Within yogic philosophy, buddhÄŤ is the aspect of the mind responsible for discernment, clarity, and wise decision-making. It allows us to distinguish between what serves our growth and what leads us away from balance. While the thinking mind generates constant movement and reaction, buddhÄŤ offers a steady inner compass rooted in awareness.
In yoga practice, cultivating discernment encourages students to move beyond habit or ego-driven effort. Instead, practice becomes a process of listening, refining, and responding with intention. In this weekâs class theme, we explore how buddhÄŤ supports physical alignment, emotional regulation, and mindful progression toward our peak pose, Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana).
Grounding & Opening: Building Awareness and Breath Connection
Child’s Pose
Puppy Pose
Downward Facing Dog
Plank
Cobra
The beginning of practice invites students to observe their mental and physical state without judgment. BuddhÄŤ begins with observation â recognizing thought patterns, physical sensations, and breath quality before attempting to change them.
This stage encourages students to establish clarity and present-moment awareness, forming the foundation for safe and mindful inversion work.
Standing Flow: Developing Strength, Stability, and Intelligent Effort
As intensity increases, students begin to experience the difference between productive effort and overexertion. BuddhÄŤ helps practitioners recognize when muscular engagement supports integrity versus when strain disrupts breath and stability.
Encourage students to prioritize alignment and sustainable effort rather than pushing toward external achievement.
Balance & Inversion Preparation: Refining Focus and Inner Listening
Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Warrior III
Revolved Half Moon
Three Legged Dog
High Lunge
Revolved Side Angle
Pyramid Pose
Handstand Hops
Balancing postures provide immediate feedback regarding focus and control. As students prepare for inversion, they are encouraged to practice moment-to-moment discernment. Each transition becomes an opportunity to evaluate alignment, breath steadiness, and energetic effort.
This phase helps cultivate confidence while reinforcing safe progression toward Handstand.
Peak Pose: Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)
Handstand challenges both physical strength and mental clarity. Rather than approaching the posture through force or urgency, students are invited to embody buddhÄŤ by making intentional micro-adjustments and honoring their current capacity.
Teachers may encourage students to:
Focus on breath stability during entry and exit
Engage shoulders and core with mindful awareness
Recognize the difference between fear-based hesitation and intuitive caution
Utilize wall support or preparatory variations as expressions of intelligent practice
The purpose of the pose is not performance, but awareness. Through inversion, students experience how clarity and discernment create steadiness even when perspective shifts.
Cooling Down: Integrating Insight and Nervous System Regulation
Option for a backbend: Wheel Pose or Bridge Pose
Supine Spinal Twist
Halasana
Happy Baby
Savasana
The cooling phase supports integration of both physical effort and philosophical reflection. Encourage students to observe how discernment influenced their choices throughout practice.
This stage reinforces the deeper purpose of yoga â cultivating awareness that extends beyond physical posture.
Suggested Yoga Playlist: The BuddhÄŤÂ â Handstand Class
Applying BuddhÄŤ Off the Mat
Yoga offers more than physical strength or flexibility. By cultivating buddhÄŤ, practitioners strengthen their ability to make conscious, intentional choices in daily life. Discernment allows individuals to pause before reacting, observe internal patterns, and choose responses aligned with long-term well-being.
Through consistent practice, buddhÄŤ becomes a reliable internal guide â supporting clarity, balance, and self-awareness both on and off the mat.
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The word discrimination can be a trigger (I know it is for me), because it brings up images of oppression, injustice, and exclusivity. As a friend of my teacher once said, âWords are pregnant with the history of their usage,â meaning how they are used mostly defines them. The word discrimination really just means to be able to distinguish one thing from another â to discern the differences between certain things.
In yogic texts, the ability to discern is of the upmost importance and is the ability that has to be cultivated to reach the goal of yoga. In order to achieve the true state of yoga, we must be able to see that we are not the body that we ride around in, nor the machine-like mind that spits out millions of thoughts for us, but instead are a soul (eternal, wise, blissful). This skill of discrimination or discernment lives in the part of the Mind (Citta in Sanskrit) called the Buddhi.
The Buddhi, or The Mind of Discernment
In today’s world, machines and technology are increasingly doing things that people do (donât worry, I am very much a real person â just ask my husband!) But from a yogic standpoint, no matter how well a bot does something, it will always be a different entity than what we all actually are because it is made out of a completely different thing than we are. Anything that shows what is called the âsymptoms of lifeâ â birth, growth, maintenance, reproduction, dwindling, and death, be it human, aquatic, or animal, contains within it, a soul. And the soul is what is called Purusha (spirit) it is this quality that imbues the soul with itâs natures of sat (eternality), chit (wisdom), and ananda (blissfulness).
To quote the Bhagavad Gita:
2.23: The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
2.24: This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.
Machinery, bodies, even thoughts however, are NOT made out of Purusha, but are comprised of Prakriti (matter). And because this is the case, anything that is parkritic (made of Prakriti) is temporary. Bhagavad Gita says this about the parkritic, therefore temporary, nature of the body in verse 2.13:As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
Prakriti is ever-changing because it is comprised of The Gunas â the three modes of nature that are constantly in flux, shifting again and again from passion (Ragas) to lethargy (Tamas), to calmness (Sattva). Everything in this world is a product of this nature of Prakriti except for one thing, Purusha â the soul. And that is what the Buddhi mind can discern… if we use it.
How do we access the Buddhi?
Because of the strong pull of the part of the mind called the Ahankara (the false ego), this is the sector of our mind where we identify with the current body we are in with itâs likes, dislikes, personality traits, and etc. We donât often contemplate that we are anyone other than what we see in the mirror or what we think in our minds. We have jobs and families and world events to contend with, so it makes sense that taking the time to view ourselves as souls, may fall to the bottom of our to-do list. On top of that, the Yoga Sutras gives a fairly pessimistic view of what happens when we do begin to use the Buddhi mind more often:
Sutra 2.15: For one who has discrimination, everything is suffering on account of the suffering produced by the consequences of action, by pain, and by the samskaras, as well as on account of the suffering ensuing from the turmoil of the vrittis due to the gunas.
OUCH!!! Letâs unpack that, shall we? What Patanjali (the sage that wrote down the Sutras) is pointing out is that when we stay in world of Prakriti, we are setting ourselves up for suffering! Why? Because we are aligning ourselves with the temporary nature of this world, as opposed to the eternal nature of our soul. It is here we are effected by:
Karma â the body and mind are subject to the laws of karma, bringing a reaction to every single thing we have ever done, but the soul is eternally free of that.
Temporality â as humans, we HATE change. Think of moving â how many of us would rather do anything than move?! Itâs not just the boxing up of things, but the actual changing of things that we dislike. The thing is, change in the material world is the only thing that is the constant â whereas in the spiritual world (where our soul belongs) eternality is the norm.
Samskaras â the impressions of the mind, that shape our mind, which means they shape our thoughts, which means that it predicts what we will say and do, which leads to our habits, and habits shape character and character shapes destiny. When we allow the pull of Ragas and Tamas (who I will call the âlesser Gunasâ for this point) to drag us into thoughts that are overly passionate (Ragas): I gotta get this! I have to do that! I need more! Why canât I do more? or overly lethargic (Tamas): What does it matter? Might as well just stay in bed, we make those deep groves in our minds that will take us down roads that are not very pleasant. Even the mode of goodness (Sattva) can possibly trap us. For example, “Look at me, I meditate for soooo long every day! I am totally not like other people, I remain calm all the time. I read so, so, many yogic texts!” is how we can become puffed up about our own achievements, even if they are uplifting and spiritual.
