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28 day 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training
5.001 review
March 30 - April 27, 2025
Retreat Highlights
- Join our 30 day evolutionary Advanced YTT program: Living Yoga Alchemy. Dive deeper into the Practices and Philosophy of Yoga and the Art of Teaching. This program offers you to complete all your 300 hours in one go. Our 30-day advanced program follows the eight limbs of yoga and includes workshops on advanced techniques and sequencing of hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, kundalini yoga, bhakti yoga and meditation. A strong focus is on offering personal feedback for your to evolve your teaching skills and become the best teacher you can be.
- With this in mind, we continue to unravel the 3 parts that make up a Living Yoga practice:
- Sadhana/Conscious practices (body)
- Philosophy/Study of yogic texts (mind)
- Bhakti/Cultivation of love (heart)
- Through the combination of these three elements, we create the alchemical body-mind-heart transformation that Yandara is known for.
- Yandara’s 300-hour training is Yoga Alliance approved. We welcome all serious yoga students/teachers who are interested in further study even if you don’t intend to complete a 300-hour certification. For those who have already completed a 200-hour certification program, this program offers a 500-hour registry through Yoga Alliance.
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Sarasvati brings an open mind and an open heart to the mat. A lover of the Ocean and the Elements, she often ties her classes into the themes of nature. She loves exploring Yoga as an expression of the joy and abundance all around us.
Sarasvati has been studying and teaching with Yandara since 2009. She is an inspired devotional musician and has had the pleasure of studying mantra and kirtan with her mother, Mercy Ananda. Her receptive and joyful nature invites exploration on the mat and a playful outlook on life.
Inspired by the transformations she sees in the students at Yandara, Sarasvati holds a loving space for all to express their unique gifts with the community. More than anything, she believes in the power of a group, where each individual puts the best parts of themselves forward to heal the Earth and all beings!
Student Testimonial
Sarasvati is truly an inspiration and a beacon of light! She is knowledgable and gifted. Her radiant energy and her kindness are an absolute joy!
Christopher is the co-founderof Yandara and has over 20 years of meditation and yoga practice, his presence inspires those around him to enter their hearts and connect to their truest potential. Christopher has the gift to bring his students throughfun and challenging flow sequences while cultivating the sharedawareness that is Yoga. His style is dynamic and intuitive, mixing creative movement with a powerful asana practice. Christopher’s passion for yoga philosophy and yogapsychology is a part of his daily life and weaves naturally into histeachings.
Christopher was raised at the SKMC MeditationCenter in Bowling Green, Virginia. He requested initiation to ameditation practice at age 4, and while he led a “normal” childhood, hestudied with Sant Darshan Singh until age 16. In his early twenties,after attending VCU for fine arts, he spent two years as an apprentice of John P. Milton, training in SacredPassage (wilderness meditation) and QiGong. This time of deeptransformation included several solo wilderness retreats, ranging from 2to 28 days. In 2005, Christopher travelled to India and Nepal,where he attended teachings and undertook extensivepractice in Vipassana Meditation and Tibetan Buddhist Meditation.
Christopher founded the Yandara Yoga Institute with his father CraigPerkins in 2003. Since that time he has been facilitating Yoga TeacherTrainings, and continues to inspire and grow with each person he meets.
Christopher has studied with many inspired yogi’s across the world,including a 500-hr training with Dharma Mittra, as well as trainingswith Guru Dass (Kundalini Yoga), Daniel Odier (Kashmirian Tantra), Shiva Rea (Prana Vinyasa®), HanneliFrancis (Anusara), Baba Hari Das of the Mount Madonna Center, T.K.V.Desikachar (Yoga Therapy), and senior Iyengar teachers Kevin Durkin,Victor Oppenheimer and Gloria Goldberg. Christopher is a registered YACEP® – Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider.
Quote:
“A supportive environment to recognize your greatest potential will catapult your progress many times over.” ~ Christopher PerkinsStudent Testimonial
"Christopher has a way of looking directly into you and, with just his eyes, make you feel safe and supported to be vulnerable enough to dive deeply into your truth. Christopher lovingly guides others to question the world and themselves with a gentle ferocity that beckons the veiled truth from under years of stories and misperceptions. I felt that my time at Yandara was more than an intelligently designed 300-Hour training program. I felt my weeks with Christopher were an un-domestication process to peel back the layers of my reality until I was left with a pure connection with who I truly am. This process, however emotional at times, felt less like a struggle and more like being welcomed home with the love and gentle support Christopher presented in his masterful inquiry. I left Yandara with confidence, clarity and joy in my heart. The impact and lessons continue to unfold within me, both physically and internally on the mat and out in life. I am honored to call Christopher my teacher and forever grateful for the support he provides along my path." Sarah Kadel, E-RYT, YACEP®, ACSM CPT" One of Christopher's many gifts is in holding space for supportive communities to heal, connect and grow together. Even when it comes to advancing my physical yoga practice, his lighthearted nature seems to invoke a sense of ease and trust that helps me move beyond my fears. His big smile that shines straight from the heart didn't hurt either!" - Mary Tilson, Yoga+Wellness director of Travel+Leisures #1 Hotel in the WorldThe lead teacher of the Bhakti Yoga training is Mercy Ananda Dev Sangeeta Kaur (M.A., E-RYT500). Mercy Ananda is a highly trained musician as well as Certified Sound Healer. She performs on the many kirtan albums produced by the Mount Madonna Center, Hanuman Fellowship. She is a member of the Sacred Sound Choir with Karuna Ault, and chants on their "Mahamrityunjaya Healing Mantra" album. Mercy also performs on many other kirtan albums, including the "Shri Ram Jaya Ram" album by Shri Anandi Ma.
