The Sacred Circle Cohort: A Year Long Immersion Dedicated to Deep Study and Personal Practice

I designed this program with 200hr certified yoga teachers in mind.

If you’ve taken a yoga teacher training (YTT), you know what an intense and transformative experience it can be. But you also know that it barely scratches the surface of all there is to learn. Most 200 hr YTT programs take anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months to complete, which is no time at all. And most of that time is focused on helping new teachers learn to safely guide asana practices.

While personal practice might be talked about, it’s not usually emphasized. And while there’s probably a quick introduction to the Yoga Sutras, most YTT grads have very little grounding in the ancient teachings of yoga. And so, in the past few years, I’ve been feeling an inner urge to support yoga teachers interested in going deeper.

But the universe kept whispering in my ear… “It’s bigger than that. It’s for everyone who’s ready.”

This training is for anyone ready to make a serious commitment to practice. If you’re ready to build a deeper relationship with the teachings of yoga, then I invite you to join us. If you’re ready to transform the way you breathe and fill your system with prana shakti, then I invite you to join us. If you’re ready to create rituals that will help you connect with body, breath, earth, sky, source, and heart, then I invite you to join us.

I invite you to join us for a spiritual journey through the ancient wisdom of yoga.

This program is online, so you can join no matter where you live.

Photo of several important yoga scriptures on a shelf, filled with bookmarks

I’m a huge scripture nerd. I’ve spent almost my entire adult life poring over the ancient texts of yoga. And I’ve been lucky to study with some master teachers. As a trained seminarian, I’ll share some tools to help you understand the context and history of any given text, but this program isn’t about academic mastery.

This program is designed to help you build a personal relationship with the ancient scriptures of yoga.

These teachings are profound and transformative. But they’re also complex. Over and over again folks have shared what a hard time they’ve had trying to study the Yoga Sutra (or any ancient scripture) on their own. And so I started inviting folks to study together. For over a decade now—in my Yoga for Transformation course—I’ve had the pleasure of watching these teachings come alive for people! It’s so much easier to study and practice in supportive community.

And so I’ve built this program on personal relationship.

“As great as the infinite space beyond is the space within the lotus of the heart. Both heaven and earth are contained in that inner space, both fire and air, sun and moon, lightning and stars. Whether we know it in this world or know it not, everything is contained in that inner space.”

-Chandogya Upanishad

“And now the teaching on yoga begins. Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence. When the mind has settled, we are established in our essential nature, which is unbounded consciousness.”

-Yoga Sutra 1.1-3

“Kriya yoga is self-reflection (svadhyaya), discipline (tapas), and establishing a relationship to the highest (ishvara pranidhana) for the purpose of reducing the seeds of suffering and actualizing the highest potentials of the mind.”

-Yoga Sutra 2.1-2

“Take the great bow of the sacred scriptures, place on it the arrow of devotion; then draw the bowstring of meditation and aim at the target, the Lord of Love.”

-Mundaka Upanishad

“When the breath is disturbed, the mind is unsteady. When the breath becomes focused, the mind becomes focused, and the yogi attains steadiness. Therefore, the breath should be restrained.”

-Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.2

Together we’ll focus on:

Scripture Study

  • Through the practices of textual analysis, sacred reading, sacred writing, by-hearting, and mantra japa we’ll explore sections from the Yoga Sutra, the Bhagavad Gita, and several key Upanishads (you’ll have the opportunity to bring other texts into your practice as well).

Ancestry, Land, and Lineage

  • As we show up to these ancient scriptures of yoga we’ll ask: “Who am I as the reader?”

Kriya Yoga (tapas, svadhyaya, ishvara pranidhana)

  • Everything we do will be held in the balance of kriya yoga: discipline, self-reflection, and devotion.

Pranayama

  • Looking to both ancient teachings and modern respiratory physiology, we’ll explore our energetic body. And through dedicated, committed practice we’ll transform our breathing patterns and build prana shakti!

Meditation

  • Meditation is mind training; it’s the practice of learning to focus the mind in one direction. In this program, we’ll be focusing on the sacred scriptures of yoga. We’ll nurture a connection with the Cave of the Heart and experiment with tools like mantra, yantra, mudra, and mala beads. We’ll practice listening for the voice of inner wisdom.

Ritual

  • The practice of ritual allows us to pause and bring our awareness to the sacred nature of being in any given moment. We’ll explore the components of ritual and experiment with designing small practices (like a daily tea ritual) and larger events (like a ritual in honor of a holiday or milestone) for ourselves and our communities.

A few key concepts we’ll explore throughout the year 

(this list will certainly grow and change through the interest of the cohort)

  • Purusha and the nature of Self
  • Ishvara and the nature of Divine Mystery
  • Citta, vritti, samskara, and the nature of Mind
  • Prakriti, triguna (rajas, tamas, and sattva), and the nature of material existence
  • Prana, the prana vayus (prana, apana, samana, vyana, and udana), and the nature of energy

This is a pretty epic list. But rest assured everything flows together. Over the course of the year, we’ll start small and continue to build. Rather than moving from one practice to the next without enough time to experience transformation, we’ll start slow and build throughout the year.