The Vrittis â the turnings of the mind. These are the things that in the Yoga Sutras we are aiming to stop so we can see ourselves. Yoga Sutra 1.2: Yoga citta vritti nirodha â yoga is the stopping of the turnings of the mind. The more we attach to the working of the material/temporary mind, with itâs material/temporary thoughts, we keep ourselves locked with a mind that is like a hamster in a wheel â whirling from thing to thing, not seeing that who we are is not what we think we are at all.
How to access the Buddhi Mind
The whole point of yoga is to get us to this higher viewpoint, this place of discernment, called Viveka (wisdom), so that we can, even for just a moment, see that we are a soul inside of a body. That we are spiritual beings having a temporary, material experience instead of material beings who every once in a while have a spiritual experience. This takes practice.
Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras, says that practice is to be done over a long period of time, continuously, and with respect/enthusiasm. This means we have to again and again strive to regulate our thoughts â to try and keep them from whirling over and over again. This is what the yogic practices are all about: the meditation, the asana, the pranayama, the reading. When we can quiet the false ego that keeps us bound in this temporary identity, we can climb into the part of the mind that will help us see who we actually are â a blissful, eternal, wise soul. That is the âBuddhi Callâ we do want to have!
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Mindfulness is a word we hear often today, in wellness spaces, healthcare settings, schools, workplaces, and even corporate environments. Yet despite its growing visibility, mindfulness is still frequently misunderstood. For some, it sounds abstract or spiritual; for others, it feels like another self-improvement trend promising quick relief from stress.
In truth, mindfulness is neither abstract nor a quick fix. It is a practical, evidence-based skill that changes how we relate to our inner and outer worlds. While once confined to spiritual and meditative traditions, mindfulness today is recognized by psychologists, neuroscientists, and organizations worldwide as a scientifically proven path toward greater well-being. What began with only a handful of studies has grown into thousands of peer-reviewed papers conducted at leading institutions such as Harvard, UCLA, McGill University, the University of Wisconsin, UC Davis, UCSF, and many others worldwide.
These studies consistently show that mindfulness supports physical health, psychological well-being, emotional resilience, and social connection. It has been studied in relation to chronic pain, immune functioning, depression, anxiety, addiction, stress-related illness, aging, bias, and relationship quality. Today, mindfulness-based programs are integrated into hospitals, schools, workplaces, prisons, military settings, and therapeutic environments.
At its core, mindfulness is not about eliminating discomfort or achieving constant calm. It is about learning how to meet life as it is, with strength, resilience, awareness, steadiness, and compassion. When practiced consistently, mindfulness creates space, space to pause, to feel, to reflect, and to choose how we respond. In that space, resilience grows.
But what exactly are the benefits of mindfulness? How does it shape our minds, bodies, and relationships? And can something as simple as breathing with awareness truly transform our lives?
Letâs explore what decades of research, and timeless wisdom, tell us about the extraordinary ways mindfulness enhances human functioning.
What Is Mindfulness?
At its essence, mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment, intentionally, and without judgment. It invites us to observe our thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise, rather than becoming entangled in them. This quality of awareness allows us to step out of automatic pilot mode and into conscious living.
Importantly, mindfulness does not ask us to push away difficult experiences or replace them with positive ones. Instead, it helps us recognize thoughts as thoughts, emotions as emotions, and sensations as sensations, temporary experiences that move and change. This shift allows us to respond with greater choice rather than being driven by unconscious reactions.
The roots of mindfulness trace back to ancient contemplative traditions, especially Buddhism, but its modern form has been embraced by secular psychology through programs like Jon Kabat-Zinnâs Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This approach combines meditation, gentle movement, and cognitive awareness, yielding remarkable outcomes for physical and emotional health.
So, what happens when we bring mindfulness into everyday life, into moments of stress, work, relationships, and self-care? Letâs break down the specific benefits.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
1. Improving Psychological and Biological Indices of Health and Well-Being
One of the most well-documented benefits of mindfulness is its profound effect on both mental and physical health. Practicing mindfulness regularly has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, while enhancing immune system functioning and overall well-being.
Psychological Benefits
Mindfulness teaches us to observe rather than absorb negative thoughts and emotions. Instead of being swept away by stress or fear, we learn to experience them with curiosity and compassion.
Studies show that mindfulness can:
Lower levels of cortisol, the bodyâs primary stress hormone.
Reduce rumination and promote emotional resilience.
Improve sleep quality and mood disorders.
Biological Benefits
Physically, mindfulness affects the body at a cellular level. Research published in journals such as Psychosomatic Medicine and JAMA Internal Medicine indicates measurable biological changes:
Lower blood pressure and heart rate variability.
Reduced inflammation markers.
Strengthened immune response, meaning the body literally heals better when you cultivate awareness.
When you practice mindfulness, youâre not just calming the mind, youâre healing the body. This synergy between mental and physical health sets the stage for an overall well-being.
2. Better Handling of and Recovery from Stress and Difficult Emotions
Stress is inevitable but suffering is optional. Mindfulness fundamentally changes our relationship with stress. It doesnât remove lifeâs challenges but equips us with the tools to meet them skillfully and recover faster.
When we practice mindful awareness, we notice stress signals early: the tension in our jaw, the racing heartbeat, the flood of anxious thoughts. Instead of reacting impulsively, we respond consciously. Mindfulness breaks the reactive cycle, turning âfight or flightâ into pause and choose.
Mindfulness and the Stress Response
Neuroscientific studies show that mindfulness meditation reduces activity in the amygdala (the brainâs fear center) while increasing activation in the prefrontal cortex (the seat of rational thinking and self-regulation). This means we gain more control over how we respond to stressors.
Regular mindfulness practice also influences the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering the relaxation response. As a result, the body slows down, heart rate steadies, and muscular tension releases. Over time, mindfulness practitioners report that stressful situations no longer feel as overwhelming or emotionally depleting. In essence, mindfulness doesnât promise a stress-free life, but it ensures that stress and difficult emotions no longer control you.
3. Increasing Positive Emotional Experience and Outlook
Humans naturally attend more strongly to negative experiences, a tendency known as negativity bias. While this bias once supported survival, it now often fuels anxiety, social avoidance, and chronic stress. Mindfulness reduces emotional reactivity to negative stimuli and helping individuals see the goodness in others and in the world.
Emotional Regulation and Positivity
Research has demonstrated that mindfulness practices enhance positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and empathy. Regular engagement in these practices leads to higher levels of overall life satisfaction and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. By becoming aware of our inner landscape, we learn to meet each moment, even the difficult ones, with compassion.
The habit of being present helps you savor joyful experiences that might otherwise go unnoticed, the taste of a meal, a shared smile, the warmth of sunlight on your face. Over time, such moments accumulate, reshaping your emotional baseline toward positivity and contentment.
4. Cultivating Self-Compassion
Mindfulness not only helps calm the mind, but it also opens the heart. One of its most powerful effects is the cultivation of self-compassion, the ability to respond to oneself with kindness during moments of difficulty. Self-compassion is strongly linked to emotional resilience, motivation, and psychological health.
The Power of Self-Compassion
At its core, mindfulness nurtures the ability to treat ourselves with the same kindness and understanding we would offer a friend in pain. This self-compassion allows us to soften our internal dialogue, replacing harsh criticism with supportive awareness. Rather than punishing ourselves for mistakes, we learn to recognize them as part of the shared human experience.
Self-compassion, in turn, fosters emotional resilience and motivation. People who practice it are more likely to recover quickly from stress, pursue goals with greater courage, and maintain greater psychological health. Itâs not about self-indulgence, itâs about self-acceptance, the foundation of authentic growth and inner peace.