Mercy has a daily bhakti yoga sadhana of asana, meditation and mantra. Through her love of Bhakti yoga she has participated in the satsangs of teachers such as Baba Hari Das, Sri Satchidananda, Anandi Ma, Sri Karunamayi, and Sri Mata Amritanandamayi.
Mercy Ananda received a Bachelor's Degree in Music, with classical violin focus, from UCSC in 2003. In 2005 she completed an M.A. in Music Composition, focusing on Ethnic and East Indian Music. She studied classical East Indian music with Maestros Ali Akbar Khan and Deepak Ram. She plays harmonium and several traditional devotional instruments, including the sitar, and has lead satsangs for over 25 years.
Mercy believes that "Bhakti Yoga creates a presence and resonance of healing and love." She is an experienced certified Yoga Teacher and express her service through the sharing her heartfelt love of Yoga with her students.
Details of this retreat
Join our 30 day evolutionary Advanced YTT program: Living Yoga Alchemy. Dive deeper into the Practices and Philosophy of Yoga and the Art of Teaching. This program offers you to complete all your 300 hours in one go. Our 30-day advanced program follows the eight limbs of yoga and includes workshops on advanced techniques and sequencing of hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, kundalini yoga, bhakti yoga and meditation. A strong focus is on offering personal feedback for your to evolve your teaching skills and become the best teacher you can be.
With this in mind, we continue to unravel the 3 parts that make up a Living Yoga practice:
Sadhana/Conscious practices (body)
Philosophy/Study of yogic texts (mind)
Bhakti/Cultivation of love (heart)
Through the combination of these three elements, we create the alchemical body-mind-heart transformation that Yandara is known for.
Yandara’s 300-hour training is Yoga Alliance approved. We welcome all serious yoga students/teachers who are interested in further study even if you don’t intend to complete a 300-hour certification. For those who have already completed a 200-hour certification program, this program offers a 500-hour registry through Yoga Alliance.
REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisite: If you intend to complete your 300-hour certification, a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate from Yandara yoga Institute, or other Yoga Alliance approved 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training is required. We also welcome all serious yoga students/teachers who are interested in further study even if you don’t intend to complete a 300-hour certification.
Contact hours: 270 hours
Non-contact hours: 30 hours (fulfilled by home study projects)
The program is limited to 22 students ensuring personal care and attention. Graduates that have previously completed a 200-hour Yoga Alliance approved teacher training program will be eligible for the Yoga Alliance 500-hour Yoga Teacher Registry.
Curriculum
GET STEADY THROUGH ASANA & PRANAYAMA:
Learn how to integrate advanced techniques into your classes in a healthy and inspiring way.
Elegant and Precise asana alignment, addressing individual differences.
Graceful Hands-on-Enhancements - when, why, and how to use them.
Kundalini Yoga Kriyas - set sequences that work toward a specific outcome.
Pranayama practices - a deep exploration of many effective breath techniques.
FIND STILLNESS THROUGH MEDITATION:
The physical and energetic alignment cues that ground and prepare students for deep meditation.
Mindfulness Meditation, combining Pratyahara (inward attention), Dharana (single pointed focus) and Dhyana (effortless meditation).
Kundalini Yoga Meditation, includes posture, breath, mudras, eye focus, and mental focus (such as mantra or visualization).
Vision Quest - A rejuvenating day of solo meditation in nature followed by deep breath work and relaxation.
LEARN ELEGANT SEQUENCING METHODOLOGY:
Sequence classes for different energetic results.
Explore a variety of different themes.
Learn inspiring and effective techniques from different traditions to create your own unique yoga classes.
EVOLVE YOUR TEACHING SKILLS:
Advance your cueing to the more subtle layers of our being.
Add variations from different styles of yoga to make your classes more unique.
Find your authentic voice.
Receive valuable personal feedback from Yandara's experienced team of teacher trainers.
EXPLORE YOGA LIFE STYLE, PHILOSOPHY & MYTHOLOGY:
Study of chosen sutras from ancient yogic texts.
Yogic tales from Hindu mythology and how they relate to our modern lives.
Satya: Deepen your confidence and cultivate compassion through the practice of profound authentic communication.
