300 Hour Advanced Teacher Training Program
The Yoga of Embodied Insight
Introduction to the Program
In Tantrasāra, the great Tantric master Abhinavagupta says that the only cause of liberation is insight. We are here calling this embodied insight because this is the only kind of insight that will lead to liberation – an insight that is holistic, that you feel down to your bones, and that is integrated into your way of being in this world. In English, “insight” often denotes a mental experience, while what we are seeking here is not a transcendent kind of enlightenment that bypasses the world, or that is merely conceptualized or mentally understood, but an insight into the true nature of being that encompasses all the love, the pain, the passion, the friction, the infinite and the finite. Starts September 2024 by application only.
“There is no such thing as an enlightened being. There is only enlightened action.” – DT Suzuki
What is “The Yoga of Embodied Insight”?
If your spiritual practice is limited to the mind, you may never experience the integration of your spiritual insights into your daily life. Sitting on the cushion is not where most things happen. By bringing our practice to the body – movement, stillness, vocalization, focus on sensation, relationship – we integrate our transformations into our daily life. What is usually called yoga practice (āsana or physical postures only) is just one small part of yoga. Our aim here is to make the physical practice actually part of our spiritual sadhana. Instead of practicing many poses in a linear fashion one after the other, interspersed with thoughtful ideas and quotes from the masters, we will endeavor to experience the leading edge of reality through the body and the senses. Authentic Flow and Somatic Tantric Embodiment Sadhanas are used to break free from the sequence oriented vinyasa yoga and allow us to experience the body in its own freedom. Ecstatic Dance is also a part of our practice, where we surrender any control and allow our bodies to be moved by the goddess.
From āsana to sādhanā
Infusing modern yoga with spiritual practice and the goal of true liberation
Do you yearn for your yoga practice to be the spiritual balm that you thought it would be? Did you take a 200 hour yoga teacher training hoping that you could finally get into the REAL yoga and understand the roots, only to spend 70% of your time (or more!) practicing asana and learning about physical anatomy? Surely, the training deepened your practice and gave you some amazing experiences, maybe even spiritual experiences that really inspired you, but left you wondering how to integrate that into your own practice and teaching when what you learned is really primarily asana. So you show up to your mat everyday, maybe to the studio where you teach, and you teach or practice what you know: mostly asana with some breathing practices and a few inspirational thoughts or themes. And yet deep inside, you know that yoga has more to offer.
Meditation is the core of this year long spiritual yoga immersion. You will receive detailed instruction and support. If you have tried meditation repeatedly and thought “I can’t do this,” this immersion is for you. Everyone can practice meditation and more than skills or technique what you really need are correct view and understanding, knowing that your efforts are working. Even if you have a sporadic or regular meditation practice, this immersion can help you go deeper and really see your meditation practice bring fruits, rather than just logging your daily minutes.
“Resistance is nothing but commitment to your conditioning. If you want wonder, beauty, and joy to become the leitmotifs of your life, you must become willing to allow the experience, whatever it is, to totally dissolve into the silent presence that you truly are.” – Hareesh Wallis
Details coming soon. This year long program includes three urban retreats in Boulder, CO interspersed with zoom calls to support your practice in between. This immersion is by application only, and all humans are invited. Retreat dates tentatively:
September 21-28, 2024 – Boulder, Colorado
April 12-19, 2025 – Boulder, Colorado
Sept 27 – Oct 4, 2025 – Boulder, Colorado
See FULL DETAILS on our website http://embodiedinsight.yoga