When mindfulness meets compassion, we experience not only peace within ourselves but also a ripple effect of kindness that extends to everyone around us.
5. Strengthening Social Relationships
Humans are inherently social beings, and mindfulness strengthens the very foundation of our connections. By helping us become more self-aware and attentive, mindfulness transforms the way we communicate and relate to others.
When we are truly present in conversation, listening deeply rather than mentally preparing our next response, relationships flourish. Mindfulness fosters empathy and compassion, cornerstones of genuine connection.
Enhancing Empathy and Relationships
Mindfulness improves emotional awareness and regulation, allowing us to listen more deeply and respond rather than react. Studies on mindfulness-based relationship programs show increases in relationship satisfaction, emotional attunement, and constructive communication.
Loving-kindness practices, in particular, increase feelings of connection not only toward loved ones, but also toward acquaintances and strangers. Over time, practitioners often report more ease, warmth, and presence in social interactions.
Reducing Bias and Prejudice
Mindfulness has been shown to reduce both explicit (conscious) and implicit (unconscious) biases. Research suggests that even brief mindfulness practices can decrease prejudiced attitudes and biased behaviors toward marginalized groups.
Mindfulness also softens the self-positivity bias, the tendency to maintain a positive self-image by diminishing others. Reducing this bias supports healthier, more cooperative relationships and a stronger sense of shared humanity.
By bringing awareness to automatic mental patterns, mindfulness helps interrupt habitual judgments and fear-based reactions. This creates space for fairness, empathy, and more balanced decision-making.
6. Slowing Cellular Aging
One of the most surprising findings in recent mindfulness research is its link to biological aging. Several studies have shown that mindfulness can actually slow, or even reverse, cellular aging processes.
The key mechanism lies in telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as we age. Shorter telomeres are associated with aging-related diseases and decreased lifespan. Mindfulness practices appear to preserve telomere length by reducing oxidative stress and promoting healthy cellular function.
The Science of Aging Gracefully
A team of researchers from UC Davis and UCSF banded together to do a research study, and found that mindfulness practitioners had higher telomerase activity, the enzyme responsible for rebuilding telomeres. Moreover, stress reduction (a core benefit of mindfulness) directly supports cellular rejuvenation.
So yes, mindfulness may actually keep you younger, not just in spirit, but in your very cells. By living with awareness, you nurture longevity from the inside out.
7. Sharpening Attention and Enhancing Memory Function
When it comes to attention, mindfulness is a powerful antidote to distraction. Our minds are constantly bombarded with notifications, messages, mindless social media, and multitasking demands. The average adultâs attention span has dropped dramatically, making it harder than ever to focus deeply.
Mindfulness retrains the brain to sustain and direct attention with greater precision to where it is important for you to place your attention rather to where it would naturally be pulled to. Through practices like breath awareness and body scanning, we strengthen the brainâs attentional networks, improving both concentration and working memory.
The Science Behind Attention Training
Neuroscientists have found that mindfulness increases gray matter density in regions of the brain associated with learning, memory, and emotional regulation, particularly the hippocampus. It also reduces activity in the brainâs âdefault mode networkâ (DMN), responsible for mind-wandering and self-referential thinking.
In practical terms, mindfulness helps:
Improve memory, focus and efficiency at work or study.
Reduce mental fatigue during complex tasks.
Enhance cognitive flexibility, allowing you to switch between tasks more skillfully.
8. Making Us More Productive, Collaborative, and Engaged at Work
In the modern workplace, where burnout and distraction run rampant, mindfulness is emerging as a secret weapon for success. Major corporations like Google, Intel, and General Mills have implemented mindfulness programs to boost focus, creativity, and employee well-being.
Mindfulness and Productivity
Far from being a passive practice, mindfulness actively fuels productivity. When youâre grounded in the present, you make fewer mistakes, waste less time switching between tasks, and recover faster from setbacks.
You become adaptable rather than reactive, able to prioritize effectively and maintain calm under pressure. Mindfulness also promotes flow, the state of deep engagement that leads to peak performance and satisfaction.
Mindfulness and Collaboration
A mindful workplace is one characterized by empathy, respect, and trust. Mindful employees communicate more clearly, listen more deeply, and resolve conflicts constructively. Teams that adopt mindfulness often report higher morale, creativity, and cohesion.
In this sense, mindfulness is not just an individual advantage, itâs a collective one. It helps create cultures of authenticity, inclusion, and genuine human connection, where people thrive rather than merely survive.
Bringing Mindfulness into Everyday Life
The benefits of mindfulness are not confined to the meditation cushion. Mindfulness becomes integrated into all of your activities, walking, eating, working, or even waiting in line. Mindfulness becomes a quality of being.
Here are a few simple yet powerful ways to make mindfulness a daily habit:
Start your day with presence. Before checking your phone or rushing into tasks, take five mindful breaths. Notice sensations, emotions, and thoughts without judgment.
Eat with intention. Slow down and truly taste your food. Appreciate its texture, aroma, and flavor.
Practice gratitude. Reflect on three things youâre thankful for each day. Gratitude rewires the brain for positivity.
Pause during transitions. Before moving from one task to another, take a moment to reset your awareness.
End your day mindfully. Scan through your day, noticing moments of connection, learning, or peace.
The beauty of mindfulness lies in its simplicity. It doesnât require special equipment, it only asks for your presence, moment by moment.
How Can Being More Mindful Help Enhance My Sense of Being?
Beyond its measurable benefits, mindfulness invites us into a richer, more meaningful way of living. Itâs not just about managing stress or improving productivity; itâs about awakening to lifeâs depth and wonder.
When you live mindfully, you begin to witness the extraordinary in the ordinary: the touch of rain, the laughter of children, the feeling of breath moving through your body. You learn that peace doesnât come from controlling the world, but from embracing it as it is.
Mindfulness teaches us that the present moment is not something to escape, it is something to inhabit. And when we do, every moment becomes an opportunity to heal, grow, and connect.
Free, 7-Minute Guided Meditation
What and Who is a Mindfulness Certification For?
A certification in mindfulness isn’t for a particular person; it is a great asset to have if you are:Â currently in the wellness space and looking to expand your offerings, work in a professional environment and would like to incorporate mindful exercises into your workday, are a person generally interested in mindfulness techniques and the way they can benefit your life.
Mindfulness is not about perfecting the self or avoiding lifeâs difficulties. It is about learning how to meet experience, pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral, with awareness, stability and balance. The science and ancient wisdom are clear, mindfulness transforms lives. Whether you seek better health, focus, emotional balance, or deeper relationships, mindfulness paves the way.
But reading about mindfulness and experiencing it are two very different things. To truly unlock its power, you need consistent guidance and structured practice, and thatâs exactly what an online mindfulness course is designed to offer.
In this course, youâll learn the science behind mindfulness and how it changes the brain and behaviour, as well as how to:
Build a daily mindfulness routine that fits your lifestyle.
Harness mindfulness to reduce stress and anxiety.
Boost focus, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
Cultivate compassion and resilience in all areas of your life.
I’ve also written about How to Become a Mindfulness Coach that touches on my personal journey with the practice and how I was able to incorporate those teachings into online courses, articles and workshops.
