Yoga Therapy Info Packet 2.7.21
Yoga Therapy Info Packet 2.7.21
Yoga Therapy Info Packet 2.7.21
Information Packet
760.943.7685
IAYT Yoga Therapy Certification
The Soul of Yoga
Accredited Yoga Therapy Training
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to tell you about our world-class IAYT Accredited
Yoga Therapy Training Program!
Here are just some of the qualifications that set the Soul of Yoga training apart:
● IAYT Accreditation. The Soul of Yoga hosts San Diego’s only Accredited Yoga Therapy
Training program. IAYT Accreditation means that our school has undergone rigorous
oversight and our curriculum has been proven to meet all the criteria necessary for our
students to graduate with the learning and competencies necessary to be a professional
Yoga Therapist. Yoga Alliance will no longer allow non-Accredited professionals to
promote themselves as Yoga Therapists, so this distinction really matters.
● Our master level faculty. While some other training programs are taught by
Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, PT’s or other non-yogic healers, our faculty are true Yoga
Experts, Masters and Researchers that have been living and studying yoga and its
therapeutic effects for decades. Leslie Kaminoff, Nischala Joy Devi, Richard Miller, Amy
Weintraub and other renowned yoga luminaries will impart their depth of wisdom to you
in this very special training program.
● Professional career support. The Soul of Yoga is home to San Diego’s only free Yoga
Therapy Clinic. Yoga Therapy students are afforded the opportunity to observe and
learn, and then work directly with clients under mentored supervision. Clinic hours let
you build your experience, and your resume, but also provide you an opportunity to grow
your own clientele. Many clinic clients continue on seeing their Yoga therapist privately
after leaving the clinic setting.
● A deeply spiritual journey. Yoga is a spiritual tradition. Many schools try to divorce the
spiritual from their program leaving students with a dry, academic and clinical
understanding of the Yogic healing concepts. Soul of Yoga’s training takes students
deep into the heart and soul of the Yogic teachings, guiding you on a journey into your
own spiritual being. To us Yoga Therapy Training is more than vocational, it’s a pathway
for personal transformation.
● Total freedom. We make it easy by allowing you to take the curriculum in any order,
providing distance learning options, transfer credit and by offering low cost, no credit
check payment plans.
● Repeat classes. Soul of Yoga offers our students the opportunity to repeat in-house
courses they’ve already taken at no additional cost. We know that Yoga Therapy study is
a lifelong endeavor and we want to support you in having a deeper and richer
understanding of what you’ve learned.
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● 300-RYT certification included. Because Soul of Yoga Training Programs are also
registered with Yoga Alliance once you’ve completed the necessary required and
elective courses included in our 300 hour training we will provide you with the
documentation you need to get your 500-RYT designation.
Our students graduate with the skills, knowledge, understanding and career support they
need to work confidently and competently in the burgeoning field of Yoga Therapy.
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What does a career in Yoga Therapy look like?
● Yoga Therapists work in their own private practice charging anywhere from $40 to
$175 or more an hour. Most find it useful to offer this sliding scale to also accommodate
those clients who have less income.
● Yoga Therapists work in private elementary, middle and high schools counseling their
young students on social, family, personal and physical issues and instilling a sense of
self confidence and self awareness during confusing times in life.
● Yoga Therapists work with professional athletes in training centers, college campuses
and in professional team settings helping them remain in top physical shape and
providing rehabilitation support for injuries when needed.
● Yoga Therapists work in addiction centers, eating disorder clinics and recovery homes
providing spiritual, mental and physical support to clientele helping them return to a
place of balance and discover inner peace.
● Yoga Therapists work in medical settings including hospitals, cancer centers, mental
health clinics and hospices alongside western healthcare professionals, offering different
perspectives and healing tools that work in conjunction with traditional treatment
protocols.
● Yoga Therapists work in senior centers, assisted living communities and nursing
homes providing a means for seniors to regain declining abilities, including balance,
mental acuity and dexterity, in order to live more independently and joyfully in their
golden years.
● Yoga Therapists work in Yoga studios, spas and resorts where they are sought after to
teach therapeutically oriented classes such as Yoga for a Healthy Back, Yoga for
Cancer Recovery and Yoga for Chronic Pain to name just a few.
As more and more bona fide medical studies proclaim the healing power behind Yoga
Therapy techniques the career options grow by leaps and bounds each year.
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How to Register
2. The Soul of Yoga Institute will review your application. If accepted, you will receive an
official welcome email with the necessary information on the program, the school and
courses that are about to begin.
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Yoga Therapy Curriculum Outline
805 Hours
2 years in duration
Note: A 200 Hour Teacher Training and a year of teaching experience is a prerequisite for this
program. If you don’t have a year of teaching yet you can begin with our 300 Hour program on
the “Yoga Therapy Track” and matriculate when you’re ready.
