (MC), Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
Asana, pranayama, meditation, and life are a seamless process. In this meditation class, we learn to stop fighting ourself in a struggle to eliminate thought, give up our yearnings for "higher" consciousness, and awaken our heart as the doorway to experience life's polarities in union. CE credit available.

Teaching Yoga Effectively (C7A)
Maya Breuer, RYT
Advanced/Teacher
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
In this hands-on, experiential class, we explore advanced and innovative techniques to refresh our teaching skills and deepen our students' connection with body, mind, and spirit. We learn how to use language that supports our teaching methods and intentions; creative assisting techniques; how to establish the tone and milieu for our classes; effective communication skills; and how to choose readings for inspiration. Yoga Alliance CEs available. CE credit available.

Transcending Fear, Anger & Depression (C7B)
Rev. Jaganath Carrera
General
Philosophy & Discussion (PD)
When things don't go our way, are we doomed to fear, anger, and depression? Or is there another way to live? Learn the source of these unwanted emotions and discover the powerful methods that Raja Yoga offers to diminish their hold over our life. Uncover what yogis have experienced for millennia: that within each of us, there is a peace so strong, steady, and healing that to encounter it is to transcend all of these negative emotions. CE credit available.

Financial Support for Yoga Therapy (C7C)
Matthew Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT (500), John Kepner
Advanced/Teacher
Philosophy & Discussion (PD), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
While yoga therapy is not usually covered by health insurance, there are actually a wide and growing variety of other sources of financial support for students and clients. Among these are tax-sheltered health-care accounts, and yoga therapy provided by licensed health-care providers billed under appropriate CPT® (Current Procedural Terminology) codes. In this class, experienced practitioners tell us about the use and abuse of each of these options. CE credit available.

Becoming Strong as Steel With Kundalini Yoga (C7D)
Gurushabd Singh Khalsa, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Build inner and outer strength, energy, commitment, and self-discipline by creating muscular balance, strengthening the nervous system, and building a strong magnetic field. Through Kundalini Yoga and meditation, a sacred gong, and pranayama, we awaken and experience the vitality and strength present and inherent within us. CE credit available.

Yoga for Warrior Women (C7E)
Cyndi Lee
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
In this class for women only, we cultivate our multidimensional strength, creating balance between the two sides of our nature: active and receptive. The practice includes lots of standing poses to strengthen and stabilize the yogic organs of action—the arms and legs—as well as poses to take us deeper inside, allowing us to get quiet and receptive through our sensory organs, mind, and heart. CE credit available.

The Power of the Pelvis in Purna Yoga™ (C7F)
Aadil Palkhivala
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Consciously or unconsciously, most people live from their pelvis and waste their vital force. In this class, we focus on twists and backbends to channel our vital energy toward the heart center, enabling a deeper expression of inner love and connectedness. Please Note: Bring one block, one blanket, and one strap. CE credit available.

Fluid Power: Embodying Wave Motion Within Vinyasa (C7G)
Shiva Rea, M.A.
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Chant, Chakra & Trance Dance (CCT)
Physicists and sages agree that life is in dynamic motion (spanda-shakti). From the water in our fluid bodies to the subatomic quantum field, wave motion is the expression of life. Explore Shiva Rea's three-part approach to awakening to the natural, healing power of wave motion in a dynamic, rhythmic flow that intelligently challenges all levels of "yogic surfers." CE credit available.

Backbends: Expanding the Power of Now (C7H)
Rod Stryker
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
The gifts of backbending arise from reclaiming the power of space in the body. In this class, Rod Stryker uses correct sequencing of backbends to move us into new realms of radiance and enthusiasm, awakening joy, passion, and love within each of us. CE credit available.

The Physics of Flight: Exploring the Realms of Vinyasa (C7J)
David Swenson
Advanced/Teacher
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Vinyasa is a challenging and sometimes frustrating aspect of Ashtanga Yoga. In this class, we break it down to its basic components. Though there is no guarantee that we will be able to jump through after completing this class, there is a guarantee that we can successfully apply the techniques learned within all realms of our practice and teaching. CE credit available.

