“Learning to be present with yourself and to abide in that which is steady and comfortable does not allow space for self-judgment. When you live this way, you are practicing yoga: you are living fully.”
– Judith Hanson Lasater
We believe that in learning, there is life, and in self-discovery, there is growth which allows us to shed the practices and beliefs that no longer serve us. We aim to offer everyone the opportunity to know themselves better through comprehensive programs that serve the personal journey and the professional one.
We invite you to join us for courses and trainings that are open to practitioners of all levels of experience.
Online Courses & Trainings
Study with us from the comfort of your own home.
Online Community
Join a global community of teachers and students in the exploration of yogic teachings.
In-Person Courses & Trainings
Attend in-person courses and trainings at the PranaShanti Education Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Upcoming COURSES & events
Date / Time: April 25-28, 2024
Thursday: Arrival time is 3 PM
Sunday: Departure time is 1 PM
Instructor: Devinder Kaur
Thursday: Arrival time is 3 PM
Sunday: Departure time is 1 PM
Instructor: Devinder Kaur
PranaShanti Fall Yoga & Meditation Retreat
Connect with nature and unplug!
Absorb yourself in daily yoga practice and dive within through meditation, movement and healing sound vibrations.
The weekend includes healthy meals, cozy accommodations, w2ood fired sauna, time in nature, yoga, meditation and evening symphonic sound immersions.
Come out and explore with us in Mother Natures finest beauty, Algonquin Park just a few hours north of the city. Escape the hustle and bustle of the everyday life to find peace and tranquility on a weekend getaway.
The weekend includes:
- 4 days and 3 nights private or shared accommodation
- All nourishing meals and snacks
- Morning yoga and meditation classes and evening sound immersions meditation/relaxations with Devinder
- Join the activities or enjoy quiet time
- Use of Northern Edge’s amenities
- Wood-fired sauna
- Nature walk
- Quiet time to unplug, relax and be
Date / Time: April 26, 2024 to April 28, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Yoga for Seniors & Healthy Aging Training
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
In 2021, Canada’s Seniors officially out numbered children. With no signs of this trend lessening any time soon, learning to teach yoga to our Seniors safely and mindfully is becoming an increasingly important skill in the yoga teaching world. Understanding the common physical and mental issues and having the qualifications to teach yoga to this large segment of our population will provide yoga teachers and care givers with a unique and very rewarding way to serve our communities.
In the training we will address common physical issues that will need accommodation in class, for example: osteoporosis, arthritis, COPD or CAD. Learning to create skillful modifications for older students, some coming to yoga for the first time, will allow for teachers and care givers to offer the gifts of yoga with confidence. Adapting to the needs in the room will allow for a strong, challenging, but equally relaxed and meditative practice.
Date / Time: May 3, 2024 to May 5, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Catherine Collobert, PhD.
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Catherine Collobert, PhD.
Classical Yoga Philosophy
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
The practice of yoga dates back at least 1,000 years and continues to this day to be an experiential path to spiritual enlightenment.
Understanding the history and evolution of this practice can shed more light on its current iteration and allow us to explore its various aspects in more depth, as yoga was meant to be much more than exercise.
This training will explore central themes in some of the most significant historical texts on yoga and yoga practice such as the Rig Veda, the Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in order to gain a better understanding of yoga’s beginnings and cultural roots.
We will examine in more detail the larger context of yoga practice beyond asana and pranayama, as well as the origins of the physical practice of yoga postures and its evolution as the central focus in the West’s adoption of yoga.
This training is designed for yoga teachers, yoga practitioners, and all those wanting to learn more about the origins of yoga, its historical and cultural context, and philosophical underpinnings.
Date / Time: May 31, 2024 to June 2, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Chair Yoga Training
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
Chair Yoga adapts traditional yoga poses so that they can be done with a chair for support, making yoga more accessible for all people.
Our society is aging and there are many people unable to practice a standard yoga class. Chair yoga also provides a gentle but effective practice for those with mobility or disability issues. The chair takes the place of the yoga mat, and poses are seated or supported by the chair. You get a warm-up, stretching and strengthening, whether you’re coming off a sports injury, challenged by the physical limits of aging, or have been sitting for too many hours at your desk.
This program will offer you the tools to help you and/or your students build strength, awareness and confidence as well as to increase well-being both physically and mentally. Learn how to work with this ever growing group who can get so much benefit from the practice of yoga with the assistance of a chair!
Date / Time: Wednesday, June 12, 2024 / 6:30 pm ET – 8:00 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder, Stephanie and Shannon
Instructor: Devinder, Stephanie and Shannon
PranaShanti Training Open House!
You’re Invited to Our Open House!
With 15 years of experience in Yoga Teacher Training Education, PranaShanti is an accredited school offering 200-, 300- and 800-hour Yoga Teacher Training Programs along with continuing education and career-expanding courses and programs.