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Peak Pose: Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) Philosophical Focus: Ahankara â the false ego, the âI-makerâ that tells us who we think we are
In yoga philosophy, Ahankara is the part of the mind that creates our identityâour stories, roles, comparisons, and self-judgments. Itâs the voice that says: âI am strong. I’m tall. I am a mom. I am not enough. I’m a yogi.â
As we discussed in yesterday’s article from Julie, this sense of self can help us navigate the world but it can also limit us. In this week’s Weekly Class Theme, we’ll explore how to stand strong in who we areâwithout being ruled by who we think we should be through the practice of the peak pose Warrior II.
Puttering
Supine Happy Baby (one leg extended straight out to the side, one foot parallel to the ground)
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Imagine a game show on television â A host whose hair is prefect, and whose teeth are sparkly white, holds a microphone, and cards with questions to ask. Three contestants standing behind little podiums with buzzers in their hands. They look nervously at the cameras. The prize, they are told, is beyond description, but “it is what everyone wants!” The first question is asked: âWho are you?â The fastest contestant with the buzzer rings in â âMichelle!â they cry out confidently. BUZZ â the sound for the wrong answer rings out loudly. Another contestant seizes the moment and squeezes their buzzer. âA Man!â he states with utmost confidence. BUZZ â wrong again. The final contestant is hesitant, but thinking they have nothing to lose, rings in anyway, âAn Athlete?â BUZZ â So sorry!â says the host, with a smile. She continues, âYou are all wrong. The answer is â you are a Soul!” All those other things you mentioned are things you have, designations, and labels but they are not what you are. This is what is known as The False Ego, in Sanskrit, or The Ahankara.
The Ahankara is the “I” maker
Of the three parts of the Mind (in yogic text referred to as The Citta) the Ahankara could be thought to be the trickiest, because it is the place where most of us hang out most of the time, but it’s not who we actually are.
Letâs back track to the game show. In yoga, the only answer that would have been correct to the question, âWho are you?â is that you are a soul. Eternally. You, in your true identity as a soul, have traversed the universe since time in memoriam, and have taken on many different bodies â trees, ants, dogs, men, women, Asian, African, European. Each time your soul took on a body, it received the wondrous machine known as the Mind, which contains three parts: the lower mind (the Manos), the area of discernment (the Buddhi), and the false ego (the Ahankara).
The Ahankara is the seat of our identity while in our current bodies. It is the part of us that looks at the mirror, and knows that this is our own face and the pair of feet down there, are our feet. And beyond recognizing which container our soul is presently in, it does something else â it is where we decide what we like, and what we donât like. This is the part of the Citta that tells us â âI donât like the taste of olives, so I will stay away from them,â or, âI do like the taste of olives, so I will try to have them every chance I get!â All the ways you might describe yourself to someone â your name, age, nationality, familial relationships, occupation, hobbies, race, religion, and quirks are products of the Ahankara. That is why it is often called the âIâ maker and also why it is called the false ego.
Why is it considered the false ego?
Here is where it gets tricky… Let’s use the example of your doctor. Are they who they say they are when they are a doctor and also a mother from the same town you grew up in, and also loves salty pretzels? Well, no and yes. In terms of yoga, that description of them would be considered a temporary truth â sort of like when an actor plays a role. Are they Hamlet? For the hours of the performance they are, but that is not who they are all the time. This is why the Ahankara is called the false ego, because it is an identity that we assume for the time we are inhabiting that particular body.
However, it is not eternally who we are and in yogic philosophy, something is not really true unless it is eternally true. The problem is we need this particular “I” identity in this world for several reasons. One cannot walk around just saying, âI am a spirit soul who is eternal, full of knowledge, and ever blissful,â (particularly at a parent teacherâs conference, with your embarrassed teenager looking on). One has to say, âI am a parent. That is my child. This is what both my child and I are responsible for,â and that is where the “I” identity is most often needed, in our everyday lives to realistically function with the outside world. Even though we are just really souls that have a body…
When we hold too tightly the identities we have in this lifetime: Man, woman, black, white, Catholic, Hindu, etc. it is easy for those classifications to calcify into walls. We begin to see those things we like and agree with almost as extensions of ourselves.
Think of a stage mother, or a soccer father â they see their talented child not as a separate being, but as a part of them. So often we come across people that think that only people that believe in what they believe, or speak the language they speak are legitimate and worthy to exist. Walls are built up, and what do walls do â keep others out! Wars are fought because one group has decided that because another group is different from their (temporary) reality they should be done away with. But, yet, we do, in fact need that sense of who we are during this lifetime. As tricky as it is, we must learn to distinguish when we need these “I” identities and when they are hindering us.
The balance between now and eternity
How exactly do we balance these two truths (our eternal identity as soul and our temporary identity as who we currently are?) The first step, as is true of any big change, is awareness. Even the thought, “This is a role I am playing, and I have been countless beings before this,” can help shift the dynamic of seeing this one set of personality and bodily features as our eternal selves. The beauty of a human birth is that we have the capacity to inquire about who and what we eternally are â to open our eyes to our greater selves, and to use the body and the mind that we have right now for discovery.
It is said that in the spiritual world (the Soulâs (our) real home) every word is a song and every step is a dance. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krsna says, âKnow that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor. (10.41) Who we are, eternally, really is part of that magnificence.” Even B.K. S. Iyengar says that we are “all sparks of Divinity.”
Knowing this can motivate us to realize that though our present identity (our Ahankara) may be pretty wonderful and fulfilling, there is something more to us than what we are right now. Something that wonât go away, because, as we know this human body, with all of itâs likes, dislikes, talents, and familial relations, is simply not eternal. This Ahankara will give way to another one, during another birth. But our eternal identity is not a false one, it is a real one â because it is based on what we actually are â a soul.
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This week’s Weekly Class Theme is a special one. We recently uploaded a handful of soul-reviving yoga classes on Spotify and kicking us off is the ever-talented Lindsey Rozmes with an Invigorating Vinyasa Flow. This class is a condensed version of our typical 60-minute “building-to-a-peak-pose” yoga class style at YogaRenew, without comprising any of the bits and pieces that make our classes bumpin’, fun, and feeling complete.
In this class, Lindsey finds ways to integrate movement in a way that feels intentional, grounding, and invigorating. You’ll be invited to tune into your own breath and rhythm as you awaken the body, mind, and heart.
Puttering:
Start on your belly, lift legs one at a time (mini Salabhasana, one leg lifted at a time)
Lie on your side for baby vishnuâs quad stretch by bending your top knee and grabbing your ankle
Baby cobra
Childâs pose
Cat/cow
Down dog
Plank
Childâs pose
Sit on your heels, then lift to your shins, lift your arms, make fists, and lift your arms up overhead (in conjunction with your breath) for Breath of Joy
Sit on shins, hook thumbs overhead
Step right foot forward for Anjaneyasana
Runners lunge
Lunge with arms reaching back
High lunge
Straighten & re-bend front leg
3 legged dog
Knee to nose
Plank pose
Childâs pose
Sit on your heels for Breath of Joy round 2 – with the breath)
Sun Salutations:
Adding a high lunge into the second round
Standing:
Warrior II > Straighten & Rebend (3xs) > Peaceful Warrior > Extended Side Angle > Reverse Triangle > Triangle
Balance & Twists:
Baby dancer > Chair > Chair Twist to Revolved Side Angle > Prasarita Padottanasana
Peak Pose:
Camel (Ustrasana)
Wind Down
Lord of the Fishes (“hold, hug or hook”)
End in Sukhasana (Easy Seat)
If you’d like to practice along with the video, check out the full playlist on Spotify:
If you want to learn to sequence like this, check out our online courses:
*Disclaimer: The PDF image only includes some poses incorporated in the practice as a visual guide, not all of them. For a full pose directory, visit the Yoga Asana Database. Most clipart images are credited to Pocket Yoga.
