The Bhaktishop School of Yoga

Yoga School Begins Every January

Applications for Yoga School 2014 available as of July 15. We fill up the program every year, and only take 20 students so that we can best serve each and every one of you. Apply early—early birds get the worms!

We are happy to offer a rich and deeply immersive 200 hour Yoga School program, starting in January of each year.  This bhakti-based program fulfills the 200-hour registration level required from the Yoga Alliance, and is the perfect place to begin your amazed journey into teaching, or to deepen your own personal practice along the way. Students, teachers, and seekers of all stripes are welcome to join us on the caravan.

As the School of Yoga’s director, Lisa Mae has long been a believer in the curative powers of love and laughter, and has strong mentorship ties to her own teachers. Lisa Mae and Hari-bhakti have worked side-by-side for over six years to develop a strong core curriculum, a relevant philosophy program, and a place where you can learn from teachers that are living this stuff, every single day. At The Bhaktishop we believe that your classroom hours are simply the jumping off point for the real teachings, which is your personal practice as well as the teaching itself!  We provide an intensive but loving environment in which to explore your own vast inner workings, the beginning steps to sharing your love of yoga with the world.

Our program lasts for 20 deep and juicy weeks of intensive study, during which you will explore many colorful aspects of yoga, from pranayama, meditation, and asana for your own personal sadhana (practice) to the devotional and mystical roots of these transformational practices. From the very beginning we will be informing and sharing our findings with each other, reflecting on our relationships to other bodies and spirits, as well as taking in the classical teachings (and some very modern ones too).  We will also dive into a retreat to Breitenbush Hot Springs for 3 days of immersive study together, as a treat and revival of our spirits mid-way through the program. From here, it is possible to then continue on into a mentorship program with one or all of us, to help fully bring to life on a one-on-one basis your unique voices and divine manifestations of wisdom on this path of sharing yoga with the world. Or, you could step into the 500 program and continue your lifetime journey into yoga!

We have assembled an all-star cast of teachers and faculty to help us round out the Yoga School curriculum.  The committed and capable hands of Monicka Koneski, Lisa Mae Osborn and Hari-bhakti Timm guide you through a beautiful, rich program in which we can all grow together.  In addition to our regular 200-hour curriculum, here are some of our offerings woven into the mix:

Emily Soiney, P.T. is a local legend: she fixes up busted yogis in her physical therapy practice, and informs us energetically as one of our Subtle Body Anatomy teachers. We are also delighted to have her sharing Anatomy at both the 200 and the 500 hour level alongside Lisa Mae, Monicka, and Tasha.

After earning a doctorate in physical therapy in 2004, I completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training for vinyasa and another in the Anusara tradition. I love my continuing studies in the The Bhaktishop's 500-hour program where I get to continue evolving who I am as a teacher.

My career as a physical therapist certainly informs my yoga teaching as I share my geeked-out passion for anatomy and energetic alignment. I love to help students use those tools to explore the blueprint of the asana and simultaneously feel the internal essence of these shapes. This provides for a safe and fun class with the flow that we are all happily addicted to. I am a board-certified physical therapist (PT) with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from the University of Minnesota.

Learn the beginnings of how to fall in love with Sanskrit with Joshua Michaell, a senior teacher with the American Sanskrit Institute. Sanskrit is integral to the practice of asana, and it is an essential tool for harmonizing and balancing the mind. Josh is an expert, an incredible teacher, and so much fun you won’t be able to stand it!

Knowledge of Sanskrit, even at the most beginning level, makes it easier to grasp the subtleties of yoga philosophy, whose body of teachings are written in this language of light and sound. Through experiencing Sanskrit sounds, feeling their force and power, and the unique way they vibrate, our practices and understanding can move to new depths. Joshua Michaell is a senior teacher with the American Sanskrit Institute, and leads Sanskrit, Yoga Philosophy and meditation workshops throughout the U.S. and internationally. Joshua is also a licensed MFT counselor with a Transpersonal and Yoga Psychology-based counseling practice based in San Francisco, California.