Our programs blend eastern, western, ancient and modern philosophy and practice. Our curriculum are as distinctive and comprehensive as our faculty that delivers our courses and programs.
We invite you to our Training Open House, a 2-hour experience that includes mindful movement, meditation, refreshments and social connection.
This is wonderful opportunity to visit the PranaShanti Education Centre, meet our Director, Training Co-ordinators and some of our faculty. Ask any questions about our upcoming and ongoing training programs, meet up with folks you know from past trainings and make some new friends!
Cost: FREE. Everyone is welcome but sign up so that we know you are attending!
Location: PranaShanti Education Centre, 45 Eccles Street, Ottawa, Ontario, (Chinatown). Our 2,500 square foot Education Centre offers a large open concept training area with high ceilings and an abundance of natural light and excellent ventilation. There is a kitchenette with fridge, microwave, kettle and dishware. We have a dining/boardroom with conference table and chairs, 2 gender neutral bathrooms, reading room, mini Boutique and our Administration Office.
Cost: Free
Date / Time: September 6, 2024 to September 8, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Max Strom
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Max Strom
Breathe to Heal Seminar
This 15-hour seminar is an opportunity for transformation. Step into a space that is designed for you to safely dive deep within yourself, to heal any wounds life has left you with and to tend to scars of struggles you’ve overcome.
Divided over 3 days you’ll be presented with a balanced program of lecture, writing, breathing and movement. The aim is for you to reconnect with yourself on a deep level, to reconcile with events in the past, to explore your direction in life and to learn techniques that will help you immediately to manage stress, anxiety and depression.
The added value to this in-person course is that besides the personal journey you’ll be on, experiencing this work as a group creates a supportive community. You are not alone.
For people from all levels of fitness and walks of life suffering from extreme stress. No previous experience necessary. The Breathe to Heal seminar is also extremely useful for medical practitioners, therapists, and yoga teachers who want to incorporate this work into their healing repertoire.
Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness to Children
For Parents, Caregivers, Teachers, Yoga Teachers and Yoga Students!
“Teach your children meditation. It will help them learn to cope with life’s challenges in a peaceful and constructive way, fostering a more harmonious world for generations to come.” – Deepak Chopra
In today’s fast-paced world, our children are often overwhelmed by school pressures, constant connectivity, and busy schedules. This can take a toll on their mental well-being and sense of happiness.
But there’s hope! Research shows that introducing children to Yoga and Mindfulness can have a profound impact on their mental health and overall happiness. These practices help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression while improving concentration, self-esteem, and empathy.
This course is designed to equip parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone working with children with the tools and techniques to bring Yoga and Mindfulness into children’s lives in a fun and engaging way!
Introduction to Sanskrit: The Sacred Language of Yoga
The Sanskrit language has a power like no other. Each word creates a specific vibration in the mind which is the essence of that word. Using Sanskrit terms in your class will resonate directly with the students on a level that is beyond the physical senses. Incorporating Sanskrit into your classes can be as simple as adding the names of a few postures to exploring philosophy with several terms.
In this course you will gain familiarity with the Sanskrit language through study of common words, pronunciations and common mispronunciations. Learn how to use potentially unfamiliar words with grace and smoothness to help students gain further understanding of the practice. We will explore the alphabet, its design and how it is written in the roman alphabet. Like this it will be easier to create the proper pronunciation as you read words and texts in transliterated Sanskrit.
The course will explore how to incorporate Sanskrit words into the theme of your class. This allows students to learn more words and also concepts that can deepen their practice. For example, how to use ahimsa or viveka as a theme that can carry through a class. Sanskrit Mantras: Om and beyond. We will learn several mantras, their meanings, stories and how to incorporate them into a class.
Date / Time: October 4, 2024 to October 6, 2024
Friday: 6:30 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Devinder
Friday: 6:30 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Devinder
Yoga Nidra Training
Yoga Nidra, or yogic sleep, is a type of meditation based on the ancient yogic anatomy of the Koshas, the 5 subtle bodies. Sometimes described as a long savasana, it is actually a combination of deep body relaxation and mental awareness.
Yoga Nidra is a quiet journey inward to stillness that transforms and releases old habits, fatigue, worry, and stress. Yoga Nidra is a technique for physical rejuvenation, mental relaxation, spiritual growth, and overall wellness.
This training is for those who would like to offer students the opportunity to experience a systematic method of conscious relaxation. Yoga Nidra has been found to be effective in treating many of the physical symptoms of stress, including insomnia, anxiety, and depression. It is also helpful in the treatment of PTSD and addictions.
During our weekend together, we will:
- Explore the science, philosophy and practice of Yoga Nidra.
- Gain a solid understanding of how this practice can assist different populations.
- Learn how to practically present Yoga Nidra sessions in both group and individualized settings.
This introductory course is suitable for all Yoga students, Yoga Teachers, wellness instructors, mental health counselors, doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals.