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I’m excited to join Nectar Yoga’s teacher training faculty for their upcoming Fall 2026 200HR YTT and beyond!
A Yoga & Nature-immersed Meditation Retreat
with Cassandra Ferland and Grace Gu in Menorca, Spain
In this 6-day, 5-night retreat on the tiny Spanish island of Menorca, we cultivate powerful tools to reconnect with our inner nature. Held by the silence, slowness and natural wonder of this astounding UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to more than 75 pristine calas (coves) tucked into wildly diverse terrain, we engage ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ nature — body, breath, senses and spectacular landscapes — to gain access to our innate wisdom, expansive sense of self, and deeper purpose.
Head here to learn more!
Join teachers Cassandra Ferland and Grace Gu to unwind and get deeply acquainted with your inner nature in this 6-day, 5-night yoga, meditation & hiking retreat on Menorca island, a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Mediterranean waters of Spain. This unique time will be dedicated to perspective shifting practices, whether we are basking in a sense of awe from our natural surroundings, or immersing ourselves in the profound techniques and philosophies that bring us beyond the dramas of daily life to the deep well of wisdom within. It is from this place that we are empowered to move forward with clarity, ease, and purpose: the ability to align our actions with our highest intentions and the greater good.
Visit the Menorca retreat page for details!
Our Inversion 101 Series is designed to help you learn postures that are incredibly difficult to learn in a 60-minute class, and give you the confidence to bring the shape into a class or continue to work at home.
Expect a short practice to open and prepare the body, tips & tricks and lots of drills to help you hone your skills in handstand, whether you are brand new to the practice or have been working on it for some time. We will discuss some of the most common sticking points that keep many of us from jumping up or balancing with ease, including the mental challenges of flipping your world upside down. Come play at falling gracefully out of handstand, as well as various ways of kicking or jumping up. Along with our in depth work finding proper alignment of the body (before our feet ever leave the ground) you will leave with a roadmap, your own personal mini practice, so that this balance becomes attainable.
Sign up here!
Study with Cassandra as she co-leads this mind and heart expanding training that will deepen your personal practice, your connection to yourself, and to the true essence of yoga.
A {sacred} Flow 200HR Immersion is a personal journey for those looking to rejuvenate their physical practice & move beyond a purely physical definition of yoga. We layer pranayama, mantra, meditation, mudras, and storytelling into each {sacred} Flow class and focus on these elements in our training. Because we are committed to enabling strong teachers immediately, your skills can be put to use working in the community, advocating for yoga in corporate environments, teaching in a studio setting, improving your personal connection to yoga and creating an empowered home practice.
Our program is unique because we weave in trauma-sensitivity, inclusivity, service work, and social entrepreneurship. Graduates have gone on to open studios, develop community programs, integrate yoga into schools & medical settings and change their communities! Our next training is in weekend format with in-person sessions on Thursday & Friday nights and Saturday & Sunday daytime.
Skillful adjustments keep students safe and productive in their practice, offer them insights into their physical and energetic alignment, and go a long way in building the relationships that you have with your students. When trust is there, a teacher’s touch can be powerful. It can give students the boost needed to play towards challenging poses like inversions and arm balances, or support them to fully surrender in poses like savasana.
We delve into the science by reviewing body mechanics in all the foundational poses in the yoga practice, and zoning in on important indicators for which adjustments make sense in a variety of bodies. Differences in height, flexibility, strength, and level of practice all play a part in determining what particular hands-on adjustments are appropriate for any given student, so we practice defining those differences and observing them in students in the moment. The “art” component is the ability to observe the energetics of your students, while being mindful of your own energy so you communicate through your hands with clarity and confidence
Want to take your teaching skills to the next level? Differentiate yourself as a teacher with our upcoming hands-on assisting workshops! Just need to brush up on your skills? Join us for the workshop that interests you in particular. Or, take all 5 to deep dive into the world of hands-on adjustments, so you gain the confidence and tools to help your students evolve their practice.
