Advanced Studies Program
200-hour training
"Yoga is the art of living," said BKS Iyengar.
At PRANA, we strive to integrate the lessons we learn on the mat into how we live our lives. This is an art and discipline all its own. To help deepen that commitment to artful living, PRANA offers a 200-hour Advanced Studies Program ("ASP") to those interested in studying yoga more in-depth with the option to become a yoga teacher. We call this an advanced studies program because we hope that many practitioners of yoga will see this as an opportunity to advance their study of yoga and to integrate the practices into everyday living (without the outcome of teaching necessarily).
Schedule
Meetings are 11:00am - 6:00pm
August 23, 24
September 13, 14
October 18, 19
November 15, 16
December 6, 7
January 24, 25
February 21, 22
March 21, 22
April 18, 19
May 16, 17
June 6, 7
3-hour module with Michelle Cassandra Johnson related to her book, Skill in Action (TBD)
2.5-hour module with Satya Vaidyanathan on Sanskrit Basics (TBD)
Program Overview
ASP is designed to help committed practitioners of yoga take another step along their path to deepen their own practice.
We are certified with Yoga Alliance, in part to help aspiring teachers who may want to teach outside of PRANA Yoga + Wellbeing to have credentials that may be required by other studios or organizations.
To align with Yoga Alliance’s RYS Core Curriculum, we will cover four major areas:
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You’ll study the major poses of asana, learn how to build a home practice, and practice foundational aspects of yoga (e.g., pranayama, chanting, mantra, mudra, meditation, mindfulness). Almost all of these modules are taught by our co-lead instructor, Bridget Galli. There is also a bonus session with Satya Vaidyanathan on Sanskrit Basics.
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You’ll study the basics of anatomy and how to use that knowledge to practice asana safely. You’ll also study the dynamics of breathing, anatomical patterns, and contraindications. Lastly, you’ll study biomechanics by learning how to use props to support and inform, as well as using props for adjustments and accessibility. These modules are taught by our co-lead instructor, Bridget Galli.
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You’ll study the rich history and philosophy of the 4000 year tradition of yoga, which includes a deep dive on the Yamas and Niyamas (the first two limbs of yoga related to ethical conduct) as well as a reading of the Yoga Sutra by Patanjali. These modules are taught by our co-lead instructor, April Oquenda.
There are also the following supplemental modules:
Cultural Appropriation and Decolonization with Kavita Patel
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism with Michelle Cassandra Johnson, author of Skill in Action (which participants will read in preparation)
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These modules are all about getting you ready to lead yoga yourself (whether for your personal practice or in the case that you’ll want to lead others at some point). You’ll also spend time on an elective project, so you can study something of particular interest related to your yoga journey. Most of these modules are taught by co-lead instructor, April Oquenda, with supplemental instruction from Kavita Patel.
While part of the content will develop your capacity to become a yoga teacher if you desire, the main objective of the course is to offer you a deep dive into the practice and study of yoga.
A typical day of ASP would follow a structure similar to this, with periodic breaks built into the schedule:
Practice together
Discuss reading on Yoga Humanities
Practice teaching for all-levels classes
Learn about anatomy and physiology of the foot and ankle
Get into the weeds on four common yoga poses
If you’re interested in joining our next cohort, please fill out this application, and we’ll be in touch!
Meet the Faculty
April Oquenda
Bridget Galli
Kavita Patel
Michelle Cassandra Johnson
Satya Vaidyanathan
INVESTMENT
First, select the tier below that best aligns with your financial resources. Then, determine if you'd like to pay in full or sign up for 12 monthly installments:
$4,500 in full or $375/month (supporting tier)
$4,000 in full or $334/month (sustaining tier)
$3,500 in full or $292/month (supported tier)
ABOUT OUR TIERS
Supporting: you can comfortably afford food, housing, healthcare, and some financial savings. You can generally afford leisure activities.
Sustaining: you may stress about your basic needs, but can usually meet them. Although sometimes stressful, you have some expendable income after meeting your monthly expenses.
Supported: with less expendable income, you could use extra community support to access the benefits of yoga with a lessened barrier of cost.
SCHOLARSHIPS & WORK STUDY
PRANA YOGA + WELLBEING offers several opportunities for scholarships and work study. Please be sure to contact us if cost is prohibitive in any way to your pursuit of advanced studies. PRANA Yoga + Wellbeing is committed to making yoga equitable and accessible to all in our community!
Send us an email to inquire: info@pranayogawellbeing.com
Meet our Graduates
Ekta Shah (2023)
“I gained so much more than a certification; I found a community I carry with me daily. This experience changed the course of my life, and I’m so grateful for every moment. If you're looking for a sign, this is it—do it, you won't regret it.”
Dana Leipold (2021)
“One of the best decisions I've made in my life was to take the Advanced Studies Program. This program will give you a much deeper understanding of yoga so you are fully prepared to teach or to simply life a more purposeful life.”
Alissa Brandt (2021)
“ASP gave me a deeper understanding of the history and philosophy of yoga, as well as knowledge of how our physical anatomy can be affected by the asana practice we engage with during ‘yoga class.’ The most important thing I gained from ASP is the community of people engaged with PRANA.”
Mistee Hightower-Guzman (2021)
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FAQs
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This program is designed for anyone interested in deepening their practice of yoga and knowledge about its history, philosophy, and tradition. Students may or may not want to teach yoga after completion of the training, but they will have the credentials to teach if they decide to do that.
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PRANA appreciates the efforts Yoga Alliance has made in recent years to center DEI into their values and into the curriculum requirements they present for being a registered school for yoga instruction. Given that Yoga Alliance is the most widely-known standard of yoga teacher training certification, we have decided to follow their guidance and certify with them, so our graduates are able to teach at studios who require this certification for their instructors.
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Students are expected to attend all outlined requirements for completion of the program. We understand extenuating circumstances will arise, and we will do our best to accommodate students as needed. That said, students who miss modules may be required to participate in the next cohort of ASP to make up what was missed.
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This is a 200-hour training; therefore, participants should be prepared to complete 200 hours of study between August 2025 and summer 2026.
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Students are required to attend one class with April and one class with Bridget per week at PRANA. Students are expected to develop a daily meditation practice as well as a home practice of yoga.