Dive into our Ayurvedic lifestyle workshops with Nancy Schneider, a graduate of the Ayurvedic Yoga University in Seattle, WA. Nancy will guide us through the basics of understanding how the ancient art and science of Ayurveda guides us as students and seekers of a more balanced life.

I believe we are all on our own special journey of self-discovery and personal truth.  We all want to be happy, healthy, and loved, as well as feel balanced and whole.  The all-encompassing path of Ayurveda will help guide you along your road to optimal health.  The ancient wisdom and philosophy of India’s folk medicine will enhance your awareness on a physical, mental, and spiritual level, ultimately reaching the essence of your true original nature. 

My Ayurvedic studies formally began in 2006, but my quest for a healthy balanced lifestyle started long before that, with over a decade of yoga, meditation and nutrition exploration and practice. Finally, I found a holistic system of healthcare that resonates with my body and spirit, connecting me to myself, the universe, and All that exists.   Each day my life continues to be both humbled and graced by the wondrous healing wisdom of Ayurveda.

My academic studies and training include 400+ hrs. at The Kerala Academy of Ayurveda in Seattle, as well as the invaluable 200+hrs. of clinical experience in Pune, India through the International Academy of Ayurveda.  Currently, I am practicing as a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner in NE Portland and continue to be a delighted student of life. I am also studying to become a certified Vedic Astrologer, studying with NW Vedic Sciences in Seattle.   My consultations are an integration of Ayurvedic principles with modern practicality, all suited to your individual constitution and specific imbalances.  Through a detailed diagnosis we can treat the root of the disharmony and not merely the symptoms, and empower you to take charge of your own health.   My treatments may include Indian herbal supplements, nutrition recommendations specific to your dosha, yoga asana, pranayam or breathwork, mantra practice, vastu shastra, oil massage suggestions, jyotish astrology and meditation. The ancient Ayurvedic text of Charak Samhita says, “We are all in this vast ocean of Ayurveda, and it is up to each us to learn how to swim.”

A delightful weekend of chakra-bending workshops with Jasmine Tarkeshi from the Laughing Lotus Yoga Centers in SF/NYC, one of our favorite teaching powerhouses, mentors, and daily inspirations!

We welcome Jasmine Tarkeshi year after year to share her dynamic beauty through sequencing and building creativity into your classes. She is one of the most dynamic and creative vinayasa teachers around. These practices will stretch your mind to its outer edges of possibility, all the while reminding you of why you might want to teach and share your love of yoga with the world! Don't miss this opportunity to study and practice with this wonderful light-being!

Overview of Our Program

Thank you for your interest in and enthusiasm about our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program. We are as excited as you are to share what we love.  At The Bhaktishop, we aim to illuminate many paths of yoga, and celebrate each one as we all learn to find our voices and share what we truly love about the practice with others.  We welcome all teachers, students, and seekers on the path to join us as we dive into this exploration together, scratching the surface of the vast ocean that is yoga with our very immersive and exciting Teacher Training program.

This program fulfills the 200 hour registration level with Yoga Alliance, the national regulating body for yoga teachers in America.  These first 200 hours are the perfect place to begin teaching, as well as to deepen your own personal practice.  We recognize that yoga is a lifelong practice, and that four months will not even begin to tell us all we need to know.  Nor will four or even forty years, for that matter.  But we have to start somewhere!  We also believe that teaching itself is the real teaching, once our feet are wet enough to try sharing what we learn in our own practice.

This program will immerse us all in the intensive study and exploration of many aspects of yoga in all its many forms.  We will practice and teach classical hatha asana, explore several forms of meditation, learn basic (and some more advanced) pranayama techniques, work with mantra, chanting, and kirtan, prod each other anatomically through the lens of yoga, and start to illuminate some of these mystical traditions both ancient and modern.  From the start, students will be discovering their own unique voices and relationships to other bodies and spirits.  Practical, experiential, and devotional, our program invites you to step into the mystery of these transformational practices, one breath at a time. You will not leave this program knowing how to teach like us, but starting to understand how to teach like yourself!!