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50 Hours - Mentoring/Clinic
Rolling Admission, 2 to 6.5hrs per month, Offered through video conferencing
Guidance and practicum. Optional: work in Soul of Yoga’s free Yoga Therapy Clinic to gain skills and
build your professional practice. Required: Mentoring sessions to address and review cases, receive
feedback, share learning and insight and build a supportive community with fellow students and
instructors.
15 Hours - Prāṇāyāma
January 15-16, 2022 (not guaranteed online)
Breathing for Life. This course covers the theory, structure, and in-depth practice of prāṇāyāma for health,
healing, and awakening to our underlying Essential Nature.
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15 Hours - Secret Power of Yoga
June 5-6, 2021 (Live Stream & In Person if Available)
Online Option: additional $36 fee plus written assignment
Yoga Sutra study to open the heart with Nischala Joy Devi from her book Secret Power of Yoga.
7 Hours - Closing
Date Dependent on Graduation Day (Live Stream)
Presentation of one Graduate Case Study and final closing ceremony.
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Required Courses
Required
Tuition TBA
Course Description:
The focus of this training program is theory and practice of asana, pranayama, deep relaxation,
imagery and meditation as applied for people with cardiac, cancer, and other life threatening
diseases and general health and prevention. It will provide you with the skills to teach heart and
cancer patients in a hospital or clinic setting as well as on a private or individual basis.
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Holistic Anatomy & Physiology
of Yoga (HAPY)
80 Hours
Required
Course Description:
Holistic A&P of Yoga provides students with the understanding of structural anatomy and
holistic physiology as it relates to therapeutic yoga. Muscles, bones, nerves, organs, glands
and the other bodily systems are explored with a holistic view to healing and health. Yogic
practices such as specific asana and breathing techniques are employed as both assessment
and prescriptive tools for illness, injury, and bodily misalignment giving you the understanding
and capability to work with people dealing with pain and movement limitations.
Each session includes an anatomy and physiology lecture, body reading and diagnostic
guidance, prescriptive asana and question and answer period. Each session has a homework
assignment and through this practicum you will have a chance to directly apply your new
knowledge and skills to help integrate the material in a meaningful and impactful way.
Course Syllabus:
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Yoga Therapy for the Wrist and Hands
Nervous System:
Asana, pranayama, meditation and other techniques to directly affect the autonomic nervous
system
Yoga Therapy for the Nervous System
Yoga Therapy for the Stress and Pain
Yoga Therapy for Memory and Habit (Samskara)
Yoga Therapy for Sleep and a Healthy Brain
Recommended reading:
Atlas of Human Anatomy, Frank H. Netter, M.D.
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Soul of Wellness
75 Hours
Required
Studies indicate that the majority of people who come to yoga do so hoping for improved health
or to manage their stress. While any yoga class can offer an innate opportunity to foster peace
and well-being, a really skilled yoga teacher can meet the more individual needs of their
students and plan for more targeted effects.
Soul of Wellness provides Yoga Professionals with essential skills that will allow you to adapt
and create practices for specific situations and purposeful results for both body and mind.
Learn how to utilize particular sequencing, movement and breathing patterns, mantra and
mudra to address your student’s physical, physiological and psycho-emotional needs. We’ll
teach you to design specialised classes for students with pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue and
agitation. Learn cueing and observational tools to adjust dysfunctional movement and breathing
patterns and foster healthier ones.
Practice, lecture, dyad and practicum classroom tools will all be employed to enhance your
understanding.
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Course Syllabus:
Teaching through the lenses of both the latest scientific research and ancient Yogic philosophy
Amy will illuminate how the nervous system can become unbalanced and stuck, and how we
can help foster balance, health and spiritual growth through Yoga practices. The workshop will
include a mix of practice, lecture and practicum.
We will look at alignment principles as they relate to body systems including digestion,
circulation and respiration. Students will also learn how common misalignments in the foot,
knee, neck, shoulders and spine can be observed in asana, and corrected through anatomical
alignment principles.
Learning the art of sequencing will allow you to organize your skills and understanding and
create classes that elicit specific effects, like calming, energizing, relieving, strengthening or
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stretching. Students will develop skillful sequences designed to eliminate dysfunction and
establish functional movement patterns and balance energy through effective practices that
meet your intentions and your student’s needs.
Topics will include the necessary ingredients for optimal sequencing including pose and counter
pose, peak pose, optimal conditioning, breathing patterns, movement and holding, different
types of stretch, rests and meeting the mood. This course will include lecture and dyad practice.
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Soul of Life
75 Hours
Required
Course Description:
As Yoga becomes more popular with people of all physical abilities and ages, Yoga Teachers
and Therapists must be able to provide safe physical instruction and impart healing care for a
huge variation of people. The Soul of Life delivers essential knowledge to support your
students/clients through their entire life cycle. From our spiritual origins to prenatal care, birth,
and beginnings through the inevitable anatomical changes that occur as we age, Soul of Life
brings us full circle to return to our spiritual source through death and reincarnation.