The 200 hour program sets a strong foundation for your future yoga knowledge. Choosing the right program is essentialâyou want instructors you trust and who are credible. Youâll learn the basics, deepen your practice, and build a network of fellow yogis who are on the same mission. Here are some things to consider:
Online vs. In-Person
Not all 200 hour yoga teacher training programs are the same (especially online). Trainings can be completed locally at a studio or online, the latter growing increasingly popular. Your choice depends on your learning style, schedule, and personal goals.
Benefits of an In-Person YTT:
Hands-on assists in real time
Having a designated space to practice
Getting the essence of a true yoga studio
Meeting fellow students face-to-face
Staying accountable to your studies
Benefits of an Online YTT:
Move at your own pace
Access materials anytime, anywhere
Gain digital literacy for online teaching
Immediate access to extensive resources
Generally more affordable than in-person options
Any 200-hour yoga teacher training is a truly immersive experience, often times reaching far beyond just your physical practice. A yoga teacher training program equips you for teaching while also refining your personal practice. While no official license is required to teach yoga, certification ensures you have studied both the practice and safety of yoga, which is essential for leading confident, fulfilling classes. After completing 200 hours, you can continue with advanced training or specialized areas like prenatal yoga, kids yoga, yin yoga, restorative yoga, or meditation/mindfulness and so much more.
In a 200 hour yoga teacher training, youâll learn a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, including:
Yoga philosophy and history
Teaching methodology
Anatomy and physiology for safe practice
Class sequencing and structure
Meditation and pranayama techniques
Chakra therapy and energetic alignment
Adjustments and modifications
Yoga business and marketing basics
A 200 hour training is intensive, whether online or in-person. Youâll engage in lectures, workshops, practical teaching exercises, and personal practice. The program emphasizes both personal growth and professional development, giving you confidence to lead classes and share your love of yoga effectively.
Learning the Lingo
Youâre probably wondering what âyttâ stands for. At least I did when I first started publishing pieces about the yoga practice. This acronym, I noticed, was also placed after numbers often. I started to ask the yoga teachers around me, âWhat does E-RYT 500 mean?â and, âWhat is 200 hour versus 300 hour versus 500 hour?â Hereâs what I learnedâŚ
YTTÂ stands for Yoga Teacher Training.
A 200 Hour YTTÂ is the first certification along your journey. A 200 hour ytt sets you up with the foundation of a strong understanding of the ancient practice. In a 200 hour yoga teacher training, you will most likely learn about the physical practice (yoga asana), ancient yogic texts (the yoga sutras), Ayurveda (a relative science to yoga), and other branches and elements within the yogic sphere. This varies from training to training, but most yoga teacher trainings will at least touch on these subjects.
A 300 Hour YTTÂ is a continuation of your 200 hour studies. A 300 hour yoga teacher training builds upon the 200 hours to fully certify you at the maximum amount of hours, 500. A more in-depth look at the practice is what the 300 hour is for, and youâll usually go a layer deeper into anatomical phrasing, further into Ayurveda and how it intertwines with yoga, and learn more about how this practice made it ways over to the west. Itâs not always a continuation of a 200 hour yoga teacher training, but a 200 hour yoga teacher training is recommended before enrolling â however you complete the hours is up to you.
A 500 Hour YTTÂ is the final amount of hours necessary to register through Yoga Alliance as a RYT 500. If you continue to enroll in more trainings (i.e. specialized trainings in the different âgenresâ of yoga such as: restorative, yin, Hatha, Yoga Nidra) your hours will count towards being an E-RYT 500. However, you can only obtain the status of E-RYT if you continue to have 2,000 hours of experience teaching yoga.
How Long Does it Take to Complete a 200 Hour YTT?
Typically, a 200 hour YTT can be completed over several weekends or a few months, depending on the program format. Online programs, like YogaRenew, allow you to study at your own pace, providing resources, mentorship, and virtual support as needed.
Topics covered in our online yoga teacher training:
Philosophy
Anatomy
Asana
Pranayama
Meditation
Business of Yoga/Yoga Marketing
Teaching tips
Sequencing
Practicing yoga beyond the mat
The Chakras
Different styles of yoga
What does a 200 hour ytt typically look like?
Well, for starters, you must complete 200 hours of yoga. This is typically broken up through modules on the weekend days (given most modern day people have jobs they tend to throughout the week). Usually, the different topics throughout the training are segmented into different weekends. For example, the first weekend may take a look at yoga asana, the physical practice. In this module, youâll probably be responsible for looking at the poses and determining where the alignment and structure of the pose come from. Depending on which lineage you choose to study (Iyengar, Jivamukti, Bikram, Ashtanga, etc.), youâll learn the foundations of the poses, their Sanskrit names and meanings, and what to focus on physically when teaching classes (or even taking classes â completing a 200 hour ytt can be solely to advance your personal yoga practice and not to even teach at all).
Throughout the training you’ll advance through other aspects of the yoga practice and learn about the eight-limbed path (depending on which lineage your training comes from). Usually each weekend will be dedicated to a different subject matter and within those subjects lies more granular topics. There will be space to ask questions, perform the physical parts of the practice and homework will typically be assigned. The homework will have to be done in your own time, and most programs will assign you a mentor who will check over your work and make sure you are on track/grasping the concepts.
What does a 200 hour graduation look & feel like?
Every 200 hour yoga teacher training will look and feel different â but the journey is the same. The path towards understanding yoga, its roots and the many avenues it spans across is truly a gift and each studio/online yoga program will treat that in their own special way.
Iâve seen huge celebrations with tons of flowers and incense and comfortable meditation pillows. Iâve seen online certifications with warm language centered around the program theyâve completed and a repost to LinkedIn on how they plan to share their studies and learnings. All in all, the way you celebrate this huge accomplishment deeply personal, but also part of a strong community. It is imperative to find a way to honor both as you set out into the world with your new insights and profound knowledge.
5 Things to Ask Yourself Before Enrolling in a 200 Hour YTT
1. How much time do I have to dedicate to being in school again?
Itâs important to know your daily routine⌠even if youâre not a routine person. Having a good understanding of your schedule and your personal time management will help you decide where you can allot time for learning. While online yoga teacher training tends to be more flexible because you donât have to include travel time, itâs still crucial to figure out where you can carve out the time.
Yoga students just starting their journey towards becoming a certified yoga instructor usually begin with a 200 hour training course. This is the baseline course and allows you to explore what time management might look like for you. After a 200 hour certification, you can build upon it and move to 300 and 500 hour.
Look into calculating when youâd like to be certified, then determine how many hours a week you can dedicate to practicing and learning. Organizing and planning out your yoga schedule and seeing how it fits with other aspects of your life (hours-wise) will make it easier to see how much time you realistically have to put towards enrolling in school again.
2. How much do yoga teacher trainings typically cost?
Enrolling in an online yoga teacher training course tends to be more cost-efficient. You donât have the added fees that come with being in and commuting to a physical studio. Completing your yoga teacher training online also provides the added benefits of virtual learning materials (i.e. Zoom meetings, downloadable PDFs and collaborative documents online). Online yoga teacher trainings also offer promos and deals to attract students to committing to an online program versus a physical program.
You should commit to purchasing items necessary for the course if you donât already have the basics. Here are the average costs of yoga items you may need for your teacher training course:
Yoga blocks: $10-$40
Yoga mats: $30-$100
Yoga blankets: $40-$60
Clothing & gear: $15-$200
Not all of these items are necessary; as long as you have stretchy, breathable clothes and a mat and blocks, Iâd say youâre more than prepared for a 200 hour yoga teacher training program.