Join us February 10th to kick off the series with Standing Poses and Sun Salutations. Learn and practice hands-on assists for a variety of all the most common standing poses, as well as the postures within the sun salutation series. We will end each workshop with various hands-on assists for savasana.
Dates of our Series for 2024 are:
Saturday, February 10th | 1-4pm | Standing Poses + Sun Salutations
Saturday, March 9th | 1-4pm | Twists: Standing, Seated, Reclined
Saturday, April 13th | 1-4pm | Backbends
Saturday, May 11th | 1-4pm | Inversions + Arm Balances
Saturday, June 8th | 1-4pm | Forward Folds + Seated Hip Opening
Skillful adjustments keep students safe and productive in their practice, offer them insights into their physical and energetic alignment, and go a long way in building the relationships that you have with your students. When trust is there, a teacher’s touch can be powerful. It can give students the boost needed to play towards challenging poses like inversions and arm balances, or support them to fully surrender in poses like savasana.
We delve into the science by reviewing body mechanics in all the foundational poses in the yoga practice, and zoning in on important indicators for which adjustments make sense in a variety of bodies. Differences in height, flexibility, strength, and level of practice all play a part in determining what particular hands-on adjustments are appropriate for any given student, so we practice defining those differences and observing them in students in the moment. The “art” component is the ability to observe the energetics of your students, while being mindful of your own energy so you communicate through your hands with clarity and confidence
Want to take your teaching skills to the next level? Differentiate yourself as a teacher with our upcoming hands-on assisting workshops! Just need to brush up on your skills? Join us for the workshop that interests you in particular. Or, take all 5 to deep dive into the world of hands-on adjustments, so you gain the confidence and tools to help your students evolve their practice.
Join us February 10th to kick off the series with Standing Poses and Sun Salutations. Learn and practice hands-on assists for a variety of all the most common standing poses, as well as the postures within the sun salutation series. We will end each workshop with various hands-on assists for savasana.
Dates of our Series for 2024 are:
Saturday, February 10th | 1-4pm | Standing Poses + Sun Salutations
Saturday, March 9th | 1-4pm | Twists: Standing, Seated, Reclined
Saturday, April 13th | 1-4pm | Backbends
Saturday, May 11th | 1-4pm | Inversions + Arm Balances
Saturday, June 8th | 1-4pm | Forward Folds + Seated Hip Opening
Long ago, yogic sages outlined a map of the self, creating the concept of five layers of our being that surround our spirit. This framework, called “The Koshas”, is designed to help us navigate the inner journey back to the true essence of who we are, especially when the complications of life muddy the path and obscure our vision. It is a roadmap that guides us from the obvious elements of the self back to the very core of our being- the divine light within us. It can help to bring new meaning and depth to your practice, taking it well beyond the physical, as the Koshas help describe what it feels like to do yoga from the inside—the process of aligning mind, body, and spirit.
In this workshop, we will take a journey through the Koshas, releasing the tensions that build in all five sheaths from daily living. Starting with a short discussion, we’ll begin a movement practice to connect to the outer most layer, the body, and employ breathwork and visualization to dive deeper into each layer, culminating in a meditation and luxurious final relaxation. Resting back in the deepest layer of the self, the “bliss” body, connects us to the deep wisdom and radiance within us, so we can shine that out into all we do.
$35 Early Bird pricing/$45 after Jan. 30th.
Book your spot here!
ISHTA’s Yoga Alliance certified 200-Hour teacher training program is designed to deepen your understanding of the science of yoga. Whether you plan to make a career out of teaching yoga or are simply looking to enhance your own practice, this program teaches you how to bring yoga into daily life.
Asana and meditation practice
In-depth posture labs
Anatomy and physiology
Philosophy and principles of ISHTA Yoga
Pranayama and the energetic bodies
Meditation
Specialty areas, including prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, and Sanskrit
This enriching experience can be life-changing regardless of your future intentions. We encourage all prospective trainees to take the leap and see where it leads!