Requirements

Requirements for the program are first and foremost, a great love of yoga, and a deep desire to share that love with others, in addition to a deep desire to dive into your own practice more deeply.  At least a year of relatively recent practice in asana techniques is recommended.  It is also required that you have spent at least 3 of those recent months practicing with us at The Bhaktishop. We believe that the teachers you study yoga with really matter, and that there must be a relationship that resonates deeply in place for all students to get the most out of the program. For us, yoga is largely about community, and therefore as participants in Yoga School you will be asked to show up often—taking classes weekly, performing the tasks of the program in a timely way, and attending all classes is very important, so please take the time in advance to try and schedule these four months of your life so as to get out as much as you put into this program. As students and teachers, it is vital that we commit to what we are choosing.

Schedule

This program lasts for 18-20 deep and juicy weeks, where you will be immersed in yoga like never before. We will be meeting 4 or 5 days a week, and the core studies are loosely as follows:

  • Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-8:05am, Meditation, Classical Hatha Asana, and Pranayama
  • Fridays 7-9:00pm, Topics and Discussion in Philosophy and Meditation
  • Saturdays and Sundays 3-6pm (a few 3-7pm) Anatomy 1 and Anatomy 2, Ethics, Ayurvedic Lifestyle, Teaching Methodology, Assisting and Adjusting, Sequencing and Class themes, Seeing Bodies as Students, Incorporating Philosophy into Asana classes, and much more.

Curriculum

Classical Hatha Asana and Pranayama

We start from the beginning with Classical Hatha Yoga Asana and Pranayama, because we believe that only when you understand where the roots of these practices come from, can you start to break into more creative and expressive practices as they appear to you, as an individual student.
Our asana classes focus on your own personal practice, as you experience alignment and openness in the shapes. We expect each student to be participating in their own personal practice for at least 30 minutes each day based on what we are practicing in asana classes. This is the foundation for teaching! We build the practice from the ground up, beginning with preliminary poses, solid standing poses and slowly building to more complex things like twisting, seated asana, and arm balancing. Only when all these things are in place can we begin to understand the sequencing of a class!
We explore Classical Pranayama techniques from the very beginning, and go through many of them as they are described in texts like the Hathapradipika and the Gheranda Samhita. We explore both their subtle body implications as well as their physical effects on the body, and learn to fly with the subtleties of bringing our attention to the present moment, which is what Pranayama is all about! The how and why of breathwork, as well as how to introduce and teach it to students is a critical part of understanding how to share yoga.

Philosophy

We start at the beginning of it all, exploring India’s Vedic wisdom through The Upanishads. From there, we dive deeply into The Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God, and explore deeply the questions that arise with the study of this, one of India’s most sacred texts. We then go on a journey through lineage and explore the writings of T. Krishnamacharya, the founder of the lineage we come from in hatha yoga. Finally, we move on to The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, to take a deeper look at how this text shapes the way we not only practice daily, but share yoga with others.
Our philosophy classes are held discussion-style, so that all can ask, share, and participate in these books and lessons, and have them come to life before their eyes as practical and useful in daily life. These are living, dynamic books with so much to bring out in each one of us, and we try to facilitate each student’s growth process and resonance with this wisdom. We use many translations, to share the ways that different translators interpret them, and to illustrate that there is never any ONE way to see yoga!

Meditation

The cornerstone of the yoga practice, this dive into meditation will help you establish the habit and create the container for what we hope is a life-long love affair with the practice. We will spend 4 months exploring japa mantra meditation with a japa-mala as a tool for focusing the mind and as a foundational bhakti yoga practice. Meditation doesn’t work if you don’t do it, so we practice together to encourage you to sit down, turn your mind off, and discover meditation for yourself. Kirtan will also feature as a means of meditation on a regular basis during Yoga School.

