a way from darkness

 

FRIDAY, MARCH 25TH AT 8-9:00PM
THE SHALA UNION SQUARE
(SUGGESTED DONATION)

Join Authorized Level II teacher and Author, Taylor Hunt, for an evening discussing the newly released book A Way from Darkness. He will share his story and how the practice of Ashtanga yoga helped him find his true path. Learn how this transformational and healing practice can work in your life and how to overcome some of theroadblocks along the way. This is an interactive discussion you will not want to miss!

SATURDAY, MARCH 26th AT 2-4:00PM
DONATION CLASS FOR THE TRINI FOUNDATION
THE SHALA UNION SQUARE
(SUGGESTED DONATION $25)

Taylor Hunt will guide you through a meditation and the fundamentals of Ashtanga yoga in this donation based class. This class will be focused on creating new patternsin our bodies and talking about the key principles of Ashtanga yoga. Come preparedto explore the basis of the Ashtanga method known as tristhana. Tristhana means the three places of attention: breath with bandha (internal energy locks), asana, and dristhi (gazing point). When practiced simultaneously, the tristhana method becomes a toolto steady the mind transforming the physical practice into a moving meditation.In this workshop, we will explore the internal elements of the practice while taking a deeper look at the fundamental poses of the vinyasa sequence.

Taylor Hunt is a devoted student of Ashtanga; a system of yoga originally transmitted by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Taylor makes yearly trips to India to further his studies at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) under the guidance of his teacher, R. Sharath Jois. In 2013, after several extended trips, Taylor was granted Level 2 Authorization to teach from KPJAYI and had the honor of assisting his teacher in India on two separate occasions. Taylor is dedicated to sharing the transformative and healing practice with others. Seeking to preserve the traditional method, Taylor teaches daily Mysore classes at Ashtanga Yoga Columbus and offers workshops around the country. He continues to inspire others through his own dedication and accessible approach to the practice.

re-awaken your feet re-invigorate yourself

In this workshop we will explore ways to enhance awareness of our feet and strengthen the arches and various muscles of the feet and lower legs. With this approach we will map channels of integration and connection through the body. Poses that were challenging can become more accessible. Learn to engage in unexpected ways to access more power and strength in the legs and core of the body. Some benefits are:

• Greater balance

• Grounded sense of wellbeing

• Enhanced grace and fluidity of movement

• Help prevent future injuries with less wear and tear on your joints

• Strengthen arches, ankles, knees, hips and low back

• Safely access a deeper version of your poses

• We will end with pampering your feet so your whole body feels restored and re-vitalized.

This is a series of 2 two hour workshops. To be most effective it is recommended to take both, but they also stand on their own if both aren’t possible to attend.

WORKSHOP 1, RE-AWAKEN YOUR FEET:
Focus on activating your feet and discover how it can dynamically transform your practice.

WORKSHOP 2, RE-AWAKEN YOUR CORE:
Explore how your feet inform your core and how it applies to a range of poses.

romantic restorative workshop

Bring your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, crush, or best friend to an intimate and soothing shared yoga practice. Join Edward and Renata for 2 luxurious hours with your partner that will include some gentle vinyasa, breath awareness, meditation, and lots of rejuvenating restorative postures. Perfect for novices interested in exploring the nourishing potential of yoga as well as seasoned practitioners looking for a special way of connecting with a loved one in a safe and warm environment.

practice for purpose

Kick off your new year by Practicing 4 Purpose with Edward Jones and yoga4cancer founder, Tari Prinster. Proceeds for this class benefit yoga4cancer.

meeting the inner teacher

​You can develop a regular meditation practice. And ​if you want to live with more ease, ​focus, creativity or joy, you really should! ​M​ost of us get discouraged because we have erroneous notions about what ​meditation is​ “supposed to​​“​ be.​  Drawing on ancient texts, modern science, and her own years of daily meditation practice, Aaron will help you dissolve any preconceived notions that may be blocking you, and help equip you with powerful tools for taking the life-changing journey inward.

Among the resources you will discover over the 4 weeks: 

• Accessible techniques for stilling the mind and making meditative states possible.

• A list of classic obstacles that pop up for new mediators and advice about how to move beyond them.

• Access to guided meditations and other tools to help you do your own home practice.

• Aaron’s support via email and phone for questions that arise between the sessions.

• A community to hold you accountable for reaching your goals and to bolster your efforts for those 4 weeks and beyond!

Aaron has stu​died ​with masters of various ​meditation ​traditions from around the world​ and tested all of the wisdom she found “out there” against her own inner compass. ​She has ultimately ​come to an exuberant and non-dogmatic embracing of every human’s access to Truth through stillness, sincerity and fearless exploration. She teaches weekly​ ​meditation ​and yoga ​classes and has helped ​dozens of students successfully develop a ​lasting and ​satisfying home practice. For more information  about her visit diasyoga.com.

200 hour Shala Teacher Training

The Shala 200-hour Teacher Training

Bring resilience and peace into your home, workplace, neighborhood, and community. 

October 2025-April 2026  Now taking applications!
Online and In Studio
Scholarships for BIPOC yogis
Yoga Alliance Certified
For more information email info@theshala.com

PAYMENTS

Please email info@theshala.com to inquire about paying in full or to set up a payment plan.

OVERVIEW

The Shala’s 200-hour training is designed for students seeking a stronger connection with the profound Indian and Buddhist teachings our practices are rooted in, and in becoming skilled practitioners and teachers. Individuals interested in deepening their connection with these traditions, without aspirations toward teaching, are also welcome. 

