Advanced Studies in Yoga and Ayurveda

For those with a thorough introduction to Ayurveda and yoga (see prerequisite below).

At the heart of any integration of yoga and Ayurveda is the understanding of how prana (life force) and agni (internal fire) support each other for health and healing—prana kindles agni, and agni liberates prana from the tissues, endowing it with light and intelligence.

Developing an intuitive understanding of which postures and practices encourage the circulation of prana and nurture a balanced internal agni is the cornerstone of effective Ayurvedic yoga therapy. Through daily yoga practice, lectures and partner work, this program will explore the dynamics and sequencing of yoga practices, meditation and pranayama for balancing the elements, doshas, and gunas. Special emphasis will be placed on creating seasonal flows and adapting yoga for addressing constitutional and current imbalances.

Prerequisite This 9-day intensive for 200-hour certified yoga teachers is part of the 500-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher certification offered through the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and builds on the requisite Foundations of Ayurveda, the Ayurveda Home Study Course for Yoga Teachers, or equivalent study in yoga and Ayurveda. Contact Hilary Garivaltis, Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda, at hilary@kripalu.org with questions about equivalencies. Those who have not completed Foundations of Ayurveda at Kripalu may attend the intensive (prior Dean approval required) for personal study, but will not receive an Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher certification.

Required reading David Frawley, Yoga and Ayurveda: Self Healing and Self-Realization (Lotus Press). Recommended reading Shandor Remete, Shadow Yoga Chaya Yoga (North Atlantic Books).