Course Syllabus:
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Prenatal Yoga Training with Flossie Park
Yoga can give new life to anyone at any age, but it becomes especially helpful for
mothers-to-be. Students will learn the methodology of prenatal and postnatal Yoga, various
philosophies, such as natural birth and supporting birth choices, anatomy of the female pelvis,
benefits and contraindications, positive affirmations and visualizations for pregnancy and
birthing.
Living a Fulfilling Life, A Deep Dive into the Bhagavad Gita Study with Phil Goldberg
This practical workshop illuminates the core teachings of one of the most profound, sublime and
influential works the human mind has ever produced. The Bhagavad Gita has been seen as a
religious scripture, a spiritual guidebook, a self-help manual, a philosophical and psychological
treatise, a science of consciousness, and more. It encapsulates the essence of Yoga at its
deepest level, where its capacity for transforming human life is greatest. Using contemplative
practices with the key passages, we will absorb the true meaning of Yoga; and, with a traditional
meditation practice, we will experience the essence of the Gita’s message: Established in Yoga,
perform action.
If you’ve been meaning to read the Gita, or if you’ve read it and want to dig deeper into its
indispensable wisdom, this is a golden opportunity. See why Thoreau read it every morning on
Walden Pond and why Gandhi called it his “spiritual dictionary” and turned to it whenever
difficulties arose. The workshop will emphasize the Gita’s lessons for realizing the yogic ideal
not just on a mat or a cushion, but in the midst of everyday life. The tools and insights you take
away will accelerate your path to life of wholeness, unity and integration.
For Yoga Teachers and Therapists it is essential to understand the unique physical, mental and
emotional challenges facing this demographic as they quickly become the majority of students
in many yoga classes across the Nation.
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Adapting Asana for Middle Age Students
This workshop will present specific yogic practices which offer a way to grow older while
maintaining focus, flexibility and strength. With well considered modifications and refinements
asana practice can be tailored to suit the needs of maturing adults in their 40s through 60s.
Students will learn how to plan effective midlife sequences, modify poses and provide the
correct alignment cues and adjustments for mature adults coming to their mats as an antidote to
mid-life crisis.
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this class will be to gain a clearer perspective on reincarnation and give essential tools to help
better identify and work out karmic conditions.
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Essential Ayurveda for Yoga
Professionals
50 Hours
Required
Course Description:
Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences. Each modality employs different, but completely
complimentary healing and health interventions designed to bring about a state of optimal
balance and wellness.
While the combination of Yoga and Ayurvedic practices are incredibly beneficial, merging the
two practices can sometimes be overwhelming and other times confusing. This course is the
perfect meeting point between the two sciences. Participants will learn to use Yogic techniques
of asana, pranayama and mudra through the healing lens of Ayuvedic understanding; doshas,
guna, prana, agni and marma.
Yoga professionals will learn to apply the deep and powerful healing wisdom of Ayurveda to
their professional scope of practice; broadening their skill set with competence and confidence.
This course offers helpful self care practices as well as a greater understanding of the power of
Yoga to serve therapeutic intentions.
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● How to live Ayurveda in the light of Yoga and Yoga Therapy
● Samkhya Philosophy and its application through Yoga Practices
● Tools to make Ayurveda Accessible
● Concepts of 5 elements, dosha, gunas and agni in Yoga practice
● How to identify dosha balance and imbalance markers in self and others
● Yoga for Seven Tissues, Ojas, Tejas and Agni
● Marma Points in Yoga
● How to modify the practice for self and others (in one of one setting or group) to support
dosha and guna balance
● Concept of Sensory therapy through Yoga- Tanmatra Chikitsa
● Ayurveda and Yoga for seasonal Change
● Ayurveda and Diet Principles
● 10 crucial everyday practices of self-care
Recommend Books and Tools for Dinacharya (Self Care Morning Ritual), available
on Yogsadhna.com
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Yoga of Recovery
50 Hours
Required
Subject Yogic tools for working with issues of addiction and self
destructive behavior
Course Description:
Yoga of Recovery is the first comprehensive course to combine Ayurveda and Yoga with
traditional recovery tools to offer a more holistic mind, body, spirit approach to addictions, eating
disorders and self-destructive behaviors. Bringing the west (neuroscience and 12 Steps) and
the East (Yoga and Ayurveda) together offers a truly empowering approach to counseling those
who embark on a program of recovery. It is the evolution of the solution.
Upon completion of the course you will have the skills to introduce the healing potential of the
holistic sciences of Ayurveda and Yoga to address addictive and self destructive behavior into
your own life and those of your students and clients. As a Yoga Professional this course will
make you uniquely qualified and more confident to teach yoga in rehabs or to people in
recovery from any addiction. You will fully understand the root of the problem and the holistic
approach, extended from limited understanding of substance abuse/behavioral problems to be
treated with asana alone, to a full range of therapies for mind, body and spirit from powerful
healing modalities.
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Silent Yoga Meditation Retreat
40 Hours
Required
Course Description:
Yoga and meditation have been scientifically proven to foster health, resiliency, well-being and
healing for physical, psycho-emotional and spiritual challenges. The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali
affirms that the path of Self-Realization needs to include a complete path of emotional,
cognitive and meditative practices if one is to truly experience spiritual transformation.