Chanting: The Heart of Devotional Yoga (C7K)
Jai Uttal, Daniel Paul
General
Chant, Chakra & Trance Dance (CCT)
The meditative practice of kirtan (devotional chanting) creates a bridge between the individual and the eternal, opening the heart and welcoming the spirit. In this class, Jai Uttal introduces us to this sacred, ancient practice and shares stories from the spiritual epics of India as well as from his personal experiences to create a modern context in which to explore this tradition. CE credit available.

Hips, Hips & More Hips (C7L)
Joan White
General
AP
One of the often-quoted sutras of Patanjali is II:46, "Sthira Sukham Asanam," meaning, "the asana should be firm/steady and comfortable/soft." But here the word asana can also refer to being seated or a way of sitting. If our hips aren't open, how can we be firm, steady, and comfortable? In this class, we work on ways to loosen the hips in a variety of asanas. CE credit available.

The Body as Prayer Flag: A Closing Ceremony
Cyndi Lee
This traditional way to close practice, called "dedicating the merit" or "brahma vihara," is a means to radiate the benefits we've cultivated from our goodhearted practice all weekend out to beings everywhere. It is a prayer through movement, mudra, and language. Using our bodies as the medium for prayer, intention, and connection, together we create a giant prayer flag, casting our merit out to all 10 directions, while at the same time, connecting us through movement, heartbeat, and chanting.

Main conference fee does not include post-conference intensives; see registration info page for fees.

Viniyoga Therapy: Progressive Therapeutic Self-Care for Psychological Conditions (D01)
Gary Kraftsow, M.A., L.M.T.
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T), Philosophy & Discussion (PD), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Disturbing emotions play a primary role in physical disease; therefore, emotional health is fundamental to the maintenance of the body. In this intensive, we explore the interaction between thought, mood, behavior, and physiology and learn how yoga practice can nourish the system and restore equilibrium. Drawing on the same methodology he used to design the protocol for a National Institutes of Health study on generalized anxiety, Gary Kraftsow helps us develop practices to work with physiological, behavioral, affective, and cognitive aspects of psychological conditions. CE credit available.

Yoga Body, Buddha Mind (D02)
Cyndi Lee
General
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Meditation & Contemplation (MC)
Both the ease and challenge of hatha yoga practice provide an ideal opportunity to apply the Buddhist meditation techniques of watching our mind, recognizing our habits, and opening our hearts. In this intensive, we integrate the practices of hatha yoga and Buddhist meditation to help bring our bodies and minds into balance. We begin the day with mindfulness meditation instruction and practice, and then take the awareness we've cultivated into our asana practice, planting the seeds necessary to take the insights of both practices into our daily lives. CE credit available.

Lymphatic Yoga: Supporting the Immune System (D03)
Tias Little, M.A.
General Level
Asana & Pranayama (AP), Yoga Therapy & Therapeutics (T)
Yoga postures can act as preventative medicine for warding off the flu and respiratory illnesses by creating a healthy and radiant immune system. We look at practice sequences designed as a tonic for the glands and membranes around the throat, jaw, and upper chest and we review the primary functions of the lymphatic system to discover how yoga postures aid in the irrigation of lymph fluid throughout the lymph nodes and vessels in the body. Then we look at how various postures, including shoulderstand, twists, half-lotus, and legs-up-the-wall, affect the various lymph channels. CE credit available.

Evolutional Flow Yogic Arts™: Advanced Moves in Basic Format (D04)
Duncan Wong
Intermediate
Asana & Pranayama (AP)
Yogic Arts™ integrates the core strength and joint conditioning elements of martial arts, the fluidity and purification of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and the healing touch of traditional Thai yoga massage. In this intensive, we learn how to float from handstand to the ground and feel the fluid evolution of crow vinyasa, including jumps and presses. CE credit available.