Lead Instructors: Cassandra Ferland, Kelly Eudailey, Mona Anand, Sarah Finger
Dates & Times: July 8th - July 30th, 2021
-Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:30pm (Live Stream Sessions)
-40 hours recorded content for trainees to do on their own time
Early Bird Pricing Ends: June 10th, 2021
Head to the Ishta Yoga site for more info!
Come for a much needed R+R weekend at what is truly one of New York's hidden jewels: Omega Institute, a non-profit educational retreat center located in Rhinebeck, just an hour and a half from NYC. While there, you'll be able to enjoy a plethora of mind/body classes, the natural beauty of the landscape (complete with hiking trails, a zen garden, and lake), 3 healthy meals a day, and the opportunity to practice yoga with me each morning and evening. This will be my 8th year teaching at Omega, and I always relish my time there- back in nature, sharing yoga, and building community.
Private sessions are the ultimate way to tailor yoga to the individual. They can be rewarding on many levels for both teacher and student, and are a great way to sustain a living as a yoga teacher. But there are SO many factors to juggle with private clients, like finding your first few clients, smart business practices, or keeping your students consistent. While a vigorous teacher training will prepare you to lead group classes, due to time constraints there is a large learning curve that teachers must navigate themselves as they grow their privates practice. This training is meant to fill that gap, helping teachers move forward with confidence, and inspire meaningful change by creating sessions that meet the deepest needs of their students on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
In this 20-hr training, we will deep dive into all the elements of working one-on-one, so you leave with a new mindset and a plethora of helpful tools to inspire your private practice and keep your students coming back for more.
We will spend time discussing the following aspects of teaching privates:
• How to grow your private practice
• Maintaining a clientele- optimizing the client service experience
• The business side of yoga privates- pricing your privates and beyond
• The importance of boundaries as a healthy container for the practice
• Common archetypes of private yoga students
• Teaching to the individual from a physical and energetic perspective
• Sequencing for a private
• What a first session with a new client should look like
• The roll of yoga philosophy
• Hands-on techniques
• And more!
There will be time devoted to example case studies, including students with various limitations and injuries. You will have the chance to watch snippets of a private lesson in action, as well as practice hours of hands-on and assisted stretches specifically useful in a private setting, so that you come away with a variety of techniques to take your one-on-one sessions to a whole new level!
Due to popular demand, the Ishta Yoga 300-hour program is now offered in a modular format! We have specially curated our world-renowned Teacher Training program to accommodate our non-local community or those who need a more intensive, weekday approach. Starting in October, 2018, we will be offering our next 300 hour training in three, 1-2 week-long modules: October, February, and June. Each module consists of 60 hours of contact learning (180 hours total), categorized by three different areas of study: The Physical Body, Art of Touch, and Advanced Philosophy + Techniques. Sign up for one module, or all, at your convenience.
The additional required 120 hours of assisting, mentor meetings, class requirements and teaching practices will be completed either at our New York City headquarters, or by assisting your local ISHTA Senior teacher in your hometown. This program is designed for people coming from outside of New York, but we welcome New Yorkers too! If you desire to become an ISHTA 500-hour trained teacher but have been unable to make the long term commitment, this program is perfect for you. Deepen your practice and enhance your knowledge by learning directly from the source.
Dates:
Module 2: The Art of Touch: Feb 24- 28, 2020; March 2 – 6, 2020
Mon-Fri, Mon-Fri: 8:00am-4:00pm
Lead Teachers: Mona Anand, Sarah Finger, Cassandra Ferland
Module 3: Philosophy and The Subtle Body: June 22 – 29, 2020
Thu – Wed: 7:30am-5:30pm
The Next Module 1: The Physical Body: TBD
Tuition: Early Bird: $3350 Regular: $3600
Individual Modules:
Early Bird Rate (until 6 weeks before each module): $1200 each
Regular Rate: $1500 each
Note: You can enroll in the modular training any time, and start and finish with any module.
