During the first six months of the program the focus is on you. This is because potent yoga teachings don’t come from intellectual understanding, rather they are delivered from the heart—a heart that has been fired by the actual experience of yogic transformation. Deepening the Practice includes:

Introduction to Yoga (12 hours) - In this course, we will reveal the scientific principles underlying the practice of yoga, including the need for its practice. A number of foundational yogic systems and concepts will be discussed including Patanjali's Ashtanga yoga, tantra, hatha yoga, karma and spiritual evolution as a driving force in the life of humanity.

Practice of Asana (12 hours) – This is a series of four sessions that will explore the practice of asana. The class will delve into the specifics of alignment, energetics, and effects of the postures in the four major categories: Standing postures, Forward-bending and Twisting postures, Back-bending postures, and Inverted postures.

Yoga Philosophy (24 hours) - Patanjali's classic text on yoga provides an illumined system for the evolution of consciousness. In this course, we will study this seminal work to fully understand the concepts and techniques it presents as well as to learn how we can use the teachings to deepen our own practice. Additional study of other key yogic texts including the Bhagavad Gita will be included as well.

Foundations of Asana (12 hours) - This course will explore the relationship of the practice of asana to the true goal of yoga--liberation. Topics will include asana's function as a part of practice; how and why asana can move us toward liberation; and how to skillfully use asana as an effective part of our practice without striving toward the perfection of the outer form. In addition, the class will investigate the ten fundamental principles of asana and how they relate to different poses.

General Anatomy (12 hours) - An understanding of the workings of the physical body and its systems is important when we become involved with teaching yoga to others. This course will provide an overview of the major systems of the body as well as a more in-depth investigation of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems.

Anatomy of Asana (6 hours) - Knowledge gained in General Anatomy will be applied to the functioning of the various bodily systems in asana practice, with special concentration on the workings of the musculo-skeletal system.

Energetic Anatomy (6 hours) - While the physical aspects of yoga have far reaching benefits, the real transformative power lies in the more subtle aspects of our beings. In this course, we will discuss the relationship between the various bodies (koshas) as well as the various components of the energy system and how they can be used to move us toward liberation.

Modifications and Manual Adjustments (6 hours) - In this class, we will learn how to modify poses to accommodate various conditions and body types. Topics covered will include the theory of modifications, use of props, and common misalignments.

Kirtan: Yogic Chanting (26 hours) – Devotional practices are a powerful tool on the yogic path, perhaps none more than the practice of chanting the names of the divine. In this class, students will be diving into the practice of Bhakti yoga through the ancient art of Kirtan (call and response chanting).