In the West, hatha yoga asana has mistakenly become popularized to the general public as
representing the core teachings of Yoga. Hatha Yoga practitioners are starting to ask, “What’s
next?”. The answer comes in the form of the nondual teachings that are offered through the
Yoga tradition, which consist of in-depth principles and practices of meditation, awakening, and
enlightenment that can be integrated into all forms of Yoga, meditation, as well as throughout
daily life.
This 5-day meditation retreat led by Richard C. Miller, developer of the iRest Meditation
Program, focuses on the Nondual Yogic teachings of awakening to your essential nature.
During retreat Richard will guide you into the depths of your own self-exploration through simple
yet elegant practices that includes discussion of underlying principles, self-inquiry, pranayama,
hatha yoga, yoga nidra, and sitting and walking meditation practices
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The Profession of Yoga Therapy
30 Hours
Required
Course Description:
Yoga Therapy is a growing profession within the heathcare industry. Yoga Therapists have
uniquely valuable skill sets and tools which have been proven beneficial for a very large range
of conditions and populations. From back pain and anxiety, to heart disease, grief and addictive
behaviours, one would be hard pressed to find another integrated modality that is able to
successfully address so many varied situations. This course will provide you with the essential
understanding you need to take your training out into the world as a professional.
This course will help you understand the ways and means of the heathcare industry; HIPAA
laws, scope of practice, referral protocols, professional ethics and insurance billing. It will also
provide you with a foundational understanding of the framework of integrated health
organisations and how to best work within the system.
You’ll also learn how to market yourself, convey the concept of Yoga Therapy to the public and
other professionals, and learn the basics of web based outreach.
Because Yoga Therapy is a unique form of care, we’ll also discuss how our profession is
different, where we fit in, and how an overarching understanding of spirituality and intuitive
sense ultimately guides our work to help others.
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iRest Level 1
30 Hours
Course Description:
iRest is an accessible and easy to use meditation protocol that is integrative, as it heals
unresolved issues and traumas, and restorative, as it aids practitioners in recognizing their
innate wholeness and underlying peace of mind that is always present amidst all changing
circumstances in life.
Research has shown that iRest effectively supports health and healing across a broad range of
populations, including those experiencing PTSD, chronic pain, sleep issues, high stress,
depression, and anxiety.
Required Reading:
Richard Miller, Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing (book with
audio CD)
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LifeForce Yoga Trauma
Sensitive Training & Self-Care
30 Hours
Tuition Required for Yoga Therapy, Elective for the 300 Hour, or
$660 A La Carte Pricing
Over 50% of Americans experience trauma in their lifetimes. This can include sexual and
physical assault and abuse, experiencing or witnessing accidents, combat, disaster, illness, or
violence.
Unresolved trauma can result in a varied range of health imbalances from depression, and
anxiety to addiction, to auto-immune disorders and heart disease. According to a recent report
released by the CDC, a history of trauma is an indicator of increased mortality rates and mental
health challenges.
This compassionate and useful training will provide an understanding of trauma and PTSD from
both the Western and Eastern perspective, including PolyVagal theory and the Gunas. Learn
trauma sensitive modifications of teaching language and Yoga practices that can help allow the
safe release of trauma memory stored in all the Koshas (physical, energy, emotional and mental
levels of existence). These practices can help trauma sufferers find relief by reconnecting with
their own true and unsullied nature for sustained periods of time. From this source of
reconnection, they can build resilience and increase self-regulation, diminishing triggers and
flashbacks and fostering greater overall wellbeing.
During this course, we will be discussing trauma and PTSD as well as application of techniques
in the morning sessions. Afternoon sessions focus on self-care mastery for practitioners,
including yoga nidra and movement.
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Learning Objectives:
● Creating a safe and sacred container using LifeForce Yoga techniques for individuals
with a trauma history
● Basics of trauma from Western perspective, including polyvagal theory
● Understanding of trauma and PTSD from the Eastern and Yogic philosophical model
● LifeForce Yoga empowerment techniques
● Self-regulation and self-soothing yogic practices, like breath, sound, and cultivation of
attitude (pranayama, mantra, and bhavana)
● Discuss language dos and don’ts when working with trauma and PTSD
● LifeForce Yoga Nidra and other meditation techniques appropriate for trauma and PTSD
● Discuss and learn appropriate self-care techniques for the practitioner
● How to work with victims of trauma as a yoga therapist, within your scope of practice
● Enhancing love, compassion, and presence in the treatment room
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Subtle Anatomy
25 Hours
Required
Course Description:
One the most profound insights of Yoga is that we have, and are, more than our physical body.
In fact we have 5 bodies, or layers, that cover our pure self, or the light within. These layers are
called the Maya Koshas - literally Maya (illusion) and Kosha (body or sheath).
The wisdom of the Maya Koshas provide an illuminating lens through which to understand the
integrated nature of mind, body and spirit and its implications for balance and wellbeing, health
and disease.