We’re headed to the Silver Coast of Portugal June 8th-15th! This is a particularly stunning stretch of coastline between Lisbon and Porto known for its quaint fishing towns, beautiful beaches, and great surf. There’ll be all the usual suspects: yoga offered twice daily (an active morning practice/meditation and an afternoon restorative yoga nidra), great food, beach time, and plenty of opportunities to explore what Portugal has to offer.
Head here for more info!
ISHTA’s Yoga Alliance certified 200-Hour teacher training program is designed to deepen your understanding of the science of yoga. Whether you plan to make a career out of teaching yoga or are simply looking to enhance your own practice, this program teaches you how to bring yoga into daily life.
This enriching experience can be life-changing regardless of your future intentions. We encourage all prospective trainees to take the leap and see where it leads!
Lead Instructors:
Mentors: Cassandra Ferland and Sarah Finger
Trainers: Cindy Moss and Megan Young
Dates & Times: June 25 – July 27, 2018
Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Registration Dates:
Early Bird Ends: May 14, 2018
Registration Closes: June 17, 2018
Head to the Ishta Yoga site for more info!
Private sessions are the ultimate way to tailor yoga to the individual. They can be rewarding on many levels for both teacher and student, and are a great way to sustain a living as a yoga teacher. But there are many factors to juggle with private clients, like ways to find your first few clients, the business element of your privates practice, or keeping your students consistent. And while many teachers starting out assume a private session is simply a class for one, when approached in this way, you are missing out on the opportunity to inspire meaningful change by creating sessions that meet the deepest needs of your students on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
Come for a deep dive into all the elements of working one-on-one, and leave with a new mindset and a plethora of helpful tools to inspire your private practice and keep your students coming back for more.
Part of this training will explore the fundamentals of how to teach and maintain private students. We will spend time discussing the following aspects of teaching privates:
• How to grow your private practice
• Maintaining a clientele
• The business side of yoga privates
• The importance of boundaries as a healthy container for the practice
• Common archetypes of private yoga students
• Teaching to the individual from a physical and energetic perspective
• And more!
Time will be devoted to the specifics of sequencing for a private student, including what a first session should be comprised of, and working with students with various limitations and injuries. We will look at example case studies for the common private student archetypes, so you come away with a variety of sequences and techniques to help you truly tailor your sessions to the individual.
Each day will end with a 2 hour deep dive into hands-on and assisted stretches specific to working with private clients, giving you another set of tools to attend to each student's specific needs, while creating a luxurious and supportive experience they won't soon forget.
Perfect your downward dog under the trees at our 14th season of outdoor yoga classes presented by Manduka with instructors curated by Yoga Journal. A colorful selection of mats is provided by Manduka, please arrive 30 minutes before class begins to secure your mat. RSVP online now and check-in when you arrive on-site to receive your Frequent Yogi card. Walk-ins are welcome as well.
While strength is an obvious component of arm balances, what is often overlooked is the flexibility required, both physically and mentally, to come into and sustain these postures with ease. If you can support a healthy plank pose or chaturunga, you can begin to explore the nuances of arm balancing.
Join us for a practice designed to enable you to find the strength, range of motion, and mental focus necessary to take flight. We will spend time breaking down the mechanics of popular arm balances, with and without the use of props, while exploring fun variations and working towards more complex and challenging postures. You will come away with a variety of techniques that can be woven into future practices.
This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience. Whether you are curious (or fearful) about arm balancing or regularly balance on your hands, come build and refine your skills to take your practice to a new level!
with Cassandra Ferland, Sarah Platt-Finger, and Wendy Newton
ISHTA’s Yoga Alliance certified 200-Hour teacher training program is designed to deepen your understanding of the science of yoga. Whether you plan to make a career out of teaching yoga or are simply looking to enhance your own practice, this program teaches you how to bring yoga into daily life.
This enriching experience can be life-changing regardless of your future intentions.
We encourage all prospective trainees to take the leap and see where it leads!
590 Tahoe Keys Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