Sanskrit

Learning the sounds of the language of yoga is critical to a continuing yoga student’s understanding of the tradition. Together we will learn the alphabet and pronunciation of the sounds and their mouth positions, as well as explore mantra, some of the history of this beautiful language, and some applications of the vibrational awesomeness of this incredible language to our teaching.

Anatomy

We study the human body as an incredible machine, to better understand the ways that asana, subtle body practices, and meditation have effects on it. We will be learning about the ways the body can and cannot move in space, the anatomy of asana, subtle body and nadis, chakras, potential for injury as well as soaring in the asanas, proper use and application of the mysterious bandhas, seeing different bodies in a class, using props and modifications to serve all levels of students, and a deeply personal exploration of your own anatomical graces and limitations. This vast and often intimidating subject is illuminated with ease and simplicity (and more than a little bit of humor!) by our experienced Yoga School staff. We encourage all yoga teachers to always study and continue to work with their understanding of anatomy, as it is a lifelong journey! This course is a jumping off point for further study.

Ethics

A requirement by Yoga Alliance standards, and one of our favorite classes to share, we get to explore the implications of teaching and sharing yoga with students! In practices where people are opening to learning more about their true selves, anything can happen, and this class is where we begin to look at how to handle those situations as they arise. The basic nuts-and-bolts of the do’s-and-dont’s list, this class generates serious discussion as well as peals of raucous laughter!

Teaching Methodology

Here is the answer to the mystery—So, how do you ACTUALLY teach a class? In these meetings we will begin to explore how to sequence an asana class for everything from beginners to full-on themed classes. How you put a class together is an art, and we try to take away the mystery without losing the magic through—wait for it—actually teaching classes! From the very start of Yoga School, you will be working with a partner or in small groups in class to begin to stretch yourself into teaching, using language, tone, theme, and intention. Nothing like jumping right in to get you started! We truly believe that teaching is the real learning, so we get you going right away.
These classes also cover all the other parts of teaching yoga, like incorporating Pranayama techniques, meditation, chanting and mantra into your classes. We look at the why and how of adjusting and assisting students in asana, as well as nuances of verbal cues. All in all we are pretty hands-off with adjustments, but value the ability to see what is needed to best serve the students.

Rounding It Out

You are required to observe one or all of the Yoga School teachers as we teach for at least 3 classes during the program. Once you embark on the path of the teacher, you don’t look at class the same way again, and observing class is one of the best ways to bring the truths you are gathering to life.

Finally, when you feel ready, we will gently nudge you out of the nest to teaching 2 of your own classes to the community. The Wednesday and Friday 4pm and Tuesday 7pm donation classes are taught by teachers-to-be, and attended by us, for feedback and cheerleading.

Reading List

All these texts are readily available and are also cheap if you buy them used from Powell’s or Amazon.com. We will also furnish a supplemental reading list once you join the program. This is a lifelong journey, so those supplemental readings are both ideas for your project and things to explore. The following books are required for the program:

The Deeper Dimensions of Yoga- Georg Feuerstein
Light on Yoga- BKS Iyengar
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali- Edwin Bryant
The Upanishads- Ecknath Easwaran’s translation
The Bhagavad Gita- Graham M. Schweig
Yoga Anatomy, Volume 2- Leslie Kaminoff
Mastering Muscles and Movement by David Campbell, available here at The Bhaktishop for $35
Light on Pranayama- BKS Iyengar
Yoganjalisaram by Krishnamacharya, (available through us at the Shop for $12)

Fees for the Program

The cost for the entirety of Yoga School are $2850.
This includes all core required curriculum, Laughing Lotus Weekend Immersion, 3-night retreat to Breitenbush Hot Springs, and materials for the course.

This price does not include your books, the cost of CPR certification, which is mandatory, or a $20 application fee, which is payable at the time your application comes in.