Remember this program isn’t about academic mastery. It’s about personal relationship and transformation.

This program is about personal practice. It’s about building prana shakti! It’s about deepening our understanding of self, mystery, mind, nature, and energy. It’s about becoming more aware of habit patterns, and through consistent and dedicated study and practice, moving forward with more intention and clarity. 

Monthly Workshops

We’ll meet on the 2nd Friday of the month throughout 2024, from 10am-1pm PT. All the workshops will be recorded, so you can revisit them as often as you’d like.

Part 1: Personal Practice

In these first seven workshops we’ll dive deep into everything listed above.

  • January 12
  • February 9
  • March 8
  • April 12
  • May 10
  • June 14
  • July 12

Part 2: Rest and Digest

We’ll take a break in August. You can catch up and revisit past teachings.

Part 3: Following the Thread

Rooted in months of personal practice, we’ll listen inward and go where we’re called. I don’t know exactly what these months will look like. But I have faith that we’ll know what’s needed when we get there. I’ll support you as you follow your own heart—as you pursue the thread of wisdom that’s calling to you.

  • September 13
  • October 11
  • November 8
  • December 13

(If you’re a yoga teacher, I can help you explore the science of sequencing and the art of theming in these final months. I’ll support your efforts to weave the various practices of yoga together and help you create fully integrated experiences for your students.)

Monthly Private Sessions

We’ll schedule a 90min one-on-one session every month at a time that works for you.

In these sessions we’ll co-create a space to explore the teachings in the context of your daily life. We’ll be able to get personal and apply them to what’s real for you. Together we’ll create and nurture your ongoing personal practice.

As life changes, our practices need to change. You’ll learn the skills to design and adapt transformational personal practices for yourself overtime.

This level of personal support is unique. I don’t know of another training that offers it. These sessions will accelerate your learning and help you build discipline and accountability.

“As for you, do the work that comes to you–but don’t look for the results. Don’t be motivated by the fruits of your actions, nor become attached to inaction. Equanimity of mind is Yoga. Do everything, Arjuna, centered in that equanimity. Renouncing all attachments, you’ll enjoy an undisturbed mind in success or failure.”

-Bhagavad Gita 2.47-48

“The practice of yoga is the commitment to become established in the state of freedom. The practice of yoga will be firmly rooted when it is maintained consistently and with dedication over a long period.”

-Yoga Sutra 1.13-14

“Yoga is breaking the bond with suffering. This yoga is to be practiced with determination and with a mind that is not discouraged.”

-Bhagavad Gita 6.23

“Ishvara is expressed through the sound of the sacred syllable OM. It should be repeated and its essence realized. Then the mind will turn inward and the obstacles that stand in the way of progress will disappear.”

-Yoga Sutra 1.27-29

“When consciousness is unified, however, all vain anxiety is left behind. There is no cause for worry, whether things go well or ill. Therefore, devote yourself to the disciplines of yoga, for yoga is skill in action.”

-Bhagavad Gita 2.50

Certification

If you’re interested in earning Continuing Education credits with Yoga Alliance, this program will offer you 50 contact hours and over 50 non-contact hours.

Investment

The cost of this year long, online immersion program is $2500.

This includes: 

  • Eleven 3hr workshops, 
  • Pop-up bonus classes (based on what the cohort is excited about),
  • Ongoing access to the workshop and class recordings, 
  • Eleven 90min private sessions, 
  • An online classroom full of written teachings and resources,
  • and space for ongoing conversation with me and the cohort.

Small Cohort

Because of how much personal time I invest in every member of this cohort, there are only 6 available spots every year. If you’re interested in participating, don’t delay.

(NOTE: The 2024 Cohort is underway. If you’re interested in the 2025 cohort, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter and we’ll let you know when registration re-opens.)

If you’re ready to dive deep, I hope you’ll join me for this year of sangha, sandhana, and scripture.

Sangha is spiritual community. 

  • This program is built on personal relationship. We have a beautiful online classroom for ongoing study and reflection. We’ll gather virtually in real time as a cohort every month. And you and I will meet one-on-one every month as well. Because of how much personal time I’ll be investing in every member of this cohort, there are limited spots available.

Sadhana is the spiritual path.

  • Sadhana is dedicated practice over time. In this program we’ll focus our study and practice beyond postures. We’ll turn our attention toward pranayama, meditation, and ritual. Over the course of the year, we’ll start small and continue to build. Rather than moving from one practice to the next without enough time to digest and assimilate our experiences, we’ll remember that understanding comes through consistency. We’ll move slowly. We’ll stick with things long enough to experience their transformative power.

And Scripture is the map.

  • The ancient scriptures of yoga are gifts handed down from sages of the past. They offer us travel notes from the journey inward. They give us a map, light the way, and invite us into our own exploration. Through the practices of textual analysis, sacred reading, sacred writing, by-hearting, and mantra japa we’ll explore sections from the Yoga Sutra, the Bhagavad Gita, and several key Upanishads.

If you’re ready to renew and deepen your commitment to your practice of yoga, I invite you to join this cohort.

There are limited spots available. Is one of them yours?