Gentle Yoga Teacher Training

Date
March 27 - 30, 2025

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

Description
Gentle Yoga is ideal for elder students as well as those with weight issues, illness, injury, recovering from surgery or limited flexibility. Due to poor lifestyles and chronic stress, many students come to yoga unable to safely practice the postures. In keeping with the principle of ahimsa (nonviolence), teachers will learn to teach how to modify the asanas so that their students can benefit from a physical practice as they build the strength and resilience to perform the full postures.

This course is designed to help yoga teachers evaluate limitations in their students and suggest modifications of the poses for them. These will include routines for those who need to practice in a chair. We will have the participants experience the modifications themselves in class as well as learn them in more detail in workshops. These workshops will also include discussions on the philosophy and psychology of teaching gentle yoga.
Schedule
Thursday - Arrival

Friday to Sunday
8:00 - 10 am - Gentle Yoga Class
2 - 4pm - Workshop: the philosophy and psychology of Gentle Yoga
Prerequisites
TTC Graduate is required
Certification
Certificate is provided after completion
Testimonials
I appreciate the gentle yoga because I receive more direction to pay attention to what I am capable of doing, being gentle with myself, I learn alternative ways of doing each asana or stretch offered and feel more of a sense of community in the gentle class environment. Barbara S., 69

I have been doing gentle yoga for two years now. Six months after my failed back surgery, I was in worse pain than before. I started going to gentle yoga classes one day a week and now go three times a week. The benefits are many. The less vigorous class with modified poses in gentle yoga enable me to carry out most of the poses with ease. It has taught me balance, relaxation and meditation and improved my memory and concentration. Learning how to relax through breathing exercises has taught me to fall back to sleep whenever I wake up in the middle of the night and to get rid of headaches. It is amazing how the power of gentle yoga has enabled me to do the things I love to do, without which I would have been afraid to do because of my chronic pain. Julie A., 60

At 72, I strive to age competently. A major practice to that end is gentle yoga-for strength, flexibility and relaxation three essentials to ensure my lifes continuing high quality. Asana modifications, based on individual students' limitations, are demonstrated, supervised and encouraged. Without this feature, given my age and condition, I would not be able to experience the benefits of yoga. Paula L., 72

Getting Here

Location icon Sivananda Yoga Farm

Accommodation

Tent - Bring Your Own

Accommodation
Guests may bring their own tent and gear and camp on the land. Sleep closer to nature in the fresh, open air. There are deck platforms designated for tenting. If you want more than one tent, book with us multiple times!

Om Cabin - Private

Accommodation
Book your own private Om cabin. Pleasant and simple lodging, our Om Cabins are the original tent cabins that were built about 20 years ago.  They are placed in a peaceful and tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. Each cabin is named for a different virtue, such as happiness or contentment. Each cabin is furnished with a dresser, desk, night stand, ceiling fan and propane heater. Om Cabin guests share a nearby bathhouse.  Wifi internet is available.

Siva Cabin - Double

Accommodation
The double is a shared room, and the cost is per person.  If you are not booking with a friend or family member, a roommate will be assigned. Our Siva & Krishna Cabins are newly built and are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, at the base of Siva hill on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. They feature an outdoor porch, bamboo wood flooring, ceiling fan, and are built with high grade materials and furnished with a side table, dresser and propane heater.  Includes a private bathroom and shower.  Wifi is available.

Siva Cabin - Private

Accommodation
Our Siva Cabins are newly built and are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, at the base of Siva hill on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. They feature an outdoor porch, bamboo wood flooring, ceiling fan, and are built with high grade materials and furnished with a side table, dresser and propane heater.  Includes a private bathroom and shower.  Wifi is available.

Deluxe Shanti Cabin - Shared

Accommodation
The double is a shared room, and the cost is per person.  If you are not booking with a friend or family member, a roommate will be assigned.  Pleasant, deluxe, lodging, our Shanti Cabins are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and are surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram.  Includes private bathroom with shower, air conditioner, propane heater, ceiling fan, and attic space.  Furnishings include a desk, table, chairs, dresser, wardrobe and a sitting area. A small refrigerator, dishes and cutlery are provided.  Wifi is available.

Deluxe Shanti Cabin - Private

Accommodation
Pleasant, deluxe, lodging, our Shanti Cabins are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and are surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram.  Includes private bathroom with shower, air conditioner, propane heater, ceiling fan, and attic space.  Furnishings include a desk, table, chairs, dresser, wardrobe and a sitting area. A small refrigerator, dishes and cutlery are provided.  Wifi is available.

Customer Reviews

4.67 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Will return
Was apprehensive of going because of my health conditions and reserved only for two nights. Regret that very much as I wished I stayed longer. The staff are very understanding, attentive to your needs and kind. I feel much better even with only two days. Thank you for the gita lessons, the satsang and even Karma yoga. I feel blessed.

3.0
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Memroiall day weekend.
Disorganized. No schedule ahead of time. Everything is decided a day bofore or on the spot.

5.0
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Sivananda Yoga Farm
It's 2021 now, but 2007 was my first introduction to the Sivananda Yoga Farm where my heart and soul were touched immediately. Thereafter attended many workshops, conferences and graduated from TTC in 2009. These experiences changed my philosophy and attitude to one of service especially for the disabled, elderly, and my mother, over a profession.

My mother passed a few years ago but am so thankful we spent quality years together prior. I thank Sivananda Yoga Farm and Swami Sita for this. Her influence and the Sivananda teachings made a tremendous difference in my life and in my mother's end. My Mom said to me "the biggest change in you is your belief in God, and I never thought about the time before Jesus".

We shared such Peace. OmOmOm!


5.0
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Glories of the Upanishads
It was a joy to study the Mandukya Upanishad on line at Sivananda Ashram. Learning about the three states of being i.e., waking, dreaming and deep sleep state and their repeating cycle of evolution and de-evolution was most intriguing.

5.0
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Yoga in Transition and Crisis Management with Swami Jnaneswariananda Saraswati
This was a wonderful interactive course where Swami Jnaneswariananda gently but firmly taught the significance of becoming a silent witness to our instinctual emotions, thus allowing us to develop our intuition of all one consciousness. And in that process to be aware of the "pitfall" of justifying our emotions by reasoning.