Yoga School Testimonials

“Thank you Lisa Mae and Bhaktishop family for everything you are doing...”

“Thank you Lisa Mae and Bhaktishop family for everything you are doing not only for me but for the community at large. My life is changing in the biggest and most profoundly sincere honest loving way (even in its most difficult moments) and that has significantly been influenced by the shop. Your continued commitment to yoga and its many forms is a source of constant inspiration, dedication and yes persperation to what this life is about. Thank you for always being authentic, for living large, loving big and being truthful. i am listening.”
~ Danielle Hanna

“This yoga school program is less about making yoga teachers, and more about...”

“This yoga school program is less about making yoga teachers, and more about creating a space for each student to understand yoga more fully and dive deeply into his or her own practice. The Bhaktishop Yoga School helped me tune my interior radio dial into the frequency of my own heart, creating just the right environment for me to learn the most about myself while imbibing the vastness of yoga. Not only do I feel blessed to be more firmly established on my own life-time yoga journey, but I feel confident in sharing (all that is) yoga with others as a teacher too. Moreover, I wholeheartedly appreciated that I was encouraged to find my own voice, in my teaching style and personal practice, that reflects exactly who I am...and what could be better than that!”
~Vanessa Herald

“I definitely was ready to embark on the yoga teacher training but I had no idea...”

“I definitely was ready to embark on the yoga teacher training but I had no idea how much it would change me as a yoga practitioner and as a person. I learned not only the intricacies of alignment, anatomy, philosophy, and methodology from teachers who are dedicated, genuinely caring, and professional but also how to be accepting of others, take risks and face my fears, work alone & in groups, share and listen without judgment, and to challenge myself. I love our community spirit, commitment & dedication to yoga practice and to each other, and the integrity of our group. Yoga is a life long journey which helps us discover our potential, keep our sense of balance, and give back to others.”
~ Magda Fong

“Sometimes the best things overwhelm us...”

“Sometimes the best things overwhelm us, and language shows itself as so very inadequate for the things most deeply felt. This is how I feel about The Bhaktishop Yoga School. The program gave me confidence, and a willingness to not know things, to ask questions, to sit with uncertainty, to get help, to be interested, to be vulnerable and live in the world anyway! Yoga School gave me a beginning. They said it would be life-changing and I didn't understand why it would be and then it was.”
~ Karen Bonkoski

“I initially decided to do Yoga School because...”

“I initially decided to do Yoga School because it carved out time and created a structure for me to explore the practice of yoga in deeper, more comprehensive way than I could on my own or through weekly classes. I discovered just how important it is to study with a community of wise and caring teachers and curious and devoted students. The community that I found in Yoga School continues to be the biggest gift of the program.
By the end of the five months, I was prepared to teach a safe, creative, logically sequenced hatha yoga class. The Karma classes gave me my first introduction to sharing yoga with others and gave me the confidence to begin to teach my own free classes at the non-profit I work for.
Though I am sometimes now amazed by all we did cover - in depth discussions of asana, an overview of anatomy, reading through and discussing some major texts of yoga philosophy, one of the things I appreciate most about Yoga School is that it made me excited about being a life-long student of yoga.”
~ Liz Weber

“I first went into the program with the intention to deepen my own practice...”

“Hmm- It is pretty difficult to put into words what yoga school was to me at the Bhaktishop. I first went into the program with the intention to deepen my own practice and learn the background of this thing I love so much. My experience far outweighed my expectations.
While in yoga school, I got stronger. Not only my body, but my faith in myself, in my community, and for the first time, in God, which used to be a really scary topic for me. The tight community of yoga school allowed me to be vulnerable and open to what was. The five month program changed me more than anything else in my life. Since, the connection I feel to the shop and to my teachers and fellow yoga schoolers is so dear to my heart and has really become my family in Portland.
Currently, I am waiting to hear back about teaching classes through Street Yoga starting in the fall. I continue to practice at my home, The Bhaktishop.”
~ Megie Shean

“For me, it was one of the best experiences and decisions...”

