June 1 - 28, 2018

Beyond Om Ishta Teacher Training

After teaching in yoga trainings all over the United States, April is extremely honored and so excited to bring you this special opportunity - the first Beyond OM 200 hour destination training… in Cuba at Mhai Yoga! It is sure to be a transforming and unique experience! Mhai Yoga is an extremely special place, and April could not be more thrilled to be able to bring you this opportunity. Whether you want to teach or deepen your practice, this is going to be an amazing format that will offer more than just the (185) Yoga Alliance contact hours.

Since the announcement rolling back policies in travel to Cuba April worked with Mhai Yoga and Cuba Candela, a licensed tour company to Cuba, to make sure this training happens, and to ensure the group is following new policy. They both worked many hours on this with April to make this happen so the group runs the same 200 hour training while complying with new policy. You will be sure to have an authentic cultural experience with Cuban people including Cuban yoga students and teachers!

*This yoga training workshop which is open for attendance by the Cuban public, and participation by the Cuban people with the group will be facilitated.

What this training will offer and why it is unique

ISHTA Teacher Training

This training will be grounded in the Yoga Alliance approved and esteemed Ishta yoga teacher training. The Ishta Teacher Training program provides a comprehensive foundation for all aspects of yoga: a uniquely modern, individualized, and integrated approach to this ancient science. Ishta is a Tantric school rooted in lineage and tradition that offers us ways to bring inspiration into our every day modern life. We will be using the ISHTA 200 TRAINIING MANUAL – which is such an invaluable resource people ask how to purchase it. (You can only acquire it through the training.) It is the training April completed, and the techniques to which April returns on a daily basis for her own practice and teaching. As Senior Ishta Teacher April is honored to be able to offer this.

Curriculum includes:

• Daily asana and meditation practice
• In-depth posture labs
• Anatomy and physiology
• Philosophy/Yogic Texts
• Pranayama
• Subtle Body – Chakras, Koshas, Nadis
• Meditation – special techniques you can use daily and teach
• Specialty areas, including prenatal yoga and restorative yoga
• Intro to Ayurveda

Anatomy with Leslie Kaminoff + Amy Matthews

For the anatomy component of your training, April is partnering with world-renowned yoga educators and best-selling authors of Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews. Using what they learned in their combined (50) years of experience training yoga teachers, they created a unique online + in-person course that is exclusively available through YogaAnatomy.net Fundamentals. This is not your average anatomy training. You will have in class/live joining Amy and Leslie at home via your computer for (20) hours of guided lesson content, reflection, personal exploration, and teaching preparation. They will lead you through movement experiments that will help you apply anatomy ideas to your own practice, and give you tools you will be able to access as a teacher. You will have time to soak up the material and try it out it in your own asana practice. This means that each time we come together as a group, you will already have a strong foundation in each unit's content and we will be able to dive even deeper into the material, rather than spend valuable group time on basic concepts and memorization... For many people, anatomy is a challenging part of the training. You’ll have access to these videos with Leslie and Amy for (1) full year.

Intention of BeyondOM

April is dedicated to delving deeper with you and empowering you in your practice, teaching and life... Because of this special format we are going beyond what is YA required. After teaching for over (15) years April wants to share some secrets with you and go deeper into what she believe is important to you as a teacher, your practice and your students. She wants to share with you how she stays inspired and sees what inspires you. Because we are limited to (12) students you will have the individual attention you deserve. Teaching is April's passion and she am committed to you in this process… and when we return home!

We will explore:

• Finding your voice and honing language through practice teaching
• Honoring tradition and making it accessible in the modern day world and in yoga classes
• Empowering your students through language, energetic assists, and inclusion
• Class themes
• The importance of creativity and intuition - how to find it and apply it
• Ritual and creating a home practice when we leave
• The business of yoga today
• Taking it off the mat: Seva, serving your community

About Mhai Yoga in Playas del Este

Mhai Yoga's property consists of beautiful, secluded villas situated steps from the beach east of Havana. Surrounded by lush, tropical gardens native to the land, Mhai Yoga offers spacious accommodations. All rooms include air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms. The villas are partially sustained with solar panels, as all water is naturally heated. 

We will be working closely with Mhai Yoga and Cuba Candela to ensure authentic cultural exchanges with Cuban artists, business people, yoga teachers and students. We'll learn about the history of yoga in Cuba as well! More details to come... Please contact April for more info.

*Any excursions/extra workshops will be an extra cost and not necessary to complete the training.

