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.

Join us for a special evening of kirtan with Ananda Murari das — songwriter, former monk, and devotional artist known for his deeply moving, heart-centered music.

Through soulful melodies and sacred mantra, Ananda Murari weaves together stories of devotion, vulnerability, and the beauty of faith. His grounded presence and luminous voice create a space for both reflection and release — where the heart opens and the spirit feels free to sing.

This evening gathering is part of our Kirtan Immersion Weekend, but is also open to the public as a standalone event. Whether you’re new to chanting or an experienced practitioner, come as you are and let the power of sacred sound carry you inward.

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.