Yoga teacher trainings can be expensive, but why?
A lot goes into a fully baked yoga teacher training, and to put it simply: You need to pay the teachers in the training for their time and wisdom. The price of a yoga teacher training is usually dictated by the quality of the training and the overhead it costs to stack up a fire staff to teach you about each respective area they are an expert in.
Over the pandemic, yoga teacher trainings became popular online (hello, us!) and some of that accessibility has remained. Though not ideal if youâre really looking forward to hands on adjustments and physical assistance throughout your learnings, an online yoga teacher training still gives you all of the benefits of an in person training at a fraction of the cost (because the teachings are recorded).
Other costs that are factored into the training (online or in-person):
Physical handouts & items to track your work â Sometimes the school will gift you with a binder full of information. The binder will house important info and act as a calendar to move through the modules, annotating anything you find important.
Special workshops â Youâll have access to fellow teachers who the leader of the ytt thought were imperative to your learning and potential networking
General maintenance of the studio & access to props â The yoga studio becomes your home, and that home usually comes with yoga mats, bolsters, blocks and other items necessary to learning about the yoga asana practice
General maintenance of digital course materials â A lot of online yoga teacher training platforms will continue to improve their training material. They will assess what works well & what doesnât and find ways to cater to the yogi student in the best ways possible.
3. Why do I want to become certified in yoga?
What inspired you to take this journey? A lot of people believe that a yoga certification is just simply something good to have â they have been passionate about yoga and see a certification as a way to engage deeper with the meaning of why they practice yoga. Other people are on their path towards owning their own studio. Whatever your reason is for enrolling, make sure that it comes with purpose.
A 200 hour yoga teacher training is the perfect place to start. Through a 200HR YTT, you can determine how far you want to take your yoga journey. Just like any other school, there is always more to learn. A yoga certification is always a good thing to have if your passion for yoga is something that will always be a part of your life.
4. What are the topics covered in most 200 hour yoga teacher training programs?
Practicing regularly will obviously enhance your flexibility, movements, flow, etc. But enrolling in a 200HR YTT will give you the educational aspects that will assist you in developing classes and deepening your understanding of the history of yoga. Most 200HR YTT include all of the basics:
Breathwork
The history of yoga
Basic yoga poses
Meditation
Anatomy
Sequencing
The 7 Chakras
5. Once I complete the training, can I teach yoga classes?
Yes. When you commit to a 200 hour yoga teacher training, you will be well on your way towards fulfilling most, if not all, of your yoga dreams. A 200 hour course is the perfect way to get serious about your yoga teacher certification goals and determine what types of materials and teachings would be best for your very own class.
How to Use a 200 Hour Yoga Certification
After completing your 200-hour certification, you can begin teaching in studios, gyms, or online. Many graduates also continue with advanced trainings to specialize or deepen their knowledge. Certification demonstrates your expertise and dedication, helping you build credibility as a yoga teacher and reach a wider audience.
The 200-hour standard was established to ensure teachers have a solid foundation before instructing students. Programs certified by Yoga Alliance maintain high-quality standards, emphasizing both traditional yoga knowledge and modern teaching methods. Today, 200 hours remains the benchmark for entry-level certification worldwide.
Completing a 200-hour YTT is transformative. Youâll emerge equipped with practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and the confidence to lead yoga classes. At YogaRenew, we provide the tools, mentorship, and support to help you succeed. Our program aligns with Yoga Alliance standards, allowing graduates to become Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT) and obtain certification recognized globally.
What brings anyone to do anything? Usually, general interest, right? Or is it that we seek fulfillment? Maybe itâs for the sheer fact that something random piqued our interest and it seemed attainableâŚ
Usually when people decide to step into their 200 hour yoga teacher training, itâs by some random bit of fate â literally the right place at the right time.
Whatever your reason, here are the top three reasons (in our opinion):
Your learnings will translate off the mat & into your daily life
You’ll cultivate a healthy mind, body & soul.
The things you learn in a yoga teacher training course stretch beyond the mat and into everyday life. Youâll not only learn all the major poses, but youâll also learns what it actually means to be living in the present moment (and how to be conscious of it).
Your learnings inside your training can span beyond just the physical practice, creating space for you to find peace within yourself (a feat that not too many feel comfortable coming to terms with). Some of these teachings may even spill onto the relationships youâve cultivated in a healthy way; a more patient you can make for a more patient and peaceful circle of people around you.
It’s a great workout for your body and mind
On a basic level, yoga serves as an excellent form of exercise. A lot of times, this is what initially brings people to at least try yoga â they want to be more flexible, they want to touch their toes, they want to have more mobility in their shoulders to crush it on the tennis courts, etc.
One of the most transformative benefits of practicing yoga is the fact that it bridges the connection between the body and the mind, fluidly. You may have never thought of it this way before, but the breath is the one thing we do actively when we are awake and subconsciously when we are asleep. It is the one thing that we do both consciously and unconsciously and plays an integral role in the yoga practice.
You’ll make friends with people who also deeply love the yoga practice.
You’ll find a community of like-minded individuals
A 200 hour yoga certification can also lead to valuable personal and professional connections. Regardless of whether youâre looking for new friends or are interested in networking opportunities, yoga training is an excellent setting to form such connections. There are many tales of yogis who go on to make lifelong connections from their teacher trainings, remembering their teachers/mentors along the way and the knowledge they provided them with.
Itâs hard to encapsulate the feeling and speak on behalf of everyone who embarks in their 200 hour journey, but this much we know is true:Â the experience is more delightful than it is painful and the enlightenment that we achieve brings us that much closer to existential bliss.
It might change your life entirely
A 200 hour yoga teacher training is the first step toward a journey inward. While youâll meet some incredible people along the way, it is always for you. We always encourage yogis to do their research before deciding where to enroll in their YTT, and usually it tends to be at a studio they are loyal to. However, in recent years, itâs become increasingly popular to enroll in a yoga teacher training online. Both options will provide you with all the information necessary and any good online platform will offer the support, look and feel of an in-studio teacher training.
Here at YogaRenew, we adhered to the qualifications necessary to be a Registered Yoga School (RYSÂŽ) with Yoga Alliance. This means that if you choose to enroll in any of our trainings or courses, you will receive Yoga Alliance accreditation. Be mindful when deciding where to complete your yoga teacher training as this extra layer of accreditation can help speak to the validity of the information youâre learning and teaching.
Will I regret taking a yoga teacher training?
To put it simply: Youâll never regret taking a 200 hour yoga teacher training. Weâve had thousands of students all over the world, and some of them donât even start the program until theyâve had it for a bit, but one commonality we find is that no one ever completes the studies and says, âWow, I wish I never learned all of this quality information about yoga.â
Chances are, if youâre a dedicated practitioner, or even slightly interested in furthering your yoga practice, there will be at least something you will take away from enrolling in a training. The amount of information that is covered spans out far across the landscape of yoga, and you may even find that a lot of the material can assist other aspects of life. Whether itâs a deeper appreciation for meditation or a better understand of how your bones work and function in your body, a yoga teacher training will give you that insight. From there, you can choose what you do with that information.
Iâve completed my 200 hour YTT journey, now what?
The choice is yours! Either continue on to a 300 hour training to obtain your RYT 500 or take some time to ruminate in your learnings. You can look into specialized trainings in the areas that ignited something in you and sparked a specific interest, or you could let everything from your 200 hour marinate and let that be enough for your yogic journey.