Comprehensive and rigorous, The Shala Yoga offers vinyasa-style asana classes, many of which incorporate pranayama, mindfulness, meditation, chanting, yoga ethics, and philosophical study. We are committed to the principles of compassion and generosity, truth and justice, steadiness and ease; our program aims to develop these qualities in our trainees so that each and every one finds their own way to bring resilience and peace into their homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. 

COMMUNITY

Graduates of our program often share that one of the most rewarding aspects of this training is the opportunity to bond, collaborate, and build community with one another. We emphasize partner and small-group dialogue as a means of exploring yoga’s many facets from different perspectives and lived experiences, and of facilitating enduring friendships.

TRAINING

DEEPEN

Through experiential and interactive learning, our training dives deep into: 

  • Establishing a consistent asana and meditation practice
  • Developing a confident and authentic voice, adaptable for in-person, outdoor, and online spaces
  • Building an understanding of important philosophical concepts, and learning how to relay these concepts in accessible, relevant terms (i.e., through dharma talks)
  • Designing intelligent sequences
  • Delivering clear alignment instruction
  • Offering effective assists
  • Instructing to all levels
  • Studying, contemplating, and interpreting critical texts
  • Engaging in mutually supportive relationships with fellow trainees 
  • How to weave practice and its principles into daily life
  • Community-building and community outreach, including expanding access to diverse populations and environments 

ENGAGE

We engage with an array of therapeutic applications:

  • Ayurveda (nutrition, self-care routines, seasonal modifications, etc.)
  • Anatomically-informed approaches to working with injuries
  • Yoga therapy: theory and practice
  • Restorative
  • Prenatal and postpartum
  • Trauma-informed 

EXPAND

We understand yoga as an expansive, vital, and evolving tradition. Our workshops focus on:

  • Asana, pranayama, and meditation
  • Lineage, history, and philosophy
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Chanting and Sanskrit 
  • Yoga therapy
  • Trauma-informed technique
  • Yoga and Buddhism
  • Yoga and social justice
  • Yoga and ethics
  • The business of yoga

PRIMARY TEACHERS: Sharon Salzberg, Barbara Verrochi, Kristin Leigh, Maria Rubinate, Constance Kassor, Kate Johnson, Joe Miller, Jenny Meyer, Shevy Katan, Sasha Ginetti, Ashley Dorr, Domenick Schiavone, Maria Cutrona, Annie Piper, Julie Peacock, Jenny Campbell,  Sherry Russell, Jackie Brown & Julianna Takacs.

SCHEDULE 2025-2026 (subject to change)

13 Weekends, Sat: 9-11 and 12:30-3:00, Sun: 10:30-12:30 and 2:00-4:30

  • October 18-19, 25-26
  • November 8-9,  22-23
  • December 6- 7, 13-14
  • January 10-11,  24-25
  • February 7-8, 21-22
  • March 7-8, 28-29
  • April 18-19

Friday evening, 5:15 to 6:45pm

  • March 20, 27
  • April 17 

Wednesday evenings Buddhist Studies 6:30 to 8:00pm (See Buddhist Studies page)

  • Oct 22
  • Nov 5
  • Dec 3
  • Saturday Dec 21, Jan 10
  • Feb 4
  • March 4, 18
  • April 1

TUITION 

  • A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot, and is due before the training begins.
  • Early Bird payment: $3300 full payment before September 15.
  • $3550 full payment after September 15.
  • Payment plan available (with additional processing fee of $75). 
  • We offer 15% off of tuition as a work-study option for trainees who request financial assistance. Opportunities are limited.
  • We offer a 30% scholarship for BIPOC trainees, in keeping with The Shala’s aspirations for a more racially diverse teaching body.
  • Please note: Work-study and BIPOC scholarship cannot be combined.

I really loved being part of The Shala YTT, I met the most wonderful and supportive group of yogis – teachers and fellow TTs alike. We are still in touch as we continue our journey. We learned so much about all aspects of yoga such as anatomy, sequencing, meditation, sutras, sanskrit, bhagavad gita, ayurveda, different styles of yoga, like restorative and prenatal and were really immersed in what it means to be a yoga teacher. I also appreciated that the common theme of the training was to find our own voice and style. We were guided so beautifully by all the teachers who shared their unique wisdom and experience. Now we can choose to dive even deeper into whatever area we are most drawn to on this great path. I am so grateful to Barbara and Kristin for creating this program in a safe and supportive space and feel lucky to have been a part of it.

Julia Reimer

 

The Shala YTT program has been a rich and wonderful experience all around. I was initially attracted to the training as a way to deepen my own practice and understanding of the many facets of yoga — including yoga history & philosophy, ayurveda, chanting, meditation, and so much more. But I quickly became fascinated by the tools and techniques one needs to become a teacher, such as sequencing, anatomy, an introduction to various styles of yoga, and rich and important conversations on cultivating diverse and inclusive yoga communities. Not only have I had the chance to travel much further on my yoga path than I’d imagined, but I also became acquainted with and connected to a supportive, talented, and compassionate group of teachers and fellow teacher trainees. The Shala YTT program is thoughtfully designed, expertly led, and open-heartedly encouraging. Barbara and Kristin have created a beautiful, welcoming, and accessible space for all who wish to pursue this path.

Shana Kimball

New Year’s Eve Retreat in Miami

Yoga classes on the roof deck & beach front

2 classes a day, including NYE and New Year’s morning

Meditation and Kirtan

Spa treatments available

Choose your own dates/price package

Reg deadline November 30th

email juliannayoga@gmail.com for more info/register