About Cuba Candela

Cuba Candela is a very experienced and sought after tour company which was just recently mentioned in the Huffington Post article, 6 Wanderlusting Companies That Are Changing the World through Travel. While this training takes place, Cuba Candela will:

• Administer the retreat/training, thereby taking responsibility for ensuring legal compliant travel to Cuba
• Review and approve a legally compliant framework and schedule of activities for the retreat/training through interpreting current and future US Treasury regulations
• Retain records for (5) years on behalf of each traveler
• Provide a travel certification for each traveler in advance of travel
• Respond to any of your questions about legality

Training Includes

• Over (200) contact hours of training
• Invaluable ISHTA Training Manual in PDF form
• YogaAnatomy.net Fundamentals tools and members-only website access for (1) full year
• Extra BeyondOM training materials in PDF form
• (28) night accommodations during the month of June in beachside villa
• Yoga deck and other beautiful spaces to study inside and out
• (3) organic meals per day, vegetarian option available
• Spacious rooms that include air conditioning, daily housekeeping service, and en suite-bathroom. The villas are partially sustained with solar panels, as all water is naturally heated
• Time for study, personal reflection, reading, journaling, and practice teaching
• Towels, linens, and toiletries provided and changed
• Internet cards*
• Support of professional tour company to guide us through the process of traveling to Cuba
• This training is open for attendance by the Cuban public, and participation by the Cuban people with the group will be facilitated.

*(1) Internet card per guest for (1) hour. More hours at additional cost.

**Not Included is travel insurance, airfare, transport to and from airport, off-site excursions, extra workshops and activities, and alcohol.

Sample Daily Schedule

Please note our schedule will differ day to day and week to week to allow for excursions, journaling and also some reflective time. You will practice most days. There will be at least (1) day off a week. Some days will be shorter and most likely no longer than below.

6:00 - 8:00 | Morning yoga and meditation open to the Cuban yoga community

8:00 - 9:00 | Breakfast

9:00 - 11:00 | Lecture + Discussion

11:00 - 1:00 | Posture Lab

1:00 - 3:00 | Lunch

3:00 - 5:00 | Sutra Study

5:00 - 6:00 | Evening yoga + Teaching lab

7:00 | Dinner

Registration & Refund Policy

Early bird pricing until October 1, 2017:

Triple Room (Can match roommates) : $4900

Double Room (Can match roommates): $5200

After October 1, 2017:

Triple Room (Can match roommates) : $5350

Double Room (Can match roommates): $5550

A non-refundable deposit $500 alongside the registration form reserved space. Second payment of $3000 due October 1, 2017. Final payment due February 1, 2018. No refunds will be given after February 1, 2018.

Advanced Yoga Teacher Training

About Advanced Training

Creativity and self-expression are part of the human experience. When we are children we cannot help but build, color, pick up a musical instrument, or write. However, as we get older many of us don't tap into that side of ourselves or make an active practice out of harnessing that energy - even though we are discovering more and more how important it is to our work, play, health and even recovery.

Yoga can be a truly integral part of tuning into and focusing that creative energy. This program is designed especially for teachers wanting to experience and cultivate this energy it in their own practice - on and off the mat. When you are more inspired in your life you cannot help but bring this to your classes and students. By cultivating your creative energy you will also be more attuned to the universe, your intuition, and those around you. 

Training Outline

MODULE I | November 4 - 5 2018

This program will include all layers of our being from the physical body to the bliss body.  We will use the Shariras as a framework for this training. We will discuss what lies in each one and how to work within it – one not being more or less important in our experience. We will explore how the layers connect and affect each other.  

Move (Sthula Sharira, or Physical Body)

• What are the Shariras?
• How and why creativity benefits every day life.
• Creativity in yoga practice.
• Starting with the physical body
• Tadasana more than good posture
• Creative and intelligent sequencing
• How trauma sits in physical body and how it can be affected by creativity and yoga

Meditate (Shukshma Sharira or Subtle Body)

• Subtle Body
• Alignment of 7 chakras in physical body
•  How creativity and where creativity lives in the chakras
• The Koshas
• The Texts
• Why and how pranayama and meditation are important to creative process.
• Sounds/Visuals in Meditation

Manifest (Karana Sharira or Causal Body)

• Tapping into your bliss body
• Meditation techniques: Create the bridge to Karana Sharira
• Creating a Calendar and routine that works (based around moon cycles)
• Expressive and creative exercises
• Taking it off the mat. Bringing inpsiration into your everyday life (Samyama)
• The importance of Intuition and how to listen. (The Siddhis)
• Creating Ritual and why it matters

Electronic materials/manual included. CEU’s available after completion of assignment and both modules.

Module II | March 2 -3 2019

So what happens when the creative ideas start coming? We need to be able to put them in action so we can share in a clear, accessible and authentic way.

After the first module you will be given some time to explore, connect and experiment. You will be given a brief assignment to bring for the second module where you will receive valuable feedback in a safe environment.  We will inspire one another and also discuss real ways to develop your ideas. We will also delve deeper and discuss:

• Self expressions/Voice/Authenticity
• Let it come, Let it Go-Cooperating with the universe rather than fighting against it.
• What happens when you are blocked
• Putting it into action: Message, mission statement, business plan.
• Gratitude and service
• Ebb and flow: Staying Inspired

Next Program begins November 4, 2018

Location | TBA

Dates | November 4 - 5th 2018 & March 2nd - 3rd 2019

Times | 12:00p - 8:00p

Investment | Module I $475 & Module II $950

Registration opens in the coming weeks, bookmark this page to sign up soon!