If you are trying to become a teacher â look for places to teach! Having a 200 hour certification is a great way to get started leading classes. Youâve learned an immense amount about the practice, and there are so many veins within the âyoga umbrellaâ that are sure to find something that resonates. Overall, let yourself be proud of your accomplishmentâyouâve accumulated 200 great hours of one of the worldâs most ancient studies! That is something to be happy with.
Finding the right yoga teacher training can be quite a cumbersome task. Be sure to do your research and make sure the school has everything you are looking for and you feel comfortable with the curriculum. Happy practicing!
There’s a lot that goes into deciding where and how to complete your first 200 hour yoga teacher training. If you’ve been thinking about it for a while, there’s probably something hindering or encouraging your decision. Perhaps you’re waiting for a sign, or maybe the timing doesn’t feel quite right â whatever the case, we are going to try and convince you that our 200 hour online yoga teacher training program is perfect for you.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should do your 200 hour yoga teacher training with YogaRenew!
Trustworthy, Credentialed & Experienced
YogaRenew has been leading online yoga teacher training since 2018, and our instructors have been leading trainings for much longer than that. We’ve had students from over 170 countries move through our courses with over 10,000 5 star reviews and tons of testimonials available online. There are countless graduates who have gone on to teach, open studios and build businesses after completing our certification.
Those looking to register continuing education credits with AFAA or NASM are able to do so through our partnership with those organizations as well.
Live Access & Feedback
One of the most important considerations in choosing a yoga teacher training is feedback. Most trainings will offer a weekly call, or sometimes even monthly calls. Students of our 200 hour certification gain access to 30 live calls every single week.Far and above any online yoga teacher training we’ve ever seen.
Our live calls give students an opportunity to ask questions, gain feedback and connect directly with our instructors and wider community. Yoga Alliance requires 30 hours of live interaction in order to register as a RYT-200. Anybody looking to register with Yoga Alliance should put serious consideration into this. So if you’re attending a training that has only 1 or 2 calls a week you’ll be in the course for quite a while. And that’s assuming those calls are at a time your schedule allows you to attend.
Furthermore, many trainings have one or two people leading the entire course acting as a jack of all trades. With YogaRenew, you’ll learn anatomy from experts in anatomy, philosophy from experts in philosophy, business from business leaders and so on.
Every single student receives personalized feedback prior to graduating as well. Oh, and did we mention that you gain lifetime access to all those live calls too?!Â
Quality Resources
We decided early on that we were going to provide a ton of additional resources for our students. These aren’t just supplements for our training curriculum – it goes above and beyond what you’d expect to see in a 200 hour course. In fact, we have over 100 hours of supplemental video content students can take advantage of if you’re looking to dig deeper into certain topics or areas of interest. We also have a tremendous set of eBooks, business templates, class themes, sequences, flash cards and other resources you can use in your journey and as an instructor after graduating.
Inviting & Responsive Community
A yoga teacher training is a transformational experience, but you don’t have to go at it alone! Outside of the support from our instructors, you’ll also gain access to our incredible community. With students and graduates from over 170 countries, our community is an active, supportive and engaging space. After enrolling, you’ll gain full access to connect with others on this shared journey which makes all the difference. The Renew Crew is an absolute treasure and we can’t wait to see you there!
Flexibility & Accessibility
No, we don’t mean flexibility as in the yoga asanas â we’re talking about flexibility being able to access the course materials whenever, however. All of the materials provided throughout the duration of the trainings are completely downloadable and yours for a lifetime; so you can return to them if you’ve taken a slight pause or need a little extra time in between your studies.
We try to make our courses as accessible as possible and are looking into enhancing our offerings so that they are suitable for a wider demographic. We are also looking into creating courses that are more ADA compliant. It’s important to us that anyone and everyone feels like they can have easy access to good, quality yoga â digitally and in person.
You’re Learning from the Best!
In a 200 hour yoga teacher training, you are reliant on the quality of the information being given and the teachers that are providing it. All throughout our courses, you’ll meet friendly, experienced yoga teachers that are the experts in their crafts. If you choose to enroll in our 200 hour yoga teacher training, most of your time will be with Kate and Patrick, but beyond that, our specialized trainings invite you to meet a plethora of new teachers who have such deep, extensive knowledge in their specific lane of yoga.
Here are a few highlights of teachers in our other courses:
Julie takes you on a journey in every one of her tales of ancient yogic philosophy. Her captivating use of story telling helps make the Yoga Philosophy Online Course both digestible and fun.
MĂŠlie Purdon is our resident experienced prenatal yoga teacher both online and at our headquarters. You can gain access to MĂŠlie’s elite Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training both virtually and in-person as it can be purchased as a hybrid course! This means you’ll have opportunities to learn with her at our HQ in Hoboken, NJ.
Lisa Bermudez has facilitated all of our Ayurveda trainings and continues to host free challenges through us on YouTube to help get you introduced and acclimated to the sister science of yoga.
Trevor Vaughan and Julie both lead the kids yoga teacher training where you can become certified to bring the gift of yoga into classrooms and help bring on the next generation of mindful youths!
One major benefit of enrolling in our 200 hour yoga teacher training is YogaRenew’s signature sequencing teaching method. This simple outline gives you the template you need to create classes that keep students coming back! If you’re not planning on becoming a teacher, the way you’ll learn sequencing in this 200 hour training will greatly benefit how you take notice of the benefits of yoga asana.
At YogaRenew, each class is taught towards an apex (peak pose) and the offers a wind down and full Savasana. The beginning of the class is known as puttering (or the warm up), then the class typically follows the structure below. Once you understand how it all comes together, you can plug and play your poses in a class to teach towards a peak pose. This takes the stress out of teaching and can teach you so many new things of how you understand even your personal practice.
During the delicate and uncertain times of COVID-19 when we were all mandated to stay inside, the rise of online learnings took off. Finding ways to workout and learn through YouTube became increasingly popular and people took to the internet to immerse themselves in a digital world that felt accessible.
Fast-forward to 2025 and people are still chronically online. The ease of having access to a training, digitally, appeals to a lot of people. The cost of producing these trainings is also much lower so the product can be circulated at a more affordable and attainable rate.
Online trainings are great for people who wish to connect virtually instead of attending lectures or teachings in person. People also like the added convenience of weaving their training into their already well established schedule. For some, online trainings can be a great way to grow a community and foster a real-life school environment with the added benefit of accessing it from anywhere in the world.
YogaRenew has a plethora of online yoga teacher trainings, including the initial 200 hour yoga teacher training, where you can choose which facet of yoga you’d like to specialize in. We also offer various online workshops and have a full YouTube channel that displays snippets of our courses, all of which are also available to our newly launched YogaRenew app.
Here are some of our most popular online trainings:
We’ve had great success and engagement on our YouTube channel where we’ve offered yoga teacher tips, fun challenges, and invigorating and restful classes so we just felt like it was time…
Get immersed and take your yoga to the next level with the YogaRenew App. You’ll see the same friendly faces and quality learnings from all our online yoga teacher training courses. From there, you can build your own stacked class playlists and find courses that will help you float up into handstand ~ there’s a little bit of something for everyone on the app.
*Available to be downloaded via the Apple and Google Play store – search: YogaRenew.
In yoga philosophy, the Manos is the part of the mind that receives information, processes sensation, and reacts. It is the place where thoughts first ariseâbefore discernment, before wisdom, before action. The Manos is not good or bad; it is simply active. Constantly moving. Constantly responding.
In our practice this week, we explore what it feels like to notice the Manos without being ruled by it. Moving from a place of instinct while also allowing intention and grace. In order to truly embody yoga philosophy in a physical asana class, we must explore the true meaning of the concept. For this week, we’ll focus on the element of the Manos where the brain experiences something and just reacts, without tying aspiration or judgment to it. As we move through the yoga asanas in this class, notice where you can let go and let your body lead.