The 5 Koshas include the layers of the physical body, our thoughts and emotions along with
states of higher consciousness and bliss. We also embody an energetic and rarefied layer of
our being that illuminates, vitalises and balances our body and mind. This is our “Energy Body”,
referred to as the PranaMaya Kosha, and it is home to our subtle anatomy, which is the in-depth
subject of this course.
We will explore subtle anatomy in order to understand how Prana flow can foster balance,
well-being, health and spiritual awareness, while obstructions in the flow can create imbalance
in body and mind and initiate disease states.
We will cover:
The Nadis: a System of astral tubes that aid circulation and enhance the prana as it flows
through the gross and subtle bodies. While there are thousands of nadis, three will our main
focus, the Ida, Pingala and Shushumna.
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The Pancha Maya Kosha: The five layers or bodies that encase the true self and how they
function and nurture us on all levels.
The Seven Chakras: whirling vortexes of energy containing valuable information about the
mundane as well as the sublime aspects of our every action and thought. Connected through
channels (nadis) that flow up and down our spines, they infuse vitality and knowledge to every
facet of our being.
On the last day of the course Monique Lonner will discuss the associated modern maladies and
the appropriate Yogic practices to enhance, balance and even heal each Chakra center and its
related areas of body, mind and spirit.
With this new awareness we are able to use yogic practices to enhance, and balance our
bodies, minds, and ultimately our lives.
Required reading:
The Namaste Effect, Nischala Joy Devi
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Breathing for Life: Principles,
Practice and Foundations of
Prāṇāyāma
15 Hours
Required
Subject Pranayama
Course Descriptions:
This course covers the theory, structure, and in-depth practice of prāṇāyāma for health, healing,
and awakening to our underlying Essential Nature. The workshop consists of in-depth lectures,
guided practice and Q&A sessions designed to teach the foundations of prāṇāyāma for yoga
therapy healing, meditative benefits, as well as developing and maintaining a personal practice.
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Secret Power of Yoga
15 Hours
Required
Course Descriptions:
The Secret Power of the Yoga Sutras with Nischala Joy Devi
The Yoga Sutras is one of the most revered texts of yoga and is thought to be more than 2,500
years old. These "threads" on yoga or union, are extremely terse, stating concisely and often
precisely, essential points or techniques to achieve self-realization. Originally these teachings
were passed on in the ancient oral traditions, intimately shared from teacher to student. Even
today almost every translation of the sutras includes pages and pages of master commentary
deemed useful to impart the correct teachings, methods and sacred wisdom necessary to
achieve Yoga.
In this workshop Nischala Joy Devi will impart her with heart-centered intuitive interpretation of
the Yoga Sutras from her book - The Secret Power of Yoga. Nischala Joy Devi’s is a divinely
feminine perspective of the Yoga Sutras which offers students an opportunity to partake in the
unfathomable sense of peace, emotional and spiritual enlightenment that is our birthright.
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Clinic & Mentoring Program
50 Hours
Required
Cases range from physical, physiological and mental-emotional issues. Students are
encouraged to work in all areas so as to challenge comfort zones and encourage strong skill
sets. Each case includes research, intake and interview skills, planning, guiding, reporting and
follow up.
Each client is afforded 2 free sessions and if they choose to continue Yoga Therapy they are
encouraged to negotiate a rate with their assigned student Yoga Therapist.
Clinic hours provide hands on training and career support, allowing students to gain confidence
in their work while under supervision and grow their own client base while still in training.
Mentoring Sessions provides time to review coursework and practice skills through case
studies, as well as ask questions and discuss cases, teaching situations, and specific client
issues. It is a supportive community to share successes and challenges and to receive personal
guidance from faculty members.
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Example of a Training Schedule
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Soul of Yoga Faculty
One of the most valuable offerings of the Soul of Yoga Institute is our celebrated faculty, which
includes many highly acclaimed and world-renowned Master Teachers. Each instructor provides
varied educational and experiential teachings that blend together to form a rich amalgam of
learning opportunities for every student to enjoy and be enriched by.
Indu Arora, Ayurveda and Yoga Therapist considers herself a student for lifetime. She is the
author of Mudra: The Sacred Secret, Y
oga, Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision (known as The
little Red Book on Yoga) and SOMA - 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care.
Indu has been sharing about Yoga philosophy, Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda since 1999, and
has inspired by and taught under Kriya Yoga, Himalayan Yoga, Kashmir Shivaism and
Sivananda Yoga lineages. She has studied both Yoga and Ayurveda in a traditional Guru
paramapara setting.
Her teaching style is rooted in empowering and inspiring students to awaken the inner Guru.
Her core philosophy is, ‘Nothing has the greatest power to heal, but Self!”
Nischala Joy Devi is a master teacher and healer. For over 30 years she has been highly
respected as an international advocate for her innovative way of expressing Yoga and its subtle
uses for spiritual growth and complete healing. She was a monastic student of the world
renowned Yogiraj Sri Swami Satchidananda and offered her expertise in developing the yoga
portion of The Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease and the Commonweal Cancer
Help Program.
