Curious about bhakti? The philosophy of yoga? The history of Kirtan? The meaning of mantras? The teachings of Krishna? The Vedic gods and goddesses? Gain a deep and systematic understanding of these topics and everything Bhakti yoga, through this 6 week foundations of bhakti course.
Session 1: Epistemology: Sacred Knowledge, Lineage and Ancient texts
Session 2: Ontology: Nature, Soul and God
Session 3: Existence: Karma, Samsara, and Gunas
Session 4: Telos: Human Purpose and Divine Love
Session 5: Praxis: Kirtan, Sanga, and the 9 limbs of devotion
Session 6: Immersion: Temple visit, Sacred Images, Blessed food and A life of bhakti
All participants will receive a copy of the Bhagavad Gita as well as Tulasi meditation beads and a bead bag.
Instructors: This series will be co-led by Prema and Ananda Manjari who each have 200 hours of yoga teacher training and over two decades of bhakti practice and study between them. Both have spent many years studying yoga philosophy from traditional ancient texts and Vaishnava teachers in ashrams in India and the US.
This module can be taken as a standalone immersion or as credit toward BYDC’s 300HR certification. RYS300 - 50 Hours.
At the heart of every yoga practice is the breath—our link between body, mind, and spirit. In this 50-hour immersion, you’ll explore the breath as a powerful tool for transformation, using ancient pranayama techniques to regulate your nervous system, move emotional energy, and awaken your inner vitality.
This training is both practical and profound. You’ll learn breathwork techniques that support digestion, clear emotional blockages, calm anxiety, and expand lung capacity. We’ll study the relationship between breath and asana, introduce kriyas, explore breath adaptations for different bodies, and harness the healing potential of mantra and sound.
Whether you're a yoga teacher, therapist, energy healer, or dedicated practitioner, this module will deepen your relationship with the subtle body and offer tools to integrate breath-based practices into classes, workshops, and daily life.
Topics include:
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The science and soul of deep belly breathing
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Ujjayi for grounding and vagal tone
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Breath thresholds and the subtle art of conscious breath retention
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Cleansing techniques like Bhastrika and Kapalabhati
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Nervous system balancing: segmentation of inhale and exhale
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Energizing flows like Breath of Joy
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Nadi Shodhana and alternate nostril practices for inner harmony
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Cooling pranayama and kriyas for inflammation and emotion
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Mantra and breath: how sacred sound empowers breathwork
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Emotional release through sound, breath, and movement
This module is a doorway into the energetics of healing and a call to awaken the breath as your most loyal and immediate teacher.
Join us for a soul-stirring weekend of kirtan and contemplative music led by Ananda Murari das—songwriter, former monk, and devotional artist. Known for his holistic folk fusion, Ananda Murari blends ancient fables, personal reflection, and sacred mantra into a moving musical experience that honors both the vulnerability and hope of the spiritual journey.
Together, we’ll
learn:
• The basics of chanting and the power of mantra
• How to play harmonium and cartals (hand cymbals)
• Foundational voice techniques to support healthy, embodied
singing
• How to create melodies that express your inner emotional and
spiritual landscape
Drawing from his years in monastic life and his evolution as a father and musician, Ananda Murari's offerings explore the tension between seeking and surrender, the heart’s struggles, and the beauty of faith through song. His grounded presence and intimate storytelling invite deep connection, inner stillness, and joyful expression through chanting.
Whether you're new to kirtan or a longtime practitioner, this immersive weekend is an opportunity to awaken your voice, soften your heart, and reconnect with what matters most.
All are welcome. No musical experience necessary.
Counts as +20 hours RYS Credit for 300-Hr Teacher Training Certifications
Foundational Key Concepts of Yoga
- In-depth study of the anatomy of the spine
- Yoga breathing and how breath stimulates and creates space in the spine
- Accessing the autonomic nervous system (ANS) using the breath, creating an energizing or calming effect. overview of the energy body
- The 5 directional flows of breath, their function and purpose in the body (Pancha Vayu)
- The 5 layers (koshas) of the body
- How the laws of compensation and dual action work in yoga and how to effect positive change with conscious awareness
- fundamental principles of safe movement
- Evening discussion on Yama and Niyama from The Yoga Sutras
- Summary of Biomechanics of forward bends, backbends, twist, hips openers, inversions, and arm balances and their correct alignment, function and purpose based on the individual
- How to adapt postures to maximize their full potential according to individuals' needs
This module can be taken as a standalone immersion or as credit toward BYDC’s 300HR certification. RYS300 - 25 Hours.
Journey Within: Mindfulness & Meditation Practices
Mindfulness is a practice that brings awareness to the sensations, emotions, and thoughts that arise within the body. It creates a sacred pause between stimulus and response.
Learning foundational mindfulness techniques becomes a powerful tool for healing and reprogramming the nervous system to respond differently to triggers and challenging situations. By understanding the wisdom behind a basic body scan and recognizing where emotional stress is mapped in the physical body, we gain insight into how our body receives and processes information—and how it develops protective mechanisms. With this understanding, we begin to rewire our responses from the inside out.
In this training, we will explore how to witness the layers of the self—using breath awareness, body scans, and meditation—as a means of inner transformation.
You will learn the
mindfulness method known as R.A.I.N.S.:
R:
Recognize
A:
Acknowledge/Accept
I:
Investigate
N:
Nurture
S: Surrender
We will also explore the meditative and healing wisdom of sound healing and mantra—how sacred sound helps shift stagnant energy held in the body, and the mysticism behind vibration, frequency, and chanting.
You’ll deepen your understanding of Yoga Nidra—its healing function and subtle power—and learn how to skillfully guide others through this practice. By working through the koshas, the layers of the self, you'll gain the tools to help others access deep rest, release trauma, and connect with the innermost self through spacious awareness.