Arriving & Listening to the Mind
We begin low to the earth, where awareness feels the most natural. A staple in any vinyasa yoga class, Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat/Cow) invites the spine to undulate while the breath begins to naturally link with movement. See if you can sync your breath with the movement and notice how naturally the Manos dictates.
We then find Balasana (Childâs Pose), offering a moment of contraction back in towards the body and a moment to pause. This posture is invited to be revisited if at any point the class feels too challenging or the body simply wishes to pause. Again, the breath accompanies the movement allowing for the preparation of movement.
From stillness, we lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), our first moment of mild effort. The Manos may rush ahead, already planning what comes next. Gently guide it back to the rhythm of breath and body.
Returning to Downward Facing Dog, we lift into Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (Three-Legged Dog), opening space through the hips and noticing where the mind tightens in anticipation. We step forward into Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Lunge), a pose that asks us to stay present with intensity without resisting it.
In Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold) and Uttanasana (Forward Fold), the head releases below the heart. Blood flows downward. Thoughts soften. The Manos quiets when the body feels safe enough to let go.
Flowing: Responding Without Reacting
The Standing Portion is Where the Mind Meets Balance
Starting in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) to Utkata Konasana (Goddess Pose), your students can experience strong shapes that also reflect a steadiness that is being cultivated internally. The mind may waver; the legs stay rooted.
Flowing into Shanti Virabhadrasana (Peaceful Warrior), expansion is explored, offering space and freedom. Peace does not mean absence of effortâit means effort guided by awareness.
Balancing & Twisting for Concentration
Garudasana (Eagle Pose) wraps the body inward, mirroring how the mind often entangles itself in thought. This balancing portion of class allows students to explore a shape by maybe wobbling and becoming unsteady for a bit. Through the effort of trying to get into the pose, they are building stamina and strength needed for the rest of the class.
Eagle Pose moves into Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) and then Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) where balance becomes a direct reflection of mental clarity. The Manos may grasp for control. Instead, we let steadiness arise from subtle adjustments and patience.
For those who choose, Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) offers a powerful lesson in the Manos. Fear, excitement, doubtâall arise at once. The practice is not to silence them, but to act with awareness anyway.
Backbending: Opening the Heart-Mind
We return to the mat for Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) and Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose). These heart-opening shapes ask the mind to trust the bodyâs resilience. Sensation intensifies, and the Manos has much to say. We listenâbut we donât negotiate.
Wind Down for Integration
Gentle twists in Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Twist) help the nervous system unwind, allowing thoughts to settle naturally. In Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby), we reconnect with ease, reminding the mind that joy does not need to be earned.
Finally, we arrive in Savasana (Corpse Pose)âthe ultimate practice of observing without doing. Here, the Manos can rest. Sensations fade. Thoughts drift. Awareness remains.
Closing Reflection
The Manos will always be active. Yoga does not aim to stop the mind, but to help us understand it. When we recognize its patternsâits urgency, its judgments, its fearsâwe gain the freedom to respond with intention rather than habit.
This is the quiet power of practice: not controlling the mind, but befriending it.
Let this weekâs practice remind you that you are not your thoughtsâyou are the awareness that witnesses them.
Some time ago there was an amazing documentary series called âThe Americasâ and it showed many different species of animals across the American continents. The variety of creatures was astounding, but even more than that was what each of these living things could do: Build homes, travel many miles, find food where there appeared to be none, care for their young, defend themselves from predators. For some of these animals, every day was a struggle just to find food, and to keep safe. There were no YouTube videos to tell them how to do this, no ChatGPT â this knowledge was innate. The turtles that, right after breaking out of their shells begin to crawl as quickly as they can into the sea and started dodging things wanting to eat them, were moving by the power of instinct. This is downright impressive, I cannot lie. This internal knowing, that seems to come from somewhere deep within, is a good way to look at the part of the mind called The Manos.
The Three Parts of the Mind
The Mind (Citta), in yogic thought is not one big thing. It has three distinct parts: The Buddhi (often called the intelligence), which is the home of discernment and where yogic practices lead us to, so that we may discover we are not a body, nor a mind, but a soul, The Ahankara (often called the false ego), which is the seat of our identity, the part of us that builds our personality, and tends to our likes and dislikes, and then there is the Manos (often called the lower mind, or caveman mind), which is likened, in a way, to the instinctual mind of animals. This is the part of the Mind that, (like our animal friends), sees the basic needs for survival. That rumbling in the stomach means eat. The dryness in the throat means thirst. The sensation of fire is hot.
Mind [noun]; the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
Whatâs the problem with being in the Manos?
Clearly, the Manos is necessary and useful. It helps us identify and serve our most basic needs. We need to eat, drink, and keep ourselves safe. So, would not one just be content to keep their focus there? Why even peek into the doorway of the other parts of the mind at all? In thinking of this we can think of our phones. Yes, your phone is a device on which you can make telephone calls, but what else is it? A computer, a camera, a recording device, a storage house for documents, an entertainment center, an alarm clock â the list goes on and on. Itâs function as an actual phone is literally the least of itâs capabilities. The Manos is like that. Yes, it has itâs use, but we, as humans are capable of far more.
Being reminded of the journey of turtles, I wonder, why bother swimming all that way to this one particular place, leave eggs, and then risk your life to swim all the way back? Itâs so dangerous… why not stay put? But, that question is not one that the turtles are capable of asking. All they know is that they must go to this one very particular place, and they must lay their eggs there, and they must return the same way they came. There is no choice and there is no thought behind it. There is no ability to change, grow, and evolve. A great white shark cannot one day decide to become a vegan! But, humans can…
The gift of a human birth & the Manos
There is a meditation I once heard that has stuck with me, and it goes like this, âI am grateful, I am grateful, I am grateful, for my precious human birth, because I can change!â As human beings, we are not bound to live just in the Manos, we have the ability to rise above our lower natures, and learn from our experiences. We can evolve.
A.C. Bhaktivendanta Srila Prabhupada, who brought many of the teachings of Bhakti Yoga to the West has said that there are 8, 400,000 species of life on earth and only one of them, the human life, can really make notable change. We are not bound by instinct, although sometimes we may feel like we are.
Yoga teaches us that we can live a life that is more creative, and less reactive, when we realize that we can function on a higher level than that of the Manos. In the Bhagavad Gita 13.8-12 – there is a list of qualities that are consider to be knowledge, and rounding out the list is âaccepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth.â The teachings of the Gita and The Yoga Sutras (and really any text of yogic thought) answers the question, âWhy am I here?â quickly, and definitively â we are here to discover who we are.
In our journey as eternal souls through some of those 8,400,000 life forms, we may have been able to fly, to be the fastest living mammal on the planet, to be a creature so small it can live comfortably in a pin sized hole in a tree, but we have never been able to reason, and to think and discover our truest identity. The Yoga Sutras, begins with the word âAthaâ â an imperative expression of the exact present moment. It translates to NOW. The sage and scribe of the Sutras, Patanjali, is urging us to remember this long journey we have made and the brevity of a human experience. NOW (Atha) the text says, begin this process of yoga to discover who you truly are. And that journey can begin the moment we realize there is something more to us than just the basic needs and desires that live in the Manos. It is a good start, but as humans, we are capable of so many things and yoga (including yoga philosophy) can be a great stepping stone for figuring out just how much we are capable of.
Yoga philosophy can open our hearts and minds up to what’s possible.