With her knowledge of yoga and her experience in assisting those with life-threatening
diseases, she created The Healing Path of Yoga, and the “Abundant Well-Being Series” CD’s.
Yoga of the Heart, a training and certification program for Yoga teachers and health
professionals designed to adapt Yoga practices to the special needs of that population.
Nischala Devi is now directing her energies to bringing the feminine heart perspective back into
spirituality and the scriptures in her new book, The Secret Power of Yoga, a woman’s guide to
the heart and spirit of the Yoga Sutras and The Secret Power of Yoga audiobook (Nautilus Book
Award Winner)
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Brian Dorfman has been practicing yoga, healing patients and teaching for over 35 years.
Influenced by TVK Desikachar, Brian's instruction focuses on helping the student develop a
personalized, balanced practice. He incorporates asana, pranayama, sound and meditation to
create an environment for the student's innate wisdom to develop. Brian has extensive
knowledge and instructional ability in the areas of kinesiology, anatomy, physiology and the
biomechanics of movement. Since 1985 Brian has maintained his own injury rehabilitation clinic
and is an internationally recognized healer.
Philip Goldberg has been studying India’s spiritual traditions for more than 45 years, as a
practitioner, teacher and writer. He is the author of numerous books, most recently the
acclaimed American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian
Spirituality Changed the West . The co-host of the podcast Spirit Matters, he blogs regularly on
the Huffington Post and Spirituality and Health online. He has recently published a biography of
Paramahansa Yogananda. See www.PhilipGoldberg.com and www.AmericanVeda.com.
Raquel Jex, 500 RYT, C-IAYT is a graduate of Soul of Yoga’s Yoga Therapy Training Program
She has a depth of experience in science and the body, including her Bachelor of Science in
Biology and Microbiology, Graduate Work in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and has over 25
years of experience in drug development and marketing in oncology, hematology, pain, and
serious liver diseases. She is a member of the Society for Integrative Oncology. She has
interwoven her Western medical expertise with Eastern philosophy and Yoga Therapy to work in
Integrative Medicine, helping people accomplish what she believes in most: Practicing
preventive medicine and nourishing our mind and body through balanced lifestyles, gives us the
best chance to enjoy healthy longevity, in our minds, in our bodies, and in our spirits.
Raquel is certified in Yoga of the Heart Cancer and Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs, Chair
Yoga for Seniors, Yoga for Veterans with PTSD and specializes in creating therapeutic yoga
therapy programs for people living through cancer, movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s,
cardiac rehabilitation, trauma, and working with Seniors.
Susana Jones, C-IAYT , Is a graduate of Soul of Yoga’s Yoga Therapy Training Program. Her
upbringing in Science of Mind gave Susana an early appreciation for eastern spirituality and
yoga, which she brings to life through her dedicated practice and vocation. As the founder of
Urban Yogi, Susana has operated a yoga studio, created a Registered Yoga School for
certifying yoga teachers, and now works as a Yoga Therapist in private and clinical settings.
Susana is a mentor for the Soul’s Yoga Therapy students.
Leslie Kaminoff is a Yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. He is an
internationally recognized specialist with 36 years of experience in the fields of Yoga, breath
anatomy, and bodywork. He has led workshops for many of the leading Yoga associations,
schools, and training programs in America. Leslie is the founder of the Yoga blog, “e-Sutra,” and
“The Breathing Project,” a New York City Yoga studio dedicated to the teaching of
individualized, breath-centered Yoga. Leslie teaches The Breathing Project's unique yearlong
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course in Yoga anatomy, and is the co-author with Amy Matthews of the bestselling book, “Yoga
Anatomy” published by Human Kinetics.
Rose Kress, ERYT-500, CIAYT, YACEP, Owner & Director of LifeForce Yoga, began practicing
yoga in 1994 and has been teaching since 2004. She began studying with Amy Weintraub in
2002 as a means of finding ease from anxiety. After becoming certified to teach yoga, Rose
began assisting Amy at workshops and the LifeForce Yoga Practitioner Training nationally and
internationally. In 2010, she began serving as the Director of Education for LifeForce Yoga.
Throughout her teaching career, Rose has focused on the therapeutic aspects of yoga, teaching
at hospitals, pulmonary centers, a chiropractor’s office. In 2017, she developed a yoga therapy
protocol for veterans and active duty soldiers receiving treatment for substance abuse and
PTSD at a VA Health Care Center in Tucson, AZ.
Durga Leela BA, CAS, PKS, Yoga Acharya, is the founder of Yoga of Recovery. She is a
Certified Yoga Teacher E-RYT 500 through the Sivananda lineage and extensively trained in
Meditation and Vedanta. A Clinical Ayurvedic and Panchakarma Specialist, Durga trained both
in the US and India and has served as the Director of the Ayurveda Programs at the Yoga Farm
in California since 2003. She is a professional member and speaker for the National Ayurvedic
Medical Association (NAMA) and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), also a
member of Yoga Alliance. Durga has worked on her own path of recovery and has been a
grateful member of 12 step fellowship for over 14 years.
