Living Yoga
A Comprehensive Continuing Education Series
This unique “Living Yoga” CE program is offered in 4 quarters—each as a gateway into spiritual awakening from a different wisdom perspective, an independent study unit grounded in the ancient texts, with its own key flavor. Individually, each 45-hour block offers an opportunity to dive deep below the surface of our customary understanding of yoga and help us gain new perspectives and practices. Together, all four show us how these ancient wisdom traditions intersect and, woven together, how they can transform the way we view ourselves, our practice, and our lives.
You can take 1, 2, 3 or all 4 quarter programs, and we offer a substantial discount if you take all 4.
Meet one weekend per month for three months and check in online once a month. The home practice, outside reading, journaling and partner/buddy requirements will help sustain connection to the work and to our sangha. Take this in-depth investigation into the fullness of yoga as a map for your life and expand into the underlying happiness of your essential being.
45 CEUs available each quarter
Important Details
Who Is This Program For?
- Yoga students and/or teachers who want to deepen their commitment to their spiritual path and bring the wisdom of yoga alive
- Yoga students and/or teachers who are looking for Continuing Education Credits to add to their profile
- Serious students who may not be interested in taking a Yoga Teacher Training
- Those who want to bring consciousness and awareness into their everyday actions
The Living Yoga CE Series is based on the 4 quarters of the Yoga Beyond Asana 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training.
To learn more about the individual quarters and ask questions, email Usha@ushabilotta.com
Location
Online via ZOOM OR in Westerly, RI at the Westerly Education Center. This brand new building with state of the art air circulation and purification has ample space for us to gather, yet be physically distanced. Should participants need or choose to be physically distanced, all live classes will have ZOOM options with complete inclusivity for all.
Teacher(s)
Jenn Thomas, E-RYT; Rev. Usha Bilotta, E-RYT 500
For questions about the program, please email Jenn or Usha.
Total Cost
$2,600/$749*
*Total Cost is $2,600 for all 4 Quarters or $749 for each quarter
That’s a $99 savings on each quarter when you enroll in the full program!
Quarters can be taken individually or mixed and matched to create a customized learning experience.
THE FIRST QUARTER
Awakening to Life as a Spiritual Path
How do we bring intention and conscious awareness to our everyday actions? In this first quarter, we look to the eight limbs of yoga in Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras to help us do just that. They ask us to begin with our actions in the world; implore us to take care of our bodies so that we stay healthy; show us how to quiet our minds so we don’t make ourselves crazy; and encourage us to open our hearts and learn to surrender.
45 CEUs available
REQUIRED + RECOMMENDED READING
REQUIRED:
- The Ten Challenges: Spiritual Lessons from the Ten Commandments, by Leonard Felder
- Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha’s Path, by Bhante Gunaratana
RECOMMENDED:
- Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse
- Quest for the True Self, by Stephen Cope
- Coming Home, by Norman Fischer
- The Heroine’s Journey, by Maureen Murdock
THE SECOND QUARTER
Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life
What do the ancient seers have to say that can help us create a deeper relationship with ourselves, our families, and our world? Plenty, it turns out. Come unpack additional Sutra wisdom (beyond the eight limbs) and then discover the truths so beautifully expressed in the Bhagavad Gita and the poetry of the Upanishads. You’ll be amazed at how relevant they are!
The wisdom of the ancients is both unique and timeless in the way it inspires us to live in the midst of our questions and our answers. Study is a facet of yoga that has been eclipsed by movement in the west; although we include asana, pranayama, and meditation in this quarter, they are in service of inquiry, knowledge, understanding, communication and wisdom. Look for rich dialogue and open-ended investigation to help us expand our understanding of how ancient wisdom can inform our modern-day challenges.
45 CEUs available
REQUIRED READING
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, by Chip Hartranft
- Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation, by Stephen Mitchell
- The Upanishads, by Eknath Easwaran
THE THIRD QUARTER
The Subtle Body: Energy is Life
The Essence of our Being resides in the subtle body or energy body. We will explore practices that help us gain access to the felt sense of knowing that which resides at the core of our being. We’ll investigate the koshas and the other elements of the subtle body, our relationship to each of them, and perhaps discover how they can be a resource for living more consciously.
Explore the Subtle Body as a vehicle to move from the gross to the sublime. We will look at and map the subtle anatomy of the koshas, nadis & meridians, chakras, and gunas as we continue to expand our understanding of yoga and learn to embrace the mysteries inherent in life. Discussions, yin yoga, qi movements, energy exercises, and yoga nidra all offer ways in to the magical subtle arena of life; it’s a very happy playground!
45 CEUs available
REQUIRED + RECOMMENDED READING
REQUIRED:
- Anatomy of the Spirit, by Carolyn Myss
- Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System, by Anodea Judith
- Meta Anatomy, Volume Two Body Poetry, by Kristin Leal
- The Subtle Body Practice Manual, by Cindi Dale
THE FOURTH QUARTER
Devotion & Awakening: Shining Love in the World
From asana to pranayama, from chakra balancing to chanting, from dancing to meditation, devotion takes many forms. It is our inner orientation that collects the energy and directs it outward through love. Let’s work from that orientation, that path that is the sacred one, the one that allows us each to serve others. How can we move and connect from our highest frequencies, our best selves? How can we ensure that our service in the world—whether that means raising children or raising awareness, growing a business that serves others or growing food that feeds them—is done in the spirit of deep listening and selfless love?
We come together to spark devotion, aspiration, and connection with an eye toward opening our hearts in service. This program asks us to establish a deep personal relationship with what matters most and to begin the journey and effortless work of making that the center of our mandala/life. Come dance and chant with us, prepare to stand before the mystery, experience the practices of deep listening and truth speaking through you, give fresh energy to your inner aspirations, your heart’s knowing and invoke them in your life.
45 CEUs available
PROGRAM DATES + TIMES
REQUIRED + RECOMMENDED READING
REQUIRED:
- Light on Life, by BKS Iyengar
- Myths of the Asanas: The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition, by Alanna Kaivalya
- The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami, by Radhanath Swami
RECOMMENDED:
- 365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the Heart, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- The Buddha’s Still Talking, by Jack Kornfield
MEET THE INSTRUCTORS
Jenn and Usha
JENN THOMAS E-RYT
Jenn Thomas has long had a passion for unearthing what lies beneath the surface and uncanny ability to get to the heart of the matter. Whether you take her dynamic yang or her more reflective yin classes, her clear and tender-hearted encouragement will help you explore the patterns and habits of your own life with more insight.
Learn More
REV. USHA BILOTTA E-RYT 500
Usha has been using asana and the sacred teachings as a life-map for 20 years. As a teacher, she’s most interested in helping students cultivate a practice that is authentic and powerful while challenging them to find the lessons that asana presents. She uses thoughtful language to blend these principles into class, encouraging growth and presence in the physical body and beyond.
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Yoga Beyond Asana 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
The Living Yoga Series is based on The Four Quarters of the Yoga Beyond Asana 300-Hour Teacher Training. For those who are interested in furthering their yogic study and then applying for a 500-Hour designation, consider enrolling in the full teacher training.