“For me, it was one of the best experiences and decisions I've made in my life thus far. I entered with enthusiasm and left with even more, able to say "I know myself so much better now." I wasn't sure if I'd ever teach, but I made myself try,and now I'm teaching all the time! Constructing classes have become my creative outlet and main source of connection to community. It was the beginning of a life-long journey. I didn't know I had it in me to teach and now I've uncovered many more layers of myself that I never knew existed.”
~ Laura Bonin

“It's difficult to describe a life changing experience without sounding cheesy...”

“It's difficult to describe a life changing experience without sounding cheesy, but when friends, family, and co-workers tell you that yoga has changed you, then maybe something has actually happened. I am so glad I joined The Bhaktishop family for their teacher training program. Not only to learn more about yoga, but to help me recognize what truly matters in my life. I miss The Bhaktishop students and teachers because now I teach yoga 5 hours from Portland. But my teaching will always be filled with the spirit of joy, enthusiasm, and appreciation for all teachers that I learned from Lisa Mae, Diana, Tasha, and Hari-bhakti.”
~ Jennifer Goodridge

“Why Yoga School for me? I was new to yoga...”

“Why Yoga School for me? I was new to yoga, and excited. I wanted to know more about why it was working in my life—why I was liking myself more. I wanted background knowledge on how to deal with the stuff that was coming up on the mat. I was looking also for community, for people like me, the curious, the questioning. Yoga School was not what I was expecting. It was harder...it was immediately rewarding...friendships forged, insights gleaned, a slow journey. A slow journey absolutely worth taking.
Yoga has become my life. I can’t imagine my days without it. I hear things differently, I breathe differently, my mind is occupied with fascinating ideas. I’m fully grateful for my life and for the ease with which I am learning to negotiate it. And I am so thankful to my teachers, whose words have reliably shown up at just the right moments.”
~ Cheryl Smith

“Yoga school was hard and wonderful...”

“Yoga school was hard and wonderful and without comparison. I thought I would learn all the names of the poses; I had no idea! My personal practice is radically different and how I teach comes from the grounded wisdom that is passed on to us in yoga tradition. The art and poetry and beauty of yoga become part of me, you, us. There is no end to how the teachings of yoga show up every day. The greatest part is that it is within, rather than outside of me.”
~ Ruth Oclander

“It has been 4 years since my training at the Bhaktishop...”

“It has been 4 years since my training at the Bhaktishop. Looking back I'm not sure why, in words, I enrolled into the program. At the time I had studied yoga since my 20's, a self-practice. The studios available at the time were either very body-based or insisting it be only one way no matter what kind of shape came to the mat. I thought I didn't fit. Years passed and a friend said "Try The Bhaktishop, it's the place for you.”
Since those words were uttered my feet have been following ever since. I registered for the 200-Hour program. Since that 1st year, my home practice has overflowed, and I really wanted to share my practice with others as a student and a guide. It brought out love and appreciation for myself, an opening and an understanding, which I had known briefly from time to time, but never stopped to take the time away to experience myself, all together and whole.
With an expert team as role models, Lisa Mae, Hari-bhakti and many more specialized guides in Sanskrit, Subtle Body and breathing techniques along with teachers of these teachers, come and share their expertise and practice. At times it was hard to find the way, but with their service, devotion and love, they helped me every step of the way to uncover many of the treasures within me. This program is total self-motivation and self-construction, allowing you to grow and work out your process at your highest capacity in a loving, non-competitive and healthy environment.
I am grateful to say it isn't over yet, as I signed up for my 2nd year to continue on in the 500-Hour training, and laugh because the number of hours are endless to know the self! I am thankful that I have learned how to be devoted to my self, my practice, and others in a loving way that brings forth the meaning of devotion in my practice.”
~ Ruth Casebeer