Erika Lee, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Reiki Master, Spiritual Alchemist is a graduate of Soul of
Yoga’s Yoga Therapy program and a Program Mentor. Although Erika has a deep knowledge of
anatomy and physiology, her main focus is assisting clients with eating disorder issues,
depression, trauma, and anxiety. Erika runs the Soul of Yoga’s the Reiki program and is a
faculty instructor and mentor for the 200 hour Hatha Yoga training, and 200 hour Gentle Yoga
training. In addition to her Yoga and Reiki training, Erika is currently studying shamanic healing,
She leads ceremonies honoring the full moon, Mother Earth, and the equinox and solstice
celebrations. She considers herself a well rounded healer with a soft heart, an affinity for
animals, and a quirky sense of humor.
Monique Lonner, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is the Director and Program Mentor of Soul of Yoga
Institute Advanced Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Therapy Training Programs. A Yoga
teacher for 20 years, she studied in India, New York and California with Master teachers and
spiritual sages including, most notably, the teaching faculty of the Soul of Yoga Institute
Advanced Program. Monique has developed the Advanced Teacher Training and Yoga
Therapy Program for Soul of Yoga, bringing together those who are considered to be the best of
the best Master yoga teachers in the world today. A devoted spiritual seeker, as well as an
experienced anatomy and physiology teacher she has created a comprehensive program which
balances the study of Yoga Therapy technique with the insight and wisdom of Yogic and
metaphysical philosophy.
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Richard C. Miller, PhD is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar and spiritual
teacher. For over 40 years, Richard Miller has devoted his life and work to integrating the
nondual wisdom teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism and Buddhism with Western
psychology. Among his mentors were Jean Klein, T.K.V. Desikachar and Stephen Chang.
Richard is the founding president and CEO of the Integrative Restoration Institute, co-founder of
The International Association of Yoga Therapy and founding editor of the professional Journal of
IAYT. He is also a founding member and past president of the Institute for Spirituality and
Psychology and a senior advisor for the Baumann Foundation for the study of Awareness and
its impact on well-being.
Author of Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga, Richard serves as a research consultant
studying the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol that he has developed (Integrative Restoration ~ iRest, a
modern adaptation of the ancient nondual meditation practice of Yoga Nidra) researching its
efficacy on health, healing and well-being with diverse populations including active-duty
soldiers, veterans, college students, children, seniors, the homeless, the incarcerated, and
people experiencing issues such as sleep disorders, PTSD, chemical dependency, chronic pain,
and related disorders.
Flossie Park, E-RYT 500 YACEP Always considering herself as a student of life, Flossie has
dedicated her life to empowering herself and others through yoga, meditation, workshops,
retreats, Sound Therapy and numerous other modalities for over 25 years. One of Flossie’s
passions is to support people wherever they are on their life’s journey. With a down to earth
approach, she draws from a lifetime of spiritual studies from many sources both from the
eastern and western traditions. Applying the wisdom teachings to everyday living, she helps
people to see their life from a higher perspective, gleaning understanding, enjoying the process
and creating consciously. One of her strongest passions is supporting women, especially during
pregnancy. This is a true opportunity for women to recognize their innate power learning to trust
their bodies and intuition.
Ford Peck, E-RYT, MS is a Certified Senior iRest Trainer, Mentor, and Supervisor. He has
been teaching yoga, pranayama, and meditation for 27 years. In addition, he has practiced as a
somatic healer for over 20 years. Ford also has a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology
and is currently an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, providing both individual and
couples counseling. He has managed, assisted, and taught at numerous iRest Teacher
Trainings, as well as retreats with Richard Miller. Ford spent over a year and a half in India,
studying and practicing intensively in the tradition of Advaita as well as the Karma Kagyu school
of Tibetan Buddhism. He currently resides with his partner and their beloved cat in beautiful
Marin County, where he loves to drink in the natural beauty of the land through hiking and
mountain biking.
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Dana Reece (Prempal Kaur), Ph.D., E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Director of Kundalini Studies at
the Soul of Yoga, is a Kundalini Yoga Instructor; Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainer; Inner Space
Technique (IST) Practitioner; and college professor.
Dr. Reece has 30 years’ teaching experience and 20 years’ experience in meditation and the
practice of inner alchemical and yogic techniques designed to develop and strengthen the
energetic body and enhance intuition. Yogic areas of expertise include Death and Shadow work;
Conscious Communication Techniques; Strategies for Deepening Intuition; and Sankalpa
(“resolve” or “resolution”): the yogic method of setting goals or aspirations. She has completed
leadership training with several masters of personal development, including Peter Drucker,
Charles Givens, and Anthony Robbins. In addition to having taught hundreds of college classes
as a college professor and Kundalini Yoga instructor, she has led and facilitated dozens of
group meditations and workshops.
