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 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.

Weekend registration includes ticket to Pie in the Sky Kirtan night on October 4, 2025 from 6:30 - 9:00pm.

Counts as +20 hours RYS Credit for 300-Hr Teacher Training Certifications 

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:

• The science and soul of deep belly breathing

• Ujjayi for grounding and vagal tone

• Breath thresholds and the subtle art of conscious breath retention

• Cleansing techniques like Bhastrika and Kapalabhati

• Nervous system balancing: segmentation of inhale and exhale

• Energizing flows like Breath of Joy

• Nadi Shodhana and alternate nostril practices for inner harmony

• Cooling pranayama and kriyas for inflammation and emotion

• Mantra and breath: how sacred sound empowers breathwork

• 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.

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.