OPEN YOUR HEART WITH BHAKTI YOGA:
Japa Mala, chanting with 108-bead mala
The Sacred Space: Creating a sacred space for your practice in your home and for your students.
How to effectively use mantra in your classes
LEARN ESSENTIAL ANATOMY & ENERGETICS:
How to prevent and work with the most common injuries in yoga practice
The anatomy of the energy body: koshas, nadis, vayus, microcosm/macrocosm
STAY INSPIRED THROUGH UPLIFTING OM-WORK:
In addition to the contact hours you are required to do independent study. The guidelines will be attached to your welcome letter.
Schedule
Your day starts as the sun rises with a yoga class to awaken your senses and ready you for the day. After a refreshing shared community breakfast, we then move into our technical training where we break down poses together in the natural beauty of one of our 3 open-air studios.
Next, we pause for a delicious group lunch focused on health and nutrition for both mind and body, followed by an hour break allowing for time to relax on the beach and connect with your fellow students.
After lunch, our focus turns to you as a teacher. We are here to assist absolute beginners in becoming educated and inspiring yoga teachers, as well as to assist seasoned teachers in the deepening and refining of their yoga teaching skills.
This part in your day will allow you to become more comfortable in front of a class and take on the role of a confident yoga teacher. You will become not only more knowledgeable in yoga within this training but also more knowledgeable of yourself as we encourage you to carry what you have learned onward to your own students.
This supportive and encouraging environment is built to elevate each and every one of our students to their full potential as a yoga teacher.
Every night we offer community activities that are unique and crafted to keep you entertained, engaged and enlightened. Enjoy music and dance with our local kirtan band, Jaya, comprised of 4 fellow yogis.
Join us in the magical experience of music-chanting meditation or sit back with your fellow students and instructors for an evening of watching educational films on ground-breaking yoga approaches followed by a group discussion.
These evenings are built to encourage our community of students and teachers to connect, have fun and head to bed with a full heart and soul.
Next, we pause for a delicious group lunch focused on health and nutrition for both mind and body, followed by an hour break allowing for time to relax on the beach and connect with your fellow students.
After lunch, our focus turns to you as a teacher. We are here to assist absolute beginners in becoming educated and inspiring yoga teachers, as well as to assist seasoned teachers in the deepening and refining of their yoga teaching skills.
This part in your day will allow you to become more comfortable in front of a class and take on the role of a confident yoga teacher. You will become not only more knowledgeable in yoga within this training but also more knowledgeable of yourself as we encourage you to carry what you have learned onward to your own students.
This supportive and encouraging environment is built to elevate each and every one of our students to their full potential as a yoga teacher.
Every night we offer community activities that are unique and crafted to keep you entertained, engaged and enlightened. Enjoy music and dance with our local kirtan band, Jaya, comprised of 4 fellow yogis.
Join us in the magical experience of music-chanting meditation or sit back with your fellow students and instructors for an evening of watching educational films on ground-breaking yoga approaches followed by a group discussion.
These evenings are built to encourage our community of students and teachers to connect, have fun and head to bed with a full heart and soul.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Accommodation
Glamping Cabana - Single Occupancy
Our new concrete glamping cabanas are pure luxury! With comfy full size bed, down comforter, towels and plenty of space to store your clothes, these cabins are your perfect home away from home - nestled into the desert, yet sheltered from the elements.
Glamping Cabana with Private Bath
For further comfort, our new cabanas have private bathrooms! With cushy full/queen size bed, down comforter, towels and plenty of space to store your clothes, these cabanas are simply divine - nestled into the desert, yet sheltered from the elements.
Luxury Canvas Cabin - Single Occupancy
For more luxury during your stay while still being connected to nature.. With polished concrete floor, comfy full size bed, down comforter, towels and plenty of space to store your clothes, these cabins are your perfect home away from home - nestled into the desert, yet still close to the beach.
Standard Furnished Tent
Many yogis that attend our YTT choose to stay in our furnished tents. These are big tents, each with a twin size bed, a small set of drawers and a lamp. Bed linens are provided, but not towels. Comfortable and still close to nature. We like to call it comfort camping. For couples we can offer a larger tent with a larger bed. We have 7 bathrooms and 7 showers on our campus.
Yandara Moon Cabana with Private Bathroom
The original hexagonal Yandara cabana has a full size bed and private bathroom.
Bring your own tent
Bring your own tent.
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
The natural setting of our yoga teacher training in Mexico is as much a part of your experience as the yoga instruction itself. This secluded Baja, Mexico location offers stunning beachfront vistas featuring open-air studios to keep you in touch with your surroundings and all the beauty that nature has to share with us.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Drawing upon Mexican heritage, your dining experience will also feature an internationally influenced menu. A menu choice is rarely ever repeated, and focuses on fresh, local organic ingredients.
What's Included
- Tuition & all Classes,
- Meals,
- Accommodation.
What's Not Included
- Flights,
- Transport
- Prerequisite: If you intend to complete your 300-hour certification, a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate from Yandara yoga Institute, or other Yoga Alliance approved 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training is required.
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