Justine Shelton is a graduate of Soul of Yoga’s 200 hour training and a four year training
program with Gary Kraftsow of the American Viniyoga Institute, she is a 500 hour AVI Certified
Yoga Teacher and a 500 hour AVI Certified Yoga Therapist. Justine specializes in structural
yoga therapy, specifically spinal disc injuries, back pain management, structural instability, as
well as shoulder and knee therapy. She teaches students and trains teachers in Yoga for
Healthy Backs and runs the cancer recovery yoga program at Yoga Vista Academy. Many
people know her through her video "Gentle Yoga for a Healthy Low Back" by Yoga Journey
Productions (www.yogaJP.com). Her passion is working with people who have different forms of
catastrophic disease, helping them to manage their condition, minimize and cope with pain and,
most importantly, helping them to realize they are not their condition.
Stephani Sutherland, PhD, RYT500, earned her doctoral degree in neuroscience in 2001 and
has worked as a freelance science writer for the past 15 years; her work has appeared in the
Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Scientific American Mind, Pain Research Forum, and
The Journal of Neuroscience. Stephani has practiced yoga for over 20 years, and she trained
with Gary Kraftsow of American Viniyoga Institute. Find more about Stephani at
stephanisutherland.com, facebook.com/StephaniSutherlandPhD, and @sutherlandphd.
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Daniel Vicario, MD, is a medical oncologist who co-founded the San Diego Cancer
Center (SDCC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and conducting
research and the development of innovative cancer therapies to improve the care and
quality of life for cancer patients and has been director of the program for over a
decade. He is a pioneer in the research of mind-body medicine (the influence of the
human spirit on the healing process) and in the field of integrative medicine. He created
the Integrative Medicine Program at SDCC in 1988. Dr. Vicario was the recipient of the
annual CHAD Health Hero Awards for his "dedication and commitment to better health
for the residents of San Diego County." In 2006 he received the Channel 10 News
Leadership Award for the creation of the Integrative Medicine Program. In 2008 Dr.
Vicario was recipient of the "Health Care Champion Award" by the San Diego Business
Journal.
Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, YACEP, is the founder of the LifeForce Yoga
Healing Institute and has been a pioneer in the field of yoga and mental health for over 20
years. She is the author of Yoga for Depression (Broadway Books) and Yoga Skills for
Therapists: Effective Practices for Mood Management (W.W. Norton) and numerous articles and
book chapters. Amy is involved in ongoing research on the impact of Yoga on mood. Her
evidence-based Yoga protocol for managing mood is used in healthcare settings globally and is
featured on a number of audio-visual products, including the LifeForce Yoga series, an
award-winning library of evidence-based yoga and meditation CDs and DVDs for mood
management. She maintains an archive of news and research on,
www.yogafordepression.com.
Glenda Wood, C-IAYT, Glenda is a graduate of the Soul of Yoga’s Yoga Therapy program. She
holds additional certifications in Personal Training, Orthopedic Exercise, Stott Pilates, Chair
Yoga, and Yoga for Heart Disease & Cancer. Her experience includes teaching yoga for autistic
adults through The Arc of San Diego. As a Retirement Community Fitness Director, Glenda’s
work addresses challenges often associated with aging. She is honored to work with - and learn
from - amazing Souls as they address Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke recovery, MS, and a
whole range of orthopedic issues. She believes that Yoga illuminates the necessity of a holistic
approach to wellness - rather than focus on "attacking" disease, we can optimize the innate
wisdom of body, mind, and spirit and support a return to our "natural" state of health.
Sherry Zak Morris is owner of the Yoga Vista Studio in Vista, California and studied under the
tutelage of octogenarian yoga teacher, Mary Cavanaugh, who studied with octogenarian Indra
Devi. As a corporate marketing road warrior for 25 years, Sherry experienced first-hand the
ravages of stress and found relief through gentle and chair yoga. In 2004, she founded Yoga
Journey Productions, a company that specializes in gentle, senior and chair yoga videos and
DVDs. In 2005, she bought her local neighborhood yoga studio that continues to serve
thousands of baby boomers and seniors in the San Diego area with creative and specialty
offerings. As Co-Director of the Yoga Vista Academy, Sherry has a proven track record for
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empowering and igniting passion for 50+ yoga and wellness and has presented for 3
consecutive years at the annual Yoga Alliance Conference, the professional and trade
association of the yoga world.
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Admission Requirements
Yoga Therapy
Prerequisites
Tuition
$11,800*
*Tuition does not include an estimated $1815 for Retreat Room & Board, double occupancy. The two
retreats are a 10 day Yoga of the Heart Retreat and a 5 day Yoga Meditation Retreat. Prices may vary
based on locations and dates to be determined. Tuition does not include books.
Discounts
● Seniors (age 65+) and Military receive 15% off total local tuition.
● Pay-In-Full: Receive $300 off your tuition by paying in full.
● Soul of Yoga Institute 200-hour and 500-hour students receive alumni discounts. Please
inquire in person about these opportunities.
Payment options
Application
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