Elevate your spirit at our “Pie in the Sky” Kirtan—a celestial evening filled with heartful chanting, delectable food, and the resonance of sacred mantras. Join our community to create an atmosphere of joy and devotion, welcoming participants of all levels to immerse themselves in the transformative power of kirtan. This enchanting night promises a soulful celebration where the sweetness of melodies mingles with the warmth of community, creating a tapestry of spiritual connection, vibrant mantra, and shared moments of divine inspiration.

Doors open at 6:30pm for food an socializing. Kirtan beginsat 7:00pm.

This module can be taken as a standalone immersion or as credit toward BYDC’s 300HR certification. RYS300 - 25 Hours.

21 Hours Training + 4 Hours Homework (Assist 3 Classes + Reflection)

The Art of Empowered Touch

Hands-on assists are one of the most powerful tools in a yoga teacher’s toolkit—and often, one of the most feared. But when offered with clarity, consent, and care, an assist can awaken a student’s awareness, transform their posture, and create an experience that words alone cannot deliver.

This module is designed to help teachers move from hesitation to confidence, learning how to offer skillful, intentional touch across a wide range of postures and bodies. You’ll explore the foundations of safe and effective assists, refine your anatomical understanding, and gain hands-on experience assisting in live classes.

You’ll also be trained in how to read subtle cues, practice verbal & non-verbal communication, and offer your presence in a way that is both empowering and sensitive—especially for students who may be touch-averse, trauma-informed, or simply needing a softer approach.

In this module, you’ll:

• Learn foundational and advanced assists for a variety of poses and class styles

• Practice verbal and non-verbal consent strategies

• Develop intuitive presence and safe energetic boundaries

• Explore the ethics of touch and cultural sensitivity in assistive teaching

• Practice in real-time during three assisted classes

• Cultivate confidence through repetition, mentorship, and embodied learning

• Learn when not to assist—and when an assist is a moment of transformation waiting to happen

Whether you're brand new to assisting or looking to refine your skills, this training will help you step into the role of teacher with greater confidence, sensitivity, and mastery. The difference between a good teacher and a great one often comes down to presence—and presence, when paired with intentional touch, becomes a profound act of service.

Join Graham M. Schweig, Distinguished Professor of Religion at Christopher Newport University, for a captivating talk on his latest work, The Yoga of Love (Oxford University Press, 2025). At the heart of this book is the Rāsa Līlā—a dramatic love poem and one of the most treasured episodes of the Bhāgavata Purāa. Judged by both Indian and Western scholars as a literary masterpiece, the Rāsa Līlā is a soaring sacred love story, akin to India’s “Song of Songs.”

In The Yoga of Love, Schweig offers his own translation of this exquisite work, illuminating its historical context, poetic beauty, and spiritual depth. Through rich commentary, he explores themes such as the yoga of devotion, the tension between human love and divine love, and the transcendence of death through love. Drawing from the esoteric wisdom of the Chaitanya Vaishnava tradition, Schweig reveals the Rāsa Līlā’s vision of supreme love as a foundation for genuine religious pluralism.

Whether you are a student of yoga, a seeker of wisdom, or a lover of poetry, this talk promises to transport you into one of the world’s most sublime meditations on love.